The Best Used Cars And SUVs You Can Buy For $10,000 Or Less, According To Consumer Reports

When you think about used hybrids, you tend to default to the Toyota Prius, but Ford also made a Prius competitor for a while, and the C-Max’s lack of name recognition could work in your favor. It isn’t quite as spacious, nor does it match the Prius’s fuel economy, but it’s also quieter, more fun to drive and easy to get in and out of.

The Honda Fit has become a cult favorite for its fuel efficiency and ridiculous practicality that belies its small size. It may not be the car you want to take on long road trips, but as a daily driver, especially if you live in a crowded city, it can be tough to beat. You may also be surprised by how much stuff you can fit inside thanks to its flexible seating arrangements.

The Honda Insight has taken on quite a few forms since Honda first introduced it as a small, two-door hatchback. When it returned for the 2010 model year, it looked like a much more conventional hybrid but couldn’t quite match the Prius’s fuel economy or refinement. That means you should be able to get a second-generation Insight for relatively little money.

While other compact cars are more popular, the Mazda 3 is actually fun to drive, which definitely gives it a leg up in our book. Whether you go for the sedan or the hatchback, you’ll get an attractive, sporty, reliable, fuel-efficient car that will probably leave you wondering why the Corolla isn’t just as good.

The Toyota Corolla is the default choice for a lot of buyers who simply want a car that works, gets decent gas mileage and won’t break. It doesn’t offer a whole lot more than that, but it’s enough to keep used Corollas in demand, and as a result, used Corollas come at a bit of a premium compared to some of the competition. Still, that’s just the price you pay for peace of mind.

Do you want all the benefits of the Toyota Prius’s hybrid powertrain but don’t want to pay full price? Well, that’s where the Prius C comes in. It’s smaller and doesn’t match the regular Prius’s level of refinement, which already wasn’t particularly impressive, but it does get great gas mileage and should be easy to park.

Toyota redesigned the Prius for 2010, keeping the impressive gas mileage and adding more safety and comfort features to keep owners happier when the thrill of not buying as much gas wore off. It isn’t exciting, but this generation of Prius is still reliable, fuel-efficient and practical. If that’s all you’re looking for, then here you go.

About the same time that we got the Prius C, Toyota also gave us the Prius V, a slightly larger version of the Prius. It’s kind of ugly and isn’t great to drive, but it’s still got that Prius DNA, so you don’t have to worry about it breaking or getting bad gas mileage. Plus, if the regular Prius is too small for you, the extra room inside doesn’t hurt, either.

You might not expect to see an American sedan on this list, but the Buick LaCrosse is also probably a better car than you might remember. It’s proven fairly reliable, comes with a pretty darn nice interior considering the price you’ll pay and can even be found with a mild hybrid setup if you go for the four-cylinder version. The 2014 version also got a few updates to make it even nicer.

If you’re in the market for a comfortable, spacious, fuel-efficient sedan that also happens to be more fun to drive than you might expect, this version of the Honda Accord is probably the one you want. The four-cylinder engine gets the best gas mileage, but the V6 is the performance standout while still offering solid fuel economy. Seriously, the V6 Accord is probably quicker than you remember.

While we’re big fans of the Honda Accord, the Mazda 6 is both more fun to drive and also better looking. If you’re considering a midsize sedan, you’ll definitely want to give the Mazda 6 a test drive. It’s a little loud on the highway, and the knob-controlled infotainment system may take some getting used to, but its nice interior and sporty character will still win over many of the people willing to venture outside of their default Hondas and Toyotas.

Subaru has built a reputation selling all-wheel drive cars that are perfectly suited for a little outdoor adventuring, but the Legacy is also a fantastic on-road performer. For 2015, you get a nicer interior and an improved suspension that Consumer Reports says borders on luxury car territory. It also handles well and offers great visibility to go with impressive reliability and a spacious interior.

It’s the Camry. Just like the Corolla, you knew it would be on this list at some point. The design isn’t the best, but it’s quiet and comfortable, as well as reliable. If you want the best version of this generation Camry, consider springing for the hybrid, which got 38 mpg in Consumer Reports’ testing. The Mazda 6 may be more fun to drive, but dang it, the Camry just works.

The Acura MDX could use a more spacious back seat and requires premium gas, but for less than $10,000, it’s hard to complain. You get a luxurious cabin and a well-rounded performer that’s a step above what you can expect from similarly priced used crossovers. It’s just a nice SUV, and at the time, it was a serious challenger even for more expensive luxury crossovers.

The Toyota Venza stands out for its design and would be a great choice for someone who wants Toyota’s famous reliability but doesn’t necessarily want to drive the same Toyotas that everyone else owns. It’s spacious and pretty quick, but don’t expect it to be sporty, or you’ll come away disappointed. Is it an SUV? Is it a hatchback? That’s up to you to decide.