Best Used Small Cars Under $20k for 2024
The best used small cars under $20k based on a data-driven analysis of each vehicle's reliability, resale value and safety.
The best used small car under $20k is the 2018 Honda Civic (coupe) based on our analysis of 12 million vehicles to assess their reliability, resale value and safety. The 2018 Honda Civic (coupe) has an average price of $19,312 with an overall iSeeCars score of 9.4. Behind the Civic is the 2020 Honda Fit with average used car price of $19,178 and iSeeCars score of 9.2. The number 3 best used small car under $20k is the 2020 Toyota Yaris at $16,317 average price and 9.2 iSeeCars rating. For this analysis, iSeeCars looked at used small cars under $20k that are 1 to 6 years old to determine the latest model year vehicles that are within the price range of $15,000 to $20,000.
The best used small car under $20k is the 2018 Honda Civic (coupe) based on our analysis of 12 million vehicles to assess their reliability, resale value and safety. The 2018 Honda Civic (coupe) has an average price of $19,312 with an overall iSeeCars score of 9.4. Behind the Civic is the 2020 Honda Fit with average used car price of $19,178 and iSeeCars score of 9.2. The number 3 best used small car under $20k is the 2020 Toyota Yaris at $16,317 average price and 9.2 iSeeCars rating. For this analysis, iSeeCars looked at used small cars under $20k that are 1 to 6 years old to determine the latest model year vehicles that are within the price range of $15,000 to $20,000.
1. 2018 Honda Civic (coupe)
-
iSeeCars Score:
9.4
/ 10
- Average Used Car Price: $19,312
iSEECARS SCORE
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars
-
Reliability
9.1
/ 10
-
Value Retention
9.1
/ 10
-
Safety
10
/ 10
2. 2020 Honda Fit
-
iSeeCars Score:
9.2
/ 10
- Average Used Car Price: $19,178
iSEECARS SCORE
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars
-
Reliability
8.4
/ 10
-
Value Retention
9.3
/ 10
-
Safety
10
/ 10
3. 2020 Toyota Yaris
-
iSeeCars Score:
9.2
/ 10
- Average Used Car Price: $16,317
iSEECARS SCORE
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars
-
Reliability
8.5
/ 10
-
Value Retention
9.0
/ 10
-
Safety
10
/ 10
-
iSeeCars Score:
9.1
/ 10
- Average Used Car Price: $19,578
iSEECARS SCORE
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars
-
Reliability
8.5
/ 10
-
Value Retention
8.9
/ 10
-
Safety
10
/ 10
-
iSeeCars Score:
9.0
/ 10
- Average Used Car Price: $19,722
iSEECARS SCORE
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars
-
Reliability
8.8
/ 10
-
Value Retention
9.0
/ 10
-
Safety
9.0
/ 10
-
iSeeCars Score:
8.9
/ 10
- Average Used Car Price: $19,392
iSEECARS SCORE
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars
-
Reliability
8.0
/ 10
-
Value Retention
8.7
/ 10
-
Safety
10
/ 10
-
iSeeCars Score:
8.9
/ 10
- Average Used Car Price: $19,330
iSEECARS SCORE
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars
-
Reliability
8.2
/ 10
-
Value Retention
8.4
/ 10
-
Safety
10
/ 10
8. 2021 Volkswagen Golf
-
iSeeCars Score:
8.8
/ 10
- Average Used Car Price: $18,548
iSEECARS SCORE
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars
-
Reliability
8.2
/ 10
-
Value Retention
8.4
/ 10
-
Safety
10
/ 10
9. 2020 Hyundai VELOSTER
-
iSeeCars Score:
8.8
/ 10
- Average Used Car Price: $18,567
iSEECARS SCORE
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars
-
Reliability
7.7
/ 10
-
Value Retention
8.8
/ 10
-
Safety
10
/ 10
-
iSeeCars Score:
8.8
/ 10
- Average Used Car Price: $19,967
iSEECARS SCORE
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars
-
Reliability
8.2
/ 10
-
Value Retention
8.3
/ 10
-
Safety
10
/ 10
11. 2018 Volkswagen Beetle
-
iSeeCars Score:
8.8
/ 10
- Average Used Car Price: $19,673
iSEECARS SCORE
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars
-
Reliability
7.9
/ 10
-
Value Retention
8.6
/ 10
-
Safety
10
/ 10
-
iSeeCars Score:
8.8
/ 10
- Average Used Car Price: $18,892
iSEECARS SCORE
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars
-
Reliability
8.1
/ 10
-
Value Retention
8.3
/ 10
-
Safety
10
/ 10
-
iSeeCars Score:
8.6
/ 10
- Average Used Car Price: $18,508
iSEECARS SCORE
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars
-
Reliability
7.7
/ 10
-
Value Retention
8.6
/ 10
-
Safety
9.5
/ 10
-
iSeeCars Score:
8.5
/ 10
- Average Used Car Price: $19,123
iSEECARS SCORE
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars
-
Reliability
8.2
/ 10
-
Value Retention
8.7
/ 10
-
Safety
Not Available
-
iSeeCars Score:
8.4
/ 10
- Average Used Car Price: $18,923
iSEECARS SCORE
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars
-
Reliability
7.9
/ 10
-
Value Retention
8.1
/ 10
-
Safety
9.1
/ 10
-
iSeeCars Score:
8.3
/ 10
- Average Used Car Price: $19,948
iSEECARS SCORE
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars
-
Reliability
7.8
/ 10
-
Value Retention
8.4
/ 10
-
Safety
8.6
/ 10
-
iSeeCars Score:
8.2
/ 10
- Average Used Car Price: $18,440
iSEECARS SCORE
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars
-
Reliability
7.7
/ 10
-
Value Retention
8.7
/ 10
-
Safety
Not Available
18. 2019 FIAT 500
-
iSeeCars Score:
8.1
/ 10
- Average Used Car Price: $16,386
iSEECARS SCORE
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars
-
Reliability
7.6
/ 10
-
Value Retention
8.7
/ 10
-
Safety
8.0
/ 10
19. 2022 Hyundai ACCENT
-
iSeeCars Score:
8.1
/ 10
- Average Used Car Price: $17,696
iSEECARS SCORE
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars
-
Reliability
7.5
/ 10
-
Value Retention
8.7
/ 10
-
Safety
8.0
/ 10
-
iSeeCars Score:
8.0
/ 10
- Average Used Car Price: $19,290
iSEECARS SCORE
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars
-
Reliability
7.6
/ 10
-
Value Retention
8.5
/ 10
-
Safety
8.0
/ 10
21. 2020 Hyundai ELANTRA GT
-
iSeeCars Score:
8.0
/ 10
- Average Used Car Price: $18,177
iSEECARS SCORE
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars
-
Reliability
7.1
/ 10
-
Value Retention
8.3
/ 10
-
Safety
8.6
/ 10
-
iSeeCars Score:
7.9
/ 10
- Average Used Car Price: $16,294
iSEECARS SCORE
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars
-
Reliability
7.1
/ 10
-
Value Retention
8.5
/ 10
-
Safety
8.0
/ 10
23. 2022 Chevrolet Spark
-
iSeeCars Score:
7.9
/ 10
- Average Used Car Price: $16,397
iSEECARS SCORE
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars
-
Reliability
7.1
/ 10
-
Value Retention
8.6
/ 10
-
Safety
Not Available
-
iSeeCars Score:
7.6
/ 10
- Average Used Car Price: $16,558
iSEECARS SCORE
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars
-
Reliability
7.1
/ 10
-
Value Retention
8.1
/ 10
-
Safety
Not Available
-
iSeeCars Score:
7.6
/ 10
- Average Used Car Price: $17,547
iSEECARS SCORE
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars
-
Reliability
6.3
/ 10
-
Value Retention
8.5
/ 10
-
Safety
8.0
/ 10
-
iSeeCars Score:
7.6
/ 10
- Average Used Car Price: $19,142
iSEECARS SCORE
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars
-
Reliability
6.7
/ 10
-
Value Retention
8.5
/ 10
-
Safety
Not Available
27. 2020 FIAT 500L
-
iSeeCars Score:
7.6
/ 10
- Average Used Car Price: $17,507
iSEECARS SCORE
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars
-
Reliability
7.0
/ 10
-
Value Retention
8.2
/ 10
-
Safety
Not Available
2020 Toyota Yaris Hatchback
-
iSeeCars Score:
Not Available
- Average Used Car Price: $18,123
iSEECARS SCORE
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars
-
Reliability
Coming soon
-
Value Retention
9.1
/ 10
-
Safety
10
/ 10
-
iSeeCars Score:
Not Available
- Average Used Car Price: $19,505
iSEECARS SCORE
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars
-
Reliability
Coming soon
-
Value Retention
8.8
/ 10
-
Safety
9.0
/ 10
Related Rankings
How We Rank These Cars
iSeeCars Best Used Cars Under $20k Rankings are calculated based on the latest research by our data science team and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
We analyze data from over 12 million new and used vehicles in our Longest-Lasting Cars and 5-Year Depreciation Studies, combined with the NHTSA's Safety Ratings to give you an unbiased guide to the best vehicles in each segment.
After being evaluated, vehicles with the highest average scores earn a spot in the iSeeCars Best Car Rankings. (No final score is given to vehicles missing a score in any of the categories, but scores for other categories are still shown.)
Vehicles are scored in three categories:
Reliability
The reliability score represents an analysis of iSeeCars' proprietary research on the longest-lasting vehicles.
Value Retention
The value retention score is based on our data science team's statistical analysis and prediction of 5-year depreciation from MSRP to determine which cars hold their value best, using US Bureau of Labor Statistics data to adjust for inflation.
Safety
The safety score is calculated based on the last five years of crash test ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and incorporates the latest Top Safety Pick information from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).