As we thaw out in time for spring, it's a great time to look for deals before the upcoming travel season. Our analysis shows that despite price fluctuations, there are plenty of bargains in used cars, particularly in the family sedans category. To make it easier to find what you're looking for, we have identified some of the best used-car deals on family sedans.
Sedans tend to offer good fuel economy, ample room for families and cargo, comfortable ride, and good driving dynamics. A used sedan allows you to reap these benefits for less money than buying new, as the original owner already took the costly initial depreciation hit. (New cars lose much more value in the first and second years than those that follow.)
When shopping, look for cars that scored well in Consumer Reports' tests when new, have proven reliability, and perform well in government and insurance industry crash tests, such as the recommended models below. And before handing over the cash, have the vehicle inspected by a trained and trusted mechanic to make sure there are no hidden problems.
Check out our top deals for recommended used sedans from the 2008-2010 model years. We placed the vehicles in order of the lowest price you might be able to get when buying from the dealer and all are under $20,000. The models listed below are between 29- and 59-percent less than the retail price when the vehicle was new. Plus, all of the models have at least average reliability, according to our latest subscriber survey.
| Make & model | Buying from dealer avg price | MSRP (new) | Drop in retail value vs. MSRP |
| 2008 Mazda6 i | $9,775 | $20,800 | 53% |
| 2008 Mercury Milan | $9,875 | $24,195 | 59% |
| 2008 Ford Fusion SE | $10,025 | $19,060 | 47% |
| 2009 Mercury Milan | $10,500 | $22,995 | 54% |
| 2008 Nissan Altima | $11,750 | $20,580 | 43% |
| 2009 Mazda6 s | $12,075 | $24,130 | 50% |
| 2009 Ford Fusion SE | $12,450 | $24,345 | 49% |
| 2008 Toyota Camry LE | $12,700 | $21,075 | 40% |
| 2008 Toyota Prius | $13,175 | $22,475 | 41% |
| 2010 Mazda6 | $12,625 | $20,470 | 38% |
| 2010 Mercury Milan | $13,325 | $24,320 | 45% |
| 2010 Ford Fusion SE | $13,900 | $20,900 | 33% |
| 2010 Nissan Altima S | $14,500 | $21,840 | 34% |
| 2010 Mazda6 s | $14,775 | $26,600 | 44% |
| 2009 Nissan Altima SL | $15,075 | $23,000 | 34% |
| 2009 Toyota Prius | $15,125 | $23,375 | 35% |
| 2008 Honda Accord EX | $15,200 | $23,860 | 36% |
| 2010 Toyota Camry LE | $15,350 | $21,900 | 30% |
| 2009 Toyota Camry Hybrid | $15,625 | $26,150 | 40% |
| 2009 Honda Accord EX-L | $16,325 | $26,405 | 38% |
| 2010 Honda Accord EX | $17,525 | $24,630 | 29% |
