Best used subcompact cars, ranked by owner data
We ranked 7 used subcompact 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
Photo: Bull-Doser / Public domain / Wikimedia Commons
#1 of 7
Chevrolet Spark
Score 73 out of 100
- Owner reliability (45 of 45 points): 2 recurring problems in owner reports, none very frequent: the fewest on this list
- Price (25 of 30 points): median used asking price $10,480 (49 US listings, all model years, Auto.dev): lower than about 83% of the cars no longer sold new (this one until 2022)
- Fuel economy (3 of 25 points): 33 mpg combined (EPA): better than about 13% of the gas and hybrid cars on this list
Best for
Most reliable by owners
2 recurring problems in owner reports, none very frequent. Ranked #1.
Lowest used price
Median used asking price $8,698. Ranked #2.
Best fuel economy
38 mpg combined (EPA). Ranked #4.
The full ranking
- #1
Chevrolet Spark
Score 73- Used price
- $8k–$12k (median $10,480)
- Fuel economy
- 33 mpg
- Owner reports
- 2 recurring problems in owner reports, none very frequent
- Main owner complaint
- CVT transmission failure
- Best recent year
- 2018
- Years to avoid
- 2016
Why #1
- Owner reliability (45 of 45 points): 2 recurring problems in owner reports, none very frequent: the fewest on this list
- Price (25 of 30 points): median used asking price $10,480 (49 US listings, all model years, Auto.dev): lower than about 83% of the cars no longer sold new (this one until 2022)
- Fuel economy (3 of 25 points): 33 mpg combined (EPA): better than about 13% of the gas and hybrid cars on this list
- #2
Hyundai Accent
Score 69- Used price
- $7k–$11k (median $8,698)
- Fuel economy
- 36 mpg
- Owner reports
- 1 very frequent problem and 3 recurring in owner reports
- Main owner complaint
- High susceptibility to theft/vandalism
- Best recent year
- 2018
Why #2
- 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 $8,698 (49 US listings, all model years, Auto.dev): the lowest of the cars no longer sold new (this one until 2022)
- Fuel economy (16 of 25 points): 36 mpg combined (EPA): better than about 63% of the gas and hybrid cars on this list
- #3
Kia Rio
Score 66- Used price
- $10k–$13k (median $11,000)
- Fuel economy
- 36 mpg
- Owner reports
- 4 recurring problems in owner reports, none very frequent
- Main owner complaint
- Lack of power and highway instability
Why #3
- Owner reliability (30 of 45 points): 4 recurring problems in owner reports, none very frequent: fewer than about 67% of this list
- Price (20 of 30 points): median used asking price $11,000 (46 US listings, all model years, Auto.dev): lower than about 67% of the cars no longer sold new (this one until 2023)
- Fuel economy (16 of 25 points): 36 mpg combined (EPA): better than about 63% of the gas and hybrid cars on this list
- #4
Mitsubishi Mirage
Score 48- Used price
- $11k–$13k (median $12,290)
- Fuel economy
- 38 mpg
- Owner reports
- 2 very frequent problems and 2 recurring in owner reports
- Main owner complaint
- Very slow acceleration
- Best recent year
- 2022
- Years to avoid
- 2017
Why #4
- Owner reliability (8 of 45 points): 2 very frequent problems and 2 recurring in owner reports: fewer than about 17% of this list
- Price (15 of 30 points): median used asking price $12,290 (49 US listings, all model years, Auto.dev): lower than about 50% of the cars no longer sold new (this one until 2024)
- Fuel economy (25 of 25 points): 38 mpg combined (EPA): the best gas or hybrid on this list
- #5
Mini Convertible
Score 37- Used price
- $15k–$30k (median $22,438)
- Fuel economy
- No data yet
- Owner reports
- 1 very frequent problem and 1 recurring in owner reports
- Main owner complaint
- First & Second Generation (Pre-2016) Reliability Problems
- Best recent year
- 2022
Why #5
- Owner reliability (37 of 45 points): 1 very frequent problem and 1 recurring in owner reports: fewer than about 83% of this list
- Price (0 of 30 points): median used asking price $22,438 (49 US listings, all model years, Auto.dev): lower than about 0% of the cars no longer sold new (this one until 2026)
- Fuel economy (0 of 25 points): No data yet (no EPA rating)
- #6
Nissan Versa
Score 21- Used price
- $12k–$17k (median $15,273)
- Fuel economy
- 33 mpg
- Owner reports
- 2 very frequent problems and 2 recurring in owner reports
- Main owner complaint
- CVT Transmission Reliability
- Best recent year
- 2022
Why #6
- Owner reliability (8 of 45 points): 2 very frequent problems and 2 recurring in owner reports: fewer than about 17% of this list
- Price (10 of 30 points): median used asking price $15,273 (47 US listings, all model years, Auto.dev): lower than about 33% of the cars no longer sold new (this one until 2025)
- Fuel economy (3 of 25 points): 33 mpg combined (EPA): better than about 13% of the gas and hybrid cars on this list
- #7
Chevrolet Bolt EV
Score 13- Used price
- $14k–$18k (median $16,152)
- Fuel economy
- 120 MPGe
- Owner reports
- 2 very frequent problems and 2 recurring in owner reports
- Main owner complaint
- Slow DC Fast Charging (DCFC) Speed
Why #7
- Owner reliability (8 of 45 points): 2 very frequent problems and 2 recurring in owner reports: fewer than about 17% of this list
- Price (5 of 30 points): median used asking price $16,152 (49 US listings, all model years, Auto.dev): lower than about 17% of the cars no longer sold new (this one until 2023)
- Fuel economy (0 of 25 points): No data yet (too few EVs to compare)
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 subcompact car?
- The Chevrolet Spark ranks #1 of 7 with a score of 73 out of 100. 2 recurring problems in owner reports, none very frequent, and its used price is $10,480 at the median.
- Which subcompact car has the fewest owner-reported problems?
- The Chevrolet Spark: 2 recurring problems in owner reports, none very frequent.
- Which subcompact car still sold new is the cheapest to buy used?
- The Hyundai Accent, with a median used asking price $8,698, based on US listings.
- How does CarWizz rank subcompact 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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