There’s a surprising list put out by iseecars.com that details the 10 best cars to buy used rather than new. What’s surprising is there are some really nice cars on the list that show major drop offs after 1 year of ownership.

According to iseecars.com, it analyzed 15.7 million cars for sale over the last year to identify which ones had the biggest price differences between new and lightly used models.

Buying a used one-year-old model over a new car can mean substantial savings for consumers from $6800 up to $37,600.

Here’s the list as provided by iseecars.com (Click on the link to find out what the site is all about.)

1. Hyundai Genesis -38.2% ($16,600 difference)
2. (tie) smart fortwo -36.9% ($6,900 difference)
3. (tie) Cadillac CTS -36.9% ($20,000 difference)
4. Chevrolet Impala -33.5% ($10,800 difference)
5. GMC Yukon XL -32.8% ($21,100 difference)
6. Volvo S80 -32.6% ($15,700 difference)
7. Mercedes-Benz S-Class -32.4% ($37,600 difference)
8. Lincoln MKS -30.4% ($14,600 difference)
9. MINI Cooper -29.3% ($9,000 difference)
10. Jaguar XK -29.2% ($28,100 difference)

"Everybody knows that new cars depreciate the most in the first year and that different cars have different depreciation rates, but we wanted to see which used cars experienced the largest price drops compared to their new models," said Phong Ly, iSeeCars.com CEO, in the introduction to the study. When comparing the price of new cars with the price of 1-year-old cars with average miles, iSeeCars.com’s data analysts found that the average first-year price difference was 16.9 percent.

"Understanding the difference in price between a new car and a slightly used model is a powerful tool for consumers in their decision-making process. It's often possible to buy a car that is one model year old with low miles and get all the features available in the brand new model, so it makes good sense to seriously consider this option," said Ly.

For consumers shopping for a Hyundai Genesis, the car with the biggest percentage loss in value, choosing a 1-year-old used Genesis over a brand new one can lead to potential savings of $16,600. Buyers looking for a Chevrolet Impala, the most popular car on the top 10 list, can potentially save $10,800 by making a similar choice, the study found.

"There are numerous reasons for the wide range of differences, but the most prominent factors that increase the price difference between a car's new and lightly used models are lower popularity compared to its competitors, a brand with reported dependability issues or expensive repairs, or having just undergone a redesign," said Ly.

With regards to luxury cars, it’s not surprising to see so many on the list. As iseecars.com points out, they are typically leased, which means a steady supply to the used car marketplace. Less expensive cars, like a Toyota Corolla for instance, are reliable and stay in the hands of owners for much longer periods.

"While some luxury models tend to lose a lot of their value early on, they still don't drop enough in price to be affordable to many consumers to buy used, so they aren't even on the consideration list for those shoppers," said Ly. "Shoppers who can afford to own or lease those cars would generally prefer to buy the new model or rollover their luxury leased car for a lease on the latest and greatest model, making the used model less desirable to those shoppers."

Of course, price isn't the only factor in buying a car, so consumers would be wise to consider all the reasons that are important to them before making a final decision. New cars typically come with a better warranty than used cars and even certified pre-owned cars, which may bring some car shoppers peace of mind.

Additionally, even with a substantial cost savings, some consumers may still opt for the new model based on where the car is in its design lifecycle. "If you buy a 1-year-old car of a model that has been fully redesigned for the current model year, such as the 2015 Hyundai Genesis, then you’re buying the previous generation of the car and it will already look dated compared to the new model," Ly said. Car shoppers would also face a similar situation when buying the 2013 models of either the Chevrolet Impala or the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, because both were redesigned for the 2014 model year.