When you’re shopping for a used car, we advise doing so at a reputable dealership—usually one that also sells new cars. Look for a business with top reviews and ratings online from Google, the Better Business Bureau, and other user review sites. (If you buy from an individual, make sure they have vehicle maintenance records.)
Once you pick a dealership, we strongly recommend that you look for a used car with all four of the following systems. They’re standard on every trim level of the 10 safe used cars we highlight but may have been optional on older models or smaller cars, so you might have to buy a well-equipped model to get them.
Automatic Emergency Braking
This system senses when you’re about to hit the car in front of you. If AEB calculates that you won’t be able to hit the brake pedal in time, it will apply the brakes for you to prevent a collision—or at least lessen the severity of the impact. Multiple studies have shown that AEB can lower the incidence of rear-end collisions. City-speed AEB systems work only at lower speeds—usually below 55 mph—while highway-speed AEB systems also operate above 55 mph. (Our car model pages will tell you which kind of AEB is available on specific used vehicles.) Some versions of AEB also include pedestrian detection. All are effective, so buy a car with as many of the three AEB systems—city speed, highway speed, and pedestrian detection—as you can afford. (Learn more about automatic emergency braking.)
Blind Spot Warning
This uses radar or cameras to detect vehicles in adjacent lanes that may be in your blind spot. It then alerts you to their presence—usually with a light on or near the side mirror when you’re changing lanes or merging. Research from the IIHS and the Highway Loss Data Institute—both study automotive safety and are funded by the insurance industry—shows that BSW can reduce lane-change crashes with injuries by up to 23 percent. Up to two-thirds of CR survey respondents whose vehicles have BSW said that it helped prevent a crash and that they wouldn’t buy a car without it. (Learn more about blind spot warning.)
Backup Camera
Cars built on or after May 1, 2018, are required to have a camera that shows the area behind the vehicle when it’s in Reverse. Backup cameras offer a wide field of view for spotting obstacles and people, and make reversing easier for drivers who find it hard to turn and look over their shoulders. According to the IIHS, backup cameras reduced crashes that took place while reversing by 17 percent—and up to 36 percent when the driver was 70 or older.
Rear Cross Traffic Warning
This system, which activates when a car is in Reverse, is helpful for backing out of a parking spot. It uses cameras and/or sensors to detect—and alert you to—cars approaching from the side, even those that may be obscured by a vehicle you’re parked next to. Some systems also give warnings about pedestrians or objects in the way. Of all crash avoidance technologies, RCTW is the one that people are the most satisfied with, according to CR surveys. (Learn more about backup cameras and rear cross traffic warning.)
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