Consumer Reports Says These Are The Best Used Cars Under $20,000

We would each emotion to person a shiny caller car that tin service america good for galore years. However, life priorities, precocious surviving costs, and different financial circumstances mean that immoderate vehicles are beyond nan scope of most, particularly now that nan mean value of a caller car has soared supra $50,000 for nan first clip ever, according to Kelley Blue Book. Many of america often move to utilized vehicles complete caller ones, but saving money connected a car purchase doesn't person to mean making a compromise.

And so, to thief make things easier for those of you pinch a $20,000 budget, we've picked retired 5 models from Consumer Reports' apical 10 picks for November 2025 truthful we tin show you immoderate of nan champion budget-friendly utilized cars you tin bargain now. To prime nan models, Consumer Reports looked astatine things for illustration reliability, readiness of cardinal information features, and really nan various cars performed successful roadworthy tests erstwhile they were new. This intends that by choosing 1 of nan listed cars, you guidelines a bully chance of owning a conveyance that's not only inexpensive to bargain upfront, but besides improbable to saddle you pinch costly repair bills down nan line.

The Corolla has agelong been considered the king of compact family cars. In nan eleventh-generation exemplary offered betwixt nan 2014 and 2019 exemplary years, it's arsenic compelling coming arsenic it's ever been. While it whitethorn not person nan astir luxurious features, it is very reliable, meaning you won't person to woody pinch excessively galore mechanical headaches successful nan early if you spell pinch 1 of these. Safety-wise, nan eleventh-gen Corolla is simply a immense measurement guardant compared to nan car it replaced. Coming arsenic portion of a model-year refresh for 2017, nan Corolla received nan Toyota Safety Sense P (TSS-P) suite, which bundles automated emergency braking pinch pedestrian detection, lane departure informing pinch lane-keeping assist, arsenic good arsenic guardant collision informing arsenic modular equipment.

All versions besides travel modular pinch LED headlights, adaptive cruise control, and nan Toyota Entune infotainment system, which includes either a modular 6.1-inch touchscreen aliases a 7.0-inch unit. Many 2019 Corollas usage a 1.8-liter inline four-cylinder motor that's offered successful 2 powerfulness outputs. The L, LE, SE, XLE, and XSE trims person nan type pinch 132 horsepower and 128 lb-ft of torque whereas nan Corolla LE Eco is equipped pinch a 140 hp, 126 lb-ft unit. In position of substance economy, nan Corolla LE Eco returns up to 34 mpg mixed while nan version successful nan different Corolla models is bully for astir 32 mpg. If those numbers don't consciousness for illustration much, see nan 2019 Toyota Camry Hybrid offers up to 52 mpg successful LE guise.

Want thing engaging, premium-feeling, and a spot much jacked up? The second-generation Mazda CX-5 is an evident choice. The compact SUV has been hailed arsenic a soft and refined ride, known for its style and nicely weighted and precise steering. Although it only launched for nan 2017 exemplary year, Mazda accrued nan scope of features connected nan second-gen CX-5 nan pursuing year, bringing a modular leather-wrapped steering instrumentality and displacement knob, on pinch information systems for illustration blind-spot monitoring and rear-cross postulation alert. Those who wanted nan guidelines Sport exemplary could besides adhd adaptive cruise power and lane-keeping to nan database of modular information features.

Every 2018 CX-5 uses a 7.0-inch infotainment display, which predates Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support, arsenic nan characteristic didn't travel on until nan 2019 CX-5 exemplary year. Thankfully, you tin now person a retrofit CarPlay aliases Android Auto kit installed astatine a Mazda dealership for astir $400 to $500, depending connected your location. Another drawback pinch nan CX-5 could beryllium cargo space. With 30.9 cubic feet of cargo abstraction down its rear seats and 59.6 cubic feet pinch them folded, nan CX-5's cargo is adequate. However, erstwhile you comparison it to nan 38.4 and 73.4 cubic feet offered by nan Toyota RAV4 aliases nan 39.2 and 75.8 cubic feet of nan 2018 Honda CR-V, you'll find that nan CX-5 falls short successful comparison to its biggest rivals. If you want a Mazda that's a spot much freely for nether $20k, see nan CX-5's large brother, nan 2020 Mazda CX-9, which is besides CR-recommended and offers up to 71.2 cubic feet of room with its 3rd and 2nd rows folded down.

The ray and agile Mazda MX-5 Miata is 1 of nan cars you simply must thrust astatine slightest erstwhile successful your life, and that's for bully reason. It's sewage well-weighted steering, on pinch a remarkably playful chassis, and an eager, rev-happy 2.0-liter longitudinal inline-four that's mounted down nan beforehand axle successful a bid to execute a 50-50 weight balance. Mazda made an effort to amended capacity for 2019, and nan consequence is an motor that now generates 181 hp and 151 lb-ft of torque — up from 155 hp and 148 lb-ft — funneled to nan rear wheels via a modular 6-speed manual transmission pinch delicious short throws and conscionable nan correct heft (a 6-speed automatic transmission is available).

All these factors harvester to make nan MX-5 Miata 1 of nan world's astir nosy cars, and that doesn't travel astatine nan disbursal of performance. Car and Driver's testing of nan mechanically akin 2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata equipped pinch nan manual transmission recorded a respectable 0-60 clip of 5.7 seconds, pinch an estimated 140-mph apical speed. A manual-equipped MX-5 Miata RF was quoted as completing nan 0-60 tally successful 5.8 ticks. The Japanese automaker besides fits its i-Activsense suite of driver assists to nan sports car, and arsenic a result, owners are granted entree to forward-collision warning, low-speed automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert.

The Toyota RAV4 is simply a family name, and a cardinal logic it has go truthful celebrated has to do pinch its very charismatic operation of affordability, reliability, safety, practicality, and efficiency. The compact crossover SUV has evolved importantly from its early beginnings successful nan '90s, erstwhile it initially launched successful two-door and four-door versions pinch a humble 120-hp, gas-powered 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, to a lineup that now includes hybrid models producing up to 236 hp.

However, it wasn't until 2016 that a RAV4 Hybrid type was introduced arsenic portion of a midlife update to nan fourth-generation model. The powertrain setup combines a 2.5-liter inline-four motor and an electrical centrifugal that together produce 194 hp and 206 lb-ft of torque, while averaging 32 mpg. This intends it yields between 6 and 8 much mpg successful summation to nan capacity gains complete nan nonhybrid RAV4, which makes 176 hp and 172 lb-ft. According to Toyota's estimates, it'll return you astir 8.1 seconds to deed 60 mph from a standstill, astir a 2nd quicker than nan nonhybrid car.

The Toyota Tacoma is simply a conveyance that's ever felt right. It has consistently prioritized reliability and durability, and that has served it good successful position of resale worth — it is 1 of the slowest-depreciating cars successful 2025. The downside to this, of course, is that it'll return a fewer years post-launch earlier you tin spend a Tacoma connected a $20k budget. The different option, naturally, is to bargain 1 that's already taken a terrible depreciation hit, successful which case, nan 2015 Toyota Tacoma is good worthy considering, according to Consumer Reports.

While nan motortruck still averages $26,750 connected CLASSIC, individual models tin beryllium had for acold less, 1 illustration being a 2015 Toyota Tacoma Access Cab SR5 listed for conscionable nether $17,000 arsenic of this writing. There's a immense database to take from, of course, and nary matter which you spell for, you'll find either a 159-hp 2.7-liter inline-four aliases a 4.0-liter V6 that develops 236 hp. Transmission options are plentiful, too. They see a five-speed manual, six-speed manual, four-speed automatic, and five-speed automatic.