Used hatchbacks for sale near Wonder Lake, IL under $14,913

I drove two hours to find the car I had been searching for, and it was absolutely worth it. The purchase process was smooth and seamless from start to finish. We’re very happy with the distance we traveled to make this purchase—it was a great experience overall!

I was initially looking for a used Golf, but the more I looked at the Beetle the more I liked it. When I found the one I ended up buying, it was love at first drive. This little car packs a punch with the 2.0T, and will throw you back in your seat. It’s an absolute blast to drive. Handles well around town and on the interstate, where it could easily get one in trouble since it wants to GO. The same engine as is found in the GTI, so this should be unsurprising. Easily gets 30+mpg on the highway when cruising along, typically around 20-25 city. These cars handle city driving just fine, but they are meant for the freeway in my opinion. I find the interior to be quite luxurious. Heated leather seats (not available in the Golf) with plenty of storage compartments. Not many frills, just a sleek and mostly practical dash. The trunk is big enough for grocery runs, and the rear seats fold forward for larger loads. It’s not going to haul large appliances or furniture, although it could possibly carry some bigger stuff on a roof rack. The Fender audio system is impressive, wouldn’t change a thing about it except it could benefit from an updated head unit with CarPlay. This hasn’t been an issue for me. I think the car is a real looker, it turns heads and has drawn the occasional compliment. My used model had some imperfections, but it’s still a great looking car that I want to look after and keep for as long as I can. It feels well built, the doors close with the satisfying weighty thud of a premium vehicle. Overall, I am very happy with my 2013 beetle. It’s not only fun, but it seems to be reliable with a couple caveats that some owners might not be aware of. The 2.0T engine is designed for premium fuel, using regular will eventually damage it. The 2.5 can run regular, but I believe the 1.8T will also want premium. The reason for this is lower octane fuel will cause detonation in these high compression engines. If you don’t know what detonation is, just know it’s bad. The oil needs changed more regularly than the manufacturer recommended 10k miles. 5k to be safe, 7k at a stretch. This is especially true for higher mileage vehicles. Speaking of stretch, there is a known issue with some 2.0T engines where the timing chain stretches over time and many miles, so if buying used that’s something I’d have a mechanic check out. This is an expensive maintenance item, but IF it’s needed, getting it done along with the tensioner and a new water pump for good measure will ensure that the new to you Beetle is reliable for many years and miles to come. The other issue is carbon build up. Getting it cleaned out is not as spendy as the timing chain but it’s also not a cheap fix. I believe this can largely be avoided by using top tier fuel (it contains detergents that help with this) as well as regular oil changes and some regular spirited driving. Would not recommend this car to someone who mainly does town or city driving, the 2.5 engine might be better suited for that. According to my research, the 2.5 is quite bulletproof BUT it’s not good for any engine to be driven at low RPM all the time.

went it to look at a car that i saw online, called to check if it was available, the moment i stepped in they made me feel like i was family and took really good care of me. Great customer service, and very friendly

This is a fuel efficient and modest car. It achieves 98hp has a 9 gallon tank and an automatic transmission. The LS has crank windows and old fashioned key-lock doors. You can haul a reasonable load in the back seat and hatch or even three other people, though it might be somewhat cramped. It appears to be designed for urban commuters, but I've driven it some decent distances and in all seasons now and it seems to up the challenge of all weather and (paved) terrains. The onboard technology (radio, backup camera, and internet connectivity--with Apple Play and Android Auto) is surprisingly good. Its small size makes it fit easily into small spaces. It was discontinued in 2022, so there should be parts for awhile and prices are coming down. If you need a second car, give this one some consideration.

Nora was great! Took the time to help find the right vehicle. She was patient and was great to work with! Mary G.

Solid for a convertible. Goes surprisingly well in the snow and with the seats down can haul stuff. I have this as my only car and it is actually very practical. Plus, it’s just a joy to drive.

Excellent customer service!! They help me find the perfect car for me, and kept me within my budget!! Friendly staff and beautiful showroom!! Two thumbs way up!! A shout out to Mike Medina the GM who really helped make this purchase smooth and quick! I will be recommending Elgin Auto Sales to all my friends and family!

Bought it new. Hard to tell that it's almost 8yrs old. Third Mini, first automatic. Very nimble and good acceleration. Love the heads up display and love love the power folding mirrors and side driver visor. Seats are very comfortable and have an extension for longer legs available. Haven't been able to figure out how to delete older phones from the bluetooth or unwanted addresses from the nav system tho. Biggest drawback for me is that the nearest dealer is 1.5 hrs away. But they do offer a valet service to pick up the car if scheduled in advance. It's not the most inexpensive to repair but what vehicle is nowadays.

Very friendly staff that helped me find the right car and sent me up with financing that worked for me. I appreciate the time they took to explain the process and made everything really easy! Definitely my place to go when i need another new car in the future.

This car met all of my needs. It has plenty of legroom in the front and back. The ride is great compered to another cars I tested. I has USB ports and much more.

I have always driven large cars and trucks. This car has been so much fun for what it is. It is the most comfortable economy car I have ever driven. I am nervous about the cvt. I had the dealer (against their recommendation) flush the fluid and filter at 45K. We’re at 90k now so I’m going to have it done again. Considering it’s an economy car, it’s very good in every aspect except the 0-5mph acceleration. It just doesn’t want to get moving—but you get used to it, and it’s fine once it gets rolling. Fingers crossed that its reliability continues beyond 100k.

Great customer service. Straight forward and not time consuming at all. Gave me a deal right after lowering the price a week before.

I bought my golf new at the end of 2016 and would have kept it much longer if it had not been totaled in an accident. The few little issues I had were covered under the initial warranty (coolant leak, trunk leak). Nothing else other than normal maintenance things like brakes and tires up to 81,000 - that's as far as I can speak to. I took good care of it, did the VW service things for the most part and I have no doubt it would have lasted to 200K or beyond. It looked cool and was fun to drive. I had the S manual. I enjoy driving and had a tiny regret about not getting the Wolfsburg edition (faster engine, slightly better options like heated seats and sun/moon roof).

Great service and people fast and easy buying process will recommend to other family and friends fun environment and provide coffee and water will be back for all my service needs and repairs

I've only had the car for a week, but gets great gas mileage. If you can believe the mileage on the dash I'm getting 38.8 mpg. It isn't a speed demon but has good pickup for a 4 cyl car. I do notice hesitation when shifting into drive but it I attribute that to lack of power. It does fine getting me where I need to go.

Sam provided outstanding service. He was always available to take my calls and ensured that the entire purchase process was smooth and stress-free. I truly appreciated his professionalism, responsiveness, and support throughout.

Bought used @ 8 yrs old. Very satisfied for retiree use and care. Great mileage. Some paint issues with rust on rear tire wells. It's Michigan winters & no garage.

This car meets my needs--fun to drive, a small version of an SUV, efficient and gets me to where I need to go. I look forward to driving this for a long time.

A great sales experience. The Sales Consultant Galo, and the Finance Manager Dean were both excellent

the best car i’ve ever owned! the average repair bill went from $2000 to $40 - that’s right forty average. i have adapted to home charging and DC Fast, but i say that’s a pleasant change from Big Brother’s plan for the rest of you…

Elvir and Matt did a great job and I was pleased with the attention, negotiation and the car I got.

It's a nice car, considering the deal we got on it!!! It runs really good and hopefully, our daughter will be able to drive it back and forth to ATL

Great Customer service! Easy process. Love my new car! Would definitely recommend. Thank you Dart Motors

I drive around town most days and love the idea of not using as much gas. I drive older volvo's that I love for many reasons but they are aging and certainly not good on gas. I like the idea of full EV cars but the cost is very high and range for me (I take a lot of 200-300 mile road trips) makes it more complicated along with the expense of charging stations or installing upgraded home chargers. I bought a used Volt with 50k miles and it honestly is a pretty awesome car. I can drive around town almost purely on electric, just plug in at night to a standard outlet. And barring me going on a road trip a tank of gas a month maybe less. (8 gallons to fill up!!!!) I love the heated seats and wheel. The interior layout is great and its a very quiet car. It's quick around town and holds its own on the freeway. Are the seats volvo comfortable? NO, but they aren't bad at all in the leather premier trim. Is the back seat huge not really but if you are less than 6' it should be fine. The bose sound system is GREAT. All the safety features are nice. Back up camera, front and rear sensors, lane keep, adaptive cruise, etc.... It took a week or so to get used to how to drive it in EV and maximize my range. I can now get around 55-60 miles in town. I would say to read the manual for sure, the climate controls are situated to save electricity so there is no A/C on or off button and I had to read up on how it works. I got the hang of it once I took the time to understand what did what. The Chevy Volt forum is a wealth of knowledge as well, and that really made it easy to learn how the car works. Apart from slight learning curve it is an excellent car you can easily run in EV only if it suits your situation. Long trips are no problem I can get 42 mpg on the freeway usually and no down time to charge at stations along the way. This is a great car to bridge the gap between full gas and full electric and given the price to purchase it almost makes sense not to own one. I LOVE IT.

Had a wonderful experience while I was purchasing my vehicle. I was in and out in about an hour after I made my selection! Thank you Dave the GM for making it easy

This Is the best car I have ever owned. If it had a 200 mile battery it would be outstanding and it has a back up gas engine when you run out of energy. Bring it back

Salesmen and all staff were helpful and worked with me on a great deal for the Gladiator.

Most reliable car in my 37 years of driving! NO problems. Biggest negative are brakes grabbing at parking lot speeds. Biggest positive 39 mpg average. I had software upgraded and replaced USB module from Walmart for Android auto and Apple carplay

Such a good experience, from introduction to purchase. They pretty much accomodated all my needs and they do all this with no "dealer fees". I would buy from them again if I can.

It's great to drive and met my needs as far as reliable and good transportation goes. I would recommend it to anyone who likes a sporty reliable car that can def meet your needs.

Pleasant and understanding vehicle unfortunately didn’t meet my expectations Martin was great very pleasant.

No complaints about this car. Love everything about it. Wish I had gotten it from a different dealership though. Plug in electric is great. Rarely ever use gas unless I’m on a long road trip then it’s gas and go.

Sherry was amazing & did an excellent job at finding us the suv we wanted. We would definitely buy from her again and she became a great friend! The entire experience was seamless. We couldn’t be happier.

GREATEST CAR EVER !!!!!!!!! no maintenance no headaches just drive and go ! Love it so much and it’s the best !!!! I love this car :) awesome car !

Bought a Tesla Model 3, clean car. Well taken care of. Process was very quick and efficient!!!! They sell nice cars at great prices! Will be back for my kids car soon!!

I own a 2013 model s. Bought from my son at 90k miles he lived In apt and had trouble finding a charge. I only get about 200 miles a charge now but I only drive in city amd never have issues with charging. Incredibly quick off the start. Looks great and rides incredibly.

Absolutely amazing experience from start to finish! Andrew in Sales was friendly and helpful, and Tom—hands down the BEST—went above and beyond to make everything perfect. If you’re looking to get a car, this is the place. Go here and get one today! 🚗💯

I purchased my 2013 Mazda 3i Grand Touring Hatchback (manual transmission) in 2014 and the previous owner had put 30K miles on it. I've now got 140K and still love the car. Outside of recommended maintenance, the only repair expense I've had was I decided to replace the clutch. It hadn't failed but it was starting to show some slippage. I haven't even had to replace the brake pads yet! As for likes and dislikes that someone checking out this car might not notice just from looking, here are some negatives: 1) The 1-2 shift is always a bit notchy but others are smooth. 2) The 2.0L doesn't have a lot of power in the lower revs but 3000-4000 rpms it's pretty spirited (assuming you don't have four large adults in the car) 3) I ended up replacing the OEM headunit (the BOSE with Navigation) with an Eonon. I had issues getting the Eonon working early on but after a couple updates, it's been a huge improvement. 4) The biggest negative is that at some point, I'll have to let it go. On the positive side: 1) It handles great, 2) It carries a decent amount for its size 3) It gets good gas mileage (I used to average 35mpg but in recent years my driving in this car has been more around town and it's fallen back to 31-32.) 4) It's been extremely reliable. 5) The front seats are very comfortable (I'm 5'7" and the car fits me great. I imagine taller people would not be as comfortable.)