Consumer Reports' Most Popular Used Cars, SUVs, and Trucks

Most Popular Used Vehicles Release

In a recent article about another Consumer Reports “Most Popular…” style ratings report, today, CR analysts provided their latest used vehicle list analysis ranked in popularity starting with their top 10 most researched vehicles, working their way down followed by name-dropping those models that ranked 11-20 on the popularity scale.

Related article: Consumer Reports Best Used SUVs, Sedans, Small Cars, and Trucks Guide for Shoppers

The value of this recent list is that CR analysts state that there are more than 36 million used cars estimated to be sold in 2024, giving used vehicle shoppers plenty of choices for their next used car, SUV, or truck.

Related article: The Brand-New Vehicle Many Shoppers Don’t Realize They Are Buying As-Is

And so that consumers do not have to spend hours or even days combing through the choices, the good folks at Consumer Reports did the work for them by releasing those models’ shoppers are looking at based on their website traffic data base of search results.

“Below you’ll find our list of the 10 most popular used cars, SUVs, and trucks on CR.org, based on visits from shoppers researching used vehicles. While our used-car data covers vehicles up to 20 years old, we’ve focused our write-ups on 3-year-old models. Three-year-old models are attractive because most leases end after three years. That means many of these cars have low miles and, because the lessor had to keep the car in good condition, the vehicles are likely to have been maintained properly and have interiors that were treated well.”
Related article: Consumer Reports Best American Cars, SUVs, and Trucks

Additional Value of the Release

Although the models selected are listed in order of popularity, with the most researched model at the top, CR analysts also identified which came standard or are optional with popular active safety systems such as:

1. Automatic emergency braking (AEB)
2. AEB that works at highway speeds
3. Blind spot warning (BSW)
4. Rear cross traffic warning (RCTW)

Related article: Most Unsafe Cars, SUVs, and Trucks with The Worst Crash Test Scores

That said, here is a summary of their findings for your perusal.

Top 10 Most Popular Used Cars, SUVs, and Trucks

1. Honda CR-V 2021

Price Range:  $21,275 - $28,000

Owner Reported MPG:  29 mpg

Safety Features: FCW, AEB, and BSW are standard on all but the base LX model.

2. Toyota RAV4 2021

Price Range:  $22,000 - $31,250

Owner Reported MPG:  28 mpg

Safety Features: FCW and AEB with pedestrian detection were standard, and BSW was standard on all trims except on the base LE trim.

3. Subaru Forester 2021

Price Range:  $21,000 - $25,725

Owner Reported MPG:  28 mpg

Safety Features: The EyeSight suite of FCW and AEB was standard, but it didn’t include BSW or RCTW

4. Ford F-150 2021

Price Range:  $23,125 - $66,200

Owner Reported MPG:  19 mpg

Safety Features: FCW and AEB with pedestrian detection were standard.

5. Ford Escape 2021

Price Range:  $16,425 - $23,600

Owner Reported MPG:  28 mpg

Safety Features: All Escapes come standard with FCW, AEB, and BSW.

6. Ford Explorer 2021

Price Range:  $20,350 - $35,350

Owner Reported MPG:  22 mpg

Safety Features: FCW, AEB, and BSW were standard.

7. Toyota Highlander 2021

Price Range:  $26,150 - $41,325

Owner Reported MPG:  23 mpg

Safety Features: FCW and AEB with pedestrian detection were standard, but BSW and RCTW were optional.

8. Subaru Outback 2021

Price Range:  $21,950 - $28,025

Owner Reported MPG:  26 mpg

Safety Features: The standard EyeSight system included FCW and AEB, both BSW and RCTW were optional.

9. Jeep Grand Cherokee 2021

Price Range:  $24,075 - $75,050

Owner Reported MPG:  20 mpg

Safety Features: FCW and AEB were optional, but BSW became standard in 2020.

10. Chevrolet Equinox 2021

Price Range:  $16,675 - $23,100

Owner Reported MPG:  28 mpg

Safety Features: FCW and low-speed AEB with pedestrian detection were standard.

11th Through 20th Most Popular

11. Chevrolet Silverado 1500

12. Toyota Camry

13. Nissan Rogue

14. Mazda CX-5

15. Honda Pilot

16. Ram 1500

17. Hyundai Tucson

18. GMC Terrain

19. Honda Accord

20. Toyota Corolla

For a more detailed breakdown of the data, please visit the CR website. Note that while access to some information requires a CR membership, the potential savings make it negligible in comparison when looking for the latest information to aid your car buying research.

For additional articles about recent Consumer Reports recommended vehicles, here are some recent used models for your consideration:

• Most Reliable Used Pickup Trucks Consumer Reports Recommends
• Consumer Reports Most Reliable 3-Year-Old Trucks
• Most Reliable 5-Year-Old Midsized Toyota SUVs

Timothy Boyer is an automotive reporter based in Cincinnati. Experienced with early car restorations, he regularly restores older vehicles with engine modifications for improved performance. Follow Tim on  “Zen and the Art of DIY Car Repair” website, the Zen Mechanic blog and on Twitter at @TimBoyerWrites  and Facebook for daily news and topics related to new and used cars and trucks.

Image source: Deposit Photos