Filed under: Car Buying
Ten best used cars for 2006
While there are plenty of lists of top vehicles for virtually any category (e.g., best economy car, most exotic under one million, ugliest mid-sized sedan in white, etc.) most show only the latest models. If you don't have the financial resources for a brand new set of wheels, here are ten used cars, broken down by category, that won't hurt your wallet quite as much:- Economy Car: 1999-2004 Honda Civic
- Midsize Car: 1999-2004 Toyota Camry (Fine build quality, legendary reliability and a hushed ride characterize the Camry.)
- Large Car: 1999-2004 Ford Crown Victoria / Mercury Grand Marquis
- Luxury Car: 2003-2004 Infiniti G35 (pictured)
- Sporty Car: 1999-2004 Mazda Miata (Mazda's little two-seater wins over even those who don't know a camshaft from a half shaft.)
- Mini-SUV: 1999-2004 Honda CR-V
- SUV: 2002-2004 Ford Explorer
- Minivan: 1999-2004 Honda Odyssey
- Small Pickup: 1999-2004 Toyota Tacoma
- Large Pickup: 1999-2004 Ford F-150 (...a compliant ride, communicative and precise steering, smooth power plants and best-in-class brakes.)
Related:
Macleans 2006 Top Ten picks
Harris poll ranks the top "buzz-worthy" vehicles from 2005
Automotive awards -- what do they really mean?
[Source: Edmunds]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
tsx 5:06PM (6/05/2006)
Hmmm, no mention of Edmunds in the article (except the tiny "source:edmunds" at the bottom. Kinda makes it appear as 'autoblog's best picks'.
I'd imagine the edmunds folks might be upset at a lack of credit where credit is due...
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Slo_Mo_Shun 5:11PM (6/05/2006)
OMG, The Ridgeline didn't win best large pickup!
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VW-Guy 5:16PM (6/05/2006)
"OMG, The Ridgeline didn't win best large pickup!"
What? The Ridgeline IS a pickup? Since when?
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Slo_Mo_Shun 5:22PM (6/05/2006)
I was being sarcastic...
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naggs 5:27PM (6/05/2006)
LOL best used economy car is the civic? used civics cost at least 30% more than an equlivant anything else.
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Matt 5:29PM (6/05/2006)
I agree about the Crown Vic / Grand Marquis, taking note they mentioned 1999-2004, AFTER the decades long transmission problem was finally solved, aka Ford shoved something else in that didn't fail at 70,000 miles, ala my 1994 Crown Vic.
I've got a 2001 Grand Marquis LS now... lots of bang for the buck, espeically used ($8600 with 24k and one owner) and I've put about 40,000 miles on since. There have been some typical Ford annoyances like door panel rattles, strange creeks, and sensors going out, and Ford's crappy fast wearing breaks. But given its the last of its breed, pretty comfortable, and decent mpg (real world 18-21) it can't be beat.
Next car will be an all black, push bumper, dual spotlamp tinted window, scare the crap out of the guy in front of me, low mileage used P71.
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Eric L. 5:52PM (6/05/2006)
Seems like a sensible list to me. I would have concern for a pre 2003 Ford F-150 though - those did terrible in crash tests (the entire upper body buckled and creased). Hate to say it, but unless you need to tow stuff around, the Toyota Tundra is a more sensible large truck (reliable and good crash scores). 2003+, Ford F-150 is a good choice.
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VW-Guy 6:01PM (6/05/2006)
"I was being sarcastic..."
So was I, maybe I'm to subtle...
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Chris 6:18PM (6/05/2006)
To the morons remarking about the Ridgeline:
Eligibility is limited to Used Cars from 1999 to 2004
naggs: They cost 30% more because unlike a Focus or a Neon they'll actually last 200-300K miles no problem.
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Bruce 6:19PM (6/05/2006)
I have realized after reading list after list from auto, finance, and other magazines, that anytime a magazine tries to do any sort of "best of" list, it winds up being a total joke. You see, magazine journalists lack the time and dedication to do proper research. Writers who are patient don't write for mags, they write books.
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330i 6:56PM (6/05/2006)
#5 no kidding - its almost better to buy a new civic than a brand new one. I see braniacs advertising a couple year old civic for about the same price as a new one on carsdirect.com, etc.
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Lithous 6:56PM (6/05/2006)
Nice to see the Odyssey show up even with absolute known transmission problems. As long as Honda extended the warranty on their transmissions for it I guess it is acceptable to have the family break down in it.
Yet with those $3K cash backs GM and Ford were given no one found it acceptable to just buy the biggest warrany possible. No a break down is so much worse of a thing even covered by warranty in anything but a Honda (or Toyota) I guess.
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Whydrive 6:59PM (6/05/2006)
Camry's fine build quality my ass. Too bad Toyota's warranty doesn't cover the highly annoying rattle in the dashboard/center console in the 04 Camry.
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Lithous 7:30PM (6/05/2006)
"used civics cost at least 30% more than an equlivant anything else."
Yeah, but Americas kids are not good at math anymore... What's 30% of X? I don't know it's too complicated but I heard Civics are cool... Maybe if you told them how many game players, ipods, and LCD screens they could buy if they bought a different car then maybe they'd get it.
BTW, my mom has a 2000 LeSabre which has been great. Isn't it in the same class as the Crown Vic (large sedan)? No rattles or anything in my moms Buick. Very strange to see the Crown Vic as better.
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Lithous 7:59PM (6/05/2006)
Still can't imagine why anyone would buy a Crown Vic when it hasn't seen a re-engineering since the Reagan era. Maybe Ford is using the "good enough until we really get our butts kicked and then have to spend billions on a quickly 'engineered' product that will barely compete with the best of our competitions' outgoing product" strategy. The choice of a crown vic would be like buying a ranger. OBSOLETE POS!!!
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Matt 8:02PM (6/05/2006)
LeSabre is considered midsize, and if not mistaken is front wheel drive? Still it is a nice car. If your mom had a Roadmaster, than I would say its in the same size leage, if not a bit larger. But alas, 96 was the last year for the big Buick, Cadillac, and Chevrolet cars.
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Matt 8:07PM (6/05/2006)
#14 - sometimes there's a difference between obsolete and tried, true, and traditional. Show me another full size, rear wheel drive car with as much bang for the buck as you get with a Grand Marquis or Crown Victoria? Hell a GMq is basically a Lincoln sans the hood ornament and half the sticker price. And seeing as how Mercury sells about 70,000 consistently to a target audience that doesn't care much for change for the sake of, I'd say they are right on target.
And if you really stop and compare, the CV & GMq of today is a FAR superior car than that of the 1980s - more power, more torque, much better handling as of a 2003 upgrade, etc. I do, however, like the older interiors better. Something about that 80s vinyl, thick carpet, vent windows, solid metal door handles and window cranks, steel power window buttons, and loads of fake wood trim that bring back lots of memories of grandpa's 1984...
Show me something else that compares? Oh wait, there's nothing else comparable anymore!
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Sam 8:09PM (6/05/2006)
Lithous,
SO tired of you...
People buy civics because they are very reliable and known to last. so maybe thats why they hold their value so well?
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joe 8:53PM (6/05/2006)
Crown Vics are the only car that is almost COP proof.Give a camry to a cop for a eight hour shift and see what you get back.
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Lithous 9:00PM (6/05/2006)
First of all #14 (but then again the numbers so conveniently change on here sometimes) which states "POS" at the end isn't really my post. Another nice feature of autoblog is that there is no security.
Second, Matt, I am not the one who started the thread about Civics being so much but I did have fun with it. Sorry any negative about Honda pisses people off. The domestics get their share of negative and not everything domestic is bad. So I really don't feel too bad.
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