The Best 5-Year-Old American SUVs To Buy Ranked By Price

Love them or hate them, compact, mid-size, and full-size SUVs are all the rage in the American market at this time. In the early 2000s, the most popular car at the time was a Toyota Corolla. Now, the most popular is the Ford F-150, but the Honda CR-V,

Toyota RAV4
, and Kia Telluride are in a close second.

The fact is, Americans want a few things for their modern vehicles. They want dependability, utility, and maybe a dash of fun-to-drive mixed in as well. Unfortunately, sedans don’t always offer the utility portion, which is why SUV, especially crossover SUVs, sales have exploded over the last decade or so.

If you happen to be that American that wants an SUV, but doesn’t want to spend an arm and a leg on a brand-new vehicle, you should look into gently used. If you can believe it, 2019 was five (going on six) years ago at this point. A lot of the vehicles on this list are either out of production or still in the same generation, just without the refresh.

In order to give you the most up-to-date and accurate information possible, the data used to compile this article was sourced from various manufacturers and other authoritative sources, including Kelley Blue Book, and Edmunds. The models below have been ranked based on their starting MSRP, from highest to lowest.

10

2019 Ford Flex

MSRP: $16,389

Back in the early 2000s, MPVs were all the rage. It was an awkward stage of finding out what kind of SUVs consumers really wanted. It worked for a while, though, as the Ford Flex grew in popularity from its debut in 2005. Unfortunately, 2019 is the last model year it was sold.

Performance Specifications

The Flex combines everything that you would want out of a car. Station wagon styling, SUV capabilities, three rows of seating, and a near-luxury interior. The Ford Flex is going to become a classic/cult among car enthusiasts, if it hasn’t already.

9

2019 Ford Explorer

MSRP: $16,236

The Ford Explorer has gone through several transformations at this point. Originally, up until 2010, the Explorer was a mid-size body-on-frame SUV. Now, since 2011, it has been on an unibody chassis, but is still considered mid-size.

Performance Specifications

Don’t let the fact that it’s an unibody make you think it’s less capable, though. The 2019 model year is the final year of the fifth generation. It has the ability to tow up to 5,000 pounds and comes optional with a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V-6 that can make this a sleeper car.

8

2019 Buick Envision

MSRP: $15,716

This isn’t an article about underdogs, but we do feel that the Buick Envision does get passed over a lot. It’s a very high-end luxury crossover. This compact crossover is the first generation of the Envision with the 2019 refresh before it was redesigned in 2021.

Performance Specifications

The Envision was part of Buick’s marketing campaign to entice more buyers with the catchphrase, “That’s a Buick?” It has a peppy performance and capability with 27 cubic feet of storage and 57 cubic feet with the second row down.

7

2019 Ford Edge

MSRP: $13,868

With the Edge being discontinued for the 2024 model year, it is a good time to look at the ones that are five years old. The Edge will still live on with a redesign in the Chinese market, but you can get a 2019 model year for a very reasonable price, according to Kelley Blue Book.

Performance Specifications

This second-generation Edge comes with two powertrains, either the above-mentioned four-cylinder or a much peppier, almost sports car-esque turbocharged 2.7-liter six-cylinder. The 2019 model is also the facelifted Edge with a more modern design.

6

2019 GMC Terrain

MSRP: $13,620

The 2019 GMC Terrain comes in six different trim levels. At the time, the base model SL came at around $26,000. What’s great about the GMC Terrain is that even the base models have more options and features than a base model of the same Chevrolet version.

Performance Specifications

While they might not be as capable of an SUV as you might have hoped, especially with a GMC badge, it is still capable in terms of cargo space and fuel economy. The front-wheel drive can get 26 miles per gallon in the city and 30 miles per gallon on the highway.

5

2019 Chevrolet Equinox

MSRP: $12,719

The third generation Chevrolet Equinox has just ended, with the fully redesigned fourth one debuting for the 2025 model year. It did receive a refresh for the 2022 model year, but it’s not much of a difference from the first iteration.

Performance Specifications

The front-wheel drive Equinox gets substantially good gas mileage as well. With a rating of 26 miles per gallon in the city and 32 miles per gallon on the highway, you can’t go wrong with that. It’s also incredibly reliable, with a J.D. Power score of 84 out of 100.

4

2019 Buick Encore

MSRP: $10,679

The first generation Buick Encore came onto the scene in 2013. It is a subcompact crossover SUV that does some things really well and costs next to nothing to own. It’s higher-end than the first-generation Trax, it’s fuel efficient, and it has decent cargo space.

Performance Specifications

The Encore has recently been re-branded as an even more luxurious subcompact crossover SUV, while the role of “entry-level car” is now played by the Envista. The 2019 Encore has 18.8 cubic feet of storage with the second row up and 48.4 cubic feet with the second row down. It also has a combined miles per gallon of 28.

3

2019 Ford EcoSport

MSRP: $10,241

The Ford EcoSport actually got its start in 2003 and was sold in South America. Ford recognized its popularity in the South American market and brought it to a more global stage in 2012 with the release of the second generation.

Performance Specifications

People love it for its affordability and gas-sipping fuel economy. It’s especially frugal on gas use in the city, with 27 miles per gallon and 29 miles per gallon on the highway. Unfortunately, the EcoSport was discontinued in 2022 to make way for the Maverick as their entry-level vehicle.

2

2019 Ford Escape

MSRP: $10,430

Like the Explorer, the Ford Escape has seen a substantial transformation over the years. Albeit, the original Escape sat atop a crossover unibody frame, it had more of a body-on-frame look. Now, it’s fully succumbed to the unibody ideology and looks like a crossover. That look, arguably, started in the third generation.

Performance Specifications

The 2019 model year is after the 2017 refresh and comes with a lot of great features like a premium sound system, heated seats, etc. It has impressive cargo space as well, with 37 cubic feet with the second row up and 68 cubic feet with the second row down.

1

2019 Chevrolet Trax

MSRP: $9,576

Although Buick employed a rebranding overhaul to their entry-level lineup, Chevrolet decided to keep the Trax, the Trax. While the second generation is an exciting new overhaul, the first generation is quite simply a good A to B choice.

Performance Specifications

The first generation comes with a turbocharged four-cylinder engine. It was released in 2015 with the refresh happening in 2017. The 2019 Chevrolet Trax has an okay reliability score of 78 out of 100. It is frugal to fix, however, with only $488 to speak of for maintenance.