Used suv for sale under 15000 near me

Not surprisingly, used cars have gotten more expensive as the average price of new cars has increased, somewhat complicating the pre-owned car buying experience. But that doesn't necessarily mean you'll be priced out of the market if you're looking for a good used vehicle with modern safety features and an infotainment system. The $15,000 price range offers a wide array of the best used cars, including a ton of reliable used SUVs—often with well under 100,000 miles on the odometer.

In compiling this list of the best used SUVs under $15,000, we picked vehicles from every utility vehicle category including hybrids; compact, midsize and full-size crossovers; compact, midsize and full-size SUVs; fun SUVs; and luxury SUVs so that you can find one that meets your needs.

Nearly all of the vehicles on this list have an automatic transmission, air conditioning, Bluetooth, and even some newer features like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Kia Niro

Best Used Hybrid SUV Under $15,000: Kia Niro
Priced from: $14,280

This is right at the ragged edge of our price cap, but it’s also essentially a new car. The Kia Niro has only been around since 2017, so you may even be able to find something that’s still covered under the original factory warranty—or, if you drive a hard bargain, protected under a certified pre-owned program.

The Niro isn’t something that you’re going to lull yourself to sleep fantasizing about. It’s an inexpensive, fuel-efficient hybrid vehicle capable of hauling four, or perhaps five people and a bit of luggage. That’s it. There’s nothing all that remarkable about it except for the pricing and the fuel economy. With a Niro, you should easily see combined fuel economy of about 50 mpg—unlike anything you’re going to see anywhere else in this segment.

If you’ve got a tough commute into the city every day, but still have to think about dropping kids off at school, the Niro is a pretty outstanding choice.

Read our Overview of the Kia Niro
Search for a Kia Niro on CarGurus

Nissan Juke

Best Used Compact Crossover Under $15,000: Nissan Juke
Priced from: $12,000

From a stylistic standpoint, it gives us great pain to recommend the Juke. It’s hideous. One might even think it's merely a tall-ish hatchback. Nevertheless, the people who buy them and own them seem to love them for a number of different reasons.

First off, they’re cheap, which makes them perfect for our $15,000 challenge. For that kind of money, you’re looking at a 2015-or-so Juke with around 50,000 miles on the clock. With diligent maintenance, that should easily take you to 200,000 miles, with one important caveat: If you’re looking at the Juke for the long haul, find one that’s got a six-speed manual transmission rather than the Xtronic continuously variable transmission (CVT). It’s the difference between having it perform reliably for the next ten years, or having to pay for a transmission replacement. To be sure, the CVT in the Juke is no worse than in any other car, but that’s damning it with faint praise. These transmissions just aren’t built for longevity.

Read our Overview of the Nissan Juke
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Subaru Forester

Best Used Midsize Crossover Under $15,000: Subaru Forester
Priced from: $12,600

The third-generation Subaru Forester (2009 to 2013 model years) is deceptively massive inside. From the outside, it would appear that this is your average crossover-type vehicle, competitive with cars like the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V, but when you open the liftgate, the Forester offers a roomy, apartment-sized cargo area, with tons of headroom inside for even the tallest passengers.

Also, unlike most of its competitors, you’re not going to have to weed out the bottom-feeder front-wheel-drive (FWD) examples, many of which are built to service rental fleets and allow auto manufacturers to advertise artificially low entry-level prices. Alas, all Subaru Forester SUVs are all-wheel drive (AWD), and all of them from this generation have essentially the same engine, at least in the United States, where we only got the gas-powered 2.5-liter, either in normally aspirated or turbocharged form on the XT trim levels.

The other thing the Forester has going for it is an aftermarket of enthusiasts. You can build a pretty mean overlanding buggy with a third-generation Forester for not a lot of dough.

Read our Test Drive Review of the Subaru Forester
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Buick Enclave

Best Used Large Crossover Under $15,000: Buick Enclave
Priced from: $7,800

Fifteen grand will get you a LOT of Buick Enclave. You’re not looking at the entry level here—you’re in league with the Premium trim level, which would’ve cost well over $50,000 when new. For less than $15,000, you can get all-wheel drive, leather seating for up to eight, a usable rear seat, navigation, Bluetooth connectivity, and a rearview camera—all with well under 100,000 miles on the odometer. Not to mention, the Enclave is known for delivering a smooth ride and one of the quietest cabins in the business.

Like the Forester, the Enclave is another cargo space winner, offering minivan-like accommodations. With the third row of seats folded, the Enclave has more interior cargo volume than a GMC Yukon. The Enclave you’ll be looking at for $15K is the first generation, which debuted in 2008 and carried the brand through 2017. It’s based on the Lambda platform, which is what’s under the Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia, and the Saturn Outlook (remember that?).

The Buick version is a surprisingly luxurious vehicle, quiet and comfortable on the road. There’s a lot of competition in the category, but if you’re looking at the entries from Lexus, Ford, Hyundai, and other competitive brands, you’re going to spend a lot more and not get a whole lot more than this rig offers.

Read our Test Drive Review of the Buick Enclave
Search for a Buick Enclave on CarGurus

Jeep Cherokee

Best Used Compact SUV Under $15,000: Jeep Cherokee
Priced from: $8,900

Fifteen large will definitely get you an XJ Cherokee, but it will also buy you the Trailhawk version of the current Cherokee, which has proven to be shockingly competent both on- and off-road. The Cherokee's exterior design was universally loathed when it first arrived, but we’re surprised to find it grew on us, especially in the more expensive trims.

The Cherokee is technically a “crossover” because it has a unibody chassis rather than a body-on-frame, ladder-type structure like most Jeeps, but we’re putting it in the SUV class because of its abilities off the highway. Remember, the larger Grand Cherokee is technically a crossover, too, since it doesn’t have a ladder frame under it, either, and a lot of learning from that platform went into the Cherokee when it launched.

The Trailhawk offers the most off-road-ready attributes of any Cherokee trim, but this kind of money will also get you into a Latitude, which provides a lot of creature comforts inside.

Read our Test Drive Review of the Jeep Cherokee
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Toyota 4Runner

Best Used Midsize SUV Under $15,000: Toyota 4Runner
Priced from: $6,600

It’s surprising that $15,000 will actually buy a decent used Toyota 4Runner. These things are wildly popular with people who still enjoy using their SUVs to get them deep into the woods, but they’re also popular in the suburbs, too, allowing you to find one that hasn’t been completely trashed.

At our $15K price point, you’re looking at either a fourth- or fifth-generation 4Runner, with fewer than 100,000 miles. Within 25 miles of our location, there are at least two decent examples of the SR5 trim, with cloth interior, moonroof, cruise control and a handful of other pleasant options—both with fewer than 95,000 miles.

The key thing to look for on these vehicles is the presence of rust underneath. They were just as susceptible to it as their Tacoma pickup truck counterparts, but managed to miss the recall. If you can find one from the Southwest region of the U.S., it’s probably worth shipping it home.

Read our Test Drive Review of the Toyota 4Runner
Search for a Toyota 4Runner on CarGurus

Chevrolet Tahoe

Best Used Full-Size SUV Under $15,000: Chevrolet Tahoe
Priced from: $12,000

Considering how well full-size SUVs hold their value, it’s pretty surprising how cheap a used Chevy Tahoe from the GMT900 generation (2007 to 2014 model years) can be. These were big, luxurious, well-equipped and capable SUVs that could tow a house, and will easily squeeze out 200,000 miles with careful maintenance.

At our $15K price point, we’re looking at the LTZ trim level, with fewer than 100,000 miles, a comprehensive list of standard features, and in nice overall condition. If you’re willing to veer off the beaten path a bit, you can find a fleet-spec (lowest trim level) Tahoe with cloth front seats and a vinyl bench in the rear for less than $10,000. Chevrolet built hundreds of thousands of these things over the years, and while they’re prized on the used market, there’s still plenty of room to find one that meets your needs for not a lot of money.

Read our Test Drive Review of the Chevrolet Tahoe
Search for a Chevrolet Tahoe on CarGurus

Jeep Wrangler

Best Used Fun SUV Under $15,000: Jeep Wrangler
Priced from: $8,500

We’ve always argued that there’s little sense in buying a used Wrangler because they sell for so much on the pre-owned vehicle market. You’re almost better off buying new, because if you keep it clean, there isn’t a vehicle built that depreciates less.

Then we went out and bought exactly what we’d argued against—a 2003 Jeep Wrangler with 180,000 miles. It’s been in the garage about a year, and it turns out that it’s one of the most entertaining vehicles we’ve ever owned. The budget for our purchase was less than half of what we’re using for this exercise, though. With $15,000, we’d be looking at something a lot newer. That kind of money would get you a 2013 Wrangler Sport with 165,000 miles, or a 2011 Wrangler Sport with 116,000 miles. The year almost doesn’t matter, although anything after 2012 had the newer Pentastar V6 powertrain with 285 horsepower. The older 3.8-liter only offered 202 horsepower, so you’d probably be better off looking at the 2013, even with the additional miles.

We’re two-door Wrangler fans, and the soft tops on these Jeeps are so good now that it makes the hardtop almost irrelevant. If you find a soft top with low miles, the Pentastar and a good history of maintenance, buy it.

Read our Overview of the Jeep Wrangler
Search for a Jeep Wrangler on CarGurus

Mercedes-Benz GLK

Best Used Luxury SUV Under $15,000: Mercedes-Benz GLK
Priced from: $13,000

A quick search on CarGurus shows that fifteen thousand dollars will buy a really nice Mercedes-Benz GLK with well under 100,000 miles. Within 25 miles of our location, there are two, with 77,705 and 89,706 miles, priced at $13,980 and $14,975, respectively.

The GLK is a flat-out beautiful vehicle inside and out. It’s got chiseled features on the exterior, making it look like a baby G-Wagen. Inside, it’s Mercedes-Benz luxurious with thick-pile carpet, leather upholstery, and real wood on the dash, console and door panels, upholding the standards set by the brand's own luxury cars.

The turbo V6 puts out 221 horsepower and a well-appreciated 398 lb.-ft. of torque, and the seven-speed transmission makes the most of it. For this kind of money, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more luxurious SUV.

Read our Overview of the Mercedes-Benz GLK
Search for a Mercedes-Benz GLK on CarGurus

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