What car makes and models make the best USED cars?

Well, I would say that it depends on the car, and how well the previous owner or owners took care of it. I have had good luck with chrysler products. I had a chrysler concorde and it was a very good car. The concorde is similer to a dodge intrepid. I have also had a chevrolet malibu, which didn't give me any real trouble. I would stay away from any GM car that has a 3.1L or a 3.4L engine as these are known for blowing head gaskets.

My current car is a 1996 Buick Park Ave with about 200,000 miles. Very reliable, and gets adequate gas mileage for the size (gets surprisingly good highway mileage, actually). I've had it for the past 40,000 miles, and I've only had to replace a couple of light bulbs and a worn belt. I've always had good luck with big ugly "grandma" sedans. They seem to be purchased by older, more responsible people who actually keep up with the maintenance. (If possible, buy from an individual rather than a car lot-- the used car dealer usually can't tell you anything useful about the car's history, whereas with an individual, you can request service records, etc. And do run a Carfax on anything you're really considering.) Had an old (early 1980's) BMW for a while. It was a fabulous car and was pretty reliable-- and really cushy, for such an old car. I don't recommend a German car, overall, though. The repair costs are UNBELIEVABLE, even for something small and stupid like a shorted-out taillight, and it's hard to find someone who's willing to work on them. I would avoid any used Mitsubishis. I don't know if the cars are just crummy or if they tend to attract younger drivers who will rag the living daylights out of the car and can't afford regular maintenance, but they tend to fall apart. A lot.

as most people said honda and toyota are very reliable cars, or subaru if you drive in the snow. only down side to those is that they maintain a high resale value. some american cars like the ford focus have good reliablility but tend to be cheaper. more important than anything if your only spending 5-6k have a mechanic you are familair with check out the car, if they give you the go ahead then get it.

Honda civic And you can try http://www.usedcarsinfo.info/ 90% off Retail Value. Good luck!

Go to the Library and look for a Consumer Reports Used Car edition. (Latest 2007 or 2008 version) It will give you unbiased statistics on repairs and values for all used cars. They will also have two interesting articles to check out. The Ten Best Used Cars and Ten Cars to Avoid. It's valuable research. Look for it at your local Library so you don't have to spend any money. CR does not put this information on the web.

Well Toyota and Honda are usually the most dependable used cars you can buy..to a lesser extent Nissan as well. They hold their value well and had fewer problems than most other brands. But any car can be reliable, as long as it's well maintained. I've seen plenty of American cars that last a long time, but not as often as Toyotas or Hondas.

try one of these. they are very notorious for reliability - honda civic - honda accord - toyota corolla - toyota camry - acura integra - vw jetta any of these cars are pretty reliable but just make sure you buy a good example. a car wont last long is you buy a salvage title that was not repaired right. make sure you have someone inspect the car before you buy and if there is a vehicle history report, all the better

Japanese compact cars are the best used cars aroung.

The Honda Civic or Honda Accord are always good safe choices. They are tops in reliability. However, any car can be a lemon. So make sure you get a professional inspection on any car you decide to buy. Since used cars are sold "as-is" you can't take it back if you find problems AFTER the sale. Do not take the word of the seller about a car's condition.