used car buying

About Ben Sullivan

Hey, I’m Ben Sullivan. Welcome to Car Wise Guide. If you’re here because you want a dependable used car and you don’t want to get taken for a ride, you’re in the right place. I spent much of my career on the other side of the sale, inspecting vehicles before people bought them. I wrote up what was...

Used Toyota RAV4 vs. Honda CR-V (2013-2018): Which Is the Better Buy?

If you’ve narrowed your used compact SUV hunt down to a 2013 to 2018 Toyota RAV4 or Honda CR-V, you’re already doing a lot right. These are two of the most consistently good vehicles I’ve inspected over the years. But they are not identical in how they age, what they cost to maintain, and what...

Used Mazda3 vs. Toyota Corolla: Sporty Feel or Bulletproof Reliability?

If you’re cross-shopping a used Mazda3 and a used Toyota Corolla, you’re looking at two of the smartest plays in the compact-car world. They’re usually easy to park, cheap to fuel, and not a pain to live with day to day. But they scratch different itches. The Mazda3 is for the person who wants a...

2016-2021 Honda Civic (10th Gen) Used Buyer’s Guide

If you want a compact car that’s easy to live with, holds value, and doesn’t punish you at the pump, the 10th generation Honda Civic (2016 through 2021) is still one of the safest bets in the used market. I inspected a lot of these when they were coming off lease, and when they’re maintained, they...

2015-2020 Ford F-150 Engines Ranked by Reliability

If you’re shopping a used 2015 to 2020 Ford F-150, you’re looking at the first full generation of aluminum-body half-tons. The bodies hold up nicely against rust, they drive more modern than the older steel trucks, and there’s an engine for just about every kind of owner. But here’s the catch: not...