George Kamel - Reliable Used Cars to Buy in 2025

Episode Date: April 4, 2025

📈 Are you on track with the Baby Steps? Get a free personalized plan. People love to say you can’t find a solid used car for under $10,000—but respectfully, that’s crazy. And to prove it, I’m sharing my top five used cars from MotorTrend’s list so you can know which budget-friendly options to trust. Next Steps: • 🎥 Watch my video Why Is No One Talking About America’s Wealth Killer? • 🚙 Navigate owning a car the smart way with our free Ramsey Car Guide. • 💵 Start your free budget today. Download the EveryDollar app! Connect With Our Sponsors: • 🔒 Get 20% off when you join DeleteMe. • 💸 Learn more about opening a high-yield savings account with Laurel Road. Explore More From Ramsey Network: 🎙️ The Ramsey Show   🍸 Smart Money Happy Hour 💸 The Ramsey Show Highlights 🧠 The Dr. John Delony Show 💡 The Rachel Cruze Show 🪑 Front Row Seat with Ken Coleman 📈 EntreLeadership   Ramsey Solutions Privacy Policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Something I hear over and over from people is that it's basically impossible to find a quality, reliable, and safe used car for under $10,000. But here's the deal, folks. That's a load of hogwash. And to prove it, the good people at Motor Trend recently put out an article on the best used cars with a price tag of less than $10,000. And everything on this list is super reliable with great safety ratings, fuel efficiency, and overall value. So today I'm counting down my top five cars from their list. Plus, we'll see if we can actually find each of these models for sale at 10,000 or less within 200 miles of our studio here at Middle Tennessee. But before we hop in, be sure to hit the subscribe button, hit the like button. Otherwise, they'll stop letting me get within 200 miles of the studio.

And I need this. I need this. Okay, let's get to the list. At number five, we've got the Volkswagen Jetta, specifically the 2017-2020 models. These JETAs come with great features, like a touchscreen dash and a ton of trunk space. Plus, some trims offer a panoramic sunroof, blind spot monitoring, and a beats audio sound system, if that's important to you. Plus, they're made by the car manufacturer responsible for generations of kids physically assaulting each other in the back seat. And the best part about the Jetta, all five of the 2017-21 models got a perfect five-star safety rating from the NHTSA.

And by the way, every car on this list got at least a four-star safety rating when it was released, which should squash this idea that used cars are somehow more dangerous than new ones. Because remember, at some point, they were a new car. They weren't born used, okay? Who knew? And I know, new cars have all the latest technology, but some people are out there acting like driving a five- or six-year-old car as the equivalent of riding around in a metal death trap.

In reality, you and your family will be perfectly safe driving any of the cars on this list, and plenty of other great used cars, too. Now let's get on AutoTrader and see if we can find any of these puppies listed for under $10,000 within 200 miles. Well, would you look at that? I have this listed from lowest mileage, just to make you guys happy, because apparently when cars hit 100,000 miles, your brain explodes. This is a 2018, looking pretty, 84,000 miles, $9,500.

And we can scroll down and see, yeah, a bunch under 100,000 miles. These are all 2018 models, a few 2017s. And even a 2019 for $7,800. Now, it's got 145,000 miles, but it's still got plenty of life in it to get you from A to B until you can upgrade. later on. So I think that proves it. We did it, guys. Now, you can complain all you want to want. I don't want to hear it. All I said was this is a reliable car through research that's under $10,000. Shut it. We're done. We're done. I will turn this car around. No, Daddy, no. Next up on our

list, that number four is the Nissan Ultima, 2017 or 2018 model, to be exact. These guys come with a seven-inch touchscreen remote start and a standard rear-view camera. And if you go for the 18 model, you'll also get automatic emergency braking. Plus, some trims offer Bose premium audio and heated front seats, which we all know is the definition of luxury. Oh, and you can't talk about Ultimas without bringing up their zero-gravity seats. Supposedly, these seats are designed to make your body feel like it's floating through space.

I'd imagine they'd work just fine for you and me, but it's going to take a lot more than a zero-gravity seat to make your mama feel weightless. Sipur! Let's see if the proofs from the pudding. Let's see if we can find a 2017 or 2018 Ultima. semi-close to Nashville for under $10,000. Would you look at that? Use 2070 at 2.5, nonetheless.

7999, which great price, according to AutoTrader. We've got a 2018, 73,000 miles for 9 grand. About 100,000 miles here for 8 grand for 2018. Photo coming soon. Can't wait to see what that looks like. Probably looks like an Ultima, under $10,000. So as you can see, a lot of Ultima's for sale. Well, this one had 19 results.

So there you go. A reasonable, reliable car that's going to be cheap to repair and keep going down the road. And those prices look even better when you consider that a brand new 2025 Ultima has a starting sticker price of over $28,000. And if you're thinking, well, George, used cars are so expensive these days, you might as well buy a new car. What are you looking at, bro? Look at this. The facts. Even if you spend more than 10 grand on a used car, you're still going to get a much better deal than buying brand new because you're letting someone else take the hit.

on depreciation. Moving on. Coming in to number three, we've got the Chevy Sonic, specifically the 2015-2018 models. Now, Chevy discontinued the Sonic in 2020, but not because it's a bad car. In fact, Sonic's come complete with remote start, heated seats, and steering wheel, and a push-button start, which makes it almost as appealing as Sonic 3, which has an 85% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. That's certified fresh, baby. Uh, meow. Plus, you can find a Chevy Sonic with a 1.4-liter turbocharged engine if you want a little extra zip and zang on your ride. And Sonics are on the small side, but take it from someone who's also on the small side, that can be a blessing.

That just means they're easier to maneuver, especially in big cities where parking can be a challenge. So let's see if we can find a Chevy Sonic for sale for under $10,000 in my area. And wouldn't you know at 26 results, my friends, look at this one. About $5,000. Now it's got some mileage on it, 152,000 miles, but still a good deal. And then we get into this one, great price, great price. 2016 Sonic under 100,000 miles for $9,300.

We've got $5,500 for a Sonic with $126,000 miles on it. Another one for $6 grand. Yeah, they're hanging in that $6 grand range upwards of $7 for a newer one. Guys, I'm calling this a win. Now, is this a lady killer? Absolutely not, but it's going to get you from A to B in a cash car until you can upgrade down the road. So you can absolutely find one of these for under $10,000.

in your area too. Although, be careful. If you just Google nearby Sonics, you're going to get directions to the home of Groovy Fries and America's favorite dry Happy Hour. Google wisely. And speaking of Happy Hour, you know what makes me sad? Knowing that a ton of websites are out there collecting and selling your personal info without your permission. And that's why I use DeleteMe, one of the sponsors of today's video. Delete Me scrubs your personal info from data broker's sites, and they keep doing it all year long, among thousands of real, crazy other sites out there. Plus, Delete Me will send you a detailed report showing where they found and removed your data, and how much time they've saved you.

So help protect yourself from the risks of online spam and scam by signing up today. Right now, you can get 20% off any of their plans by going to join deleteme.com slash George or click the link in the description below. Okay, let's get back to our list. At number two, I wanna see ya in a Kia. Specifically the Kia Rio, 2015-2018 models.

Now this is a smaller car that's still rooming on the inside, which means like the Sonic, it's great for navigating the busy rows and congested downtown of Gotham Proper. I gotta get me one of those. Best of all, Rios are known for their low repair and maintenance costs. Specifically, Repair Pal estimates that the annual maintenance cost for a 2015 model comes out to just $482.

And for comparison, that's almost half of the average yearly maintenance cost of a typical new car. And while Kia's used to get a bad rap for their reliability, they have come a long way over the years. A 2024 study from JD Power and his associates found that Kia's are more dependable than Nissan's, Ford's, Hyundai's, and BMWs. Plus, you got to love Kia's new tagline, movement that inspires. Not to be confused with Taco Bell's new tagline,

bowel movements that transpire. Very close, very different scenarios. It's Taco Time! Dole, do's, do, do, don't, do... Now, let's ask the important question. Can we actually find a Kia Rio in our area for less than $10,000? Here we go. Let's see, 10 results.

All right, not bad. And we're going to go from lowest mileage to highest. We've got one at 63,000 miles for $7,900 bucks for 2016. We've got one here that's listed. is a great price of under $7,000 for 73,000 miles. Not bad. All right, we've got a under 10,000, 2017 Curio LX. And as we scroll down, you can see they're all under 9,000 and there's even some under 6,000. So don't tell me it can't be done. But also, the yellow one is just abhorrent. Please, can we just all agree to stop driving yellow cars? Unless it's like a Volkswagen Beetle and this

was your... Sure. Other than that, I think we're just done with it. No more. I don't care it's a Lamborghini or a Kia Rio. I don't want to see it in yellow. I hate them. And finally, last but not least, the moment we've all been waiting for, what is the number one pick on my list? It's the Honda Fit baby, 2015-2017 models. Now, I know these guys are on the small side again, and they might not be lady killers again, but they make up for it with their benefits, much like myself. They get up to 40 miles per gallon on the highway, make up to 130 horses, and come with Honda's lane watch driver assist technology to keep you extra safe. Fits also feature magic seats, which fold easily to create extra space for storage or for lounging on a road trip.

You can also find a model with a manual transmission, for those of you who feel the need to prove you're an alpha male while driving a fuel-efficient car that essentially looks like a firefly. And above all, this is a Honda, so you know it's going to run forever. You're going to wish this thing would die, and it will not die. This thing is the Grey's Anatomy of vehicles. You thought we're still doing that? Yeah, we're still doing that, bud. I've been so focused on relationships, I've forgotten how to practice medicine. So let's see if we can find one. semi-close to Middle Tennessee. Here we go. Bada-Bing, Bada-Bum.

Four results. Now, when you search for Honda is under $10,000, that really limits you because everyone wants a Honda under $10,000. But as you can see here, we've got some 120,000 miles.

Again, it's a Honda. It's going to run forever. Under $10,000 for a 2015 EX, which has some bonus features for you. A 2017 LX, 130,000 miles for $9900. And we just go down from there. Look at that.

Under $8,000. That's a great price. according to Auto Trader, 9,000, 9,999, another 9,500, 9900, and then even into the 6,000s. So there you go. And personally, this was, don't make fun of me, this was my dream car for a while, for probably too long. I was just like, man, if I could just get in a hunt of fit. If I could get in a fit, my life would be better. Women would want to date me, men would want to be me.

None of that happened. That's so sad, man. That is so sad. But to be also fair, I was driving a Chevrolet Colbolt, and so anything is an upgrade from that. That's even sadder. So there you have it. My top five used cars under $10,000. You really can't go wrong with any of these.

And if you're still not convinced that buying used is better than buying new, don't forget that new cars almost always come with higher insurance premiums, more expensive repairs, and depending on where you live, higher registration fees. For an even deeper dive on that front and everything else car-related, you've got to check out this free car guide. It's going to help you buy and sell with confidence. for the rest of your life. I'll leave link to the car guide in the description below. And if one of the cars on this list caught your eye,

let me give you some quick tips before you hand over a $10,000 check in the McDonald's parking lot to a guy from Craigslist. First up, you gotta ask to test drive the car. That's a no-brainer. Nobody wants to get duped and buy a lemon, and driving the car for yourself is an easy way to avoid that.

Second, have a mechanic you trust inspect the car no matter the condition. You can get a standard vehicle inspection for less than 200 bucks these days, and that is money well spent to know you're not gonna have $2,000 in repairs, three weeks from now. Next, do not be afraid to negotiate. The worst they can say is no, and you move on. Just don't act desperate. Don't feel pressured if they say the car has had a lot of interest and won't

last long. My mom told the girls at her church the same thing back in the day about me, and we all know that was a lie. Not a great selling point, mom. Also me crying in the corner, didn't help. He's a very nice boy, good boy, good Christian man. And finally, and most importantly, pay with cash. No, I don't mean you need to literally hand over a briefcase, which $10,000 in cash in it, a cashier's check and bank transfer are a okay. But don't take on a car note or a car payment to buy any car, ever. And this isn't just me being an anti-debt, fuddy-duddy. Virtually every legitimate financial expert agrees that taking on a car payment keeps you broke and puts a big time damper on your ability to build wealth. And to get the full

picture and why car payments are such a big trap that literally rob you of wealth, check out this video I made breaking it down. It's one of our top performing videos of all time and for good reason. I'll leave a link in the description if you want to go check it out. That's all for today. Thanks for watching and safe driving. We'll see you next time.