Edmunds.com's 2011 Used Car Best Bets

We’ve been talking a lot about used cars, lately.
The reason is simple: there are some really great deals to be gotten if you know what to look for and how to spot them. Our friends at Edmunds have put together their annual Edmunds Used Car Best Bets, which is a great list that will help you in that search.
The list is comprised of the very best bets on used cars, by category, from 2004 to 2009. The editors looked at reliability, safety and availability as the criteria and created a very respectable list that cast a pretty wide net among brands and models.
Compact Sedan: 2004-09 Hyundai Elantra
Midsize Sedan: 2004-09 Nissan Altima
Coupe: 2004-09 BMW 3 Series
Convertible: 2004-09 Mazda Miata
Luxury: 2004-09 Infiniti G35/37
Hybrid: 2004-09 Toyota Prius
Sport Compact: 2004-09 Subaru Impreza WRX
Wagon: 2004 – 09 Pontiac Vibe
Compact SUV /CUV: 2004 – 09 Honda CR-V
Midsize SUV/CUVZ: 2004 – 09 Ford Explorer
Large SUV/CUVZ: 2004 – 09 Chevrolet Tahoe
Minivan/Van: 2004 – 09 Honda Odyssey
Compact Truck: 2004 – 09 Toyota Tacoma
Large Truck: 2004 – 09 Ford F-150
Don’t forget, a quality, good condition, low miles used car is as good a bet as any when shopping for a car. As always, the deal is only as good as you negotiate it and will really most often be contingent on availability.
While a new car carries with it all of the newest of the new, used cars have lost the bulk of that initial depreciation, so what you are buying will be closer to a vehicle that has actual value, which is a rarity in today’s commodity driven marketplace.