Study: These are the top 20 cars to buy used instead of new

New cars are discouragingly expensive, but a recent study from iSeeCars shows that lightly used vehicles can be a solid alternative with significant cost savings. Several models depreciate quickly, with some offering savings of almost 50 percent after just a year or two. So vehicle data outfit iSeeCars has listed the 20 best cars to buy lightly used, with all models in the top 10 showing greater than 31% depreciation:

Top 20 Cars To Buy Lightly Used vs. New – iSeeCars Study

Rank
Model
% Difference Used Over New
$ Difference Used Over New
Used Price

1
Mercedes-Benz EQS
-47.8%
-$65,143
$71,231

2
Nissan LEAF
-45.7%
-$15,786
$18,756

3
Jaguar F-PACE
-35.4%
-$28,555
$52,010

4
Alfa Romeo Giulia
-33.4%
-$16,297
$32,467

5
Kia EV6
-33.3%
-$18,081
$36,243

6
Hyundai IONIQ 5
-32.9%
-$16,805
$34,303

7
Volkswagen ID.4
-32.9%
-$15,609
$31,870

8
Alfa Romeo Stelvio
-32.3%
-$17,495
$36,630

9
Nissan Murano
-32.0%
-$13,842
$29,458

10
Mercedes-Benz S-Class
-31.5%
-$45,781
$99,598

11
Dodge Durango
-30.8%
-$19,335
$43,407

12
BMW 7 Series
-29.8%
-$36,126
$84,990

13
Dodge Challenger
-29.8%
-$15,498
$36,496

14
Ford Mustang Mach-E
-29.8%
-$16,364
$38,543

15
Ram 1500 Classic
-29.2%
-$13,176
$31,969

16
INFINITI QX80
-28.8%
-$24,084
$59,618

17
Audi A3
-28.7%
-$11,911
$29,587

18
Chevrolet Bolt EUV
-28.2%
-$9,151
$23,320

19
Chevrolet Bolt EV
-28.0%
-$8,633
$22,229

20
Audi A4
-27.9%
-$13,836
$35,667

Overall Average
-12.8%
-$5,778
$39,328

Those are severe depreciation numbers — all vehicles in the top 20 lost at least 28%. Electric vehicles had an outsized presence in the top 10, accounting for half of the most depreciated models. The Mercedes-Benz EQS, which depreciated a staggering 47.8 percent after just one year, can be had for up to $65,000 off its new price tag.

Earlier this year, iSeeCars found that EV values are falling at 10 times the rate of their gas counterparts, averaging a 31.8% price drop since 2023. Tesla led the way, as its aggressive price cuts drove down used values.

Of course, not all cars depreciate like crazy, and iSeeCars found one model that actually appreciated after one year. The Land Rover Range Rover averaged 2.8 percent higher than its new price tag, while the Kia Rio depreciated just 0.1 percent. Check out the companion list of top 20 cars that are better to buy new than used.

iSeeCars looked at more than 1.6 million new and used cars between January and March 2024 for this study. Its definition of “lightly used” is a vehicle from 2022 or 2023 with an odometer reading within 20 percent of 13,476 miles. Used prices were compared to new selling prices to calculate the depreciation numbers. Low-volume models and those discontinued as of 2023 were excluded.