10 Best Values in Used Cars, 2014

Parents looking at car on forecourt with daughter, smiling

(Image credit: Thinkstock)

published 15 April 2014

Good news for used-car buyers: Desirable trade-ins and vehicles at the end of their lease—especially luxury models—are streaming onto the used-car market, and that means more choices at lower prices.

We picked ten three- and four-year-old vehicles that not only were tops in Kiplinger's rankings for performance, value and safety when they were new, but also get good marks for reliability. (See Sweet Deals on Used Cars for strategies on how to get the best bargain.)

Topics

Lists Buying & Leasing A Car

2011 Honda Civic

Price when new: $22,765 (EX-L)
Certified used price: $17,867
Dealer used price: $17,292
Private-party price: : $14,792
MPG (city/hwy): 25/36

“Compact” stopped meaning “cheap” years ago, and that’s especially true for Honda’s reliable Civic. We picked the top trim level, because with its standard stability control, it won a Top Safety Pick award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The EX-L model comes with heated leather seats and heated door mirrors. Models with navigation include Bluetooth for hands-free phone calls.

Sponsored Content

2011 Toyota Prius

Price when new: $23,810 (II)
Certified used price: $18,272
Dealer used price: $17,172
Private-party price: $14,972
MPG (city/hwy): 51/48

Sponsored Content

2010 Subaru Legacy

Price when new: $20,690 (2.5i, manual)
Certified used price: $15,683
Dealer used price: $14,533
Private-party price: $12,833
MPG (city/hwy): 19/27

Standard all-wheel drive with surefooted handling has always been the Subaru hook, but the Legacy, which got a redesign for 2010, proved Subarus could be sexy, too. With sleek exterior lines, high-quality materials grace the interior, and a choice of engines gives you latitude on the power versus fuel economy spectrum. Choose the base 2.5-liter, four-cylinder with 170 horsepower (2.5i models), the six-cylinder with 256 horses (3.6R models) or the turbocharged four-cylinder with 265 horses (2.5GT models).

Sponsored Content

2011 Toyota Camry

Price when new: $22,985 (LE, automatic)
Certified used price: $16,345
Dealer used price: $14,995
Private-party price: $13,395
MPG (city/hwy): 22/32

Sponsored Content

2011 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Sedan

Price when new: $50,275 (E350)
Certified used price: $34,167
Dealer used price: $32,367
Private-party price: $29,267
MPG (city/hwy): 17/25

Among German luxury cars, Mercedes-Benz is the cream of the crop when it comes to safety. The 2010 E-Class redesign brought to the lineup standard Attention Assist, which monitors the driver via steering inputs for signs of drowsiness and alerts you if you need a rest. Other features in the 2011 models include lane-departure warning, blind-spot assist and a collision-warning system that will brake automatically if the warnings are not heeded. Nine airbags come standard, and some models have rear-seat side airbags to bring the total to 11. If the 268 horses on the V6 E350 aren’t enough, check out the E550 (382 hp), the E63 AMG (518) or the efficient E350 BlueTec diesel.

Sponsored Content

2011 Mitsubishi Outlander

Price when new: $22,805 (ES)
Certified used price: $15,509
Dealer used price: $14,009
Private-party price: $12,459
MPG (city/hwy): 23/28

Sponsored Content

2010 Lexus RX 350

Price when new: $38,500 (base model)
Certified used price: $31,195
Dealer used price: $29,095
Private-party price: $25,995
MPG (city/hwy): 18/25

Looking for luxury plus utility? The Lexus RX gives you a sleek package with a silky smooth ride, plus ample options. Ten airbags, Bluetooth and a nine-speaker sound system are standard. You’ll find models with smart headlights (adaptive front headlights that let you see around curves, plus automatic high beams), collision-warning systems with adaptive cruise control, and head-up display (to see your speed and other data without looking down at the dash). Lexus also sells a hybrid version, the RX 450h. The 2010 RX was the highest-ranked midsize premium crossover/SUV in J.D. Power’s Vehicle Dependability Study.

Sponsored Content

2010 Mazda CX-9

Price when new: $29,555 (Sport)
Certified used price: $19,383
Dealer used price: $18,183
Private-party price: $15,983
MPG (city/hwy): 16/22

Designed for families, the CX-9 crossover’s second row slides fore and aft and reclines for maximum comfort. You can unlatch the seat and move it forward for access to the third row with a single motion. Bluetooth comes standard on the base model; the Touring model adds leather, and the Grand Touring includes a blind-spot monitoring system. When the car was new, options included such desirable features as a power lift gate, rear-seat entertainment system and navigation with a rearview camera.

Sponsored Content

2011 Acura MDX

Price when new: $43,815 (base model)
Certified used price: $30,782
Dealer used price: $29,182
Private-party price: $26,682
MPG (city/hwy): 16/21

Acura’s big crossover has seating for seven, a standard rearview camera and tri-zone climate control. Standard all-wheel drive provides enhanced driver control no matter what the road conditions, and the 3.7-liter V6 has plenty of power, with 300 horses. Built-in convenience features include under-floor storage, a power tailgate and Bluetooth. Look for models with adaptive cruise control, a collision warning system and blind-spot monitoring.

Sponsored Content

2011 Chevrolet Tahoe

Price when new: $38,520 (LS)
Certified used price: $27,799
Dealer used price: $26,399
Private-party price: $23,899
MPG (city/hwy): 15/21

If hauling the soccer team around or a trip to the lake with the boat is on your list of activities, Chevy’s Tahoe can do the job. It seats up to nine (with the optional front-row bench), has 60 cubic feet of cargo space when you remove the third row, and can tow up to 8,500 pounds. All models come with Bluetooth. Look for family-friendly features such as the power fold-and-tumble second row, rear park assist, rearview camera and blind-spot monitoring system. A hybrid is available, but you only get a smidge better mileage and it’ll cost you at least $10,000 more.

Sponsored Content

More From Kiplinger

Sweet Deals on Used Cars

Sponsored Content

Anderson has been with Kiplinger since January 2004, when she joined the staff as a reporter. Since then, she's covered the gamut of personal finance issues—from mortgages and credit to spending wisely—and she heads up Kiplinger's annual automotive rankings. She holds a BA in journalism and mass communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She was the 2012 president of the Washington Automotive Press Association and serves on its board of directors. In 2014, she was selected for the North American Car and Truck Of the Year jury. The awards, presented at the Detroit Auto Show, have come to be regarded as the most prestigious of their kind in the U.S. because they involve no commercial tie-ins. The jury is composed of nationally recognized journalists from across the U.S. and Canada, who are selected on the basis of audience reach, experience, expertise, product knowledge, and reputation in the automotive community.