1 Affordable Used Honda Is Highly Reliable, but Beware of a Concerning Problem
Used cars can be an excellent way for car shoppers to save money, and the best used cars tend to be the ones that are affordable, reliable, and safe. Honda is an automaker that car shoppers assume will do well in all three of those categories but used car shoppers still need to be wary. That’s because there’s one used Honda model that is affordable and reliable but has a concerning safety-related problem.Â
These are some of the most reliable used cars for under $10,000 right now
U.S. News created a list of used cars that are not only reliable but also affordable. The car critic set the max price at $10,000, and as such, most of the used vehicles on the list are old. Most of the used cars were from the 2013 and 2014 model years. The newest car that made the list was the 2016 Nissan Versa, a used model that starts at about $10,000. J.D. Power gave it a reliability rating of 83 out of 100.
The Versa was joined by a lot of other models from Asian automakers. In fact, of the 12 models that made the list, nine were from an Asian automaker. The only models from non-Asian automakers came from Chevy and Buick. Chevy had two models on the list, the 2013 Malibu and the 2014 Cruze, while Buick only had the 2013 Verano.Â
Despite Honda’s great reputation for reliability, only one used car from the Japanese auto giant made the list. That car was the 2013 Fit. It did well, though, as J.D. Power gave it a reliability rating of 85 out of 100. That made it the third most reliable option on the list, behind only the 2015 Kia Rio and the 2013 Verano.Â
The 2013 Honda Fit has a glaring safety-related problem
While the fact that the 2013 Honda Fit earned a spot on the list might make it attractive for some families, it actually has a safety problem that may make it a questionable option for families and teen drivers. That safety issue is that it didn’t do all that well in its crash tests. Its ratings are OK overall, as U.S. News gave it an 8.1 out of 10 for safety.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, or IIHS, gave it a Top Safety Pick award at the time. That’s because, while it did fine in most of the IIHS crash tests, it performed poorly in the small overlap front crash test.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, or NHTSA, also didn’t give it the best crash test grades possible. Overall, the NHTSA gave the 2013 Fit a safety rating of 4 out of 5. The subcompact Honda sedan got that score because the NHTSA gave it a 4 out of 5 in the major crash test categories, such as the front and rollover crash tests.
An overview of the 2013 Honda Fit
Although the 2013 Fit may not be the safest used car option, it’s still a practical option for car shoppers. Right now, a used car model can start at around $10,000. It has a single engine option, producing 117 horsepower. That’s powerful enough to make the car fun to drive, and it also gets about 32 mpg combined.
The best part about the Fit is its hatchback design. This allows it to have up to 57.3 cu. ft. of space, which is a lot for a small car. Other than that, it’s a simple car that seats five and doesn’t have many tech features.
