Best Used Car Under $15000

The first Buick car was manufactured in America back in 1903, so it is not surprising that for more than 100 years of existence of the American car manufacturer Buick, which at the moment is a branch of the famous company General Motors, has accumulated a lot of good traditions in car manufacturing and already has its own, quite interesting, history.

You should not confuse Chinese-made cars of the same name with North American-made cars. Chinese Buick cars have nothing to do with the original cars, although they are very popular in China. Buick Regal 2015 has a personalized driver information center, through which all the necessary information is displayed on an 8-inch screen. The driver can also independently form the conclusion of that information which is most necessary to him at the moment, as well as the conclusion of the information which the driver uses most often.

Buick Regal GS car is the best used car to buy for under 15000. On it, you can see the sports steering wheel, metal sports pedals, special sports seats GS-specific. It would be surprising if the 2014 Buick Regal car was not equipped with new, modern information technologies. Not a single modern car in the world without such technologies cannot be of any interest to buyers, and in general, exist.

Therefore, developers of Buick Regal 2014 have tried their best. The new Buick IntelliLink third-generation information system, which is built into the car, has a very wide range of functions. Activation and control functions with the help of voice, integration with the system of various portable devices, including smartphones, Bluetooth 4 connection possibility, and many other useful functions, which are displayed on the 8-inch touch screen.

Intelligent system Buick IntelliLink. This system is integrated into a single remote control, through which you can very quickly get access to all your phone contacts, choose your favorite music, etc. And to do this, all you have to do is say a single word or press a single button.

Although the car belongs to the best rated used cars under 15000 or compact crossovers, conquering unassailable peaks is not necessary to perceive it and test its passability. Appearance is deceptive, and Nissan has presented in the USA exactly family 5-door Nissan Rogue. But it is also possible to go to the mountains in it, only with all your relatives.

The line of these crossovers has a short history due to their age. Its first appearance at the auto show is dated January 7, 2007. From then until 2014, the first-generation Nissan Rogue was produced. They were rounded mini SUVs with wide-set headlights and a grille with wave-like cells. The moldings, door handles, and grille was chrome plated. Roof rails are obligatory attributes of the first generation. The car looked like a toy but showed itself on the road with all its seriousness.

In 2011, Nissan Rogue updated its bodywork - the bumpers became more massive, and a spoiler with stop lights appeared above the tailgate. A year later, in 2012, the next restyling came up. The changes touched the wheels and the interior, along with the multimedia.

The 2017 Nissan Rogue is equipped with only gasoline engines from the Japanese concern. The first on the crossover appeared QR25DE - 2.5-liter atmospheric engine with four cylinders, arranged in a row, with direct fuel injection into the combustion chamber and two camshafts.

The unit produces from 170 to 175 horsepower. The QR25DE has been replaced by MR20DE - a compact 2-liter engine with the same structure and operating principle. Thanks to the change in the shape of the cylinder to oblong, it takes up much less space under the hood. In 2017, there was a hybrid version of the crossover, in which the QR25DE was combined with two electric motors powered by batteries hidden in the bottom of the car.

The exterior of the model is modest but tasteful. The body lines are rounded, arched, smoothly flowing one into another. Only wheel arches are slightly distinguished, and so all parts are in one place. The design makes abundant and stylish use of chrome elements. Turn signals are placed in the corners of the headlights, which have a dynamic shape, and in the mirrors. Rear lights are divided into two parts - one on the body, the second on the trunk lid.

The interior of the Nissan Rogue is spacious and comfortable. The Torpedo is small but functional and contains everything you need. In its center is concentrated all the car's multimedia - a wide display displays the navigator maps, gauge readings, video clips, and more. Six speakers around the cabin are responsible for the music. The upholstery is made of plastic and leatherette/leather.

Not a small 5-seater sedan (size class D) is not bad aerodynamics: the air resistance coefficient is 0.29. And thanks to the increased wheelbase (+75 mm against the previous model) the cabin is spacious, at least on the front seats, where a driver and passenger over 185 cm can be comfortably seated. Boarding in the second row is not so free: there is noticeably less space for legs.

The central segment of the front panel is slightly turned towards the driver, and his seat is adjustable not only longitudinally but also in height. The multifunction steering wheel is adjustable for angle and reach; close attention is paid to ergonomics. The finishing is not conspicuous, even stingy. But materials around are of quite decent quality, as is now accepted under the Kia brand. When fully seated, the capacity of a luggage compartment is 435 liters (EPA). And if to fold backs of rear seats (divisible in proportion 60/40), the loading space considerably increases.

As for infotainment and comfort equipment, the Korean best used cars under 15000 are offered in North America in several variants. From "budget" LX to cool EX. And higher - to the sport version SX. The state of the inexpensive Optima LX has a "satellite" radio SIRIUS with CD / MP3 player, Bluetooth headset (control "from the voice"), "electric package", and cooled "glove compartment". And together with 6-speed "automatic", it is also "cruise control": it will help on a long journey. EX lineup includes also branded UVO info system (7-inch monitor) - plus leather-wrapped gearbox lever, 2-zone "climate control" and servomechanisms of adjusting the driver's seat in 8 directions. Well, the Optima EX is "packed" in such a way that nobody will think too much. "Music" Infinity6 5.1 (8 speakers) with 500 W of power.

In terms of "passive" safety, the Korean sedan is not inferior to its strongest competitors. In front, there are "active" headrests, 3-point belts for the driver and all passengers. By the way, Magentis has earned 4 stars in tests "on impact" according to EuroNCAP methodology. And also 3 stars for children's safety and one (from 4) for pedestrian protection.

In North America, the Optima comes exclusively with gasoline engines. That is, with the same 16-valve Theta II, but equipped with direct gasoline injection into the combustion chambers. Firstly, uncompressed 2.36-liter GDI: with a compression ratio of 11.3, the maximum power of the four exceeds 200 hp.  at 6300 rpm. Secondly, Theta II again, but with a working volume of 2 liters - and with turbocharging. With a compression ratio of 9.5, the turbo engine develops 277-278 horsepower at 6,000 rpm, and the maximum torque is 365 Nm.

The running gear has changed too. Thus, the front Korean sedan now has McPherson struts  and kinematically perfected suspension on double wishbones ("dimensional" configuration) remained only behind. Screw springs and transverse stabilizers. And the Optima Turbo is equipped with sport shock absorbers DFD, designed to improve road holding. Tires size from 205/65R are mounted on 16-inch steel rims (LX) - but air pressure monitoring is in the "state". 

But already in EX kitting, the rubber 215/55/R is mounted on 17-inch alloyed wheels. Rack steering mechanism works with an electro servo booster, brakes in the front with ventilated disks 299,8 mm in diameter, behind - 284,5 mm. ABS, ESP, and other auxiliary electronics (like Hill Assist Control - anti-rebound device of sustaining a car when moving uphill) are "standard.

Audi Q5 is a compact premium crossover, which has become very popular in our market.  The first-generation Audi Q5 was produced in Germany from 2008 to 2017, and during this time, it had several minor restyling. The first modifications did not have a very reliable powertrain - the 2.0-liter turbo engine and robotic, automatic transmission had problems during operation. For example, the engine consumed a lot of oil.

In addition, it was not very reliable. However, after 2013, many of these problems were overcome, and now it has a good reputation. The gearbox has also been replaced, and after the restyling, there is a ZF eight-speed torque converter, which has become smoother and more reliable.

Also among Audi Q5, there are hybrids, 3,0-liter petrol, and 3,0-liter diesel. True, the latter is noticeably more expensive. Unlike the European versions, American 2,0 TFSI can be filled with spirit fuel E80 - they have a mark Flexible Fuel. Also, these TFSI engines are easy to tune.

The car has a multi-link suspension front and rear, giving it a comfortable ride on our roads. The interior is a bit old-fashioned, but very high quality. Leather, wood, and soft plastic. There is often a large panoramic sunroof, the luggage compartment is large and closes electrically. The seat is comfortable, the steering wheel is adjustable in all directions. The second row is not very much space, but it is not crowded either – very good noise isolation.

Like any other car of the brand, the Touareg had a very extensive range of power units: three types of diesel (2.5 TDI, 3.0 TDI V6, 5.0 TDI V10) and four gasoline engines (3.2, 3.6 FSI, 4.2 FSI V8, 6.0 W12). As for monster-shaped V10 and W12, in connection with low popularity, there is almost no information, and buying a car with such a heart in the secondary market, in our opinion, does not make any sense. But the other power units are worth considering in detail.

The diesel engine - 2.5 TDI (174 hp), is very picky to oil and fuel quality. However, it concerns all modern engines and can not be considered as a lack. Moreover, after restyling, the pump of this engine has an iron gasket, not a rubber one, as before. This allowed eliminating the characteristic "bug" - getting of mercury in the oil, which made the weakest engine of the model one of the leaders in reliability.

3.0 TDI was available in two versions - 220 hp and 240 hp. Besides great traction characteristics, both models were distinguished by breakages of the fuel injection system and expensive maintenance at mileages of 150-180 thousand, whereby the regulations it is necessary to replace the chain drive of timing with many tensioning devices. Also, at these mileage values, it was turned to renew hydro-compensators. The most reliable petrol engine turned out to be 4.2 FSI 310 (hp). Except for an incredible appetite, systematic trouble was not found, which can not be said about the younger brethren - 3.2 V6 (241 hp) and 3.6 FSI V6 (280 hp).

As you know, the VW Touareg was equipped with two types of elastic elements: pneumatic struts and conventional springs. It is logical to assume that the last variant is much more reliable and enduring. After the brass nipples of the cylinders were replaced with duralumin ones in 2006, the problems with the pneumatic version were no more than with the classic spring version. 

Undoubtedly, VW Touareg has a huge number of positive qualities: it is amazingly comfortable, fast, well-controlled, and feels good off-road. In addition, after the restyling at the end of 2006, a lot of revealed problems were fixed.