Sorted by what people actually pay, across 236,000 listings.
| Body style | Median | Listings | Top decile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Truck (commercial) | $23,900 | 581 | $43,995 |
| Pickup | $19,000 | 54,589 | $44,997 |
| Coupe | $16,500 | 7,679 | $55,555 |
| Van | $15,000 | 23,038 | $45,000 |
| SUV | $10,975 | 94,763 | $29,495 |
| Sedan | $7,669 | 51,303 | $22,500 |
| Wagon | $6,950 | 3,053 | $13,995 |
Two and a half times, same market
A pickup's median is $19,000 and a sedan's is $7,669. Same used market, same age distribution roughly, entirely different money — because demand for trucks is structural and demand for sedans has been draining away for fifteen years.
The wagon is the buy nobody is making
$6,950 median — the cheapest body style on the market, below sedans. And its top decile is $13,995, meaning the entire wagon market fits in a narrow band: a spread of 4.7x against 11.4x for vans.
A wagon is a sedan with a bigger boot. It carries more than the SUV that costs $4,000 more, handles better, uses less fuel and is easier to park. It sells for less because Americans stopped buying the shape, and the used market prices reflect that indifference rather than any deficiency in the cars.
Only 3,053 listings, so choice is thin. But if what you need is space and low running costs, this row is the answer and almost nobody is competing with you for it.
The coupe is the strangest line
Median $16,500 — higher than an SUV — but a top decile of $55,555, the highest ceiling of any body style. On just 7,679 listings.
That's two markets sharing a label: ordinary two-door cars at the bottom and sports cars at the top, with very little in between. An average price for the coupe class describes almost nothing, which is the same trap we found in the same 2001 F-250 selling for $2,300 and $38,000.
How to use this
Choose the shape before the model. Moving from pickup to sedan saves more than any negotiation will. If the truck is for hauling twice a year, renting one twice a year is cheaper than the $11,000 difference.
SUV is the compromise you pay for. At $10,975 it sits between sedan and pickup, which is exactly what it is. The volume — 94,763 listings, the largest segment — means the most choice and the most competition.
Cross-check the specific car regardless of shape. Body style sets the price band; condition and history decide where in it you land. A VIN check covers title brands and recorded mileage. We looked at what each budget buys in every extra $1,000 removes 3,300 miles.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest body style of used car?
The wagon, at a $6,950 median — below sedans at $7,669 and well below SUVs at $10,975. It also has the narrowest price range of any body style, with a top decile of just $13,995.
Why do used pickups cost so much more than sedans?
A pickup's median is $19,000 against $7,669 for a sedan — 2.5 times. Truck demand is structural, driven by buyers who need towing and payload, while sedan demand has been draining away for fifteen years.
Are wagons a good used buy?
On the numbers, yes. A wagon carries more than an SUV costing $4,000 more, uses less fuel and parks more easily. It's cheap because the shape fell out of fashion, not because of any deficiency — though with 3,053 listings, choice is thin.
Why is the coupe median so high?
Because it's two markets under one label. Ordinary two-door cars sit at the bottom and sports cars at the top, producing a $16,500 median with a $55,555 top decile — the highest ceiling of any body style.
Denis Kataev is a serial solopreneur and the founder of ForCar. With 15+ years in software engineering and 10 years in SEO, he builds data-driven products end to end — backed by a sharp eye for design. At ForCar he mines proprietary vehicle datasets, turning raw numbers into buying advice you can actually trust.
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