Popular Cars That Are Still (Relatively) Affordable

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Inflation has hit many sectors of the economy hard over the last year, but few categories can compare to the automotive industry.

Economic experts debate how much the current period of inflation has come from increased consumer demand and how much has been caused by constraints on supply. In the vehicle market, both forces are clearly at play. Low interest rates, federal stimulus payments, and better-than-expected economic conditions throughout the pandemic gave households more money to spend on big purchases like cars. But the unpredictable spread of COVID-19 has made it more difficult for carmakers to meet demand. Due to difficulties sourcing materials and keeping plants staffed amid the pandemic, both automotive parts manufacturers and car factories themselves have frequently been forced to shut down or operate at reduced capacity. As a result of these issues, new vehicle supply is down 59% compared to this time in 2021.

The scarcity of new vehicles has driven up prices for current models. But this has also had a major effect on prices in the market for pre-owned vehicles. With fewer new cars available, consumers have been competing for used models, which has sent used car prices increasing even faster.

Year-over-year increases in used car prices have topped 30% for each of the last four quarters, reaching an all-time quarterly high of 39% in Q1 of 2022. Annual inflation in the used vehicle market had not topped 10% since 2010, early in the recovery from the last recession, and one would have to look to the Great Inflation period of the 1970s to see increases comparable to those in the current market.

And some types of used vehicles are seeing rates of inflation even greater than the overall average. Used SUVs, trucks, and crossovers—where carmakers have produced more inventory in recent years in response to changing consumer tastes—all have seen median price increases below 40% for the 2020 model year. Minivans and sedans, in contrast, have had the largest price increases in recent months at 47.5% and 45%, respectively. And with gas prices setting record highs in recent months, competition in these comparatively fuel-efficient categories could continue to keep prices elevated in the near future.

The current market is challenging for any buyer seeking out a used vehicle, but some recent makes and models have seen slower price increases than others. To determine the most popular cars that are most affordable, researchers at CoPilot calculated the difference between the current market price and the original price forecast for 100 of the most popular model year 2020 used vehicles on the market.

Here are 10 popular used cars that have gone up the least in price.

The Most Affordable Used Vehicles

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10. Jeep Wrangler Unlimited

Current price premium (%): +29.0%
Current price premium ($): +$10,126
Current price: $45,052
Original price forecast: $34,926

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9. Subaru Outback

Current price premium (%): +28.9%
Current price premium ($): +$7,959
Current price: $35,480
Original price forecast: $27,521

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8. Toyota Tundra

Current price premium (%): +28.1%
Current price premium ($): +$10,652
Current price: $48,524
Original price forecast: $37,872

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7. Lexus RX

Current price premium (%): +27.4%
Current price premium ($): +$10,773
Current price: $50,144
Original price forecast: $39,371

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6. Lexus NX

Current price premium (%): +26.2%
Current price premium ($): +$8,380
Current price: $40,346
Original price forecast: $31,966

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5. BMW 5 Series

Current price premium (%): +26.1%
Current price premium ($): +$10,788
Current price: $52,165
Original price forecast: $41,377

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4. Toyota 4Runner

Current price premium (%): +25.3%
Current price premium ($): +$8,864
Current price: $43,932
Original price forecast: $35,068

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3. Honda Pilot

Current price premium (%): +24.7%
Current price premium ($): +$7,860
Current price: $39,653
Original price forecast: $31,793

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2. Subaru Crosstrek

Current price premium (%): +24.3%
Current price premium ($): +$5,994
Current price: $30,683
Original price forecast: $24,689