Best Bets: The Safest And Most Reliable Off-Lease Used Cars

New cars, trucks, and SUVs are approaching the breaking point in terms of affordability. According to Kelley Blue Book, the average new-vehicle now costs nearly $41,000. That’s one reason why six, seven, and even eight-year loans are becoming more popular among cash-strapped car buyers.

It’s also why leasing, with less cash due at signing and lower monthly payments than buying and financing, has become more prevalent with the rise in new-car prices. That’s resulting in a flood of three-year-old vehicles being turned back to dealers in mainly pristine conditions, which can prove to be the best transportation bargains of all.

Nearly 30 percent of all vehicles sold back in 2018 were leased according to Cox Automotive. With just over 17 million new vehicles delivered to customers in 2018, that means there are roughly 5.1 million cars, trucks, and SUVs coming off lease this year. Edmunds.com says the average vehicle loses 58 percent of its original value over the first three years. That means a model that originally cost $40,000 in 2018 would be going for, on average, around $16,800 today.

Unfortunately, however, picking a pre-owned ride almost always involves an element of risk. Certain models inherently do a better job of protecting their occupants in a collision, or helping drivers avoid getting into a crash in the first place. And some have proven to be more mechanically and functionally reliable over their initial years on the road than others. Though some used vehicles may be covered under a warranty, nobody want to own a car that needs frequent repairs or is finicky to operate.

To that end, we’ve put together a short list of what should be the safest and most reliable three-year-old off-lease cars. We came up with 19 vehicles from the 2018 model year that both received the highest safety ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), and were cited as being among the most dependable thus far, based on owner surveys conducted by JD Power (JDP).

Each year the IIHS puts a large proportion of new vehicles through rigorous tests to determine is annual Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+ awards. To qualify for the former designation in 2018, a model needed to earn good ratings in the Institute’s driver-side small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraint tests. In addition, it must receive an advanced or superior rating for front crash prevention and an acceptable or good headlight rating. To earn Top Safety Pick+ status, a given model must also earn an acceptable or good rating in the passenger-side small overlap front test and a good headlight rating.

JDP’s current U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study is based on responses from 33,251 original owners of 2018 model-year vehicles. The study looks at 177 specific potential problems grouped into eight major categories that include the engine and transmission, exterior and interior quality, climate control system, and seats. Also considered are a vehicle’s audio and infotainment system, and its features, controls, and displays, which continue to be confounding among many owners. 

Here’s our list of the cars, trucks, and SUVs from 2018 that received Top Safety Pick (TSP) or Top Safety Pick+ (TSP+) status from the IIHS, and also placed among the top three vehicles per category in JDP’s dependability study:

The 19 Safest And Most Reliable Off-Lease Used Vehicles

Small/Compact Cars

• Audi A3 (TSP, with specific headlights)
• BMW 2 Series Coupe (TSP, with optional crash protection and specific headlights)
• Toyota Corolla (TSP)
• Toyota Prius (TSP)

Midsize/Large Cars

• BMW 5 Series (TSP+, with optional crash protection and specific headlights)
• Genesis G80 (TSP+, with specific headlights)
• Hyundai Sonata (TSP+, with optional crash protection and specific headlights)
• Kia Optima (TSP+, with optional crash protection and specific headlights)
• Toyota Avalon (TSP, with specific headlights)

Small/CompactSUVs

• Hyundai Tucson (TSP, with optional crash protection and specific headlights)
• Kia Sportage (TSP, with optional crash protection and specific headlights)
• Lexus NX (TSP)
• Subaru Forester (TSP, with optional crash protection and specific headlights)
• Toyota RAV4 (TSP, with specific headlights)

Midsize SUVs

• Kia Sorento (TSP+, with optional crash protection and specific headlights)
• Lexus RX (TSP, with specific headlights)
• Toyota Highlander (TSP)

Minivans

• Chrysler Pacifica (TSP, with optional crash protection and specific headlights)

Pickup Trucks

• Honda Ridgeline (TSP, with optional crash protection and specific headlights)

All of the IIHS’ Top Safety Picks for 2018 with links to detailed selection criteria noted are presented here. You can read the full results of the JDP 2021 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study here.