James Ruppert on used cars: cheap exotics you can buy from a supermarket

Other unusual baggage included an Infiniti or two. A couple of 2016 Q70 2.2d Sport Navs were £19,299 with just over 28,000 miles. A neat option on this group’s website is that you can see the car inspection documents, which is handy – although for the model I was looking at, they still needed to be uploaded, as did some detail snaps to accompany the main picture.

When it comes to the less exotic, I wasn’t sure the last time I had seen a Renault Laguna estate, but they had a 2011 one for a whopping £6500. This supermarket seemed to be insourcing stock from related dealers, but it wasn’t at all clear and that’s why you must always visit the supermarket and not rely on the web, however depressing it may be.

What we almost bought this week: 

Mercedes-Benz CL600 - This V12-powered coupeà was once the preserve of the insanely rich but is now the same money as a new city car. However, there will be big bills if anything goes wrong. Check the lights in the instrument cluster still work, watch out for coil packs and make sure the air suspension maintains the normal ride height overnight.

Tales from Ruppert’s garage: 

Volkswagen Polo - Mileage: 81,500: 

Farewell, then, to the toy car, which never let us down. It ate a few tyres but otherwise cost us nothing apart from the usual consumables and MOT tests.

Here is the bottom line: it cost us £5000 four years ago from a dealer. We sold it for £3000, which means it cost us £500 a year. That is pretty spectacular value.

Yes, we could have bought something for a grand and then spent a fortune keeping it on the straight and narrow. This was much better. It will be hard to replace, but we have. Details to follow very soon.

A-Z Bangerpedia - C is for Civic: 

Honda Civic buyers are nice, responsible people who know a reliable, well-built car when they choose one, even if the styling is a little bland. It’s a no-brainer buy, because it will never, ever let you down.

Build quality is generally superb and reliability pretty much unquestioned by the vast majority of owners. All round, it’s a very safe set of wheels to buy and run.

There is a lot to be said for owning a car that won’t cause you any hassle. Interestingly, the Civic can also deliver just a little bit more than basic transportation.

Readers’ question: 

Question: My neighbour is looking to offload his Saab 9-3 2.0 T Aero Convertible. I’m sorely tempted, but does the demise of the brand mean sourcing parts will be a nightmare? Jason Foulds, Ipswich

Answer: It shouldn’t do. Parts production was restarted at the Saab factory in 2013 and a range of 74,000 genuine parts is now available. There are plenty of non-genuine parts suppliers catering for Saabs, too, so unless you’re seeking something particularly niche, you shouldn’t have any trouble.

Question: How much would a Volkswagen Phaeton cost me to run? Is it like repairing a Bentley? Michael Robinson, Kendal

Answer: It isn’t quite as costly as running a Bentley, but it still won’t be cheap. Fuel consumption is high and some parts costs are eye-watering, plus there are long labour times and complex electronics, so keeping one running is a wallet-bruising business.

Read more 

Volkswagen Phaeton review 

Honda Civic review 

Volkswagen Polo review