10 Cars That Cost More Used Than New

Craig Johnson | April 5th, 2023

Team Clark is adamant that we will never write content influenced by or paid for by an advertiser. To support our work, we do make money from some links to companies and deals on our site. Learn more about our guarantee here.

After a wild ride over the past two years, used car prices are finally started to fall. According to a recent study from vehicle research site iSeeCars.com, used cars are about 8.1% cheaper than new vehicles on average.

But the data from iSeeCars, shows some used vehicles that actually cost more than brand-new models.

Which Cars Cost More Used Than New?

Vehicle	% Difference Used Over New	$ Difference Used Over New	Used Price
Ford Maverick	12.3%	$4,038	$36,777
Toyota Corolla Hybrid	7.9%	$2,038	$27,809
Mercedes Benz G-Class	4.6%	$8,633	$196,228
Toyota Sienna	3.7%	$1,806	$50,978
Toyota RAV-4 Prime	3.5%	$1,726	$51,298
Toyota Corolla Cross	2.9%	$853	$30,636
Toyota RAV-4 Hybrid	2.4%	$953	$40,045
Kia Carnival	2.2%	$916	$42,025
Ford Bronco	1.7%	$901	$55,372
Honda Civic (Hatchback)	1.0%	$297	$29,683

Read the complete report.

Now that you’ve seen the used vehicles that are going for a premium, you may be wondering whether you should join the market by buying one.

Money expert Clark Howard says due to the higher-than-normal prices, it’s still not quite the time to buy a vehicle if you can help it. He would rather you wait until car prices drop. If you absolutely have to buy a used car right now, here are Clark-approved buying tips:

3 Ways To Save on a Used Car

1. Look for a Vehicle About 3 to 4 Years Old

Clark says you can really benefit from purchasing a used vehicle that is about four years old.

“A four-year-old vehicle will have a majority of the modern safety features that would have changed over the years, and the first four years, so much of that steep depreciation has occurred,” he says.

Want more money-saving tips? Check out our guide on how to buy a used car.

2. Do a VIN Check

Has the car been in an accident? Is it a flood vehicle? You need to do some homework to make sure the car doesn’t have a bad history.

Your first task is to check the Vehicle Identification Number: VIN.

Read our guide on how to get a free VIN check.

Once you’ve researched the vehicle and want to move forward, it’s time to get it checked out.

3. Hire an Independent Mechanic

You can waste a lot of money if you don’t get your car inspected before you purchase it. Even going with the dealer or owner’s mechanic won’t give you the peace of mind you need to make such a big purchase.

Clark recommends that you enlist an independent and trustworthy mechanic to check out the used vehicle before you agree to buy it.

Read Clark’s #1 tip on car mechanics.

This post was last modified on April 8, 2023 10:13 am