I’m a motors expert – here are the 10 best cars for under £1,000 with amazing hidden luxuries
A MOTORS expert has revealed the ten best cars with amazing hidden luxuries that you can buy for under £1,000.
JB from Cars With JB posted a video to his YouTube channel running down the list of “cheap and fun” cars for those on a tight budget.
Ford StreetKa
The Ford took tenth spot on the list, largely because it is the slowest entry.
Its inline-four puts out just 93 horsepower, giving a 0-60mph time of 11.7 seconds.
JB said: “The reason why this car is so fun is that it’s Ford’s response to the Mazda MX5 and they went the extra mile in making a car that is genuinely enjoyable to drive.”
They sell online for at least £900, while the full budget can net you a 2005 model.
However, he noted that the StreetKa has suffered from some reliability issues, especially around the electrics and suspension.
Jaguar X-Type
With its longer body and sedan styling, the Jag offers a touch of class on a shoestring budget.
Its diesel inline-four is turbocharged for some extra wallop, putting out a 0-60 time of juts 9.5 seconds.
JB explained: “This sits in the compact executive car class.
“In my opinion there is joy in batting around in an old and quite useless luxury saloon.”
The minimum for these is generally around the £800 mark, while anything past around 2002 maxes out the budget.
However, its worth plumping for the more expensive version, as JB revealed that earlier models suffered from some severe “build quality issues”.
Mini Cooper
A staple of British motoring, the Mini Cooper is an icon of its generation.
While the original versions gave audiences joy with their appearance in The Italian Job, newer model are on the market for a very reasonable price.
In fact, they can go as low as £400, but that can come with reliability issues.
JB described them as “fun and cheap little run arounds” and “go-karts for the road”.
Given the high resale value Minis usually command, bagging one of these could see you net a bargain.
Suzuki Swift Sport
Just as cheap to run as the Mini, the Swift lives up to its name with a 0-60 time of 8.9 seconds.
Good examples can be found for as little as £895.
The low price coupled with some of the sportier features make it ideal for experienced petrolheads and newbie drivers alike.
VW Golf GTI
Coming from the beloved Golf GTI lineage, the MkIV models of this iconic hot hatch can be found for as little as £850.
A turbocharged inline-four service any driver with a need for speed, with a 0-60 of 8.2 seconds.
JB said: “I think this car is a good one to own as it is a GTI and a great platform for modifications.
“The reason why it’s not such a popular GTI is that VW opted for comfort instead of sportiness as the primary focus of this car.”
BMW E46
Coming from the 3-Series range, the E46 is “tremendously fun”, according to JB.
The 320ci spec can clock in for about £900, with an inline-six engine putting out 170 horsepower.
However, there have been known to be issues with oil leaks and suspension malfunctions.
Toyota MR2
This nifty two-seater convertible can power its way to 60 in just 7.7 seconds and rivals the usually market-dominant Mazda MX5.
JB said: “The car’s designer literally said it’s all about fun.
“He even went as far as to say he wanted it to be as simple as possible to enable consumers to customise it themselves.”
It also sneaks in just under the budget cap at around £995 for a decent example.
Peugeot 206 GTI
Just making the cut at £999, this French-made hatch are even faster still than previous entries, with a 7.6 second 0-60.
Designed after Peugeot’s successful rally cars, it brings a sporty edge to the driving experience.
However, owners have reported a range of faults as the model gets older, with JB claiming some have even encouraged him not to buy one.
MG F
A light and nimble soft top, the MG is an out-and-out sports car, rather than just a sport hot hatch.
While engine issues have persisted over the years, they come in at around £800.
However, JB urged drivers to watch out for corrosion and check the power steering system when buying as cheaper offerings may have faults.
Mercedes SLK230
The SLK is joint with the MG as the fastest on the list with its 7 second 0-60.
There are both manual and automatic option, which give customers the benefit of variety.
The “glamorous” saloon gives consumers a taste of the S-class luxury associated with Mercedes at just a fraction of the price, while retaining much of the power of its bigger counterparts.