BEST USED CARS FOR BAD CREDIT

Platform Cars Explained

Car companies often produce different models from the same engine, chassis, frame, etc. If the only differences are in sheet metal and styling, you can compare models and save money.

Take, for instance, the Saturn Aura. It's essentially the same car as the highly rated Chevrolet Malibu, but since Saturn is going out of business, prices are way down. The Pontiac Vibe, another top-rated car from a discontinued brand, is the same as a Toyota Matrix -- but a lot, lot less. An 08 Mazda Tribute can be found for $15,600 -- the nearly identical Ford Escape is $17,100.

The mother of all platform bargains? Find a Chrysler Crossfire. It's essentially the discontinued Mercedes SLK -- for $15,000 or so less.

Best-Rated Used Cars Around $10,000 to $15,000

Any list of best used cars, has to start with the Honda Accord (especially after the 2003 redesign), the Honda Civic (especially after the 2006 redesign) and the Toyota Camry, which most every year is the top-selling car in America.

Because these cars are so highly rated, and so popular, you have to go back five or six years or more to find them in the $10,000 range. But if you look for a similar vehicle, you can get a newer model, with fewer miles at the same price.

• For the price of an 04 Accord you can get an 06 Ford Fusion or an 07 Kia Optima.
• For the price of an 04 Camry you could get an 06 Mercury Milan or 06 Mitsubishi Galant.
• For the price of an 05 Civic you could get an 07 Chevy Cobalt (that gets 37 mpg) or an 07 Ford Focus. The Focus, by the way, was the top-selling car during Cash For Clunkers.

Every alternative listed here gets high reliability marks from places such as MSN Autos or Consumer Reports.

Final note: Pay close attention to Pontiacs and Saturns. Discontinued brands lose resale value, so their prices are dropping. If you're one of those drive 'em until they fall apart types, resale value doesn't matter -- so grab the savings while you can.

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