Despite the wild ride that pricing has taken in recent years, it’s still very possible to find a good, sturdy used car for less than $5,000. Whether you’re after an economical commuter car, a family-friendly minivan, a fun coupe or sports car, a practical crossover SUV, a plucky hatchback, or a pickup truck, there are plenty of options out there in a wide variety of body styles.
CarGurus has an extensive variety of used cars for sale to give you a solid idea of how far your buck can go in this area of the market, too. No matter what you’re after, you’ll find something.
If you buy based on condition, there’s a solid chance that any of the cars on this list could easily exceed 150,000 miles, reliably. Heck, some are just broken in at that point, so don’t fret about high mileage.
Finally, whether you're looking at a Buick, Dodge, Chrysler, Hyundai, BMW, or Audi, don’t let any particular automaker’s reputation hold you back, as what truly counts in used-car shopping are attentive ownership and maintenance history. Read through our guide to get a good idea of some solid choices, and consider giving one or two a test drive when you find the right version in your local area.
The Best Used Cars Under $5,000 in 2025
- Acura TL
- BMW 3 Series
- Chevrolet Silverado 1500
- Jeep Grand Cherokee
- Kia Soul
- Mazda MAZDA3
- Nissan Leaf
- Saab 9-3 Convertible
- Toyota Prius
- Toyota Sequoia
Acura TL
Best for: Luxury car aspirants
There’s little reason to buy an older Honda Accord when the Acura TL exists. They’re almost exactly the same car, but the TL gives you better luxury appointments for-these days-no additional cost. There were tons of them sold when they were new, so you should be able to find one without much difficulty.
These cars are sporty and fun to drive, but they’re also pretty much invisible. They’re not as ubiquitous as the Toyota Camry (or its Lexus ES platform-mate), but buy one in a dark color, and you’ll blend right into the crowd. Nobody will know that inside, you’re enjoying a comfortable, classy interior with all the technology that was considered state-of-the-art in 2005.
You can buy a TL up to around the 2006 model year and still spend under $5,000. The Type-S may be tough to find, but if you can, it’s a great-looking vehicle, and possibly the most reliable model car on this list. Equipped with alloy wheels, a woodgrain interior, and black, perforated leather upholstery, it’s a tremendous option for $5,000.
BMW 3 Series
Best for: Discerning buyers of fine European automobiles on a budget
The E90/E92-generation BMW 3 Series is a European sedan standby. It was produced between the 2006 and 2012 model years and is generally regarded as reliable, comfortable, and well-appointed by enthusiasts. These cars are nice to look at, too, and they can occasionally be found in some cool colors that’ll set you apart, including a deep blue and a gorgeous metallic brown.
While the sportier 335i trim offers thrilling turbocharged performance, the 325i, 328i, and 330i are better values. They feature a 3.0-liter inline-six that produces between 230 and 255 horsepower, depending upon trim, and around 200 pound-feet of torque. These can be found in either six-speed automatic or manual form, and, if you’re after something other than a sedan, they were produced as convertibles and coupes, too. Amenities-wise, most models come with moonroofs, but if you can find one without—commonly referred to as a slicktop—that’ll ensure a little bit more headroom inside. Some models even have backup cameras, despite the fact that they are now over a decade old.
Around $5,000 is a good place to start for a well-taken-care-of example, but it’s a good idea to bring the car you're considering to an independent BMW specialist shop for a good look-over. Typically, owners should keep an eye out for a few small oil leaks that pop up with age, and following the maintenance schedule to a T is important. As with any European car made in the past 20 years, a 5,000-mile full-synthetic oil change interval is crucial and helps avoid a lot of potential issues.
Chevrolet Silverado 1500
Best for: Shoppers seeking a dependable vehicle for work and play
We’ve gone through this exercise ourselves, and we can tell you this: There’s hardly any reason to look for a small pickup in this price range. Ford Rangers are absurdly expensive. Older Toyota Tacomas are essentially extinct, caught up as they were in Toyota’s frame-rust issue. The Nissan Frontier is fine, but even in four-cylinder form, it delivers about the same fuel mileage as a full-size truck.
The Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 1500 sold from 1999 to 2007—"GMT800 trucks," as they are known in the industry—are solid, reliable, decent, and surprisingly comfortable. Yes, for $5,000 you’re going to have a lot more access to rear-wheel-drive (RWD) pickups than to four-wheel-drive (4WD) variants. That drivetrain is OK, as long as you’re either in the sunbelt or willing to buy winter tires.
Our target amount will buy you a very nice truck without rust issues (depending on your location), and, if you’re lucky, you’ll find one with a 5.3-liter V8 engine. These are modern trucks, capable of hauling stuff to the dump, towing a boat, or driving across the country.
Jeep Grand Cherokee
Best for: SUV shoppers
In the SUV category, we recommend the third-generation Grand Cherokee from 2005 to 2010. That era of Grand Cherokee moved from the live-axle front suspension of the second generation to a more modern double-wishbone independent setup. They’re more comfortable and capable on pavement, where the vast majority of people are enjoying their Grand Cherokee. And despite the suspension change, the SUV is still amazingly capable off-road if that’s your thing. Surprisingly, the Grand Cherokee competes with models like the Subaru Outback, but if you're headed off-road, you'll want the Jeep instead.
In 2009, Jeep introduced a 5.7-liter Hemi V8 Grand Cherokee to replace the 305-horsepower 4.7-liter V8 engine, which you likely won’t be able to find for $5,000, and frankly, there’s no real reason to look. The standard, smaller 3.7-liter V6 offers 215 horsepower, and it’s adequate for all your travels on a budget. Jeep has sold a lot of Grand Cherokees over the years, so they shouldn’t be in short supply. In fact, some of these models are equipped with niceties like leather seats. However, despite the trail-tested drivetrains, don’t expect to see great fuel economy. The Grand Cherokee has many strengths, but MPGs are not one of them.
Kia Soul
Best for: Those who want a car that’s both stylish and practical
If you’re sensing a theme here, it should be this: If a manufacturer built a lot of a particular model, they’re usually what you’d consider a good deal many years down the road. Kia certainly built a lot of Souls. This has often been one of the top-selling models in Kia’s lineup, and the compact crossover's popularity has done nothing but increase over the years, despite the lack of available AWD.
In the under-$5,000 class, you’re looking at the first-generation Soul, which debuted in 2008 and carried the manufacturer through the 2014 model year. Honestly, the second generation is a significantly nicer car, so if you can afford it, head in that direction. But you could do plenty worse than a first-gen Soul as a run-around commuter, particularly at a great price.
Not only are these vehicles handy, thanks to their surprisingly large cargo area when the seats are down, but they’re safe as well. The Soul earned four or the highest-possible five stars in crash testing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and it only received a “poor” rating for the frontal overlap test from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
Mazda MAZDA3
Best for: Compact car shoppers who want more than the bare minimum
If you're in the market for a Mazda3 for less than $5,000, you're going to be looking at the second generation of Mazda's popular compact, rather than the super-cool third generation that arrived for the 2014 model year, let alone the modern fourth-generation Mazda3 sold now.
Regardless, these are fun, action-packed little cars that are super cheap and popular first cars. They’re plentiful enough that it’s not like having to fix an exotic, but they’re definitely not as common as the Toyota Corollas and Honda Civics of the world, so you won’t see yourself coming and going every time you’re out in traffic. They’re a decently reliable little car that doesn’t require an excess of maintenance.
The one thing to note about this generation of the Mazda3 is that it was produced before things like 7-inch touchscreens. They’re not devoid of technology, like cruise control or power sunroofs, and most of the later versions at least have Bluetooth, but if you like a lot of technology in your vehicle, this level of economy compact is probably not going to be for you.
Nissan Leaf
Best for: EV shoppers
According to our nationwide search, you can pick up a first-gen Nissan Leaf with less than 100,000 miles for about what you’d spend buying a Chipotle burrito every day for a year. The first-generation car—from its introduction in 2011 until it bowed out in 2017—was nailed to the showroom floor when they were new, spiffed with all kinds of incentives, and essentially given away when they came back off-lease.
One consideration worth taking into account is that you’ll either need access to a nearby electric vehicle (EV) charger or will need to install a Level 2 charger at your place of residence. If you live in an apartment, that’s a challenge. If you live in your own home, it’ll generally cost about a thousand dollars to install one of these chargers. Of course, if you can live with the slow charging of a Level 1 charger, all you need is a regular household outlet to plug it into.
These are nice little cars that feel way more roomy and luxurious than they actually are, thanks to their light-colored interior and the lack of a buzzy four-cylinder engine thrashing away under the hood. While the styling may not be for everyone, if you’re a commuter and your state offers nice EV benefits like free tolls, use of HOV lanes, and special parking privileges at the airport, it’s hard to figure out why you’d buy anything else.
Saab 9-3 Convertible
Best for: Sun seekers
Now we’re starting to get into it: Sporty and rather unique fare for under $5,000. A Saab? Really? Not a Mercedes-Benz? Undoubtedly! This was the point in Saab’s history where everything was going wrong—except their cars. The Swedish company had been purchased by GM, the financial crisis was just around the corner, and they were not going to make it. It was a rough period for the automaker.
Yet, they still built a nice, sporty, and comfortable convertible. Plus, if that’s what you’re after, there were few options available. The 9-3 convertible is a pretty great car if you can find one that’s been cared for by a loving owner. They are out there. You should expect something from the early 2000s with more than 100,000 miles on the odometer. But with the right care, these cars—like their Swedish brethren from Volvo—can last quite a long time. They’re often found with peppy turbocharged four-cylinders, too, which achieve good overall MPGs and are known for their durability.
Toyota Prius
Best for: Hybrid shoppers
If you’d like to avoid the charging station, a hybrid offers some of the benefits of an EV with the added ability to drive it anywhere and enjoy outstanding fuel economy, untethered to the electrical grid. The Toyota Prius wins this contest by default, simply because its one of the only hybrids that’s been around long enough to get the price under $5,000 (the original launched as a new car in 1997). Yes, you can buy a Honda Insight for this kind of money, too, but it’s going to be the weird first-generation model, and it’s very uncommon on dealership lots.
You can easily find a second-generation (2003 to 2009) Toyota Prius for $5,000. These are good cars, if not exciting. They’re not particularly fun to look at, either. And they’re not exceedingly rewarding to drive. But with front-wheel drive (FWD) and a hybrid powertrain, they're fuel-efficient and will get you to your destination about as cheaply as you can be conveyed, other than riding public transportation.
If the car has a good track record of routine maintenance, then Prius battery pack should easily cruise past 200,000 miles before it needs replacing. This generation may be showing its age, but the likes of JD Power and Consumer Reports frequently cite the Prius as one of the most reliable used cars around.
Toyota Sequoia
Best for: Used car buyers in need of a cheap tow rig
Go too far under $5,000, and you’re likely looking at a pretty hollowed-out Sequoia with more than 250,000 miles. But at the upper limits of our price category, you can find still find these full-size SUVS with fewer than 200,000 miles. And these are easily 300,000-mile vehicles when cared for properly.
Like the Grand Cherokee, fuel economy isn’t a strong suit for the Sequoia. If you’re planning on driving the vehicle a lot, the low MPGs and high fuel cost may eat away at whatever savings you realized by only spending $5,000 upfront. Unless you really have the need to haul around eight people on the regular, a vehicle like this is going to turn in 14 miles per gallon at best and cost you roughly $2,250 a year in fuel.
Nevertheless, if you do need to accommodate eight people with third-row seating or do some serious towing, this is the kind of vehicle that meets your needs. The Sequoia is a decent rig with a good reputation for reliability, too. It’ll run forever, it was nicely equipped for its day, and it still looks pretty good.
