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...
Mercedes-AMG GT S £74,999:
Here’s a bit of good news for you: while you weren’t looking, Mercedes-AMG GT prices have been sliding. Granted, that doesn’t yet mean you can walk into a Mercedes dealer and exchange one for a fiver and the packet of sweets you found in your pocket last Tuesday – but if you were thinking about buying yourself a brand-new Porsche 911, perhaps your head might be turned. You see, for less than the cost of the Porsche, this three-year-old GT S can be yours. And this is, let’s not forget, a car in rather a different league. By which we’re talking about 515bhp versus 365bhp, 0-62mph in half a second less and an awful lot more drama.
Oh, sure, the GT S lacks the Porsche’s final degree of precision, but what you get in return is a double-dose of fabulous V8 noise that borders on the obscene, tyre-shredding tail-happiness to spare and, of course, looks that can stop pedestrians in their tracks.
Find a used Mercedes-AMG GT S on PistonHeads
Granted, this example has done 30,000 miles – probably more than you’d expect for a supercar like this. But any modern Merc should wear such mileage lightly, and extending the warranty for a couple of years should cost you no more than the change you’ll get from the price of a sensibly optioned Porsche 911 Carrera. Anyway, this is a car that would have cost well north of £110,000 when new, especially once you factor in the Premium package that it has (a £4395 optional extra when new that gives you a Burmester hi-fi, reversing camera, keyless go and panoramic roof). That translates to a saving of around £40,000 over the sum it would have cost its original owner. So, still want that 911?
Jaguar X-Type Estate £4990:
Five grand sounds like a lot to give for an X-Type, but these late wagons’ values are firming up. Don’t believe the duff reputation, either: they’re good to drive, laden with kit and look smart. This top-spec 2008 Sovereign with 86k miles on the clock feels like a nice way to get around.
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Agree
Some appalling recommendations
A 10 year old X type that will be rotten underneath for nearly £5k.
A 3 year old Fabia for £8.5k.
A Renault Wind that nobody bought new.
And a Golf SV that no one bought either.
The Wind and Golf SV will be a nightmare to sell on, and the X Type will be scrapped when the MOT cost is too high. Very strange recommendations this week folks.
Blow
Bit girly I know but the Wind appeals the most (for the wife of course). If you got it for £4,100 you could expect 2 years and 20,000 trouble free motoring, then get around £3,250 in the spring.
£850, not bad for 2 years 'wind' in your hair motoring.