You could have 78 years of Netflix, 18 iPhone 15s, three nights in the most expensive room at The Savoy, or some of the very best used cars if £15,000 is your budget.
Appealing motors that are well under a decade old are achievable on this budget, as are some very youthful budget machinery – everything from the Maserati Quattroporte to a Dacia Duster with less than 30,000 miles and a couple of the greatest sports cars in a generation.
No matter which one you go for, whether older luxury or low-slung dynamism, this guide will steer you to the things you need to know, from telltale signs of abuse to tips on how to spot a gem.
Our list comprises a mixture of cars: some are ULEZ compliant; some have V8 engines; some carry seven people; and some are sleepers. But they all have a USP, aren’t electric and can be bought with less than 50,000 miles on the clock.
Read on, then, for our list of the best cars for £15,000 and under.
Toyota GT86 (2012-2021)
If you’re an avid enthusiast, this is one of those cars you probably know all about. But if not, it's a small sports car with less than 200bhp, eco-friendly tyres and a top speed on a par with a middling saloon's – and it's one of the finest-handling machines you'll ever come across.
Its performance statistics are not impressive on paper, but that pales into insignificance when you're behind the wheel. It serves up rival-beating thrills in every (manual) gear and is so balletic and characterful that we called it “the keenest, sharpest, most enjoyable and loveable small sports car for a generation” when we first tested it. As well as its rewarding handling, its naturally aspirated 197bhp flat-four engine plays a part in its engaging appeal.
Inside, the controls feel as chunky and dependable as an anvil, but there's enough soft-touch material to make the 2+2 cabin feel habitable, especially at this price.
Being a Toyota, it’s reliable with regular servicing. Where there are fewer electronic gizmos and toys, as here, there are fewer chances something will go wrong, and among the high praise accorded it by its owners, only a couple of issues are reported.
Check for a lumpy idle, broken valve springs on early cars (for which a recall was issued), and, because of the type of car it is, bodged repairs from previous accidents.
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