If you're looking for a good used vehicle with modern safety features and an infotainment system, the current market still yields a few great options under $15,000. At that price, you'll find a wide array 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 aimed to pick vehicles from every utility vehicle category, including compact, midsize, and full-size SUVs and crossovers. Whatever your lifestyle, we can help you find a used vehicle that meets your needs and budget, and this list of the best SUVs on the used market for under $15k is a great place to start.
Note: Even though the price point takes us back a ways in terms of model year, nearly all of the vehicles on this list have an automatic transmission, Bluetooth, and even some newer features like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
The Best Used SUVs Under $15,000
- 2008 - 2017 Buick Enclave
- 2007 - 2014 Chevrolet Tahoe
- 2015 - 2019 Hyundai Tucson
- 2014 - 2016 Jeep Cherokee
- 2009 - 2014 Jeep Wrangler
- 2018 - 2022 Kia Niro
- 2010 - 2015 Mercedes-Benz GLK
- 2011 - 2015 Nissan Juke
- 2009 - 2013 Subaru Forester
- 2003 - 2013 Toyota 4Runner
2008 - 2017 Buick Enclave
Yes, we know: if you're thinking about a three-row, seven-passenger SUV, you're probably thinking about a Honda Pilot or a Toyota Highlander. Those are available under $15,000, but the models you're likely to find at that price point are going to be old (think pre-2008), have high mileage (think well above 100,000 miles), or both.
On the other hand, 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 (AWD), 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, which also made, 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.
The Buick Enclave is a 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 other competitive brands, you’re going to spend a lot more and not get a whole lot more than this rig offers.
2007 - 2014 Chevrolet Tahoe
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 are big, luxurious, well-equipped, and capable SUVs that can tow a house, and they will easily squeeze out 200,000 miles with careful maintenance.
At our $15K price point, we’re looking at the LT or LTZ trim levels, with roughly 100,000 miles, a comprehensive list of standard features, and in nice overall condition. Chevrolet built hundreds of thousands of Tahoes 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.
See also: The Chevrolet Equinox, which is smaller but also available newer for less.
2015 - 2019 Hyundai Tucson
For better or for worse, the current generation of the Hyundai Tucson sports the automaker’s edgier, more futuristic styling, with sharp creases and lots of angles. Up through the 2021 model year, though, the Tucson was a mild-mannered compact crossover that stood out more for its value than for its looks. The Tucsons in our price range will have that more conventional styling, which, depending on your taste, could be considered a good thing. (If that’s something you’re into, you might also consider the Ford Escape, which has clung to the softer styling even into 2024.)
Like many of the vehicles on this list, the Tucson comes standard with FWD, but Hyundai generally makes AWD an option for every trim. In its base form, it offers a comfortable, if not terribly exciting, ride, but you can get a little more power out of it if you can find one with the optional 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder. We actually found a 2017 Tucson with AWD, the turbo-four, and fewer than 80,000 miles in this price range-not bad at all. And although advanced driver-assistance features such as adaptive cruise control were not yet common when this generation of Tucson was new, the model still consistently scored well in terms of safety.
2014 - 2016 Jeep Cherokee
Fifteen large will definitely get you an old XJ Cherokee from the late 1990s, but it will also buy you a decently equipped version of the current Cherokee, which has proven to be shockingly competent both on- and off-road. The Cherokee's exterior design was polarizing when it first arrived, but it has grown on us, especially in the more expensive trims.
The Cherokee is technically not a midsize SUV but rather a crossover SUV, because it has a unibody chassis instead of the body-on-frame, ladder-type structure found in most Jeeps. However, its off-road abilities are similar to a true SUV’s. 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 trim level 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.
2009 - 2014 Jeep Wrangler
The Wrangler is one of few vehicles that qualify as a true compact SUV, because it features body-on-frame rather than unibody construction. There is an argument that says there’s little sense in buying a used Wrangler, because these American icons sell for so much on the pre-owned vehicle market that you’re almost better off buying new. If you can keep it clean, you’d be hard-pressed to find a new car that depreciates less than a Wrangler.
You’d also be hard-pressed to find a more entertaining vehicle. In fact, when it comes to fun, a 2003 Wrangler with 180,000 miles on the odometer just so happens to be one of the best cars this reviewer has owned. And for $15,000, you don't have to settle for a 20-year-old Wrangler with 180k miles on the clock. Instead, look for a 2009 - 2014 Wrangler Sport with closer to 100,000 miles. The year almost doesn’t matter, although anything after 2012 has the newer Pentastar V6 powertrain with 285 horsepower.
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 one with a soft top, low miles, the Pentastar motor, and a good history of maintenance, you should buy it.
2018 - 2022 Kia Niro
The Kia Niro has been around since only 2017, so you may even be able to find one 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 is an inexpensive, fuel-efficient hybrid vehicle capable of hauling four or five people and a bit of luggage. There’s nothing all that fancy about the Niro except for its pricing and its fuel economy. With a Niro, you should easily see combined gas mileage 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 you still have to think about dropping kids off at school, the Niro is a pretty outstanding choice.
2010 - 2015 Mercedes-Benz GLK
If you're in the market for a luxury SUV, fifteen thousand dollars will buy a really nice Mercedes-Benz GLK with less than 100,000 miles.
Though it may be a little smaller in the back than rivals like the BMW X3 and Volvo XC60, 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 dual-zone climate control, 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 price range, it’d be tough to find a more luxurious SUV.
2011 - 2015 Nissan Juke
Regardless of how you think the Nissan Juke looks, the people who buy them and own them seem to love them, for a number of different reasons.
First of all, they’re actually sporty when compared to something like the larger Nissan Rogue. Perhaps more importantly, they’re inexpensive, which makes them perfect for our $15,000 challenge. For that kind of money, you’re looking at a Juke with around 50,000-70,000 miles on the odometer. With diligent maintenance, the Juke's powertrain should easily take you to 200,000 miles
However, if you’re looking at the Juke for the long haul, we recommend finding one that’s got a six-speed manual transmission rather than the Xtronic continuously variable transmission (CVT). To be sure, the CVT in the Juke is no worse than in any other car from the mid-2010s, but these transmissions just don't have the same reputation for reliability as an old-fashioned manual.
2009 - 2013 Subaru Forester
The third-generation Subaru Forester (2009 to 2013 model years) is deceptively roomy 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. Open the liftgate, though, and you’ll find that the Forester offers an apartment-sized cargo area and tons of headroom for even the tallest passengers.
Also, unlike most of its competitors, the Forester isn’t going to make you 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. 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 naturally aspirated or turbocharged form on the XT trim levels.
As if the practicality of space and AWD weren’t enough, the Forester also has an enthusiast aftermarket going for it. You can build a pretty mean overlanding buggy with a third-generation Forester for not a lot of dough.
2003 - 2013 Toyota 4Runner
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, allowing you to find one that hasn’t been completely trashed.
At our $15K price point, you’re looking at either a fourth-generation (2003 - 2009) or fifth-generation (2010 - 2023) 4Runner, but the latter would almost certainly have more than 100,000 miles on the odometer. We recommend the SR5 trim with cloth interior, as it costs less than many of the alternatives but still offers niceties like a moonroof and cruise control.
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 they managed to miss the recall. If you can find one with little underbody rust, scoop it up and take it home.
