Luxury Coupe

Infiniti G35
The sheen of the Infiniti G35 is somewhat dulled now that the company has updated it to the current 330-horsepower G37, but when compared with its used-car competition, the G35 still shines brightly. A 2006, 6-speed manual G35 Coupe has a 298-horsepower V6 powerhouse under the hood and the driving manners of a BMW 3-Series. But calculate the estimated cost of ownership over five years on a BMW 330Ci versus an Infiniti G35, and you get almost $54,000 for the former and only $47,000 for the latter.

Compare: Infiniti G35 vs. BMW 330Ci vs. Audi A4

Luxury Sedan

Cadillac DTS
The Mercedes S-Class and BMW 7-Series may have the edge over Cadillac these days when it comes to prestige, but when it comes to long-term reliability, those cars can't touch the humble Cadillac DTS. In fact, for the past three years, Cadillac's sedans have ranked at or near the top in J.D. Power dependability surveys. Plus, a fully loaded 2006 Cadillac DTS can be had for the bargain price of $22,000, with a cost of ownership that is dwarfed by its Teutonic counterparts over the life span of the vehicle. Besides, what kind of prestige is there in driving a used luxury car anyway? Get one that's comfortable and that works.

Compare: Cadillac DTS vs. BMW 5-Series vs. Audi A6

Trucks

Midsize: Toyota Tacoma
The Tacoma is tops for both reliability and resale value. Like many pickups, the Tacoma boasts a variety of body styles, with regular and Xtracab (extended cab) versions dating back to the 1990s and Double Cab (crew cab) from 2001. The current Tacoma starts at $15,345, but anything from 2006 or earlier can probably be bought for less than $10K.

Bing: Custom Toyota Tacoma

Large: Ford F-150
Among truck lovers, nothing has the reputation of the Ford F-150. This tough work truck has been going strong in one form or another since the 1940s. Ford F-Series trucks score high for dependability and have unbeatable resale value for their segment. The latest-generation F-150 was just launched in 2009, so anyone looking for one of these haulers used is probably looking to shop one of the past two generations. The best pickings, qualitywise, are the years 2004 to 2008, where the rounded styling and cheap plastics of the previous generation were recast into a brawnier, yet more refined, package. Since this has been America's best-selling vehicle for the past 33 years, there's plenty of selection, so shop around and you're bound to find exactly what you want.

Are you shopping for a used car?

Sports Cars

Porsche 911
For the merely affluent, buying a new Porsche 911 can be a humbling experience. The price for the base-model rear-wheel-drive Carrera starts at $77,800. "Wow! That's a lot of money," you think. "But I've worked hard (or at least inherited wisely), I've saved up and I deserve it." Now add some metallic paint ($710), fancy wheels ($1,490), leather seats and leather interior ($5,205), dynamic cornering lights ($690), park assist ($530), a rear wiper ($360), heated seats ($510) and a 6-disc CD changer ($650) — and suddenly you're up to a $90,000-plus vehicle (and those, by the way, are modest options). It's enough to make one reconsider one's qualifications for the upper class. But just because you can't gather that kind of scratch doesn't mean you don't deserve this amazing driving machine. Dial back your expectations to a 2005 model Carrera and you're talking about a vehicle with a starting price of less than $40,000. And Porsche vehicles always get high marks for long-term reliability; the brand takes top marks for both customer satisfaction and long-term reliability from J.D. Power and Associates.

Shop for a Used Car via AutoTrader on MSN Autos

Sam Foley is a Connecticut-based automotive journalist who has written for GQ, Forbes, USA Today, the New York Post and various other publications.