The $200 budget is actually enough to get yourself a professional tool as a DIY mechanic. I tested several of them for this review and came up with a few options I believe are best.
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Quick recommendations
xTool A30M
Mucar CS6
Thinkdiag2
OBDLink MX+
XTool D5S
My insights after testing 100+ OBD2 tools
I’ve tested literally hundreds of OBD2 scanners, so let me tell you why I find these the best value for money.
There are 3 types of OBD-II scanners you can consider to get in this price range if you need a tool that will pretty much cover all vehicles.
XTool A30M is best without a subscription
Some kind of yearly fee is standard in professional car diagnostic tools and the newest software update will pay for itself in busy car shops.
But for DIY mechanics, a yearly subscription is really annoying so I will start with a no-subscription tool.
xTool A30 is not only without a subscription, you also get all the newest updates for free for a lifetime.
It is bi-directional and has solid vehicle coverage and service procedures.
But what I liked the most about it, is it is very simple to use. It is not trying to be the most advanced, but it is simple to use with solid functionality it has.
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Thinkdiag2 is more advanced
Thinkdiag2 is more advanced compared to xTool A30. In addition to everything that A30 does, Thinkdiag2 will also get you bigger vehicle & brand coverage, some OEM functionality for certain car brands, and even ECU coding to unlock hidden features of your car.
Thinkdiag2 is fully comparable with a professional $300-800 scan tool, you just use your smartphone with it instead of paying for a tablet.
The only downside is that you have to pay for a subscription, currently about $95 per year, starting from your second year. The first year is included in the price of the device.
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(Think car Thinkdiag2 and Kingbolen Ediag are the same tools)
xTool D5S/Mucar CS6 if you want a tablet scanner
Professional scan tools are outside of this budget, but if you like to have a tablet scanner you can get a 4-system scanner like xTool D5S.
It will not scan all modules, but it works with the 4 most important modules: engine, transmission, ABS, and airbag.
Mucar CS6 can scan 6 modules: Engine, Transmission, ABS, Airbag, TPMS and Body
If you work mostly on older vehicles, it can be enough but for newer cars, I would recommend getting the xTool A30 instead.
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OBDLink MX+ to use with different apps
The OBDLink MX+ is the only one on this list that will let you work with different third-party apps you will find in your app store.
But it also comes with its own OBDLink app for smartphones and OBDwiz software for laptop users.
The OBDLink app comes with some OEM addons but it is still less advanced than previously mentioned tools.
OBDLink’s strength is more in using different apps from the store, here are a few examples of my favorite OBD apps.
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Here are multiple stores where you can get OBDLink MX+. Check them out to get the best deal possible.
Winners of the test
xTool A30M
Mucar CS6
Thinkdiag2
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Hi, I am Juraj “Yuri” Lukacko. I got frustrated by unhelpful and scammy mechanics, so I decided to learn everything about car diagnostics myself. I test dozens of new car diagnostic tools every month along with learning new strategies to fix and customize cars. About Juraj Lukacko (Yuri)