Best Cheap Used Cars For New Grads

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Jim Gorzelany

CONTRIBUTOR

I write about how to maximize your automotive investment and more. 

Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own.

 

(Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

Whether marking the passage from high school to college or starting out in life with student loans, the last thing recent graduates (or their parents) need is to become saddled with a big automotive expenditure.

It’s one thing to save money by choosing an older “beater” used car for a son or daughter instead of a new one or even a later-model ride, but older cars are a crapshoot at best in terms of reliability, and many lack important safety features like electronic stability control and side-impact airbags.

Driving an inherently safer vehicle is critical for younger drivers. Car crashes, after all, remain the leading cause of death among Americans ages 15 to 19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As it is highway deaths are on the rise – the National Safety Council says 38,300 people were killed on U.S. roads last year (an 8% jump since 2014), making 2015 the deadliest driving year since 2008.

 

And while small cars are the best value among used cars these days – transaction prices for subcompacts dropped by 4.3% last month according to the NADA Used Car Guide – they’re not typically the safest picks by virtue of their diminutive dimensions. Regardless of how well a vehicle is engineered or how many airbags it packs, the law of physics dictates that a larger and heavier car or truck will tend to protect its occupants better in a crash than will a smaller and lighter one, and insurance injury claim statistics bear this out.

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1. Volkswagen Jetta

 

 

 

NADAGuides estimated retail value for 2011 models: $9,375-$12,100. As with all of the vehicles in our “best used cars for graduates” slideshow, the compact Volkswagen Jetta sedan received top marks in crash tests conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, and came standard with electronic stability control and front side/side curtain airbags; it's also considered to be reliable in owners' surveys. The Jetta was redesigned for 2011 and remains one of the largest and roomiest cars in its class. Sidestep base-model versions with VW’s weak 115-horsepower four-cylinder engine in favor of the peppier 170-horsepower five-cylinder version. You may find some fitted with a 200-horsepower turbocharged engine, but that might be overkill in a young driver’s hands. Given VW’s ongoing woes regarding diesel engines, avoid any examples out there with the 2.0-liter turbodiesel option.

 

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2. Volkswagen Golf

 

 

NADAGuides estimated retail value for 2011 models: $9,550-$10,550. Arguably the “youngest” car in our recommended list in terms of its playful attitude, the compact Golf hatchback shares its underpinnings with the Jetta sedan, but delivers added practicality, given its large hatchback-capped cargo hold. Eschew diesel-powered TDI models in the wake of VW’s still-unsettled “dieselgate” scandal.

 

 

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3. Chrysler 200 Sedan

 

 

NADAGuides estimated retail value for 2011 models: $10,050-$12,700. The midsize sedan formerly known as the Sebring was restyled and renamed the 200 for the 2011 model year, and while it performed well enough, was blandly styled. You’ll find them equipped with either a sufficient 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine or a 3.6-liter V6 with a quicker, but not particularly essential, 283 horsepower.

 

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4. Chevrolet Malibu

 

 

 

NADAGuides estimated retail value for 2011 models: $10,700-$13,075. The 2011 edition of the midsize Malibu sedan was handsome, though conservatively styled, and came powered by either a fuel efficient 2.4-liter 169-horsepower four-cylinder engine that’s well suited for novice motorists, or a 3.6-liter V6 with 252 horsepower, with a six-speed automatic transmission included eitherway. It’s tuned more for comfort than speed and sportiness, which should suit parental buyers just 

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5. Ford Fusion

 

 

 

NADAGuides estimated retail value for 2011 models: $11,200-$14,150. This solid midsize sedan performs well, is comfortable, and back in 2011 was one of the first mainstream models to offer a blind-spot detection system for added safety. The base four-cylinder engine should suit most motorists, but you’ll likely find as many more in the used market fitted with a more-powerful V6.

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6. Hyundai Sonata

 

 

 

NADAGuides estimated retail value for 2011 models: $11,600-$13,850. Redesigned for 2011, the midsize Sonata sedan is roomy and comfortable and you’ll find some models on a used-car lot equipped with luxury-car features like heated rear seats. The base 200-horsepower four-cylinder is satisfying in its own right, with the available turbocharged version delivering V6-like acceleration with 274 horses.

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7. Subaru Legacy

 

 

 

NADAGuides estimated retail value for 2011 models: $12,100-$18,100. Subaru’s midsize sedan isn’t the most expressively styled model on a dealer’s lot, but it is one of the better winter cars out there, with standard all-wheel-drive. It features a roomy and comfortable interior and responsive handling, and you’ll find used models packing either a four or six-cylinder “boxer” engine.

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8. Buick LaCrosse

 

 

 

NADAGuides estimated retail value for 2011 models: $12,875-$17,350. The midsize near-luxury Buick LaCrosse sedan treats its occupants to a spacious and gracefully styled interior, with a smooth and quiet ride and easy handling. A 182-horsepower 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine was standard for 2011 that enabled the car to boast an estimated 30-mpg on the highway; also available is a 3.6-liter 280 horsepower V6 that’s perhaps not as quick as the numbers might indicate. All versions come with a six-speed automatic transmission, and you’ll find a few pre-owned models with all-wheel-drive.

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9. Subaru Outback

 

 

 

NADAGuides estimated retail value for 2011 models: $15,150-$19,975. The Outback is essentially a wagon version of the Subaru Legacy that comes with a higher ground clearance and specific exterior body cladding that make it look like an SUV. The added cargo room makes it more practical than a same-sized sedan and it includes all-wheel-drive for those living in snowy winter areas.

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10. Subaru Forester

 

 

 

NADAGuides estimated retail value for 2011 models: $15,275-$19,600. Subaru’s compact crossover SUV is plain looking, but in a handsome way; it’s roomy on the inside and delivers a reasonably smooth ride with capable handling. A 2.5-liter “boxer” four-cylinder is the standard engine, with some used models alternately coming with a quicker turbocharged version. All-wheel-drive is included across the line.

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11. Honda Element