What’s the oldest used car you should buy?
A car that is more than 10 years old may lack modern safety features such as adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, or advanced airbag systems, which are becoming standard on newer models. If safety and technology are priorities for you, then a vehicle older than a decade might not meet your needs. How age affects depreciation and value. The sweet spot for used car buying is typically between 2-5 years old. During this period, cars have already undergone the sharpest depreciation (about 20-30% in the first year alone), making them significantly more affordable than a brand-new model.A good age for a used car is between 2 and 5 years because, by that time, the steep part of the depreciation curve has passed while the vehicle can still be considered fairly new.
What brand of used car is most reliable?
Of 26 brands, Lexus and Toyota top the list with a commanding advantage over third-ranked Mazda. All three brands have consistently earned average or better reliability ratings over the years. According to a recent study by Consumer Reports, Toyota and Lexus were the most reliable vehicles in 2022. After Japanese cars, BMW was ranked third, while Mercedes’ reliability was rated the lowest.