Best used medium car 2018
carsales has announced its best used car awards for 2018; and the best medium car is...What's the right sort of used car for growing families on a budget?
Households that have outgrown the small car, but aren't yet ready for the step up to an SUV should look seriously at medium passenger cars. It won't convey any sort of recreational lifestyle savviness, but the traditional three-box sedan or wagon less than five metres in length is safe, comfortable, generally well equipped and acceptably affordable to run.
For our inaugural running of the carsales.com.au Best Used Car Awards we've combined the collective grey matter of our expert vehicle reviewers and concrete market intelligence from RedBook to announce the winner in each of 10 categories.
And in 2018, the carsales best used medium car is the...
Mazda6 Sport sedan from 2012
The Mazda accrued 42.3 points out of 50 from RedBook and 38.5 points from the five judges for a total of 80.8 points. According to RedBook, the 2012 Mazda6 Sport should sell privately for between $11,900 and $13,900. Used-car expert Cliff Chambers describes the Mazda6 as "Once was king and never far from stardom."
You can read more about the Mazda6 in our launch review. At the time, reviewer Ken Gratton wrote: "It's a car that is so far ahead of the previous generation 6 – still a decent car in its own right – that you will be amazed..."
Honourable mentions:
Mercedes-Benz C 250 BlueEfficiency Elegance sedan W204
Scored 37.8 points from RedBook and 36 points from the judges for a total of 73.7
Red Book value: $18,200 to $20,500
"Loaded with comfort and safety gear, seven-speed auto a winner" – Cliff Chambers
Lexus IS250 Prestige sedan GSE20R
Scored 37.5 points from RedBook and 34.5 points from the judges for a total of 72.0
Red Book value: $18,000 to $20,300
"The combination of precise steering, handy throttle response, well set-up suspension, intelligent gearing and decent brakes is hard to argue with" – Chris Gable, journalist
What makes a car eligible for carsales Best Used Cars Awards?
• Less than six years old,
• Standard side-curtain airbags,
• Standard Bluetooth,
• Standard reversing camera for SUVs,
How did RedBook weight the categories for scoring?
• 10 per cent for resale,
• 10 per cent for ANCAP rating,
• 20 per cent for cost of ownership,
• Five per cent for service intervals,
• Five per cent for number of days for vehicle to sell
Read all about carsales Best Used Cars for 2018 here.
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