Best Used Luxury Small Cars Under $40k for 2026
The best used luxury small cars under $40k based on a data-driven analysis of each vehicle's reliability, resale value and safety.
The best used luxury small car under $40k is the 2022 Lexus IS 350 based on our analysis of 12 million vehicles to assess their reliability, resale value and safety. The 2022 Lexus IS 350 has an average price of $39,585 with an overall iSeeCars score of 8.4. Behind the IS 350 is the 2024 Lexus IS 300 with average used car price of $38,275 and iSeeCars score of 8.4. The number 3 best used luxury small car under $40k is the 2023 Mercedes-Benz C-Class at $37,865 average price and 8.3 iSeeCars rating. For this analysis, iSeeCars looked at used luxury small cars under $40k that are 1 to 6 years old to determine the latest model year vehicles that are within the price range of $35,000 to $40,000.
The best used luxury small car under $40k is the 2022 Lexus IS 350 based on our analysis of 12 million vehicles to assess their reliability, resale value and safety. The 2022 Lexus IS 350 has an average price of $39,585 with an overall iSeeCars score of 8.4. Behind the IS 350 is the 2024 Lexus IS 300 with average used car price of $38,275 and iSeeCars score of 8.4. The number 3 best used luxury small car under $40k is the 2023 Mercedes-Benz C-Class at $37,865 average price and 8.3 iSeeCars rating. For this analysis, iSeeCars looked at used luxury small cars under $40k that are 1 to 6 years old to determine the latest model year vehicles that are within the price range of $35,000 to $40,000.
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iSeeCars Score:
8.4
/ 10
- Average Used Car Price: 39585.32811
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
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Reliability
8.7
/ 10
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Value Retention
8.5
/ 10
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Safety
8.0
/ 10
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iSeeCars Score:
8.4
/ 10
- Average Used Car Price: 38274.615616
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
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Reliability
8.7
/ 10
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Value Retention
8.4
/ 10
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Safety
8.0
/ 10
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iSeeCars Score:
8.3
/ 10
- Average Used Car Price: 37865.4839
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
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Reliability
7.2
/ 10
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Value Retention
7.6
/ 10
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Safety
10
/ 10
4. 2022 Mercedes-Benz C-Class (coupe)
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iSeeCars Score:
7.9
/ 10
- Average Used Car Price: 37893.18
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
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Reliability
7.6
/ 10
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Value Retention
8.2
/ 10
-
Safety
Not Available
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iSeeCars Score:
7.9
/ 10
- Average Used Car Price: 39325.97774
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
7.4
/ 10
-
Value Retention
8.3
/ 10
-
Safety
Not Available
-
iSeeCars Score:
7.6
/ 10
- Average Used Car Price: 38717.888889
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
7.4
/ 10
-
Value Retention
7.5
/ 10
-
Safety
8.0
/ 10
-
iSeeCars Score:
7.6
/ 10
- Average Used Car Price: 39571.259494
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
7.3
/ 10
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Value Retention
7.9
/ 10
-
Safety
Not Available
-
iSeeCars Score:
7.6
/ 10
- Average Used Car Price: 35355.788136
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
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Reliability
7.1
/ 10
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Value Retention
8.0
/ 10
-
Safety
Not Available
-
iSeeCars Score:
7.5
/ 10
- Average Used Car Price: 37156.678023
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
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Reliability
7.0
/ 10
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Value Retention
7.6
/ 10
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Safety
8.0
/ 10
10. 2024 INFINITI Q50
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iSeeCars Score:
7.4
/ 10
- Average Used Car Price: 37816.848387
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
7.3
/ 10
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Value Retention
7.4
/ 10
-
Safety
Not Available
-
iSeeCars Score:
7.3
/ 10
- Average Used Car Price: 35493.309524
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
7.6
/ 10
-
Safety
Not Available
-
iSeeCars Score:
7.3
/ 10
- Average Used Car Price: 35553.362832
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
6.9
/ 10
-
Value Retention
7.6
/ 10
-
Safety
Not Available
-
iSeeCars Score:
7.2
/ 10
- Average Used Car Price: 39021.9987
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
6.9
/ 10
-
Value Retention
7.4
/ 10
-
Safety
Not Available
-
iSeeCars Score:
Not Available
- Average Used Car Price: 35988.313725
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
8.9
/ 10
-
Safety
Not Available
-
iSeeCars Score:
Not Available
- Average Used Car Price: 37211.245614
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
8.770349736293557
/ 10
-
Value Retention
8.8
/ 10
-
Safety
Not Available
-
iSeeCars Score:
Not Available
- Average Used Car Price: 39545.0
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
7.8
/ 10
-
Safety
Not Available
-
iSeeCars Score:
Not Available
- Average Used Car Price: 35756.720243
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
7.8
/ 10
-
Safety
Not Available
-
iSeeCars Score:
Not Available
- Average Used Car Price: 39337.726496
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
7.6
/ 10
-
Safety
Not Available
-
iSeeCars Score:
Not Available
- Average Used Car Price: 37239.568588
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
7.5
/ 10
-
Safety
8.0
/ 10
Related Rankings
How We Rank These Cars
iSeeCars Best Used Cars Under $40k 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).