QOTD: What Brand Makes the Best Used Cars?

by Tim Healey

Published: September 20th, 2024

On today's podcast, we spoke with Consumer Reports about their ranking of brands that make the best used cars.

Their approach is data-driven and quite interesting. But I am curious if your anecdotal experience matches up.

That's not to say anecdote is data -- we know it's not. I prefer CR's data-based approach, since it will help you see the big picture.

That said, some of you have had experiences that don't match up to what companies like Consumer Reports or J.D. Power or find. Others of you will read the Consumer Reports piece or listen to the podcast and nod your head in solidarity.

So which is it? I want to see what your experiences have been as you've purchased used cars over the years.

Sound off below.

[Image: Jonathan Weiss/Shutterstock.com]

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Tim Healey

Tim Healey grew up around the auto-parts business and has always had a love for cars — his parents joke his first word was “‘Vette”. Despite this, he wanted to pursue a career in sports writing but he ended up falling semi-accidentally into the automotive-journalism industry, first at Consumer Guide Automotive and later at Web2Carz.com. He also worked as an industry analyst at Mintel Group and freelanced for About.com, CarFax, Vehix.com, High Gear Media, Torque News, FutureCar.com, Cars.com, among others, and of course Vertical Scope sites such as AutoGuide.com, Off-Road.com, and HybridCars.com. He’s an urbanite and as such, doesn’t need a daily driver, but if he had one, it would be compact, sporty, and have a manual transmission.

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3 of 69 comments

Kjhkjlhkjhkljh kljhjkhjklhkjh on Sep 23, 2024
nothing from ford and no turbocharged anything unless its a diesel

1 Reply
- 3-On-The-Tree on Sep 23, 2024
  Agreed, my Ecoboost F-150 was a maintenance nightmare. Now I drive a 2021 Tundra. NA all the way.
  
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TheMrFreeze on Sep 23, 2024
Too many variables for a simple answer to this question...the brand of the car only matters to a certain extent. IMHO the overall condition of the vehicle and how well it was maintained by the previous owner(s) matters just as much as brand. I've had some very positive ownership experiences buying well-maintained used cars that were definitely not the favorite of organizations like CR or JD Power. Their ratings also make the prices on such cars lower 😁

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