Toyota Dominates the List of Most Reliable Used Cars for the Money
When buying a car, you want to know if the vehicle is reliable, especially if it’s used. Your next car purchase will be an investment, so of course you want it to last as long as possible. How do you know whether a vehicle you’re interested in is going to fit the bill? Well, iSeeCars did a study and came up with the most reliable used cars for the money, and Toyota dominates the results. Here are the models to keep your eye out for.
What does the list of the most reliable used cars show us about Toyota?
The brand is well-known for its reliability. This list pretty much proves that. Out of the list of 20 vehicles that are 10 years old, five of them are Toyota cars. On the list of 10 cars that are five years old, half of the vehicles on the list are Toyotas.
Each one has the potential to last an owner over 200,000 miles, provided people maintain their cars properly. All of them have below-average pricing than what’s considered average in today’s used market, which is $33,000, according to iSeeCars. So, which used Toyota car models are considered the most reliable used cars?
1. Prius is an excellent choice
A Toyota Prius has the ability to last as long as 250,601 miles with proper maintenance and care. So, getting a used Prius for an average price of $13,878 provides good value. One at this price point would have only around 118,000 miles or so. That means you would have approximately 129,000 miles of life (51.7%) remaining on it. This averages out to be about $107 per 1,000 miles on the car.
The iSeeCars website places the Toyota Prius as the second-best used car in the 10-year-old range. It’s also at the third spot when it comes to five-year-old vehicles. On average the price of a Prius that’s five years old, would be about $24,208, which figures out to be around $131 per 1,000 miles. One with that price tag would have approximately 65,000 miles on it, making it capable of lasting another 185,000 miles.
2. Camry is one of the most reliable used cars
The Toyota Camry has the potential to last around 223,249 miles. For one that’s 10 years old, it would have an average of 116,000 miles on it, which means you could theoretically drive it for another 106,000 miles (47.8%) before needing to replace it. The average price for one at that price point could run you about $13,785, which figures out to be $129 per 1,000 miles on the car.
When it comes to a Camry that’s five years old, though, you can expect to pay $20,482 on average, but you would get one with around 69,000 miles. If you can budget that price, you could look forward to having 153,000 miles of lifespan left to go, provided you take good care of the vehicle.
3. Camry Hybrid could be a great choice
Back when it was new the 2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid came with an MSRP of around $26,000. Today, you could find a 10-year-old model for an average price of $14,360 for one that could give you over 116,000 more miles of life for $123 per 1,000 miles. Not bad, considering the hybrid version has the potential to go 230,547 miles, which is about 7,000 more than the regular Camry model.
If you’re not confident you’d get your money’s worth with a vehicle that’s been around for 10 years, you can look for a five-year-old model instead and still get plenty of value in your investment. A hybrid version that’s been around for five years, will run you approximately $22,977, which equates to about $143 per 1,000 miles. This should get you a model with only 70,000 miles or so, which means you’ll get 160,000 more miles out of the vehicle.
4. Corolla is one of the most reliable used cars
One of the cheapest 10-year-old vehicles you can get on the used market is the Toyota Corolla. While it didn’t offer much in the way of a powerful engine, it did give owners really good fuel economy. The average price for a used Corolla is $12,658, and that should get you one with 47.8% of its lifespan remaining. According to iSeeCars, it has the potential to reach 204,266 miles.
As for a five-year-old model, a Corolla would probably run you around $18,661 for a car that has over 66% of its lifespan remaining. Since it has the potential to reach 204,000 miles, you would get about 136,000 miles more with your purchase.
5. Avalon could make a great buy
A 2012 Toyota Avalon on the used market will likely bring an average price of $15,818, which equals approximately $111 per 1,000 miles. Since this model can reach 245,710 miles total, you would have about 58.2% of its lifespan remaining. That should give you 143,000 more miles to enjoy your sedan.
A five-year-old Avalon brings a price tag of $26,104, which seems high, but since you’d likely get one with under 60,000 miles or so on it, it’s not so bad. That means you would have a good 76.3% remaining miles left to go on it.
When it comes to getting one of the most reliable used cars on the market now, you can’t beat a Toyota. With five models highlighted for both the 10-year-old and five-year-old categories, the brand proves it’s a pretty reliable vehicle that could last well over 200,000 miles.
