16 Best Used Cars To Shop For This Memorial Day Weekend
Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer in the United States, which means it’s when millions of Americans will be hopping into their cars for road trips. If you’re in the market for a new set of wheels to kick your summer off in style, this is also a good time of year to shop for used cars.
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Memorial Day weekend is “traditionally a hotbed for great car deals,” according to a recent blog on the CarEdge website. Memorial Day sales are poised to be “especially big” in 2024, thanks to higher-than-normal inventories of new cars, which have not been selling as well as in years past.
When new-car inventories are high, dealers are forced to cut prices to move vehicles off the lot. This causes a ripple effect that puts price pressure on used cars as well, meaning you should be able to score some good used car deals this Memorial Day weekend.
Here are 16 of the best used cars to shop for this Memorial Day weekend, according to AutoBlog — and the reasons AutoBlog chose them:
Best Used Cars Under $10,000
2014-2020 Hyundai Elantra: A compact car with “room enough for a small family if they don’t mind being close.” Gets high marks for reliability and safety technology.
2017-2019 Kia Soul: Offers more cargo room than the Elantra and features a “funky design” that sets it apart from the crowd.
Toyota Camry (all model years): Gets good ratings for its “unmatched” reliability and roominess as well as the fact that you can choose between 4- and 6-cylinder models.
2011-2020 Dodge Journey: Although it’s hard to find low-priced SUVs, this one offers three rows of seats, optional all-wheel drive and a low price, which are “big wins for a lot of buyers.”
Best Used Cars Under $15,000
2011-2015 Chevrolet Volt: AutoBlog calls the Volt “one of America’s top used-car bargains” for its efficiency, style and comfort, as well as a hatchback for “greater cargo versatility.”
2016-2017 Honda Civic: Scores high for being “more fun to drive” than the similar Toyota Corolla, along with being “surprisingly comfortable and roomy.”
Mazda Miata (any model year): The “quintessential little Japanese sports car” is a great used car option if you don’t mind a two-seater. AutoBlog says it’s a “joy to drive, reasonably efficient and doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.”
2000-2006 Chevrolet Tahoe: Older Tahoe models are preferable because of their small-block V8 engines, which “should equate to comparably simple maintenance and a wide selection of local mechanics who should be familiar with fixing them.”
Best Used Cars Under $20,000
2016-2019 Chevrolet Volt: These second-generation versions of the Volt feature design changes, better efficiency and a longer electricity range than previous models.
2015-2018 Toyota Prius: This hybrid gets high marks for “overall efficiency and expected reliability.”
2018-2021 Mazda6: Although Mazda stopped producing the Mazda6 three years ago, it’s “still an excellent vehicle worth pursuing” on the used-vehicle market because it’s a fun car to drive at an affordable price.
2017-2018 BMW i3: Thanks to an upgraded BMW EV battery, this is an “interesting option” if your daily commute is 100 miles or less. Despite the car’s “boxy” design, the interior is spacious and “almost Scandinavia in its design.”
Best Used Cars Under $25,000
2019-2022 Mazda3: AutoBlog calls this a “great car” with a “perfect blend of driving enjoyment and practicality” and says it interior is reasonably roomy. What’s more, the Mazda3 has “pretty much all the latest safety tech a buyer could wish for.”
2020-2022 Toyota Corolla Hybrid: Toyota has been the “undisputed king of hybrids for decades now.” The compact Corolla features what AutoBlog calls the “best Prius-based tech” in a more typical package.
2020-2022 Subaru Legacy: This is a “solid choice” thanks to standard all-wheel drive that offers “just as much all-weather dependability and spaciousness as the pricier Subaru Outback.”
2010-2016 Toyota 4Runner: The 4Runner SUV is one of AutoBlog’s favorites because of its rugged chassis and “big, burly” 4.0-liter V6 engine. It seats five passengers comfortably, and some models have a “mostly usable” third row.
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