In 2025, if you are looking for a used car to buy, it’s highly likely that dependability is one factor you will have in mind. You want your car to be reliable, particularly if you’re going to buy it used. Presumably, you don’t want your vehicle to die on you when you’re out on some lonely stretch of highway.
Let’s look at the used car brands that get excellent ratings for their consistent reliability.
Honda
If you want a reliable pre-owned vehicle, then looking at a used Honda for sale at a car dealership near you makes a lot of sense. There are Hundas all over the road, and part of the reason for that is they seem to last practically forever.
It would probably be inaccurate to say that motorists tend to buy Hondas because of how flashy they are. Buying and driving one doesn’t exactly mark you as belonging to society’s upper echelons. That being said, if you want a dependable vehicle that’s had a previous owner, you can’t go wrong with this tried-and-true brand.
Lexus
Lexus is the opposite of Honda in some ways. These are high-end vehicles designed to turn heads, and you should be able to do that as a driver, even if you get an older, used model. The recognizable Lexus logo should be enough to arouse envy in your friends or impress your date if this is the vehicle in which you stop by to pick them up.
However, despite the fact that a vehicle like Honda is utilitarian and a Lexus is considered a precision machine and status symbol, a used Lexus should be just as dependable as something like an Accord or a Civic.
Toyota
Toyota vehicles fall into the same category as Hondas in the minds of many drivers. This is a brand mainly known for its mid-size cars. They don’t cost all that much new, and even less used.
If you can get a used one at a reasonable price point, though, and it doesn’t have a lot of miles on it, that can be a steal. Like the previous two entries on this list, Toyota vehicles that are gently used should serve you well, assuming you’re not buying a vehicle with the intention of impressing anyone.
Mazda
Mazda may not enjoy quite the market share of Honda or Toyota, but it still does pretty well in the US market, mainly because of the low price point and dependability of many of its models. Getting a used one is not a bad idea if you’re looking for something that will get you around town and that is likely to last for at least a couple of decades.
Acura
Acura can probably be categorized similarly to Honda, Toyota, or Mazda in many ways. The company makes vehicles known more for their fuel economy and dependability than anything else, and that might be precisely what you’re looking for in a used car. Something like the RDX or MDX may be ideal.
