I’m a motors expert… here’s the best used cars you can buy for under £5,000 – but make sure you’ve done crucial check
MOTORING experts have revealed the best second-hand cars you can buy if you have £5,000 burning a hole in your pocket.
Matt Robinson and Shane Wilkinson from Auto Express said with that amount of money the market is fairly wide open from an economical city car to an off-roader or even a flashy convertible sports car.
However, they warned before shelling-out some hard cash it was best to carry out a thorough inspection and take any prospective purchase out for a test drive.
They added with that amount of money prospective buyers could afford to be picky and wait for the right car that suited them.
The pair also advised to always go for cars that had a solid service history and a fresh MOT.
Here’s the six choices they made.
Dacia Sandero Mk2
The petrolheads said picking this option was a great way to get a newer motor because it was already cheap in the first place.
The Access model was famously known as being Britain’s cheapest car because it only cost £5,995 new.
But for that price a radio wasn’t included and it didn’t come with central locking or body-coloured bumpers as standard.
The Sandero offers basic but “not barebones” motoring, according to the experts.
While it’s not “particularly thrilling to drive” it does offer great value for money.
In the price bracket, you can also get your hands on the crossover version of the car dubbed the Stepway.
Land Rover Freelander Mk2
The pros said that while you could get a “cheap-as-chips” Land Rover Freelander 1 it wasn’t something they would recommend.
Instead, they said for £5k you could get behind the wheel of a Freelander II with the “must-have” diesel engine.
While they warned about the car’s reliability and running costs the pair said it had a “mighty off-road performance” and it was also great to drive on the roads as well.
Nissan Qashqai Mk1
According to the pair, the Nissan Qashqai Mk 1 offered a “sound used buy” as models could be picked up for around £3,000 and upwards and at that price you could have your choice from a good range.
They said all versions were practical even though they were only a bit larger than a “C-segment hatchback” and the driving experience wasn’t far off those cars.
The experts though did raise a eyebrow over the car’s quality and reliability.
Toyota MR2 Mk3
When it comes to budget sports cars many people may think of the Mazda MX-5 but for under £5,000 the experts said they’d plump for the third generation MR2.
Due to its mid-engined layout, the experts said the MR2 felt more “exotic” with its “fizzy” 1.8 litre engine.
The pair also said the MR2 was far less likely to rust than the MX-5.
They advised it was best to go for a “post-facelift” model – from 2002 onwards due to the improvements introduced by Toyota.
Volkswagen up! Mk1
Once Volkswagen had dropped the Fox in Europe, the up! was brought out as its replacement with the experts saying it was “a better car in every way”.
In fact the only thing they said they didn’t like about it was the use of punctuation in its name.
They said it nailed the city car brief “with near perfection”.
Despite its compact, boxy shape they said there was a decent amount of space and the cabin feels airy and well designed.
Performance wise the experts said it a confident feel of a much larger vehicle and was even “quite fun” when pushed.
If driving a VW isn’t your thing, then there’s some close rivals like the Skoda Citigo and the Seat Mii which might appeal.
Volvo V70 Mk3
The pair said that while the V70 might not be as “slick” as its successor it still had a classy image and with a Volvo estate, the all-important huge boot.
It has a 575-litre capacity which increases to 1,600 if you put the back seats down.
There are also handy features such as luggage hooks.
The model comes with a wide range of engines available but they warned that with the current high fuel prices, they five and six-cylinder ones would be costly to run.
If £5,000 is over your budget, then there are lots of other cheaper great used cars.
For £3,000 or less, these are the best options.
These are your best options if you have £1,000 to spend.
In July, the most popular used cars were revealed.
This comes after a car expert revealed ten cars you can buy for less than £18k.
Plus, a motor expert revealed the best cars for cheap insurance – and it can help drivers to save hundreds of pounds.