Average used car prices have increased recently, from a record high of $28,000 in early 2022 to a more reasonable $25,393 in August 2025. While that marks a slight decrease from a month prior, the cost of buying a used car has seen quite a few ups and downs in 2025. Industry experts initially predicted some much-hoped-for stability this year, but the market has been roiled by chaos since President Donald Trump took office. Amid steep tariffs on car parts and auto imports, consumers scrambled to buy used vehicles in the spring of 2025. However, sales cooled again by the summer, which could mean less competition if you want to purchase a new-to-you car.
Although there's no telling what could happen to used car prices in the coming months, a look at the Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index provides some valuable insights. The index held steady between August and the first half of September 2025, growing by 2.2% year over year from September 2024. That's below the overall U.S. inflation rate of 2.9%, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics—still, there's too much market volatility these days to hope for an actual return to stability.
With rising costs and many unknowns, you'll want to ensure your car will see you through at least a few years on the road. To help start your search, Stacker used data from iSeeCars.com to identify the 20 most popular used cars sold nationwide in 2024. Cars are ranked by market share, rounded to the nearest tenth of a percent; though some appear the same, the more precise percentages are not equal. The iSeeCars.com analysis included more than 7.7 million used car sales from the most recent five model years, 2020 to 2024.
It's important to note that no matter how used car prices may change, customers must still pay close attention to interest rates. As of September 2025, interest on a loan for a used car could rack up an additional 21.6% depending on the buyer's credit score, according to Nerdwallet. Naturally, this can add up significantly over time.
Before shopping for a used car, you may also want to see if any brands or models have been recalled due to a failure of safety protocols. For instance, Tesla recalled more than 700,000 vehicles in 2024, citing a tire pressure warning light defect that could increase accident risk. Check out the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's website to see if there's a recall on a used car you may want to buy.
