Yahoo Autos Best used cars for £25,000 and under
You see some over-inflated prices on the new car market these days, but you can still buy some of the best cars for £25,000 or less if you want to ferry it around on the used market.
The top end of this budget will get you a brand new, modestly optioned Mini Cooper hatchback – or, if you don’t mind something pre-owned, a blue-blooded, older luxury car, assorted German road rockets or one of the finest small hot hatches ever conceived, and in its first flush of youth.
Newer, smaller cars may come with a manufacturer’s approved used warranty, but if you fancy something with a bit more heritage, you can stumble across some alluring obscurities.
All of the cars on this list are, in Autocar’s considered opinion, the very best in second-hand machinery for this budget. Each one comes with its own USP, can be bought with less than 50,000 miles, is compliant in a low-emissions zone and won't need plugging in overnight.
Since we’ve already considered the best used buys for less than £10,000 and £15,000, it would be rude not to investigate those for £25,000 and under.
Jaguar XKR (2011-2015)
It can be argued that there's no such thing as subjectivity in car design: you either get good sketches or bad ones. And if you don't like the look of it, that's for your eye to behold.
If that theory was unequivocally true, the Jaguar XKR is a prime example of good design. It’s smooth but aggressive, shouty but not angry and, according to designer Ian Callum, is one of the ‘purest’ cars he has ever been involved with.
And it has the grunt to back up those looks. From a 5.0-litre supercharged V8, you get 503bhp, 461lb ft of torque, a 0-62mph time of 4.6sec and a top speed limited to 155mph. That's quick even by today's standards.
The interior is equally modern. When it first came out, it was both loved and loathed for a lack of toys, but an attention to modern minimalism makes it look quite fresh in today's very modern and very minimalist market. And don't worry if you're a maximalist; you still get lots of noticeable R badges dotted around.
Best of all, you can grab one with less than 30,000 miles and still stay within our budget.
Is it really all good news? If you buy a routinely serviced example, it should be reliable. Cheaply maintained early cars can develop suspension faults, as well as gearbox and clutch issues. Our advice would be to buy one from a trusted dealer, better still an AA-approved one.
Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG (2007-2014)
Do you remember the Jaguar XFR? The car that shouted about its potential in lower case? This isn't it. The W204-generation C63 AMG snarls, grunts, kicks, screams and shouts its way to a 7500rpm redline while behaving like a muscle car that's had a sledgehammer dropped on its toe.
Not to create the wrong impression: it's still a Mercedes C-Class, which is to say you can use it every day. But because it was developed to rival the E92 BMW M3, it's a C-Class with a 6.2-litre atmospheric V8 that hurls 451bhp and 443 lb ft to the rear wheels and has come to define itself as one of the most characterful cars in Affalterbach's history. Its power is sent through a seven speed torque-converter automatic and it weighs 1655kg.
Inside, early models look slightly more dated, with a pop-up infotainment screen, grey plastic and air-conditioning vents that look like they've come from a Volvo. Later cars got a nicely integrated screen, redesigned multifunction steering wheel and a layout that remained ergonomic but was easier on the eye.
If you abide by these service intervals, you will have one reliable C63. Make sure the air filter is replaced every 30,000 miles; the spark plugs every 45,000 miles; the brake fluid every two years; the oil every 10,000 miles; and the engine coolant every 150,000 miles. Oh, and check the rear tyres. It's an AMG, remember.
Porsche Cayman S (2005-2012)
With a starting price of £45,000 when new, the Porsche Cayman S was meant to compete with the Audi TT, BMW Z4 and Nissan 350Z. But what it ended up competing with was its big brother, the Porsche 911.
It wasn't faster, even though its 291bhp 3.4-litre flat six was still good for a 0-62mph time of 5.4sec and a top speed of 170mph.
It remains finely balanced, offers handling as sweet as sherbet and body roll so minute that it's basically not there. And best of all, it suits the UK's cratered, cramped, crap roads like salmon fits rosemary.
This attention to handling prowess came with a surprisingly practical cabin and visibility that was good enough for hammering along risk-it-for-a-biscuit roads.
Elsewhere inside, earlier 987-generation Caymans were quite bare, but that's probably a good thing, because it means there's less to go wrong and you're left to get on with driving it.
Later models at the top end of our budget feature sat-nav and a five-speed Tiptronic gearbox.
Check, however, that the 'box is in perfect working order, as they're known to be slightly troublesome. Also make sure that the car you're looking at isn't shedding oil: this can be the result of a failed oil seal or, worse, a blown gasket.
Used Porsche Cayman 2005-2013 review
Alfa Romeo Giulia Veloce (2016-present)
Enter stage left, Italy's answer to the BMW 3 Series. A worthy contender it is, too, with direct steering that makes it feel playful yet planted and an engine note that sounds fruity, even on the regular Veloce model that we're about to consider.
This is the Alfa Romeo Giulia for you if the maniacal V6-engined Quadrifoglio is impractical, and with MPG in the low 20s, who could blame you? With a 276bhp 2.0-litre four-pot, the Veloce is still fast: 0-62mph takes 5.1sec and top speed is restricted to 155mph. Even its rolling acceleration is good, getting up to motorway speeds from 40mph in just 3.5sec. To get the same level of performance in the equivalent BMW, you need six cylinders.
Quality on the inside isn't quite up to the standards of the Bimmer, though, and nor is its infotainment system. It's quite good in isolation, but if you've spent time in a 3 Series, Audi A4 or even a C-Class, you will notice the fit and finish isn't quite as good as it could be. Still, at least you'll be turning heads: this is a beautifully proportioned saloon.
The idea that Alfa Romeos are unreliable is a horrible cliche. The What Car? Reliability Survey reveals the Giulia to not only be more reliable than the 3 Series but even the Mazda 6 and Lexus ES. It is, in fact, the second most reliable executive car surveyed, with an overall rating of 77.3%.
Problems can occur with the electrics and there have been rare reports of engine failures, but at this budget, you should be in good hands.
Bentley Continental GT (2003-2010)
Belgian designer Dirk van Breakel had his work cut out for him in the late 1990s. Personally chosen by Ferdinand Piëch, he had to sketch a new coupé that would show off Bentley’s breakthrough into the modern era and cost less than the £190,000 Arnage.
The Continental GT is what resulted: a progressive four-seat grand tourer costing £120,000 at the time and proving so popular that it sold more than double what it was projected to. Even today, it remains a core part of Bentley’s range.
But should it be the core of your shortlist? It’s hard to think of these as a used buy, but their relative popularity makes them comfortably less than our £25,000 budget. The later the car, the better it will drive, as Bentley continuously improved its big hit to make it more accomplished than the Volkswagen Phaeton limousine with which it shared some essentials.
