Ford Escape (2013) - $9,500

This compact SUV boasts a choice of powerful engines and refined ride quality. The technological features inside the cabin aren't up to today's standards, but you could forgive that for the time, as most of these technologies were still under development.

If you want an SUV that can handle off-roading, is a limited-edition model with four-wheel drive, and boasts 240 horsepower from a V6 engine, this is the one for you. You can find one of these for under $10,000, but it would be difficult. The base special edition model with 170 horsepower and four-wheel drive wouldn't be a bad deal since it's cheaper.

Mazda 3 (2013) - $9,000

It's fair to say that the Mazda 3 is one of the best-looking cars on this list. And it's Japanese design, which explains why this car holds up so well. Despite being slightly smaller than the flagship of this sedan segment — the Mazda 6 — it doesn't fall short when it comes to saving money.

The Mazda3 comes with a 2.0-liter engine and a 6-speed automatic transmission, which makes it slow, but it's a car from over a decade ago, and automatic transmissions weren't as popular back then. Even so, the Mazda3 is a good-looking, reliable, and inexpensive car.