Methodology
On Bestest, every vehicle is in or out. There's no middle ground. We evaluate every model on reliability, resale value, safety, and expert reception — and only the top combined performers earn a spot. The models at the bottom go on our avoid list, where they stay. Most other vehicles simply don't appear on the site.
To make the cut, a vehicle has to:
Fewer than half of the models in most segments make our cut. Many segments are tighter than that.
We don't rely on what one source said today. We blend years of independent industry data with two decades of hands-on experience from our founder, Jason Allan, formerly head of vehicle reviews and ratings at Kelley Blue Book and Autotrader.
The sources we trust:
We combine all of that into a single Bestest score, then make two decisions for each model: do we feature it on Bestest, and do we explicitly exclude it. The middle group — vehicles that aren't featured but also aren't on our avoid list — simply don't appear on the site.
We don't carry performance cars, coupes, convertibles, or dedicated off-roaders. Those shoppers care more about driving feel and personality than long-term reliability and resale. We focus on the everyday picks: the cars and SUVs most shoppers actually need to count on.
We also avoid specific trims, model years, and entire models. A few examples:
The cheapest Toyota RAV4 trim disproportionately comes from rental and corporate fleets and is missing key equipment. We don't list RAV4 LEs.
Even great models have years to skip. The 2022 Hyundai Tucson is a good example. That was the first year of a full redesign, and it showed. While the hybrid engine is fine, the all-gas engine developed a pattern of fuel injector failures that could cause sudden loss of power, serious enough that Hyundai eventually instructed dealers to replace all four injectors as a set. Federal complaint data for the 2022 runs several times higher than the model's other years. So we don't list the gas-only 2022 Tucsons, even though we recommend the model overall.
The Jeep Grand Cherokee. Jeep finished near the bottom of Consumer Reports' Brand Report Card three years running. The 2022 Grand Cherokee alone has 20+ NHTSA recalls. We won't put a friend in one.
Our avoid list is dozens of entries long and grows as we find problem cases.
Listings refresh daily from approved dealer feeds. Methodology revisions are documented here with date and rationale.
Last methodology update: June 4, 2026
Jason Allan is the founder and editor of Bestest. Before founding the site, Jason served as head of vehicle reviews and ratings at Kelley Blue Book and Autotrader, where he spent more than 20 years driving and researching cars, trucks, SUVs, and minivans. If you've ever trusted an expert-based KBB review, rating, or award, there's a good chance you've trusted his guidance.
Bestest is the next chapter of that work. Instead of telling shoppers which cars to avoid alongside listings for those same cars, Bestest only lists the ones we'd actually recommend.
When you see a vehicle on Bestest, three things are true:
We're not for everyone. If you're shopping under $15,000, looking for a sports car, or chasing the latest tech first, you'll need to look elsewhere. But if you want to buy a great everyday used vehicle without burning weekends researching, Bestest is the best way there is.
We're launching in Orange County, California — close enough to vet every dealer ourselves and maintain our curation standard on both the vehicles and the dealers selling them. We'll expand to additional markets as the model proves out.
Why does Bestest list so few used vehicles compared to other sites?
We only list models that earn a strong combined score on reliability, resale value, safety, and expert reception — typically fewer than half the models in any given segment. Big-volume listing sites promote the same vehicles they tell shoppers to avoid. We don't.
How is a Bestest recommendation different from a single award like Top Safety Pick or KBB 5-Year Resale Value?
Single awards measure single dimensions. Bestest evaluates reliability, resale value, expert reception, and safety together. A vehicle can win a Top Safety Pick but score middling on resale, or vice versa. Bestest only features vehicles with a strong combined score across all four.
Why doesn't Bestest carry performance cars or convertibles?
Performance cars, coupes, convertibles, and dedicated off-roaders are evaluated on different criteria — driving feel, personality, weekend usability — than long-term reliability and resale. We focus on the everyday picks: the cars and SUVs most shoppers actually depend on.
Why only Orange County?
We hand-vet every dealer we work with. Restricting to one market lets us maintain our curation standard on both vehicles and dealers. We'll expand once the model proves out elsewhere.
Why is every Bestest listing from a manufacturer-certified franchise dealer?
Certified franchise dealers face manufacturer audits, regular inspections, and brand-level oversight. There are also respected independent used-car dealers — we may add specific ones on a case-by-case basis as we expand and verify them.
What kinds of vehicles end up on the avoid list?
Specific trims (the cheapest RAV4 LE because of fleet sourcing), specific year-and-powertrain combos (the 2022 Tucson Hybrid for reliability failures), and entire models (the Jeep Grand Cherokee for chronic brand-level quality issues).
Are Bestest's picks ranked?
No. Within each market segment, our picks are equal-tier — we don't tell you which one is best. We may organize them into editorial tiers (Gold Standards, Personality Plus, Bang for the Buck) to highlight each pick's distinct strengths, but we never assign numbered rankings between recommendations.
— Jason Allan
Founder, Bestest
