Buy These 10 Vehicles Used Instead Of New

Kia’s plucky sedan has improved leaps and bound from its early days, but it’s still a better buy in the used market. You’ll save $7,574 dollars on average versus a new Optima, a difference of 31.3 percent.

We’re not sure if the name change and larger Santa Fe XL factors into the SUV taking the seventh spot on this list. Regardless, the smaller Santa Fe is 31.3 percent cheaper when buying used. That equates to roughly $9,368.

Here’s another spoiler alert. Nissan and its luxury brand Infiniti hold three spots on the list, starting here with the Altima. The sedan recently received a facelift which could change its used-price status in the future, but right now you can save nearly $8,000 if you buy one just a year old.

There’s a promising sports sedan inside the Q50, but its age is starting to show. That could be why it’s a significantly better buy on the used market, with buyers saving a whopping $14,938 dollars versus new. As much as that is, there’s another Infiniti arriving later on the list that dwarfs it.

With Ford dropping all sedans and hatchbacks from its North American lineup, frankly we’re surprised this is the only Blue Oval passenger car on the list. At 34.9 percent, the average savings for going with a one-year-old hybrid model is $9,301. An old platform with a questionable future doesn’t make for strong resale.

Infiniti’s big SUV received a significant refresh for the 2018 model year, but it hasn’t helped QX80 resale value. It’s fourth on this list percentage-wise, but the sky-high price of this luxury people mover translates to an astounding $26,188 real-world savings – the highest dollar figure in this study.

Like the Ford Fusion, Chevrolet’s Impala sedan is an old platform with a sketchy future. You’ll save 36.4 percent on average buying a year-old version, which equates to $11,837.

There are still a few minivans in production, but the Kia Sedona is the only one to make this list. It also has the unfortunate distinction of holding the number two spot at 37.8 percent. That’s almost a $13,000 price drop from a comparable new model, but it also means a lightly used Sedona could be an exceptional value for a family seeking inexpensive three-row seating.

The Ford Fusion was the only Blue Oval car on the list, but topping them all – by a significant margin – is the big three-row Expedition. In just one year the SUV loses nearly 40 percent of its value versus new, equating to a cost saving of $24,690. The iSeeCars study equates this to the Expedition’s high MSRP, which can rival higher-end luxury SUVs in the new car market.