Used-car shopping often fixates on the sticker price, but a cheap car that dies young is a poor bargain. A 2026 iSeeCars study of 5- and 10-year-old vehicles divided average prices by projected remaining years to find where each dollar buys the most service. Here are eleven of the standouts, from small hatchbacks and an electric commuter to luxury sedans.
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1. Nissan Leaf: Cheapest Years Per Dollar
A 10-year-old Leaf averages just $5,675 with 5.1 years of remaining life, which works out to $1,108 per remaining year, the best figure among 10-year-old cars in the iSeeCars study.
The low price is the whole appeal, because the projected life is shorter than most rivals offer. Buyers should expect about five more years rather than a decade, and should check battery health before paying even this modest sum, since pack condition decides how much of the projection is realistic.
2. Honda Fit: Half The Average Cost
The Honda Fit tops the 5-year-old ranking at an average of $18,445, with 10.9 years of projected life left and $1,693 per remaining year, according to the republished iSeeCars table. That is about half the 5-year-old average of $3,310.
A small hatchback with that lifespan pairs a price well under the $24,377 average for five-year-old cars with a horizon of nearly eleven years. The tradeoff is that the Fit’s case rests on cost efficiency rather than power or luxury.
3. Kia Rio 5-Door: Lowest Sticker Of The Group
A 5-year-old Kia Rio 5-Door averages $12,977 and is projected to last another 6.6 years, or $1,979 per remaining year, as listed in the ABC27 report on the iSeeCars study. Its cost ratio is 0.60 times the average.
The Rio is the least expensive 5-year-old pick here, so the absolute outlay is small even though the projected lifespan trails the Fit’s 10.9 years. It suits buyers who put a low purchase price ahead of the longest possible service life.
4. Buick Encore: Small Crossover, Modest Price
An average 5-year-old Buick Encore costs $16,030 and carries 7.7 years of projected life, or $2,084 per remaining year, based on the ABC27 summary of the iSeeCars data. That equals 0.63 times the average cost per remaining year.
The Encore brings a small crossover body to a list dominated by hatchbacks and sedans, at a price far below the $24,377 five-year-old average. Its per-year cost is higher than the Fit’s or the Rio’s, so the premium buys body style rather than extra value.
5. Mazda3 Hatchback: Nine And A Half Years Left
Projected to last 9.6 more years at age five, the Mazda3 Hatchback costs 0.63 times the average used car’s cost per remaining year, according to Motor Illustrated rankings.
The iSeeCars table, as republished by ABC27, puts its average price at $20,042, or $2,091 per remaining year. Buyers pay more up front than for the Rio or Encore but gain about three extra years of projected life over the Rio’s 6.6.
6. Lexus IS 300: Thirteen Years Of Life
The longest-lived pick in the 5-year-old ranking is the Lexus IS 300, with 13.0 years of remaining life and a cost ratio of 0.66 times the average, per the Motor Illustrated table.
Few cars at any price are projected to run that long after the five-year mark, and the Fit’s 10.9 years looks short beside it. The related IS 350 also shows 13.0 years but at 0.75 times the average, so the IS 300 is the better value of the two.
7. Toyota Corolla: Mainstream Compact Staple
A 5-year-old Toyota Corolla is projected to last 7.7 more years at 0.67 times the average cost per remaining year, according to the Motor Illustrated ranking.
Its lifespan matches the Buick Encore’s 7.7 years, yet its ratio trails the Encore’s 0.63. The Corolla’s case rests less on topping the table than on being a familiar, widely sold compact that still beats the typical five-year-old car on cost per year. Against the 7.4-year average for five-year-old cars, its projection is a modest but real edge.
8. Toyota Camry Hybrid: Hybrid With Staying Power
A 5-year-old Toyota Camry Hybrid has 9.3 years of projected life left at 0.74 times the average cost per remaining year, as shown in Motor Illustrated data.
That 0.74 ratio is the highest among the 5-year-old picks here, meaning a little less value per year than the Fit or Corolla. Even so, 9.3 years is well above the 7.4-year average for five-year-old cars, which makes it a sound choice for buyers wanting a midsize sedan.
9. Hyundai Accent: Short Horizon, Low Price
A 10-year-old Hyundai Accent averages $7,661 with 4.7 years left, or $1,647 per remaining year, based on the iSeeCars study.
The 4.7-year outlook is brief, so the Accent works better as an inexpensive bridge car than as a long-term keeper. Compared with the Leaf, it carries a higher cost per remaining year than the Leaf’s $1,108, though it is a conventional gasoline sedan with no battery to worry about. Buyers who want a longer runway than 4.7 years would do better to look at pricier models elsewhere on this list.
10. Lincoln MKZ: Luxury Sedan Outlasts Rivals
A 10-year-old Lincoln MKZ averages $11,148 with 7.2 years of life remaining, according to the iSeeCars study.
That projection beats the Accent’s 4.7 years and the Leaf’s 5.1 years by a wide margin. The higher price reflects it, so the value case is the longevity of a midsize luxury sedan rather than the lowest possible outlay. The study ranks cars on price and projected years only, so condition and service history still matter when shopping a specific example.
11. Mercedes-Benz CLA: Premium Compact, Longer Life
A 10-year-old Mercedes-Benz CLA averages $13,541 with 7.9 years of life remaining, per the iSeeCars study.
The 7.9 years is the longest remaining life among the 10-year-old picks here, ahead of the MKZ’s 7.2, but it also carries the highest price of the group. The study measures price and lifespan, not repair costs, so buyers should weigh upkeep on a luxury badge separately. Against the Leaf’s 5.1 years at $5,675, the CLA offers nearly three more years of projected life for a much larger check.
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