The used car market is brimming with tasty deals, but sometimes it can be hard to tell the wise buys from the potential money pits.
Fear not, our used car experts have compiled their picks from the classifieds. See anything you like? Best to move fast and buy them before we do...
Hummer H3 SE £17,500
Buying a car from a defunct manufacturer can be fraught with danger. What do you do for spare parts? Who will be able to service it? What will this do to the resale value? All of these are very valid questions, but with the help of the internet and support from online forums, you can often make it work.
Take, for example, Hummer. Most will already know of the company’s military origins in Operation Desert Storm and the civilian version that followed, so we shall skip ahead to the H3, which came out in 2006. It was brought out as a cheaper model and the H3 was the smallest vehicle in the range. This meant that it was a bit more fuel efficient, but at a claimed 19.5mpg, it was hardly an environmentally friendly option.
Find a Hummer H3 for sale on PistonHeads
Still, this didn’t matter in the US and the H3 sold rather well in its first few years. Then, in 2008, there was an economic downturn, which halved sales compared with the previous year. Eventually Hummer, at this point under GM management, had to close in 2010 after a buyer for the company couldn’t be found.
So where does that leave this H3? Well, its underpinnings come from a Chevrolet Colorado pick-up truck, and the engine was shared with a number of GM and Isuzu products, so parts shouldn’t be too difficult to find, particularly if you search online. There are garages dotted around the UK that specialise in American cars which should be able to look after it.
We found an H3 on Pistonheads that has covered only 30,000 miles and is up for £17,500. That means it has retained quite a lot of its original value, which is quite impressive, considering the company has been mothballed for eight years.
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Lancia Beta Montecarlo for £19.99
Back in the 80's I had a Lancia Beta HPE for a while but I always fancied a Montecarlo (or better still a Stratos - but I didn't have the money then and I couldn't live with it now).
At the time the Montecarlo was quite unusual, mid engined, responsive & sensibly sized 2Ltr engine, plus nice handling and even a decent sized boot.
I might just buy this for a bit of fun.
Simply stunning....
....was when I saw that photo of the DS19! Which makes PSA's DS brand's loose hommage even more insulting.
I Concur
Just quite simply impossibily, indecently beautiful
Am I alone?...
Am I alone in disliking the original DS? It has always looked disjointed to me, as if the body panels were hung with a Gallic shrug. I want to like and admire it but can't.
Feel the same about older Rover P6s, they look equally thrown together rather than expertly built
disappointed
Autocar is actually recommending people buy a Hummer H3? You guys have changed (which despite popular opinion is not always good).