America; the land of the free and home to some great used cars. American cars come in all different shapes and sizes; from spacious family SUVs to expensive-looking sports cars, and saloons made for businessmen. With such a wide range of options, it's really important to find yourself the perfect car tailored to your needs.
To ensure you don't buy yourself a piece of junk or an actual ticking time bomb, we've made a list to help you with your purchase. Here are some American cars you never should buy used, and others which are absolute bargains.
10 Never Buy Used: 2011 Chrysler Town & Country
Upon initial inspection, the Chrysler Town & Country seems to be quite mediocre and maybe even a tad pleasant. A huge interior, with moderate technology and a rather comfortable ride. So what's the problem? The Totally Integrated Power Module, a.k.a. TIPM. The TIPM hindered the soccer mom van from starting, and sometimes the module even failed when driving.
And the list of inconveniences goes on with countless small errors like a few electrical issues and various engine complications. The average selling price for a 2011 model is about $8,000 and then it costs up to $3,000 further to fix any underlying issues.
9 Bargain: 2015 Ford Taurus SHO
The legendary Taurus SHO name dates back all the way back to 1989 and was initially a homologation special vehicle. Its sole purpose was to be the fastest saloon on the road while making all of its competition unaware of its power. The 2015 Ford Taurus SHO is a true bargain.
You're paying $15,000 for a 3.5-liter turbocharged EcoBoost V6 engine that's generating 365 hp, accompanied by an interior that is made with plush materials and surprisingly good technology like a lane-keeping system and blind-spot-monitoring. That means the 2-ton sleeper Ford can almost drive itself, and still do 0-60 in 5 seconds.
8 Never Buy Used: Pontiac Aztek
Some might say the Pontiac Aztek was ahead of its time with the plastic bumper covers and sloping roofline on the SUV. Wobbling like a rocking chair around the corners, weighing the same as an iceberg, and having numerous factory recalls, this just is not a good car in any way, shape, or form.
Revolting, grotesque, and just simply nausea-inducing—these are just some words to describe the appearance of the Aztek. The only reason we can see why someone would like to own an Aztek apart from burning it alive is to go camping. Some came from the factory with a tent and blow-up mattress. You could then go into the woods to shield others' eyes from your hideous Pontiac.
7 Bargain: 2004 Cadillac CTS-V
The CTS-V looks like what Darth Vader would drive if he ever came to America and had the need to shred some tires. He'd be able to do so in the Cadillac CTS-V while bombing down a straight and deafening onlookers with its throaty 4.6-liter V8.
This 400-hp American M5-rival piloted via a six-speed manual gearbox can be all yours for just over $22,000. Older Caddies like the CTS have very daring looks, but no one would ever suspect the V to be packing such a powerful punch, making it a perfect sleeper.
6 Never Buy Used: Ford Pinto
The Ford Pinto is the perfect car for someone with a death wish. The Ford design team placed the fuel tank horribly close to the rear bumper, meaning that in the event of a crash—even at slow speeds—the Pinto's fuel tank would alight and burn non-stop.
Sure, $10,000 might be cheap for a Molotov on wheels, but that was never the Pinto's intended purpose. It will be best to keep your distance from the Pinto when shopping and in the midst of traffic.
5 Bargain: Pontiac Solstice GXP
The Solstice has been dubbed the American Miata by the car community. Inside the base model's teeny body is a 2.4-liter 4-banger producing 177 hp, and in the more mature 2.0-liter turbocharged GXP version, 260 hp.
The Solstice sports extremely good looks, superb handling qualities, a powerful rev-happy engine, a 0-60 time of 5.6 seconds, and all that at an affordable price. The Solstice GXP is an absolute bargain sports roadster available for under $10,000.
4 Never Buy Used: Jeep Wrangler
The Jeep Wrangler has been popular amongst the off-road community because it can conquer basically anything it comes across. So that's a good thing right? Yes, but nobody's perfect. As soon as your Wrangler drives on the tarmac it loses all of its advantages.
The 2018 Wrangler has a Euro NCAP safety rating of just one star. The 2021 models cost anything from $30,000 upwards, and despite the hefty price tag, the Wrangler is nowhere near indestructible. Consumer Reports gave the 2019 Wrangler a 12/100 reliability rating.
3 Bargain: Ford Focus RS
The ultimate fun hot hatch. The Focus RS came equipped with a turbocharged 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder that wrung out 350 hp. The AWD drivetrain of the Focus has something special up its sleeve called drift mode.
This morphed your hatchback into a sideways swinging machine being controlled with your mandatory stick shift gearbox. The only drawback the loud popping hatch has is that it was discontinued back in 2018, and is unlikely to make a return.
2 Never Buy Used: 2007 Chevrolet Aveo
The Chevrolet Aveo is a rebadged Daewoo Kalos and is a car that just covers the basics—or maybe a little less than that. Driving examples are available for about $3,000 and you'd be better off keeping your money.
ABS brakes are optional, 2 airbags for the front and a body that wants to roll over around almost every turn make the Aveo a dread to drive. Some of the engine components are made from plastic and crack, tear or break stupendously easily. Overall, the Aveo is a spiritless deathtrap.
1 Bargain: Chevrolet Corvette C8
Whether you buy it brand-new or manage to snatch a lightly-used one, the Corvette C8 is the best bang-for-your-buck sports car on the market right now. It costs just above $60,000 and knocks rivals right off their pedestals costing more than twice its price tag. Usually, Corvettes made use of a front-engined RWD setup, but the C8 shook things up a bit.
The 490 hp 6.2-liter V8 is mounted just behind the driver's head and sends the 3600-lb underdog to 60 mph in a mere 2.8 seconds. Chevy did not cut any costs when it came to the interior either. It looks like a cow exploded in the tech-obsessed interior and covered every single part in leather. And on a side note, you can go topless at any time because the removable roof fits in the trunk.