Best used cars for sale under $7000

01. Best Light/Small Cars

People on a limited budget often buy them, and they sometimes find they can't afford to maintain them over the ownership journey. Worse, some often don't bother to take good care of them. Check for a record of regular service.

02. Hyundai Getz – 2002-2011

Once derided as a brand building to a price and little else, Hyundai made great strides in quality, reliability and refinement in the early part of this century, while still maintaining its value-for-money proposition. The Getz is fuel efficient, practical, it's cheap to service, and gives little trouble if properly maintained.

03. Mitsubishi Colt – 2007-2010

Not the prettiest car, or the most thrilling to drive, but its boxy shape and tall stance were cleverly conceived to maximise cabin space. With five doors and a sliding rear seat full-sized adults find themselves quite comfortably accommodated in a surprisingly roomy interior. Against that the cheap and hard plastics used make it less attractive. Look for good fuel consumption, decent fit and finish, and good on-road behaviour, but quirky CVT auto demands careful pre-purchase assessment.

04. Suzuki Swift  – 2005-2009

With its cheeky and likable looks the little hatch was hailed as one of the better small cars when it was launched. Long admired for the high level of the technology used in even its small cars, Suzuki produced a keeper in the Swift. Praise was heaped on its responsive driving dynamics, fuel-efficient engine, easy access to the cabin, safety, and extensive features, including dual front airbags and ABS brakes.

05. Best Medium Cars

Along with SUVs, mid-sized models are the go-to cars in today's market for people who want to downsize, and there's plenty of choice.

06. Toyota Camry – 2007-2008

Widely considered bland and boring, but to dismiss it on the basis of its looks is to undervalue the mid-sized Toyota. Look beyond its ordinary appearance and you'll find it's well designed and built, safe, and eminently reliable, with a good resale when it comes to selling it on, even with high odometer readings. There's nothing to be concerned about when buying a Camry; as long as you follow the basic rules of condition, kilometres, and service you can't go wrong.

07. Subaru Liberty – 2003-2007

The Liberty has long been regarded as a cut above the rest with its all-wheel drive grip that adds another level to its safety credentials. Well built and generally reliable, with five-star safety, the fourth-gen Liberty is a car for the long term.

08. Honda Accord Euro – 2003-2007

Of all the Asian brands it's Honda that has the cred to stand above the crowd; cars like the Accord Euro are able to hold their own with equivalent European models. The Accord Euro is a player in the prestige arena; it's well built, reliable and durable, and drives and performs well.

09. Best Large Cars

With the rush to smaller cars and new-age models like SUVs, big cars have fallen out of favour whether they are new or second-hand.

That leaves buyers looking for a cheap reliable used car in the driving seat if they're prepared to bargain hard.

10. Toyota Aurion – 2006

The momentum of change as Australians downsized from their traditional big cars to smaller ones, and to SUVs, was too much for Toyota's Aurion to resist. Like the Camry it's a bit boring, but it's got all the things that make Toyota a go-to brand. Build quality, tick, reliability, tick, cabin space, tick, safety, tick, resale, tick. Buy it? Tick.

11. Ford Falcon BFII – 2006-2008

The BFII is one of the best Falcons. It's not as flashy as the later FG, but it's got most of the bases covered. A straightforward, sound design, solidly built, with a bulletproof six-cylinder engine, and no serious flaws, the BFII is a car for the long term. Fuel consumption is an issue, it's high in today's terms, but it can happily be converted to LPG to save a few bucks.

12. Mitsubishi 380 – 2005-2008

Like the Toyota Aurion, the 380 was Mitsubishi's last gasp at playing in what was then the big league in the Australian market, but it was too late to save the company's local production operation. It's a decent car and is worthwhile having on your shopping list. The downside is that it's a latter-day Valiant and its resale value isn't great, but that can be a bonus if you're on the hunt for cheap used cars.

13. Best Wagons

The great motoring revolution of the last 10 years has seen the traditional station wagon almost disappear, its place as our favoured family transport taken by the SUV.

SUV owners can be tempted to push their cars beyond their off-road limits, so those shopping for one need to carefully check for possible damage caused by abuse in the bush. That means looking underneath.

14. Kia Sportage – 2005-2007

Virtually all carmakers have SUVs on their books; market pressure demands it. Kia is well covered when it comes to the new-age wagons, with the Sportage and Sorento. The compact Sportage in particular is highly regarded for its practicality, the flexibility of its cabin, its fuel-efficient engines, and its refinement.

15. Subaru Forester – 2002-2005

Regularly rated in the top flight of compact SUVs the Forester hits the spot in virtually all categories. Earlier Foresters were only available with a petrol engine, so those hoping for a diesel will be disappointed. Overall, safe, reliable, with good driving dynamics, but running and repair costs are higher than average.

16. Ford Falcon BFII/BFIII – 2006-2009

Not an SUV, but a regular wagon. Practical, well built, refined and reliable, the Falcon is well worth looking at if you're not locked into the SUV craze.