Looking for a good deal on a late model car? Consider sedans

A used BMW 3-series sedan offers one of the best values in the D.C. area this month, according to iSeeCars.com. Dealers are offering 39.5 percent more deals on these cars than usual. (AP Photo/Kerstin Joensson, File)
Parris tested the midlevel SE model that was priced at around $22,800, but the VW Jetta's starting price is under $20,000. While the price is affordable, Parris said the features are not that of a stripped down model. (WTOP/Mike Parris)
The second-best used car to look for in the area this month is the Volkswagen Jetta. Nationally you can find the Jetta discounted about 20 percent more often than it usually is, but in D.C., about 30 percent of these cars for sale are available for at least 5 percent more than usual. (WTOP/Mike Parris)
Looking for a fun-to-drive compact sedan? The Hyundai Elantra Sport has the power to excite at a nice price. (WTOP/Mike Parris)
The Hyundai Elantra can be found used in the local area with discounted prices about 30 percent more often than usual.  (WTOP/Mike Parris)
With Ford moving away from sedans, good discounts can be found on the Focus  about 25 percent more often than usual. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
FILE - In this June 18, 2014 file photo, workers produce C-Class sedans at the Mercedes plant near Tuscaloosa, Ala. The National Labor Relations Board on Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2014 upheld a ruling that Mercedes violated federal labor laws by stopping United Auto Workers union supporters from handing out literature inside its Alabama plant. (AP Photo/AL.com, Tamika Moore, File)
If you have your heart set on a Mercedes C-class, you might want to look this month. About 20 percent of the used C-class sedans for sale can be found for a better discount that usual. (AP Photo/AL.com, Tamika Moore, File)
This 2016 Nissan Sentra, shown here, is available used in the D.C. market for a good price about 22 percent more often than usual.  (Nissan via AP)
Recent Nissan Altimas rank seventh on iSeeCars.com’s list of the best deals on used cars in the D.C. area this month. Right now, you can find about 21 percent of the Altima sedans for sale at a better price than usual.    (AP Photo/Alan Diaz)
Recent Ford Fusions for sale by both dealers and private sellers can be found at a good discount 17 percent of the time around Washington, D.C. (Courtesy of Ford Motor Co. via AP)
Car buyers looking for a Hyundai Sonata in the D.C. market will be glad to know about 15 percent of the sedans for sale right now can be found for a better price than usual. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Buyers looking for a car like the 2016 Kia Optima SX 2.0 turbo (pictured) should find good deals about 13 percent more often than usual in the D.C. market, according to a report from iSeeCars.com. (Courtesy of Kia Motors America via AP)
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Parris tested the midlevel SE model that was priced at around $22,800, but the VW Jetta's starting price is under $20,000. While the price is affordable, Parris said the features are not that of a stripped down model. (WTOP/Mike Parris)
Looking for a fun-to-drive compact sedan? The Hyundai Elantra Sport has the power to excite at a nice price. (WTOP/Mike Parris)
FILE - In this June 18, 2014 file photo, workers produce C-Class sedans at the Mercedes plant near Tuscaloosa, Ala. The National Labor Relations Board on Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2014 upheld a ruling that Mercedes violated federal labor laws by stopping United Auto Workers union supporters from handing out literature inside its Alabama plant. (AP Photo/AL.com, Tamika Moore, File)

WASHINGTON — If you’re in the market for a late model vehicle and looking for the best year-end discount, consider a used sedan.

New and used car marketplace iSeeCars.com analyzed more than 2.4 million one-to-five-year old used vehicles that sold between 2015 and 2017, and compared their list prices with their market value.

The search engine’s database includes more than 4 million new and used vehicles for sale, and considers those listed by both dealerships and private sellers.

iSeeCars’ analysis is based on used vehicles listed for sale during the month of December with a discount of at least 5 percent.

In the Washington, D.C. market, a late model BMW 3 Series tops the list, with 39.5 percent more deals than average, followed by the Volkswagen Jetta and Hyundai Elantra.

The top 10 vehicles in the Washington market with the best year end deals are all sedans. Nationally, eight of the top 10 are sedans.

iSeeCars said pickup trucks are the vehicles that are least likely to offer year-end discounts.

Nationally, the top three late-model SUVs with the most year-end deals are the Ford Edge, GMC Acadia and Dodge Journey.

Used cars available in the D.C. market with a better price than usual in December:

  1. BMW 3-series
  2. Volkswagen Jetta
  3. Hyundai Elantra
  4. Ford Focus
  5. Merceds-Benz C-Class
  6. Nissan Sentra
  7. Nissan Altima
  8. Ford Fusion
  9. Hyundai Sonata
  10. Kia Optima
Jeff Clabaugh

Jeff Clabaugh has spent 20 years covering the Washington region's economy and financial markets for WTOP as part of a partnership with the Washington Business Journal, and officially joined the WTOP newsroom staff in January 2016.

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