Past masters: the best used British bargains on the market today

Size-wise, the first-gen Mini hatch is the closest to BMC’s original. The One is slow, the Cooper a little quicker and diesels are economical, but the supercharged petrol Cooper S is the one you want.

What to look for Cabin damp, gearbox and supercharger noises, irregular maintenance

Price: from £350 to £23,000

British eccentrics

From the nation that gave the world cricket, these motors do it their way and in style.

Mini Paceman (2013-16)

The Paceman had big ambitions, with hatchbacks, coupés and even SUVs in its crosshairs. Buyers were confused, though, and with sales falling, BMW dropped it after just three years. It’s a heavy car and at its best in Cooper S form.

What to look for Missed oil changes, worn brakes, peeling decals

Price: from £1500 to £13,000

Lotus Elan SE (1989-1992)

With its front-wheel-drive layout, the Elan SE was, in the context of Lotus, almost wilfully perverse. A thrash in the 163bhp turbo version usually won over sceptics. The model returned in S2 form from 1994-95.

What to look for Mechanicals are strong but composite body and interior can be tired

Price: from £6000 to £13,000

Range Rover Evoque Convertible (2016-2018)

Heavier, more expensive and less practical than its five-door sibling, the two-door Evoque convertible was a bonkers derivative that was binned after just three years. Used ones are rare today, but they are at least reasonably priced.

What to look for Check for cabin damp, creaks and groans and DPF issues on diesels

Price: from £13,000 to £26,000

Ineos Grenadier (2023-)

Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s take on the original Defender is no rich man’s vanity project. Used Grenadiers are now more sensible although options-sensitive.

What to look for Desirable options; check the underside and that everything works

Price: from £43,000 to £96,000

British value 

Great design and innovation for a lot less than you might think.

Land Rover Freelander 2 (2006-2015)

The second-generation Freelander was well built, powerful, practical and comfortable. It’s good to drive on road and off and has high-tech chassis systems including on-demand four-wheel drive and Terrain Response. Cars from 2012 are the best.

What to look for Underside damage and oil and coolant leaks, wonky steering, transmission noises

Price: from £1300 to £17,000

Jaguar I-Pace (2018-)

Used EVs have nosedived in price in recent months, and few have done so more steeply than the handsome, comfortable and tech-rich I-Pace. Four-year-old cars with fewer than 30,000 miles start at £17,000; SE trim is the sweet spot.

What to look for Check charge cables are present, that the battery and brakes are in good condition and that all the updates have been carried out

Price: from £14.000 to £75,000

Jaguar XF MK2 (2015-2024)

The Mk1 XF is cheap but long in the tooth, so check out this, its good-value Mk2 successor: a prettier and better-finished car with new underpinnings and engines. There are even versions with four-wheel drive, but the regular rear-drive cars go well enough.

What to look for Oil dilution in diesels, infotainment glitches, water leaks into the cabin

Price: from £1500 to £48,000

Jaguar XE (2015-2024)

The XE has a class-leading blend of comfort and agility. There’s a wide choice of petrol and diesel engines, too. With good build quality, fair prices and an interior brimming with nice touches as standard, what’s not to like?

What to look for DPF issues on diesels, infotainment gremlins, irregular tyre wear

Price: from £2500 to £40,000

MGF (1995-2002)

The MGF was an affordable, mid-engined, rear-drive roadster with engaging handling and a supple ride. It was facelifted in 1999 and offered in 110bhp, 118bhp and 145bhp outputs, and it went on to become Britain’s best-selling rag-top.

What to look for Hydragas suspension and head gasket leaks, underbody corrosion, steering issues

Price: from £500 to £7000

British sports

Six of the best for road or track – and sometimes both

Lotus Exige S2 (2004-2011)

Buoyed by the success of the Elise, Lotus followed up with the more powerful Exige two-seat coupé in 2000 and the Exige 2 four years after that. Its 1.8-litre Toyota/Yamaha engine produces from 187bhp in standard form to 256bhp in the supercharged 2011 S.

What to look for Unblemished service history, coolant leaks, gearbox wear, signs of tracking, tired body

Price: from £20,000 to £35,000

Jaguar F-type coupe (2013-24)

More than 10 years since it was launched, Jaguar’s homage to the E-Type continues to thrill in terms of both performance and value for money. Good 5.0-litre V8-engined cars start at around £28,000, 3.0-litre V6s cost from £18,000 and the sweet (2018-on) 2.0-litre four-pot model is around £25,000.

What to look for Interior rattles, seized centre air vent and door handles, faulty active exhaust, leaky rear differential

Price: from £17,000 to £145,000

Aston Martin V8 Vantage (2005-2017)

The baby in Aston Martin’s range when it was launched proved to be one of the brand’s finer offspring, possessed of a charismatic and reliable 4.3-litre V8 (increased to 4.7 litres from 2008), an aluminium body and a well-designed cabin.

What to look for Full service history, worn clutch, suspension and alignment issues, oxidation on early cars

Price: from £14,000 to £175,000

Jaguar XK (2006-2014)

Like its predecessor the XK8, the XK is a pretty 2+2 coupé powered by a choice of V8 petrol engines. Some of those are supercharged, which means the XK is quick but also comfortable. If you can, buy the better, post-2009 facelift version.

What to look for Bulletproof service history, supercharger leaks and noises, warped wheels, faulty parking brake, aluminium oxidation

Price: from £3500 to £50,000

Mini 2.0 Cooper S (2013-2024)

Most models improve over the generations, and the third-gen Mini Cooper S is no exception: it’s quicker, usefully roomier, more refined and more ‘grown-up’ than its predecessors. Prices are very colour- and option-sensitive.

What to look for Heated seats and the larger sat-nav and upgraded stereo, peeling decals, budget tyres suggesting penny-pinching

Price: from £3500 to £34,000

McLaren 570S (2015-2019)

Autocar’s road testers awarded McLaren’s rival to the Porsche 911 Turbo S the full five stars. Today, with prices for 2016-reg examples starting from £70,000, or half their price before extras when new, perhaps a bonus sixth star for ‘good used buy’ is now due.

What to look for A trickle charger, broken suspension springs, leaky dampers and coolant hoses, wayward panel gaps and bubbling on panel edges

Price: from £67,000 to £104,000

British brutes

Meet the Brits that pack a punch

Jaguar S-type R (2002-2007)

Prices for this cool-looking, rear-wheel-drive 395bhp V8 super-saloon now span from around £7000 to £15,000. In a head-to-head with like-minded rivals, Autocar rated it not far behind the E39 BMW M5, the prices of which start where the Jaguar’s leave off.

What to look for Rotting sills, supercharger rattles, missed oil changes, hunting transmission, baggy suspension, faulty electrics

Price: from £3000 to £17,000

TVR Griffith 500 (1993-2002)

Prices have risen for this 5.0-litre, 340bhp version of the original hairy-chest express, with the cheapest cars now around £15,000 and the most expensive double that. TVRs have a poor reputation but, fortunately, by now the few Griffs for sale have had most issues sorted.

What to look for Electrical problems, mechanical noises and cooling issues, quiet reverse gear engagement, suspension and bodywork faults, rotting chassis outriggers

Price: from £17,000 to £40,000

Range Rover Sport 5.0 Supercharged (2009-2013)

With 503bhp and 416lb ft, this most powerful of the first-generation Sport can sprint from 0-62mph in just 5.9sec. Thanks to adaptive suspension and active anti-roll bars, it rides and corners comfortably and securely too.

What to look for Supercharger noises, failed water pump, weak battery, sitting oddly at rest, irregular tyre wear, underbody damage

Price: from £7000 to £15,000

Jaguar XFR (2009-2015)

Son of S-Type R also has a supercharged V8, but in this case it produces 503bhp to give 0-62mph in 4.7sec. In its road test, Autocar awarded the 2012-facelift version the full five stars. There’s an even more powerful and dramatic XFR-S with 542bhp, but they’re hard to find and prices for them are high.

What to look for A failing timing chain (the engine might sound like a diesel tractor on start-up), fuel and coolant leaks, perished pipework

Price: from £7000 to £21,000

British luxury 

Probably the finest quartet of pre-owned motorcars in the world.

Bentley Arnage (1999-2010)

New owner Volkswagen’s first stab at a Bentley was a bit wobbly, with the company ditching the car’s modern 4.4-litre BMW V8 in favour of the old Bentley Turbo R’s 6.75. Cabin is a bit plasticky, but a tidy car still cuts a dash.

What to look for Full Bentley or specialist service history, correct batteries, galvanic corrosion, weak interior trim

Price: from £11,000 to £45,000

Jaguar XJ (2009-2019)

The XJ’s last hurrah is a stylish and capable saloon worthy of the name and, as a used car, good value. Ride and handling, performance and refinement are top-drawer, and prices begin at just £5000.

What to look for DPF issues on diesel cars, six-speed gearbox issues on pre-2012 update cars, sagging suspension, infotainment gremlins

Price: from £3500 to £32,000

Range Rover (2012-2021)

The fourth-generation Range Rover again demonstrates the model’s uncanny ability to combine workhorse and luxury limo in one. JLR is updating models from 2018 with better security and has relaunched a dedicated insurance scheme.