Filter our catalog of reliable used picks by body type, budget, and priority. Every vehicle here we'd actually buy.
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Listings you'll see at this price point that look fine on paper. They're not.
Before you buy
These are the things a $20 OBD scanner and a careful walk-around catch — before the test drive even happens. Take them to any car on your shortlist.
Oil change history is the most revealing single document. Engines that went long between changes often show it after 150k. Even partial records are better than none.
A $20 scanner under the dash reads any stored codes — including ones cleared right before the sale. Ask the seller to allow a scan. If they won't, that's an answer.
Rust hides where you can't see from the driver's seat — frame rails, rockers, wheel wells. In Phoenix it matters less. In the Midwest it's why cheap cars are cheap.
Carfax and AutoCheck aren't perfect — private-sale accidents don't always show up. But a clean report rules out obvious red flags. Run one before the test drive.
$100–$150 at an independent shop is the single best money in used car buying. A mechanic on a lift sees what a test drive misses. Sellers who refuse are telling you something.
For EVs, the battery is the vehicle. State of health below 80% means meaningfully less range than the window sticker. Ask for a SoH report — dealers can pull one.