Online calculator to help you decide on a house or car within your budget
These simple tips will help you figure out your budget if you’re looking to buy a home or car.
problem solved
- More used cars under $20,000 are on sale this year than last year.
- Experts said that to find the ideal affordable deal, car buyers may have to travel miles to make a good choice.
- The list below includes some of the top deals under $20,000.
If you’re trying to find a used car for around $20,000, it’s much more difficult now than it was five years ago.
But the good news is that it’s easier this year than last, with around 40,000 more cars in the same price range being traded in and listed for sale, and affordable used car inventory increasing slightly, experts say.
However, that doesn’t mean more places are easier to find or closer, so it really depends on how far you’re willing to drive to find that worthwhile deal. So where can you find the most affordable used car if you want to stay in-state? Look to the big cities.
“Larger (Michigan) markets like Detroit, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Battle Creek, Flint, Saginaw and Bay City are leading in terms of total listings, but smaller areas like Traverse City, Cadillac, Lansing and Marquette have the least amount of[affordable used cars],” Kevin Roberts, director of economic market intelligence at CarGurus, told the Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network. “Depending on where you live and what you’re looking for, it can be beneficial to widen your search to find the right car at the right price, especially if one of the areas with a high concentration of affordable cars is within a reasonable distance.”
Many car shopping sites, including CarGurus, let you search by distance to compare options and decide if it’s worth it.
Roberts said the Detroit area has the highest concentration of affordable properties in Michigan, so “for those living in the Detroit metropolitan area, searching within a 50-mile radius is likely to hit the sweet spot between range of options and ease of access to view cars in person.”
Nationally, large cities like New York, Los Angeles and Chicago have the largest inventories of used cars priced under $20,000, Roberts said. Places like Glendive, Montana, but Presque Isle, Maine, and Fairbanks, Alaska, have the least.
Other national examples based on designated market regions include Roanoke-Lynchburg, Norfolk-Portsmouth-Newport News (all in Virginia), and Sacramento-Stockton-Mosto (California), which have the highest percentage of used cars listed at affordable prices compared to all used cars sold, Roberts said.
“Meanwhile, Odessa-Midland, Laredo and San Angelo (all in Texas) have the lowest shares,” he added.
Big trends right now: Buyers look for value
Car shopping website CarGurus recently released its Q3 2025 Market Intelligence Report. This report provides car buyers and sellers with insight into new and used vehicle demand, as well as price and inventory trends.
Most of this year’s growth in used retail sales is for vehicles priced under $30,000, with buyers trading model year and mileage to find value, the report said. This segment accounted for approximately three-quarters of the year-over-year increase in used car sales. The growth in sales of cars priced under $30,000 is primarily focused on cars that are seven years old or older.
The report said affordability conditions vary by region, and affordability-conscious shoppers are likely to need to broaden their horizons to find their ideal car. California, Florida, Texas and Virginia accounted for the largest share of used inventory under $20,000, with at least 30% of September listings in this range, according to CarGurus data.
You get little for your money
About five years ago, used cars priced under $20,000 accounted for nearly half of all used car listings nationwide, Roberts said. Currently, these vehicles account for only one-third of all used car listings. Still, the number of used cars priced under $20,000 is up 6% year-over-year, according to CarGurus data, which translates to an additional 40,000 vehicles to choose from in the same price range.
What this change means is that what you got for $20,000 five years ago, you can’t get for the same deal today.
“In 2020, you could buy a 1.7 year old Camry with 31,400 miles at that price, and in 2025 you could buy a 2.2 year old Corolla with 42,200 miles,” Roberts said. “That means over five years, for the same budget, we reduced the size of the vehicle while simultaneously increasing the age and mileage of the vehicle.”
As another example, in 2020, you could buy a 1.8 year old Equinox with 28,900 miles for $20,000. Roberts said. Right now, $20,000 will get you a 3.2-year-old Equinox with 47,000 miles.
Here’s what you can get for 20,000 yen
Still, Roberts said buyers will be willing to compromise, given that the strongest growth in used car sales has come from listings priced under $30,000.
Roberts looked at the most popular models on the market today and searched for used cars priced under $20,000.
“What we found was a wide range of brands and body styles to suit every type of driver, from sedans like the Altima and Malibu to trucks and SUVs like the Equinox, F-150 and CR-V,” Roberts said.
The top five on his list are:
- 2019 Chevrolet Equinox: Average list price is $14,019, average mileage is 90,228.
- 2020 chevrolet malibu: Average list price is $15,125, average mileage is 74,452.
- 2014 Ford F-150: Average list price is $14,213, average mileage is 146,479.
- 2017 ford escape: Average list price is $12,337, average mileage is 92,474.
- 2019 Nissan Altima: Average list price is $13,997, average mileage is 85,125.
Beware of high shipping charges
Roberts cautioned that while expanding your search distance will give you more options, you’ll also need to “calculate the cost of getting to the dealership if you want to view the car or planning a trade-in, and the dealer delivery fee if you want the car to come to your home.”
He said some dealers cover shipping costs, while others include a flat rate or per-mile fee.
“That calculation really depends on each person’s individual scenario: how well a new car will fit, the cost of gas and personal time, and the ultimate savings compared to a more familiar car,” Roberts said.
Jamie L. Lareau is a senior auto writer covering Ford Motor Company for the Detroit Free Press. Contact Jamie at jlareau@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @Jalalean. To sign up for our automotive newsletter. become a subscriber
