Jetcityimage/Getty ImagesBuying used is an exercise in compromise. You save money, but you also inherit somebody else's miles, questionable parking habits, and whatever they decided counted as regular maintenance. Some people can't imagine rolling those pre-owned dice, and others would sooner walk everywhere than endure first-year depreciation personally. Of course, the devil's bargain here is supposed to be that in exchange for all that new-car money you're lighting on fire, you at least get new-car reliability. But what happens when the hottest new model on the lot is quantifiably likely to both take your money and let you down?Ford is not Consumer Reports' most reliable car brand. It also doesn't come in second or even fifth. Okay fine, it isn't in the top 10. And that's kind of the point here. Despite having a downright sexy lineup of products right now, buying even a new Ford remains anything but a safe bet. And therein lies an opportunity: Instead of buying a new one that has both a middling reputation for reliability and a depreciation cliff looming ahead, there may be some comparatively reliable new-to-you equivalents available for way less money tucked away among the used inventory — or, you know ... on Craigslist.We found worthwhile used alternatives among the Mustang, F-250 Super Duty, Mustang Mach-E, and Bronco Sport, but there is one wrinkle worth mentioning before we start shopping: All of these model years have recalls on the books. That sounds ominous until you remember that recalls are one of the few used-car problems that generally remain the manufacturer's financial responsibility. Check the VIN, see if the work has been completed, and enjoy the rare automotive defect that translates into somebody else's repair bill. Now, with all that said, let's begin.AdvertisementAdvertisementRead more: Ford Once Made A Mile-Long Factory To Build Bombers Faster Than Anyone Thought Possible2019–to-2020 Ford MustangBros FOURR Speed/YouTubeThe Mustang is one of the easier places to make the case for shopping a few years backward, because the reliability story has already had time to mature. Consumer Reports says the 2019 Mustang is more reliable than peers from the same model year and gives the 2020 model the same assessment. That is a much firmer foundation than simply assuming an older car must be sorted because it has survived this long.The financial case is less about catastrophic depreciation and more about avoiding the cost of being current. Kelley Blue Book's valuation data shows that 2019 and 2020 Mustangs have lost a meaningful portion of their original value, even though the nameplate generally holds up better than many mainstream cars. Used GTs still aren't bargain-bin performance cars, but they sit well below the price of a comparable new one, which is enough to make the previous generation financially relevant rather than merely old.That matters because what you're buying here is still fundamentally the same kind of thing: a rear-wheel-drive coupe whose entire mission is to democratize performance in a way that makes crowds nervous when they see you leaving cars and coffee. If what you actually want is a Mustang rather than necessarily the newest Mustang, a 2019 or 2020 gives you a proven reliability record and leaves considerably more money in reserve for tires, track days, or convincing your spouse that buying a Ford Mustang as a family car is a completely prudent move.2016 Ford F-250 Super DutyGrappone Automotive Group/YouTubeThe right Ford Super Duty can tow up to 40,000 pounds, more than any truck in the history of trucks. It's a serious heavy-duty pickup, and serious heavy-duty pickups are a little different from the other vehicles on this list, because depreciation isn't the whole argument. In fact, the F-250 holds its value relatively well, retaining about 76% after five years. Consumer Reports acknowledges the F-250's reliability all the way back in 2016, giving buyers something more useful than nostalgia for an older truck: an actual track record.AdvertisementAdvertisementThe financial appeal comes from just how much truck is available once you stop insisting on the newest, shiniest truck on the jobsite. Kelley Blue Book's current valuations for the 2016 F-250 vary substantially by cab, drivetrain, trim, mileage, condition, and location, but they show that a decade-old Super Duty can cost far less than replacing it with a new one. And new heavy-duty pickups occupy some serious financial territory: Current F-250 pricing stretches past six figures, depending on configuration. The used F-250 case is therefore less "wait for depreciation to crush it" and more "why pay the new-truck premium if the older tool already does the job?"And unlike a Mustang or Mach-E, an F-250 is particularly easy to judge through that lens. If you genuinely need one, odds are good you intend to tow with it, load it, get it dirty, put tools in it, and eventually introduce the bed to an object with sharp corners. A reliable 2016 example lets somebody else enjoy the first scratch, while you get on with adding the next hundred.2024 Ford Mustang Mach-ERedline Reviews/YouTubeThe Mustang Mach-E is the entry where depreciation does most of the heavy lifting. Kelley Blue Book says a 2024 Mach-E has already lost about 35% of its value, an unusually useful development if you like the idea of Ford's electric crossover but are less enthusiastic about personally funding its trip down the depreciation curve. For context, Ford currently starts the 2026 Mach-E at $37,795. The 2024 used market, meanwhile, has had a couple of years to turn what was recently a shiny new EV into something priced much more like ordinary transportation.Usually, that kind of value collapse should make you wonder what everybody else knows that you don't. Here, though, the reliability evidence gives us a reason not to run away screaming. The Consumer Reports assessment of the 2024 Mustang Mach-E is notably positive, a welcome reversal after it rated the 2023 model less reliable than its contemporaries. That makes 2024 particularly interesting: It is new enough to still feel like current technology, old enough to have accumulated some meaningful reliability history, and depreciated enough that somebody else has already absorbed a painful portion of the financial experiment.AdvertisementAdvertisementThat last part is especially relevant with EVs, where yesterday's expensive new technology can become today's aggressively discounted used car with remarkable speed. There's no guarantee a used Mach-E will make financial sense for every buyer, particularly once charging and range needs enter the equation, but the 2024 presents an unusually appealing combination. You can buy essentially the same basic electric Mustang-adjacent crossover Ford is still selling new, choose a model year with encouraging reliability evidence, and leave the original owner holding a very large receipt for the privilege of getting there first. Just don't blow off the five golden rules for buying a used EV.2024 Ford Bronco SportMikesCarInfo/YouTubeThe Bronco Sport is a different kind of used-buy argument because it hasn't been financially annihilated. Kelley Blue Book says the 2024 model has depreciated about 27%, leaving it with a current resale value in the low-$20,000 range. KBB also says it still ranks in the top 10% to 25% of 2024 SUVs for value retention, so this is not a case of bargain hunters circling a smoking crater. It is simply old enough for the first owner to have absorbed a meaningful chunk of the new-car premium.That matters because the Consumer Reports reliability picture for the 2024 Bronco Sport is encouraging, which makes that discount a lot easier to get excited about. You are not buying some ancient predecessor with a completely different mission either. Ford is still selling the Bronco Sport in 2026, so a used 2024 is fundamentally answering the same question as a new one: How much are you willing to spend on a Bronco Sport that is fundamentally a second-gen Escape? Sure, you ma be willing to pay a premium to make your compact crossover look like something parked at a trailhead somewhere, but that doesn't mean you have to pay a 2026 MSRP to get there.And that is probably the right place to land this whole exercise. Buying used doesn't automatically make you clever, just as buying new doesn't automatically make you a rube. The interesting cases are the ones where the older vehicle has enough reliability history to inspire confidence and enough depreciation behind it to make the savings real. The Bronco Sport is not the biggest bargain here, and that is almost the point. Sometimes, being better off buying used simply means letting somebody else pay extra for the new car smell.AdvertisementAdvertisementWant more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox, and follow us or add us as a preferred search source on Google.Read the original article on Jalopnik.