Top 12 best vehicles to buy that are 1 year old (2026)

Trying to make the most of vehicles buy that are? You are in the right place. Below we break it down in plain English, with practical tips you can actually use.

Key Takeaways

• Cars are the second biggest expense in most people’s lives.
• But will the car you’re buying hold its resale value?
• Read more: 6 speeding ticket myths debunked You’ll get the best value out of these 2016 models Advertisement (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoog...

Cars are the second biggest expense in most people’s lives. But will the car you’re buying hold its resale value?

Read more: 6 speeding ticket myths debunked

You’ll get the best value out of these 2016 models

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When we purchase a car, we think of the cost as the true cost, along with the expense of insurance, gas, and maintenance. But the real cost of a car is depreciation, how much in value it loses during the initial years of ownership.

The average car depreciates by 21% after a year of ownership, according to iSeeCars.com. That means you would lose 21 cents on every dollar you paid if you were to go resell that vehicle after driving it for 12 months.

iSeeCars.com has a new tally of the 12 most heavily depreciated cars during the period of Aug. 1, 2015 to July 31, 2016.

If you are a used car buyer, these are the best nameplates to look at buying secondhand because they all take steep depreciation losses in the first year of ownership. Considering how much value cars lose the minute they drive off the lot, isn’t it excellent to be the second owner of that car, not the first one?

All noted below are 2016 models:

1. Fiat 500L - 34.6% depreciation, $8,096 cost difference between new vs. 2016 model
2. Lincoln MKS - 34.5% depreciation, $16,039 decrease in cost
3. Volvo S60 - 34.4% depreciation, $14,204 drop in cost
4. Kia Cadenza - 34.3% depreciation, $12,940 decrease in cost
5. Mercedes C250 - 34.3% depreciation, $15,247 drop in cost
6. Nissan Maxima - 34% depreciation, $12,469 decrease in cost
7. Lincoln MKZ and MKZ Hybrid - 33.8% depreciation, $14,177 drop in cost
8. Jaguar XF sedan - 32.3% depreciation, $19,996 decrease in cost
9. Fiat 500 - 31.9% depreciation, $11,106 drop in cost
10. Cadillac ATS - 31.8% depreciation, $6,099 decrease in cost
11. Chrysler 300 - 31.7% depreciation, $13,351 drop in cost
12. Buick Regal - 31.2% depreciation, $11,525 decrease in cost

If you must purchase new, plan on holding a car for 10 years or longer to absorb all the depreciation. As an alternative, Clark has said that you can also purchase a two-year-old car and hold it for three years or a three-year-old car and hold it for two years.

Read more: Used car leasing: Deal or dud for your wallet?

Common Cents: Why you should get a car cost estimate | Clark.com

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Final Thoughts

Before you check out, double-check vehicles buy that are against current offers and any coupons you can stack. Small habits like this add up to real savings over a year.

Originally published at clark.com.