For the third year in a row, we’ve published our Best Used Car Awards. Each year, we take a look at depreciation, popularity, review scores, and availability to identify the top vehicles across a range of categories—16 this year.
We also look at other need-to-knows like mileage, cargo space, and safety ratings. Did your favorite make our list?
Midsize Truck: Toyota Tacoma
Shoppers have plenty of options when it comes to choosing a midsize truck. And our research shows that buying a midsize truck may be easier on your wallet than buying a full-size one. The 2005-2015 Toyota Tacoma‘s cost-effectiveness paired with its technology makes it a winner for our pro and user reviewers alike. The 2015 model with 4-wheel drive also gets up to 19 mpg combined (and up to 22 mpg with rear-wheel drive and a manual) and earned 4 out of 5 stars for overall safety from the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Full-Size Truck: Ford F-150
Ford’s decision to use an aluminum body–making the F-150 lighter–didn’t lose it any love among CarGurus users and reviewers. The 2015-2018 Ford F-150 took first place for our full-size truck category. The 2015 model year got the highest scores in our review, earning an 8.8 out of 10 overall. The NHTSA also gave the 2015-2017 model years 5 out of 5 stars for overall safety. And for fuel economy, the 2018 model sees the highest return of up to 25 mpg combined.
Small Crossover/SUV: Jeep Wrangler
What’s not to love about the Wrangler? It has an iconic profile and offers one of the most capable 4-wheel drive (4WD) systems available in a mainstream vehicle. The 2007-2017 Jeep Wrangler earned first place in our 2019 Used Car Awards for the small crossover/SUV category. It offers 12.8 cubic feet of cargo space with both rows in use. With the second row down, that expands to 55 cubic feet. The 2007-2010 models get a 5-star overall rating from NHTSA, while later years were not fully tested. And for fuel economy, the 2012-2017 models return 18 mpg combined.
Midsize Crossover/SUV: Jeep Wrangler Unlimited
The award for midsize crossovers also goes to a Jeep, this time the 2007-2017 Wrangler Unlimited. The Unlimited offers nearly one and a half times the amount of cargo space of its 2-door counterpart, at 72.3 cubic feet, thanks to its 21.6-inch-longer wheelbase. The 2012-2017 models also get 18 mpg combined with 4WD. The 2010 model received the best crash scores from NHTSA, earning a 5 out of 5 for both the driver and front passenger.
Full-size Crossover/SUV: Ford Explorer
The 2011-2018 Ford Explorer took first place in the full-size crossover category. When the 2011 model was first introduced, CarGurus users gave it 4.8 out of 5 stars, noting its sportiness and functionality. It offers 43.8 cubic feet of cargo space with the third row folded and 80.7 cubic feet of cargo space with the second row folded. The 2016-2018 models can get up to 22 mpg combined, and 2013-2018 models received the highest crash scores, earning 5 out of 5 stars overall from NHTSA.
To see our complete list of winners, visit our 2019 Best Used Car Awards.
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I’m looking for a cheaper car, I work from home so I don’t drive much. I’d like a Saab convertible or Jeep Wrangler but I can definitely work with others like them if it’s out of my price rate. I also have awful credit so I was wondering if that’s ne a issue. Thank you!