The 20 great used cars you can STILL afford

Fewer new cars and an increased demand for personal mobility has seen a surge in demand for used cars, inflating prices of the most popular models. Good news if you’re selling a car, but not great if you’re hoping to a grab a used bargain.

It's not all bad news, because it’s still possible to find a good, relatively recent used car for £5000. If you look beyond the obvious and most popular models, you’ll find thousands of used cars at affordable prices. We’ve limited our search to cars registered after 2010 and with up to 100,000 miles on the clock.

Once upon a time, the Ford Mondeo would have been considered an obvious used car for anyone buying on a budget. Not today, as many buyers prefer the prestige of a premium badge or the perceived benefits of a crossover. It’s why the Mondeo (2007-2014) is such a compelling buy.

Around £5000 is enough for a 2014 hatchback or estate with a 1.6 or 2.0 TDCi engine for lazy and economical motoring. Excellent value for a large car with the spaciousness of a 5 Series and the driving characteristics of a 3 Series. Find a Mondeo in Titanium trim for a touch of class.

You’ll get even more for your money if you buy a Vauxhall Insignia, because £2000 is enough for a 2012 model with up to 100,000 miles on the clock. Push the budget to £5000 and you can afford a 2015 or 2016 model. It’s why the Insignia is one of the best used cars you can buy.

There are three versions available – saloon, hatchback and estate – each one offering class-leading comfort, a lot of interior space and low running costs, especially if you opt for a diesel engine. The 2013 facelift introduced a raft of positive changes, most notably to the interior, so these are the models to go for.

Your heart says you want a Mini, but your head tells you to look at the Suzuki Swift. Sure, it’s not as desirable as a Mini, but the Swift is nearly as entertaining to drive, plus you get the reassurance of Japanese build quality and reliability. You could even afford the Swift Sport hot hatch or Swift 4x4 for this budget.

The 1.2-litre four-cylinder engine of the standard Swift needs to be pushed to get the best from it, but it’s rather enjoyable trying to keep the revs in the 4500rpm to 6000rpm sweet spot. You’ll even achieve around 50mpg if you’re not having too much fun with the free-revving four-pot.

It’s rarer than the Audi TT, and therefore more exclusive, but the styling will turn just as many heads. Launched in 2010, the Peugeot RCZ may have been based on the humdrum 308 hatchback, but the Zagato-style double-bubble roof and fat aluminium arches gave it the look of a concept car.

The 154bhp 1.6-litre petrol unit is the one to have, not least because the gearing is so well suited to the engine. It’s just a shame that the interior is so bland, although GT cars get leather seats for a premium feel. Overall, the RCZ is comfortable, stylish and fun to drive. Still want that TT?

Crossovers and SUVs are in demand, so you’ll pay handsomely for anything with a premium badge. Even popular mainstream models like the Nissan Qashqai and Kia Sportage have increased in price following the shortage of new cars. Which is why something leftfield like the SsangYong Korando makes a lot of sense.

The 2.0-litre diesel engine comes with a choice of power outputs and either a six-speed manual gearbox or six-speed automatic transmission. There’s also a choice of two- or four-wheel-drive, with the latter ideal for anyone who wants to make use of the 2000kg braked towing weight. All versions come with a long list of standard equipment.

Toyota invested heavily in the iQ, and the list prices reflected this, but the little city car makes more sense on the used car market. Shorter than the classic Mini and with an ability to out-manoeuvre a London taxi, the iQ is perfect for our tight and congested city streets. The styling looks contemporary, even 13 years on from its launch.

It’s not perfect. The boot is too small and there’s only enough room for three adults, but the 1.0-litre petrol engine is eager and economical. There’s also a 1.3-litre engine from the Auris if you want to venture beyond the city limits. Buy some Aston Martin badges on eBay and you can pretend it’s a Cygnet.

Remember the Volkswagen Eos? Not everyone does, which is why it remains relatively affordable in a buoyant used market. It’s one of several coupé-cabriolet cars from the era, including the Focus, Astra and Mégane. The Eos was the poshest of the lot and featured a rather clever roof.

The metal folding roof incorporates a sliding sunroof, so you can decide how much wind you want to feel in your hair. Check the drain holes are clear before, ahem, taking the plunge, because water ingress can turn an Eos into a paddling pool. On the plus side, there’s room for four adults and their luggage, although an open roof will eat into the boot space.

Citroën launched the stylish DS3 supermini to take on the Mini 3dr. It worked, because the DS3 was one of the most convincing Citroën models for a while, with chic styling, an upmarket interior and excellent handling. It even used the same turbocharged engine as the Mini Cooper.

Like the Mini, the DS3 was available with a long list of personalisation options, so look out for some tasteful (and otherwise) models on the used market. Our choice would be a DSport Plus, which features 17-inch alloys, electric windows and mirrors, dual-zone climate control, Bluetooth and leather trim.

In a world of bloated and overpriced SUVs, there’s something reassuringly simple about the Fiat Panda 4x4. It’s a city car favoured by residents of some of the remotest parts of Europe; you’ll almost certainly find a Panda 4x4 in the Alps or on a Tuscan hill farm.

We don’t know if your commute involves tackling the odd olive grove or mountain valley, but if it does, you’ll be glad you bought a Panda 4x4. The 1.3 MultiJet diesel is good, but the 0.9 TwinAir petrol is as distinctive and characterful as the car, albeit with a guarantee that you won’t match the official fuel economy.

We never really worked out if this was Skoda’s idea of an SUV, MPV or estate car, but we’ll settle on the fact that it offers the benefits of all three. You might remember that Skoda said the Roomster featured a ‘living room’ at the back and a ‘driving room’ at the front, which helps to explain the rather oddball styling.

Versatility is its strongest attribute, thanks to the two outer rear seats that both slide and recline, plus an occasional middle seat that folds forward to create an armrest. There’s a lot of headroom in the back, so you won’t even have to remove your top hat. It’s a quirky car, but you’ll love its practicality.

It’s not in the least bit exciting, but don’t be too sniffy about the Toyota Avensis. Search the classifieds and you’ll discover hundreds of examples with anything up to 200,000 miles on the clock, each one with plenty of life to give. If the many recalls have been sorted, an Avensis of this vintage (2009-2015) should run and run.

The 2.0-litre diesel is excellent and perfectly suited to the long-legged comfort of the Avensis. If you want a petrol engine, the 1.8-litre delivers adequate power with the same fuel economy as the 1.6-litre. The entry-level T2 is a bit basic, but the spec gets more generous as you progress up the trim ladder.

You could follow the crowd and buy an Audi A3, BMW 1 Series or Mercedes A-Class. Alternatively, you could opt for the safe and stylish Volvo C30. Sixteen years on from its launch, the C30 looks as good as ever, especially if you opt for the pre-facelift version. We’re focusing on the post-facelift C30 of 2010 to 2013.

There’s a wide range of engines available, including the 227bhp 2.5-litre five-cylinder from the platform-sharing Ford Focus ST. With a 0-62mph of 6.7sec and a top speed of 149mph, the C30 T5 will give many hot hatches a run for their money. Other versions are less thrilling, but no less interesting to own.

A budget of £5000 is enough for a 2016 Kia Picanto. That isn’t particularly interesting, but it’s worth remembering that the car will come with the remainder of Kia’s seven-year warranty, which should give the Picanto the edge over rival city cars of the same price.

Avoid the base model as it lacks air-con, but the other versions feature everything you could reasonably expect from a city car. You get five doors as standard, a spacious interior and a choice of 1.0-litre and 1.25-litre petrol engines. The 1.0-litre three-pot is perfect for city driving, while the larger engine is better for venturing further afield.

The Alfa Romeo MiTo didn’t enjoy the best of births. Early cars were plagued by reliability issues, many of which continued until the car’s demise in 2019. However, many of the problems should have been solved by now, so you can buy a MiTo with reasonable confidence. Build quality isn’t the greatest, but just look at the styling.

A budget of £5000 is enough for a facelifted MiTo (2013 on), which boasts a few styling tweaks, a revised dashboard and a new touchscreen media display. Equipment levels are good across the range, while the 0.9-litre TwinAir petrol engine suits the cheekiness of the car.

Britain’s cheapest new car is good at retaining its value, so even a 2016 example will cost around £5000. Some of the earliest models fetch £3500 to £4000, although values have been inflated by the surge in demand for used cars.

All of which means the Sandero’s key proposition remains: if you’re after a five-door family hatch for the price of a supermini, look no further than the Dacia. As always, avoid the entry-level Access trim unless you enjoy no frills motoring, but the other models are perfectly acceptable.

The original Nissan Note is one of the most practical and flexible small cars you can buy. It’s dull to look at and to sit in – and it’s not exciting to drive – but if you’re after the practicality of a compact MPV in a car the size of a supermini, this Nissan hits the, ahem, high notes. It’s just as tuneful as a Honda Jazz.

Enough of the musical gags, because the Note scores highly for interior storage. The 280-litre boot features a false floor and can accommodate more than 1300 litres of luggage space. The front passenger seat also folds down to allow loads of up to 2.4m in length. You also get a cooled glovebox with space for up to a dozen cans of drink.

You needn’t spend more than £4000 to get the best Renault Wind in the country. Granted, it’s not a rival to the Mazda MX-5, but it’s arguably the most distinctive coupé-cabriolet you can buy for less than £5k. The electrically powered roof takes 12sec to fold away into the boot without reducing the 270-litre luggage capacity.

Thanks to a Twingo chassis tuned by Renault Sport, the Wind is a, well, breath of fresh air to drive, especially if you opt for the 131bhp 1.6-litre engine from the R.S. Twingo. The 1.2-litre petrol should be fine for most buyers. Not enough people care about the Wind, which is why it has escaped a price hike.

The Chevrolet Captiva boasts an unfashionable badge from a manufacturer no longer present in the UK. As a result, it’s one of the most affordable SUVs you can buy if owning a relatively recent model is one of your priorities. Some come with a third row of seats for extra flexibility.

It was too expensive when new, but a decade of depreciation has chipped away at the price to make it more affordable. The 2.0-litre diesel is fine, but the 2.2-litre diesel, introduced in 2011, is the better option. Indeed, models built after the 2011 facelift are the ones to buy. It’s perfectly adequate in every department, which is everything you’d want from a £5k seven-seater.

We didn’t know it at the time, but the Mazda CX-7 was ahead of the curve. Launched in 2007 with a best-avoided 2.3-litre turbocharged petrol engine, the stylish CX-7 came of age in 2010 with the arrival of a 2.2-litre diesel engine. Now it had the right engine to go with its strong dynamics.

Look at the headlights and front wings. Do they remind you of the RX-8? There are more sporty touches on the inside, such as the MX-5-like steering wheel. If you’re in the market for an Audi Q5, Land Rover Freelander or BMW X3, you must consider the Mazda CX-7. Just avoid the troublesome pre-facelift petrol engine.

In 2009, Seat needed a foothold in the compact executive market, so it borrowed previous-generation Audi A4 to create the Exeo. The smoke and mirrors worked, because the Exeo seems to get more appealing with age; it feels like you’re getting a little extra for your money.

We criticised the cabin for being dated in 2009, but that’s less of an issue today when anything from the pre-infotainment screen era looks positively retro. Saloon and estate (ST) versions available, while the 2.0 TSI is a VW Golf GTI in sheep’s clothing.