Our Top 5 Favorite Used SUVs for Under $20k

In case you haven't noticed, brand new cars are expensive! The good news is you can find great, more affordable options in a used car. Used isn't a bad thing either--sometimes you can find features in a used car that you can't in a new car.

We've compiled our top 5 favorites and give a few reasons why we chose them. Further, the 5 examples below are currently available at the time of this post, and are to show you what you can ACTUALLY find for under $20k. 

Let's take a look.

#5 - Toyota Highlander

What we like:

• Reliable
• Rear trunk glass opens separate from trunk
• Ceiling mounted HVAC vents (great for young children in rear-facing child car seats)

#4 - Mazda CX-9

What we like:

• Classy-looking
• Luxury features for a reasonable price
• Smooth driving performance

#3 - Kia Sorento

What we like:

• Sporty-looking
• Luxury features for a low price
• Large moonroof
• 2nd row middle seat is separate from bench seat
• Apple CarPlay/Android Auto
• Quick acceleration

#2 - Ford Explorer

What we like:

• Large trunk space
• Large moonroof
• Ceiling mounted HVAC vents (great for young children in rear-facing child car seats)
• 2nd row middle seat is separate from bench seat
• Apple CarPlay/Android Auto

#1 - Ford Expedition EL

What we like:

• Spacious cabin
• Extra large trunk space
• High towing capacity
• Rear trunk glass opens separate from trunk
• Ceiling mounted HVAC vents (great for young children in rear-facing child car seats)
• 2nd row middle seat is separate from bench seat
• Apple CarPlay/Android Auto

The Bottom Line

For our family we value cabin space, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, ease of young kids getting in/out of the car, and a smooth driving performance. While our needs may be different than your's, these SUVs may just fit your needs for different reasons.

Bonus: One of our favorite features on a car is the trunk glass that can open/close separate from the trunk door. This allows easy access to your belongings in your trunk or to run long items through the length of your cabin and stick out the back. 

If any of these options look interesting to you, start a search for THAT car local to you! 

We want to help you with that search, so check out The Smart Car Buyer's Guide that will walk you through every step of how to find your next car and give you searching "street smarts" along the way.

Or, if you're further along in your search but aren't sure how to make sure the car you're interested is in good shape, check out our Test Drive Checklist. This checklist will give you a list of things to check with a mobile-friendly way to leave notes for each car about what works or doesn't, and space to leave your thoughts about each car to help ensure it's the right fit for your needs.

Which of our Top 5 do you like best? What are your own favorites, and why? Comment below!