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.