Best used midsize cars, ranked by owner data
We ranked 11 used midsize cars sold in the US and Canada in the last five years against each other on three measured things: problems reported by owners, the used asking price, and EPA combined fuel economy.
Data from October 2026. Sources: owner reports, Auto.dev US listings, EPA ratings. How we rank · Best midsize cars
Photo: S5A-0043 / CC BY 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons
#1 of 11
Toyota Camry
Score 82 out of 100
- Owner reliability (45 of 45 points): 1 recurring problem in owner reports, none very frequent: the fewest on this list
- Price (12 of 30 points): median used asking price $19,978 (49 US listings, all model years, Auto.dev): lower than about 40% of the cars still sold new
- Fuel economy (25 of 25 points): 46 mpg combined (EPA): the best gas or hybrid on this list
- Used price
- $14k–$24k (median $19,978)
- Fuel economy
- 46 mpg
- Owner reports
- 1 recurring problem in owner reports, none very frequent
- Main owner complaint
- High-mileage wear items (e.g., EVAP system codes, ABS sensors, TPMS sensors)
- Best recent year
- 2022
Best for
Most reliable by owners
1 recurring problem in owner reports, none very frequent. Ranked #1.
Lowest used price, still sold new
Median used asking price $14,800. Ranked #5.
Best fuel economy
46 mpg combined (EPA). Ranked #1.
The full ranking
- #1
Toyota Camry
Score 82- Used price
- $14k–$24k (median $19,978)
- Fuel economy
- 46 mpg
- Owner reports
- 1 recurring problem in owner reports, none very frequent
- Main owner complaint
- High-mileage wear items (e.g., EVAP system codes, ABS sensors, TPMS sensors)
- Best recent year
- 2022
Why #1
- Owner reliability (45 of 45 points): 1 recurring problem in owner reports, none very frequent: the fewest on this list
- Price (12 of 30 points): median used asking price $19,978 (49 US listings, all model years, Auto.dev): lower than about 40% of the cars still sold new
- Fuel economy (25 of 25 points): 46 mpg combined (EPA): the best gas or hybrid on this list
- #2
Honda Accord
Score 71- Used price
- $14k–$24k (median $19,095)
- Fuel economy
- 32 mpg
- Owner reports
- 3 recurring problems in owner reports, none very frequent
- Main owner complaint
- 1.5L Turbocharged Engine Reliability
- Best recent year
- 2021
Why #2
- Owner reliability (31 of 45 points): 3 recurring problems in owner reports, none very frequent: fewer than about 70% of this list
- Price (18 of 30 points): median used asking price $19,095 (45 US listings, all model years, Auto.dev): lower than about 60% of the cars still sold new
- Fuel economy (22 of 25 points): 32 mpg combined (EPA): better than about 89% of the gas and hybrid cars on this list
- #3
Chevrolet Malibu
Score 70- Used price
- $11k–$17k (median $14,848)
- Fuel economy
- 31 mpg
- Owner reports
- 4 recurring problems in owner reports, none very frequent
- Main owner complaint
- Transmission failure or replacement needed
- Best recent year
- 2021
- Years to avoid
- 2016
Why #3
- Owner reliability (27 of 45 points): 4 recurring problems in owner reports, none very frequent: fewer than about 60% of this list
- Price (23 of 30 points): median used asking price $14,848 (42 US listings, all model years, Auto.dev): lower than about 75% of the cars no longer sold new (this one until 2025)
- Fuel economy (20 of 25 points): 31 mpg combined (EPA): better than about 78% of the gas and hybrid cars on this list
- #4
Mazda 6
Score 61- Used price
- $12k–$18k (median $14,990)
- Fuel economy
- 28 mpg
- Owner reports
- 2 recurring problems in owner reports, none very frequent
- Main owner complaint
- Thin paint / paint chipping and fading
- Best recent year
- 2020
Why #4
- Owner reliability (38 of 45 points): 2 recurring problems in owner reports, none very frequent: fewer than about 85% of this list
- Price (15 of 30 points): median used asking price $14,990 (48 US listings, all model years, Auto.dev): lower than about 50% of the cars no longer sold new (this one until 2021)
- Fuel economy (8 of 25 points): 28 mpg combined (EPA): better than about 33% of the gas and hybrid cars on this list
- #5
Hyundai Sonata
Score 61- Used price
- $11k–$20k (median $14,800)
- Fuel economy
- 28 mpg
- Owner reports
- 1 very frequent problem and 3 recurring in owner reports
- Main owner complaint
- Catastrophic engine failure (Theta II engines, 2.0L, 2.4L)
- Best recent year
- 2019
Why #5
- Owner reliability (23 of 45 points): 1 very frequent problem and 3 recurring in owner reports: fewer than about 50% of this list
- Price (30 of 30 points): median used asking price $14,800 (45 US listings, all model years, Auto.dev): the lowest of the cars still sold new
- Fuel economy (8 of 25 points): 28 mpg combined (EPA): better than about 33% of the gas and hybrid cars on this list
- #6
Nissan Altima
Score 57- Used price
- $9k–$21k (median $15,793)
- Fuel economy
- 29 mpg
- Owner reports
- 2 very frequent problems and 2 recurring in owner reports
- Main owner complaint
- CVT transmission failure
- Best recent year
- 2023
Why #6
- Owner reliability (16 of 45 points): 2 very frequent problems and 2 recurring in owner reports: fewer than about 35% of this list
- Price (24 of 30 points): median used asking price $15,793 (42 US listings, all model years, Auto.dev): lower than about 80% of the cars still sold new
- Fuel economy (17 of 25 points): 29 mpg combined (EPA): better than about 67% of the gas and hybrid cars on this list
- #7
Volkswagen Passat
Score 43- Used price
- $9k–$17k (median $13,498)
- Fuel economy
- 28 mpg
- Owner reports
- 2 very frequent problems and 3 recurring in owner reports
- Main owner complaint
- Below-average long-term reliability and high repair costs
Why #7
- Owner reliability (5 of 45 points): 2 very frequent problems and 3 recurring in owner reports: fewer than about 10% of this list
- Price (30 of 30 points): median used asking price $13,498 (46 US listings, all model years, Auto.dev): the lowest of the cars no longer sold new (this one until 2022)
- Fuel economy (8 of 25 points): 28 mpg combined (EPA): better than about 33% of the gas and hybrid cars on this list
- #8
Hyundai IONIQ 6
Score 38- Used price
- $22k–$29k (median $25,667)
- Fuel economy
- 88 MPGe
- Owner reports
- 1 very frequent problem in owner reports
- Main owner complaint
- Integrated Charging Control Unit (ICCU) failure
Why #8
- Owner reliability (38 of 45 points): 1 very frequent problem in owner reports: fewer than about 85% of this list
- Price (0 of 30 points): median used asking price $25,667 (50 US listings, all model years, Auto.dev): lower than about 0% of the cars still sold new
- Fuel economy (0 of 25 points): No data yet (too few EVs to compare)
- #9
Kia K5
Score 30- Used price
- $19k–$25k (median $21,967)
- Fuel economy
- 28 mpg
- Owner reports
- 1 very frequent problem and 4 recurring in owner reports
- Main owner complaint
- Electrical/Infotainment glitches
Why #9
- Owner reliability (16 of 45 points): 1 very frequent problem and 4 recurring in owner reports: fewer than about 35% of this list
- Price (6 of 30 points): median used asking price $21,967 (48 US listings, all model years, Auto.dev): lower than about 20% of the cars still sold new
- Fuel economy (8 of 25 points): 28 mpg combined (EPA): better than about 33% of the gas and hybrid cars on this list
- #10
Subaru Legacy
Score 21- Used price
- $18k–$25k (median $21,710)
- Fuel economy
- 28 mpg
- Owner reports
- 2 very frequent problems and 3 recurring in owner reports
- Main owner complaint
- Poor fuel economy
- Best recent year
- 2023
Why #10
- Owner reliability (5 of 45 points): 2 very frequent problems and 3 recurring in owner reports: fewer than about 10% of this list
- Price (8 of 30 points): median used asking price $21,710 (47 US listings, all model years, Auto.dev): lower than about 25% of the cars no longer sold new (this one until 2025)
- Fuel economy (8 of 25 points): 28 mpg combined (EPA): better than about 33% of the gas and hybrid cars on this list
- #11
Kia Stinger
Score 5- Used price
- $25k–$32k (median $27,145)
- Fuel economy
- 22 mpg
- Owner reports
- 1 very frequent problem and 5 recurring in owner reports
- Main owner complaint
- Poor rear visibility
- Best recent year
- 2023
- Years to avoid
- 2018
Why #11
- Owner reliability (5 of 45 points): 1 very frequent problem and 5 recurring in owner reports: fewer than about 10% of this list
- Price (0 of 30 points): median used asking price $27,145 (48 US listings, all model years, Auto.dev): lower than about 0% of the cars no longer sold new (this one until 2023)
- Fuel economy (0 of 25 points): 22 mpg combined (EPA): better than about 0% of the gas and hybrid cars on this list
How we rank
- Owner reliability, 45 points. Problems that owners report again and again, from our owner reports. A very frequent problem counts twice. Fewer problems than the other cars on this page earns more points.
- Used price, 30 points. The median asking price in US listings (Auto.dev), all model years together. Cheaper than the others earns more.
- Fuel economy, 25 points. EPA combined rating. Electric cars are compared only with other electric cars, in MPGe.
- No guesses. A car needs enough owner reports and three years on sale to be ranked. A number we don't have earns 0 points and says "No data yet". We never compare NHTSA complaint counts between models, because they grow with the number of cars sold.
Questions
- What is the best used midsize car?
- The Toyota Camry ranks #1 of 11 with a score of 82 out of 100. 1 recurring problem in owner reports, none very frequent, and its used price is $19,978 at the median.
- Which midsize car has the fewest owner-reported problems?
- The Toyota Camry: 1 recurring problem in owner reports, none very frequent.
- Which midsize car still sold new is the cheapest to buy used?
- The Hyundai Sonata, with a median used asking price $14,800, based on US listings.
- How does CarWizz rank midsize cars?
- Each car is compared only with the other cars on this page. Owner reliability is worth 45 points, used price 30 points and EPA combined fuel economy 25 points. A car without enough owner reports is not ranked, and a missing number earns no points.
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