Everyone loves a bargain. Whether it’s a ‘buy one get one free’ supermarket offer, a closing-down sale, unearthing a hidden gem in an antique shop, or finding some of the best used cars on the market today, the thrill of beating the system is hard to top, and all the more so in the midst of a cost of living crisis.
It’s no different when buying something second-hand – and the good news is that, following a few years of sticky new car supply chains forcing up the values of second-hand stock, prices are finally starting to drop.
As a result, there are some real steals to be found when scouring the showrooms or combing through the classifieds. To give you a taste of what’s possible, we’ve picked out the best candidates from a number of popular sectors including supercars, hot hatches, estates, super-saloons and convertibles.
Each have a number things in common: they cost at least half as much as they did when new, and they're tailored toward the thrill-seeking enthusiast. They also have their own unique selling point to help them stand out from other bits of metal in the car park, can be bought with less than 50,000 miles, are compliant in a low-emissions zones and aren't powered solely by electricity.
Best used hot hatch
Okay, we’re cheating a bit here, because values of the tearaway Toyota remain pretty strong. Even so, just over £26,000 for a used Circuit Pack model looks like cracking value when the current WRC-themed Ogier and Rovanperä editions cost an eye-watering £60,000.
Either way, you will get much the same driving experience, which means neck-straining performance from the 267bhp turbocharged triple and Scalextric-like handling.
Read our Toyota GR Yaris Circuit Pack review
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Surely no enthusiast would ever buy a convertible 911. Removing the roof, which is structural, says "I will never drive this car hard, but I hope to be noticed driving a 911."
I think only the GT86 can be bought and run relatively affordably.
On that note I think I'd go Hyundai i20 or 30N for hot hatch, loads of fun for an enthusiast and available at lower prices than the GR so open to more enthusiasts.
Best convertible would have to be an mx5 with honourable mention to the MK3 MR2, both actual affordable,over a wide price range, convertibles. The Boxter deserves mention as well, as it can be bought quite cheaply in regards 986/7s but is still a Porsche so has suitable running costs.
These could also cover off the best sports car
You say,
Couple this with the fact that when you drop the roof and get overly-friendly with the throttle, you're greeted by a raspy, screaming flat-six mounted just behind you, that is both spine-tingling and grin-inducing.
And
The Mazda MX-5 might provide a cheaper - and possibly more charismatic – way of getting drop-top thrills, but it’s difficult to think of alternative convertibles that offer as much as this one does.
How difficult is it to think of a flat six Boxter?