Skip to main content
  • The Subaru WRX is cheap speed for less than a new Camry
  • Buy a Honda Civic if you thin you’ll miss that new Toyota Camry
  • The Honda Accord is an excellent used car buy for families

The 2022 Toyota Camry is a great new car. However, it’s also new. And right now, there’s a lot going on in the new autos space. While you could say the same for used cars, at least a used ride is already made and out there in the world. So, we decided to put together a list of the best used cars you can get for the price of a brand new 2022 Toyota Camry.

A black 2022 Toyota Camry shot from the front on a highway
The 2022 Toyota Camry | Toyota

The Honda Civic is a cheap used car for less than a new Camry

A candy red Honda Civic like this one, shot from the 3/4 angle, makes for an amazing cheap used car.
The Civic is an understandably desirable ride | Honda

For reference, the average price of a brand new Toyota Camry is right around $30,000. Obvoiusly, that varies wildly depending on the trim and options selected, but we averaged all that out to get the above number. Regardless, the obvious answer for a cheap used car that’ll perform just as well as a Camry is a Honda Civic. They’re cheap and plentiful, even in this market. More to the point, the Civic’s trim levels span a massive range, just like the Camry.

Buy a Honda Accord if you have a family

A Honda Accord, which makes for one of the best cheap used cars, shot from the front 3/4 in red paint.
Honda’s Accord boasts excellent safety scores | Honda

Camry might rhyme with family, but it’s hard to think of a better used family car than the most recent crop of Honda Accord models. The Accord puts up some serious safety scores, bolstered by an equally impressive number of standard safety features, like pre-collision assist. For those who are feeling the pain of surging gas prices, there’s also a hybrid Honda Accord. Again, like the Civic, $30K buys you a lot of Honda Accord.

A used Mazda3 is a luxury hatchback bargain

A red Mazda3 hatchback shot from the front 3/4
The Mazda3 brought the hatch to new luxury heights | National Motor Museum via Getty Images

If you need or want a cheap used car with a little luxury thrown in, it’s hard to go wrong with the Mazda3. The brand began pivoting to a more luxury-oriented strategy as early as 2017. Plus, the Mazda3 offers a more usable hatchback layout. In order to get that in a Toyota, you’ll need to find a used Toyota Camry hatch.

The Subaru WRX is rally car fast for 2022 Camry money

A red Subaru WRX shot at sunset. The WRX makes for an excellent cheap used car.
The WRX is cheap speed incarnate | Subaru

It’s time to include something for the enthusiasts. Thankfully, the cheap sports car lives on with the Subaru WRX. While values have risen in the last year, $30K is still plenty of money to buy yourself a very nice Subaru WRX. We’d aim for a gently used, unmodified STI, which brings more power to the WRX’s already capable drivetrain.

Buy a Subaru Impreza to keep wagons alive

A pair of Subaru Impreza models, either of which makes for an excellent cheap used car. Seen here in red and grey.
The Subaru Impreza wagon is the most practical car here | Subaru

Finally, in keeping with the Subaru theme, we found plenty of gently used Subaru Impreza models for sale across the country. Thankfully, all but the newest of the new can be had for under $30,000. We recommend an Impreza wagon. Not only is it more practical than a sedan, it’s also easier to find these than sedans. Really, you’re spoiled for choice with any of these used cars, and any will fill their role just as well as that new Camry will.

Related

Forget the Honda Civic Type R, We’d Buy These 5 Sports Cars Instead