A new car is a right of passage in America. We’re conditioned at a young age to think that the kind of car we drive not only defines us but also defines our status in society.
SUVs and trucks have been all the rage in America for the better part of twenty years. Americans have had an affinity for large cars and enough interior space to fit your living room couch since the 70s. This is understandable, after all, everyone likes to be comfortable. Having a preference for something new rather than used is not hard to believe either. The trouble is, not everyone can afford a new SUV or truck.
Although I’ve driven the same car for almost 15 years, I’m always on the lookout for what my next car could be if mine were to suddenly die in the driveway. I’ve compiled a list of my favorites below and placed them into 3 categories: New, Semi-New and Used.
Best New Car
I’m genuinely shocked this car is as cheap as it is, but you can buy a brand new Honda Accord EX for less than $28K. I even found a few with less than 30K miles for around $25K. Incredibly, the Accord is actually priced below the Civic, which is generally considered the lesser of the two cars.
When visiting a Honda dealer last year, I saw similar Accords on the lot selling for closer to $30K or more. Both the Civic and Accord are included in Car and Driver’s 10 best for 2025 so you can’t go wrong with either one. With the Accord, there’s not much difference between the base LX and upper line EX models. If you can do without heated seats and some additional creature comforts, the LX version has plenty of standard features to keep you happy. With incredible reliability and resale, this is the car to buy if you’re fixated on the idea of having something new parked in your driveway.
All in all, the Accord may be the best deal in car buying since the Chrysler K car in the mid 1980s.
Best Semi-New Car
This is an easy one, especially considering it’s now the best selling car in America. If you need a reliable, used SUV but don’t want to break the bank, the Toyota Rav 4 is a great option.
Performing a quick search, I identified 11 Rav4s within 25 miles of my house that were available for $10K or less (model years 2012-2020). Overall mileage varied, but they all clocked in at 100K miles or more. Before you freak out over this, let me reiterate what I said about the Accord regarding reliability and resale value. There’s a reason so many of these cars are on the road. They’re cheap to own and incredibly reliable with an average longevity of 200-250K miles. Keep in mind, this is the average, meaning yours could last longer if you take proper care of it.
Best Used Car
Ok. Hear me out on this one. Many of you are going to balk at what I’m about to say and I understand why. The car itself is nothing to look at and it’s certainly not flashy, but it is reliable, cheap to fix and maintain and you can buy one with low miles for incredibly cheap.
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the 1995-1999 Chevrolet Lumina. With GMs highly successful 3800 series II engine, you can grab one of these cars for next to nothing. I had to expand my search nationwide but was able to find a 1995 with 136K miles for $2K. Spend a little more and you can grab one with 65K miles for around $6K. Given its age, it won’t have all the bells and whistles of a new car, but it’s a great option if you need something reliable, inexpensive to purchase and cheap to maintain.
There are plenty of other GM vehicles with this same engine that you can buy as well, but I’ve found the Lumina in particular to be a great option due to availability, mileage and price.
Regardless of which option you choose, your status as a smart shopper will be fully intact.
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