TTAC Podcast: What's the Best Used Car for the Money?

Tim Healey
by Tim Healey

Welcome back to the TTAC podcast! Today we have Karl Brauer, executive analyst for iSeeCars.com, on to talk about best and worst used cars for the money. TTAC car reviewer Chris Tonn also sits in.


It's not just best and worst used cars -- we have a wide-ranging conversation covering EV sales mandates and goals, the dead automotive brands we miss, a scary piece of proposed legislation in the Golden State, and the newest crossover on the block.

Give it a listen, and as always, thanks for tuning in!

[Image: Mazda]

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Tim Healey
Tim Healey

Tim Healey grew up around the auto-parts business and has always had a love for cars — his parents joke his first word was “‘Vette”. Despite this, he wanted to pursue a career in sports writing but he ended up falling semi-accidentally into the automotive-journalism industry, first at Consumer Guide Automotive and later at Web2Carz.com. He also worked as an industry analyst at Mintel Group and freelanced for About.com, CarFax, Vehix.com, High Gear Media, Torque News, FutureCar.com, Cars.com, among others, and of course Vertical Scope sites such as AutoGuide.com, Off-Road.com, and HybridCars.com. He’s an urbanite and as such, doesn’t need a daily driver, but if he had one, it would be compact, sporty, and have a manual transmission.

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3 of 28 comments
  • JMII JMII on Feb 06, 2024
    Pretty much any Infiniti. You get a sort-of-luxury car for very little money. Japanese reliability and build quality but with big depreciation. Generic shapes that aren't offensive or weird. Downside is you'll have to deal with only average fuel economy and tech that tends to be slightly behind the times.
    • Bkojote Bkojote on Feb 06, 2024
      The problem with a used Infiniti is the people who drive them. The G35 and G37 were very fine cars, but they went from 'Japanese BMW' to 'No Insurance' . I'm sure half have been wrecked after a failed highway race.
  • Lorenzo Lorenzo on Feb 07, 2024
    I held off before stating my choice, a 1974 Dodge Dart V8, but that's because in California it's pre-cat converter and smog exempt. If you keep a car more than ten years, the cost of the Cali smog test is more than the registration.
  • Kwik_Shift_Pro4X As much problems as I had with my '96 Chevy Impala SS.....I would love to try one again. I've seen a Dark Cherry Metallic one today and it looked great.
  • Susan O’Neil There is a good reason to keep the Chevrolet Malibu and other 4 door family sedans! You can transport your parents and other somewhat handicapped people comfortably and safety! If someone can stand and pivot you can put them in your car. An armrest in the back seat is appreciated and a handle above the door! Oh…and leather seats so your passenger can slide across the seat! 😊Plus, you can place a full sized wheelchair or walker in the trunk! The car sits a little lower…so it’s doable! I currently have a Ford Fusion and we have a Honda Accord. Our previous cars were Mercury Sables-excellent for transporting handicapped people and equipment! As the population ages-sedans are a very practical choice! POV from a retired handicapped advocate and daughter! 😊
  • Freddie Remember those ads that say "Call your doctor if you still have...after four hours"?You don't need to call your doctor, just get behind the wheel of a CUV. In fact, just look at one.I'm a car guy with finite resources; I can't afford a practical car during the week plus a fun car on the weekend. My solution is my Honda Civic Si 4 door sedan. Maybe yours is a Dodge Charger (a lot of new Chargers are still on dealer lots).
  • Daniel J Interesting in that we have several weeks where the temperature stays below 45 but all weather tires can't be found in a shop anywhere. I guess all seasons are "good enough".
  • Steve Biro For all the talk about sedans vs CUVs and SUVs, I simply can’t bring myself to buy any modern vehicle. And I know it’s only going to get worse.
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