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Most Reliable Used Luxury Small Cars Under $40k for 2024

These are the most reliable used luxury small cars under $40k , ranked by iSeeCars’ reliability rating which is based on a data-driven analysis of a vehicle's longevity.

The most reliable used luxury small car under $40k is the 2021 Lexus IS 350 based on iSeeCars’ analysis of 12 million vehicles to assess their reliability. The 2021 Lexus IS 350 has an average used vehicle price of $38,747 and an iSeeCars reliability score of 9 out of 10. Behind the IS 350 is the 2023 Lexus IS 300 with average used car price of $39,216 and a reliability rating of 8.6. The number 3 most reliable used luxury small car under $40k is the 2022 BMW 3 Series at $36,870 which has a 8.4 rating and is priced on average at $36,870. 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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The most reliable used luxury small car under $40k is the 2021 Lexus IS 350 based on iSeeCars’ analysis of 12 million vehicles to assess their reliability. The 2021 Lexus IS 350 has an average used vehicle price of $38,747 and an iSeeCars reliability score of 9 out of 10. Behind the IS 350 is the 2023 Lexus IS 300 with average used car price of $39,216 and a reliability rating of 8.6. The number 3 most reliable used luxury small car under $40k is the 2022 BMW 3 Series at $36,870 which has a 8.4 rating and is priced on average at $36,870. 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

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
9.1 / 10
  • Reliability 9.0 / 10
  • Value Retention 8.2 / 10
  • Safety 10 / 10
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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
8.9 / 10
  • Reliability 8.6 / 10
  • Value Retention 8.0 / 10
  • Safety 10 / 10
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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
8.6 / 10
  • Reliability 8.4 / 10
  • Value Retention 7.4 / 10
  • Safety 10 / 10
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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
8.6 / 10
  • Reliability 8.4 / 10
  • Value Retention 7.4 / 10
  • Safety 10 / 10
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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
8.3 / 10
  • Reliability 8.3 / 10
  • Value Retention 7.5 / 10
  • Safety 9.0 / 10
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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
7.8 / 10
  • Reliability 8.0 / 10
  • Value Retention 7.7 / 10
  • Safety Not Available
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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
7.7 / 10
  • Reliability 7.9 / 10
  • Value Retention 7.5 / 10
  • Safety Not Available
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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
7.8 / 10
  • Reliability 7.7 / 10
  • Value Retention 7.9 / 10
  • Safety Not Available
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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
7.4 / 10
  • Reliability 7.2 / 10
  • Value Retention 7.7 / 10
  • Safety Not Available
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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
7.2 / 10
  • Reliability 7.2 / 10
  • Value Retention 7.3 / 10
  • Safety Not Available
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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
7.8 / 10
  • Reliability 7.0 / 10
  • Value Retention 8.5 / 10
  • Safety Not Available
Vehicle Image
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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
7.4 / 10
  • Reliability 7.0 / 10
  • Value Retention 7.9 / 10
  • Safety Not Available
Vehicle Image
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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
7.2 / 10
  • Reliability 7.0 / 10
  • Value Retention 7.5 / 10
  • Safety Not Available
Vehicle Image
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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
7.3 / 10
  • Reliability 6.0 / 10
  • Value Retention 8.5 / 10
  • Safety Not Available
Vehicle Image
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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
6.7 / 10
  • Reliability 6.0 / 10
  • Value Retention 7.4 / 10
  • Safety Not Available
Vehicle Image
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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
Coming soon
  • Reliability Coming soon
  • Value Retention 7.7 / 10
  • Safety Not Available
Vehicle Image
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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
Coming soon
  • Reliability Coming soon
  • Value Retention 7.5 / 10
  • Safety Not Available
Vehicle Image
See More Photos
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
Coming soon
  • Reliability Coming soon
  • Value Retention 7.5 / 10
  • Safety Not Available
Vehicle Image
See More Photos
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
Coming soon
  • Reliability Coming soon
  • Value Retention 7.4 / 10
  • Safety Not Available
Vehicle Image
See More Photos

How We Rank These Cars

The iSeeCars Reliability Rating indicates how dependable and long-lasting each vehicle is through a calculation of a vehicle's useful lifespan and its ability to last 200,000 miles or more.

Each vehicle is rated on a scale from 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest Reliability Rating. Vehicles within a given category are sorted to show the most reliable ones first. If two cars have the same ratings, the tie is broken by the higher overall iSeeCars Quality Score. iSeeCars displays comprehensive Quality Scores along with the Reliability Ratings for each model because multiple factors should be taken into account when buyers are seeking the best overall vehicle. Two of these factors are safety and resale value, both of which are included in the iSeeCars Quality Score system.

The overall iSeeCars Quality Score combines analyses of these three factors: reliability, resale value, and safety. It is calculated based on the latest research and analysis by our data science team. The data analysis comes from over 312 million vehicles as reported in our Longest-Lasting Cars and 5-Year Depreciation Studies. These two factors are combined with NHTSA and/or IIHS Safety Ratings to determine a car's Quality Score.

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).