What are the biggest used car bargains out there?

What are the biggest used car bargains out there?

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white_goodman

Original Poster:

4,042 posts

192 months

Tuesday 24th April 2012
quotequote all
I despair about the ridiculously high cost of new cars today. A Fiat 500 Twinair for £13k? A base spec 3-Series for £25k? Even the "cheap" brands such as Kia/Hyundai are climbing up to £20k for their mid-size models. Even as little as 5 years ago (when I was still selling cars), there was good value to be had buying new. £20k for a mkV Golf GTI seemed perfectly reasonable and I remember the mk1 Octavia vRS was only £15k when it was first launched. Now you would struggle to get into a decent mid-spec Golf for £20k!

I wouldn't consider buying new any more unless there was a massive discount or a killer finance deal to be had. The used car market also suffers from this to a certain extent IMHO. It still amazes me how much a decent Honda NSX or Evo costs. Delta Integrales are now way out of my reach and even "cheap" cars like tidy mk2 Golf GTis and to a lesser extent 205 GTis are surprisingly strong money.

However, there are also some great bargains to be had. What do you belive to be the biggest used car bargains out there? Here are some suggestions:


<£3k: Clio 182, Civic Type-R (most MGs, Alfa Romeos, Saabs and Jaguars)

<£10k: E46 M3, Impreza WRX, 350Z

<£20k: RS4, E60 M5, Maserati GT, Vauxhall Insignia VXR, 997 (or are these still slightly over?)

I'm sure that there are bargains to be had over £30k but I can't ever envisage having the means to spend £30k+ on a car!

What do you rate as the biggest used car bargains out there?


Ray Luxury-Yacht

8,910 posts

217 months

Tuesday 24th April 2012
quotequote all
Hmm, from what I see (endlessly) browsing the classifieds, in terms of finding bargain used cars, I would say we've never had it so good?

Cheap end of the spectrum - well my Mk.1 Skoda Octy VRS is probably worth maybe 1500 quid on a good day - that would be a performance bargain for someone, right?

More run of the mill higher end stuff - Audi RS4's, BMW M3's etc. all seem to be cheap compared to the new price? M3's for under 5 grand? Gotta be worth a punt, no?

Porsche 996's have to be the bargain of the century - 10 to 15k for a good one. And I've had one, they're not as bad as people make out biggrin

What about Bentleys - newer Continentals I've seen for 30k - and older Turbo 'R's, 3 to 5 grand?

Jag XKR's - similar prices.

Going up - Ferrari 355's / 360's under 40k?

Gallardos - 50k?


TROOPER88

1,767 posts

180 months

Tuesday 24th April 2012
quotequote all
996

Nothing comes close

green944

138 posts

147 months

Tuesday 24th April 2012
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<£1000 Porsche 944 and 924 cool

BorkFactor

7,266 posts

159 months

Tuesday 24th April 2012
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For an all round car that is good at pretty much everything, IMO it has to be the mk3 Mondeo. I can't believe how much car you can get for so little money!

smugglersvin

1,939 posts

195 months

Tuesday 24th April 2012
quotequote all
Ford cougar fully loaded mint low mileage cars can be had for less than a grand.

chrisr29

1,250 posts

198 months

Tuesday 24th April 2012
quotequote all
BorkFactor said:
For an all round car that is good at pretty much everything, IMO it has to be the mk3 Mondeo. I can't believe how much car you can get for so little money!
Including dullest looking car ever made.

996 has to be up there amongst the best, I've seen tidy ones for circa 10k.

Dave_

530 posts

205 months

Tuesday 24th April 2012
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MG's

Not a fan of the ZS but the ZR and ZT are great bargains.

stubbsy996

782 posts

214 months

Tuesday 24th April 2012
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996 all day long!

stubbsy996

782 posts

214 months

Tuesday 24th April 2012
quotequote all
996 all day long!

theironduke

6,995 posts

189 months

Tuesday 24th April 2012
quotequote all
Anything with lots of cylinders!

Top spec V12 Mercs and BM's....E38 750's?

Big coupes? now has to be the time to get and 8 Series surely?

Then the usual silly cheap Bentleys and Rollers....5-6 for a Turbo R?? Yeah it may well ruin you BUT you will be ruined in style!

bencollins

3,524 posts

206 months

Tuesday 24th April 2012
quotequote all
MG TF @£2k
IMO beautiful, good on petrol, convertible, mid engine, fastish.
Good shout on the cougar.

anonymous-user

55 months

Tuesday 24th April 2012
quotequote all
TROOPER88 said:
996

Nothing comes close
E46 M3

Buggerlugz

120 posts

149 months

Tuesday 24th April 2012
quotequote all

I was recently in a position where I was going to have to chop in my mazda 6 mps for something a lot more economical so started looking at audi a4's which seemed to be around £20k for 2 year old sub 10k miles examples

Then I stumbled across Seat, this one seems an absolute steal


http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2010-SEAT-Exeo-SE-Lux-TD...

2009 models with 50k mileage can be had for less than 10k

obviously not for badge snobs

fortunately my impending increase in mileage disappeared so I can continue to run around at a cost of 30p a mile

Vladimir

6,917 posts

159 months

Tuesday 24th April 2012
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Almost anything vaguely quick but NA with high RFL seems to drop like a stone these days.

nottyash

4,670 posts

196 months

Tuesday 24th April 2012
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I drove past a mint blue MGF at the side of the road today with a £600 sign in the window.
That made me look twice
getmecoat

Froomee

1,424 posts

170 months

Tuesday 24th April 2012
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Z4M ............ That's why I want one smile

No doubt running costs aren't cheap but fairly cheap to but considering age, mileage and performance.

edc

9,236 posts

252 months

Tuesday 24th April 2012
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£15 k bought me a Porsche Boxster S and an L322 Range Rover Vogue in the past 6 weeks.

theironduke

6,995 posts

189 months

Tuesday 24th April 2012
quotequote all
edc said:
£15 k bought me a Porsche Boxster S and an L322 Range Rover Vogue in the past 6 weeks.
I doff my PH cap to you Sir!

Ray Luxury-Yacht

8,910 posts

217 months

Tuesday 24th April 2012
quotequote all
theironduke said:
edc said:
£15 k bought me a Porsche Boxster S and an L322 Range Rover Vogue in the past 6 weeks.
I doff my PH cap to you Sir!
Yeah I agree! Well bought cars there...