6 Above Average Used Vehicles on an Average Budget

The average consumer lives paycheck to paycheck, and obtaining the necessary goods to have a decent quality of life sometimes becomes more of a challenge than it should be. If you are looking for a cheap car that will give you reliable service without breaking the bank, it can get frustrating looking through high-priced used car listings. We understand that and do our best to keep prices low. That is why visiting Orange Coast Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram Fiat is in your best interests if you need a reliable method of transportation that easily fits within the confines of your budget. While there’s usually some caution when anyone starts to look at cheap cars for sale, we make it a point to only sell vehicles that have met a high standard for quality. At Orange Coast CJDRF, you’ll find great budget-friendly vehicles that will put you on the fast track to enjoying life.

#1 – 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe

If you’re a family-oriented driver, there’s a good chance you have a considerable amount of driving to do and passengers of the younger and shorter variety to transport to school and other activities. While sedans are usually cheaper, these requirements mean that the purchase of a roomy SUV could very well be your best option for an affordable used vehicle. For the 2010 model year, Hyundai equipped the Sante Fe with two distinct powertrains. A 2.4L four-cylinder engine gets up to 23 MPG combined, and for those who need a little more kick, there is also a 3.5L V6 whose fuel economy comes out to the same 23 MPG combined. Finding a used Santa Fe from this time period will be more affordable than you realize. All cars depreciate in value once they leave the lot, and older models like the 2010 Santa Fe now cost a fraction of what they originally did. With some well-placed research, you can take advantage of this to find a cheap car you can trust.

#2 – 2014 Chevy Sonic

Living in a city like Costa Mesa means maintaining some essential driving habits and keeping an eye on some important factors with any vehicle you purchase. An ideal car for navigating the city limits is the Chevy Spark. City driving involves a lot of maneuvering and more than the occasional stop-and-go traffic, so diminutive size and conservative fuel consumption make all the difference in the life of a city dweller. The 2014 Spark manages to encompass both of these attributes. It’s small enough to park in those hard-to-reach places and gets up to 34 MPG combined. While they are not as common or as cheap as the standard gasoline-powered Spark, there is also an all-electric 2014 Spark EV. This battery-powered car offers 82 miles of range on a single charge and can be quite affordable.

#3 – 2016 Ford Focus

If you grew up in the 1990s, you will likely remember the Ford Escort. The practical four-door sedan and hatchback were cost-effective and versatile. While the Escort is all but a distant memory, the Focus has long been a more than adequate replacement. If you’re looking for an economical four-door sedan that will be inexpensive to insure, getting your hands on a 2016 Ford Focus is a viable option. If you’re in the suburbs and need something that will be a reliable commuter and easy on the gas, you’re in luck. For the 2016 model year, Ford granted the Focus a turbocharged 1.0L 3-cylinder engine that can get up to 34 MPG combined.

#4 – 2017 Nissan Versa

If saving money at the pump is a priority for you, may we suggest the 2017 Nissan Versa? The Versa is a sporty four-door sedan that benefits from Nissan’s tireless devotion to technological innovation. The Versa, like many vehicles in Nissan’s fleet for the 2017 model year as well as today, is equipped with the company’s extremely efficient CVT. This is most effective in stop-and-go traffic, which makes it ideal for people living in the greater Los Angeles area or having a long commute to their workplace. The 2017 Versa gets up to 31 MPG in the city and 39 MPG on the highway for up to 34 MPG combined. Aside from saving money on the initial cost of this cheap car, you’ll be saving plenty at the pump.

#5 – 2016 Kia Soul EV

While we understand that the Kia Soul EV might not depreciate as much as some of the other vehicles on our list, we felt it was important to present at least one affordable EV for the average consumer. Taking advantage of an older model like the 2016 Soul EV can save you thousands of dollars off the original MSRP. The Soul EV’s performance is more than ideal for drivers looking to skip the gas station altogether and only use it as a place for snacks. A range of 93 miles is more than adequate for traveling around the city, and never needing to stop for gas means more pennies in your pocket. Driving an EV here in California also has plenty of other benefits, including potential rebates and tax credits, even for used models.

#6 – 2015 Buick Encore

What if we told you there was a luxury SUV that had all of the amenities of a BMW for a fraction of the price? While some would call us crazy, others would have their interest piqued. In the past several decades, Buick has been manufacturing a unique line of luxury SUVs that have all of the comforts of their European counterparts but are available at a fraction of the cost. The 2015 Encore came equipped with a 1.4L engine that gets up to 28 MPG combined. Even today, this efficient fuel economy is impressive for an SUV to possess. Depreciation-wise, it’s one of the better options to choose from. At eight years old, you can often purchase one for half of its original starting MSRP. If you hold out and find one that’s even older, you’ll be able to pick one up for even less.

Find a Cheap Used Car Today!

One of the leading misconceptions about car shopping is that you can’t afford something practical and of good quality on an average budget. We hope that you look at this information we’ve presented today and realize that this old misconception is just that—a falsehood that comes nowhere near the truth. Today’s used cars last for much longer than 100,000 miles, and if they’re correctly taken care of, they can go this distance for you, even lasting for upwards of 200,000 miles as long as they’re cared for and properly maintained.

Contrary to what you might have heard in the past, there is nothing preventing car ownership on an average income. Visiting us at Orange Coast CJDRF and exploring our inventory of cheap cars for sale will help you see that this is more than possible. By taking advantage of how certain vehicles depreciate over time, you can drive home in something you’ve always wanted at a much lower price. No matter what your budget is, we will work with you to find a trustworthy used car for you to enjoy!