Few are immune to the current cost of living crisis, and the car world is as affected as any other. But that’s not to say it’s all doom and gloom out there. There are ways to enjoy driving without spending oodles of cash. So here at Autocar, we’re starting a series of articles in which we aim to highlight the very best of cheap motoring, starting with 39 modern bangers from as little as £995.

Fortunately, despite the current headwinds, the Great British Banger hasn’t gone away. You don’t have to indulge in marginal motoring at the extremes, always at risk of an MOT failure or worse, in order to get a cheap runabout. Eminently serviceable and reliable cars are possible to find with just £5000 at your disposal. 

In fact, it’s possible to drop lower than that. The usual PCP finance deal deposit of 10-15% of the price of a new car is about £2500, and there are some crackers available at that price. The advantage of Bangernomics 2020s style is that a lot of the cars have the benefit of some pretty modern technology. So along with the ability to save you even more at the fuel pumps, there are savings available at every stage of your car purchase. They could also help you avoid the biggest motoring cost of all: depreciation.

Ideally, you will find a future icon or a banger at the bottom of its value curve, so that you can get the double bonus hit of cheap sticker price with possible future uplift. Desirability is the key to success: