Buy them before we do: second-hand picks for 2 November

Vauxhall Senator £4995: Built in Germany, the Senator was the accountant’s BMW 5 Series – a cheaper but even more luxurious conveyance. The one we spotted is a 1986 2.5 A2-series model, forerunner of the admittedly better-looking and more accomplished – especially in 3.0 24v form – A3 of 1987. It’s mint and has done just 44,000 miles.

Volvo XC70, £3495: Fond memories here of towing a caravan to North Wales with our long-term first-generation XC70 Cross Country in 1997. No doubt that this example, a 2006-reg second-gen 2.4 diesel with 136,000 miles, would inspire similar affection. It’s had one owner from new and has a full service history.

Peugeot 107, £3040: There’s nothing like a wringing a little car’s neck. The 107 was made for such times. Its tiny three-pot motor spins like a top. In third gear, it fires out of tight corners, yet it’ll cruise with the fast boys all day long. Admittedly, £3040 is strong money for a 31k-mile 2010-reg Allure, but you can always haggle.

Auction watch: 

LEXUS SC430: A 2+2 coupeÃ-convertible with a folding metal roof and a 282bhp 4.3-litre V8 – it should have been game on for the Lexus SC except that its ride and handling were below par. No matter: in 2004, the suspension was revised sufficiently for us to declare it fit for purpose.

The example that we saw go to auction was a 2005 car with 61,000 miles. The hammer fell at £3127. Assuming weak spots such as the vapour canister, water pump, lower radiator and tyre pressure monitoring system were behaving themselves, and the rear subframe was free of rust, it was a good buy.

Get it while you can: 

Porsche Macan S - Diesel Price new £49,174. Price now £44,000: In February, we reported that Porsche had ceased production of Macan diesels but the company’s recent announcement that it will no longer offer diesel models at all is a wake-up call to high-mileage Porsche fanatics wanting a late-plate deal before it’s too late. Here’s one they might like: it’s a fully loaded, one owner, 2017 Macan S Diesel with only 8000 miles on the clock up for just £44,000, a useful saving of more than £5000 on the cost of a new one. And of course being an EU6 oil-burner, it’s future-proofed (short-term at least).