A consumer recently wrote into the Boston Globe, asking what inexpensive used cars had the lowest maintenance costs, and while buyers considering used cars in New Jersey may have expected to see Japanese makes dominate in the answer, other options could be just as affordable.

While compact and mid-size offerings from Honda and Toyota like the Civic, Accord or Camry have long been thought of as reliable cars in the used market, John Paul, public affairs manager for AAA Southern New England, says they’re not the only choice. He also recommended some domestic mid-size cars like the Chevrolet Malibu and the Buick Century.

For the 2005 model year, a no-frills used Chevrolet Malibu in New York came with a four-cylinder engine rated at 145 horsepower that offered a range of 400 miles in combined city and highway driving, with “plenty of passenger and cargo space,” according to Edmunds.com

The website also estimated the cost to own a Malibu, and drivers can expect to pay about 34 cents per mile including maintenance costs, repairs and fuel. That’s 20 cents lower than the federal government’s rate for mileage.