The best British used cars to buy now

We believe these cars are hard to beat, and this is our guide to tracking down the best example:

The Range Rover has been Britain’s unofficial ambassador for more than 50 years. Our favourite is this third-generation version. It was developed by BMW and offers a fine blend of performance, luxury and off-road ability, and prices for this model are fair.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Check it is mechanically quiet, it sits right and rust isn’t an MOT issue

WE FOUND: Range Rover 4.4 TD V8 Vogue, 2011/61, 72,000 miles, £14,500

The compact SUV was an instant hit, which is why today’s classifieds are awash with them at prices starting from £5000. Diesels are economical and Euro 6 from 2015; petrols are smooth and less prone to particulate filter issues.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Any rust is likely to be accident repair-related; DPF problems

WE FOUND: Range Rover Evoque 2.0 SD4 Autobiography auto, 2017/67, 54,000 miles, £16,495

New Bentley owner Volkswagen was determined to get its high-performance, four-seat coupé right, sweetening the deal with a ‘low’ £110,000 sticker price. The GTC convertible arrived soon after, while 2008 heralded the introduction of key updates.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Well-maintained high-milers are best; check for mechanical and suspension issues and paint damage

WE FOUND: Bentley Continental GT Speed, 2009/09, 63,000 miles, £22,000

Rear-wheel drive and weighing just 725kg, even the least powerful Elise cracks 0-62mph in 5.5sec. There are quicker ones, but the basic 118bhp model is the sweetest.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Wayward panel gaps, rusty rear subframe, track-day accident damage, paint crazing, head gasket leaks

WE FOUND: Lotus Elise 1.8, 1999/T, 48,000 miles, £15,500

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

WE FOUND: Mini 1.6 Cooper S, 2006/56, 42,000 miles, £4500

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

WE FOUND: Mini Paceman Cooper S, 2014/14, 70,000 miles, £6450

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

WE FOUND: Range Rover Evoque 2.0 TD4 HSE Dynamic convertible, 2016/16, 53,000 miles, £17,990

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

WE FOUND: Lotus Elan 1.6 SE, 1990/H, 86,000 miles, £5975

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

WE FOUND: Ineos Grenadier Fieldmaster, 2023/23, 4000 miles, £49,995

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

WE FOUND: Land Rover Freelander 2.2 TD4 GS, 2013/13, 56,000 miles, £8500

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

WE FOUND: Jaguar XF 2.0 R-Sport auto, 2019/68, 52,000 miles, £15,490

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

WE FOUND: Jaguar XE 2.0i R-Sport 200 auto, 2019/19, 39,000 miles, £15,750

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

WE FOUND: Jaguar I-Pace 400 90kWh SE, 2021/71, 15,000 miles, £23,800

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

WE FOUND: MGF 1.8i, 1999/S, 61,000 miles, £1250

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

WE FOUND: Lotus Exige 190 S2 2006/06, 51,000 miles, £25,000

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.

LOOK OUT FOR: Interior rattles, seized centre air vent and door handles, faulty active exhaust, leaky rear differential

WE FOUND: Jaguar F-Type 3.0 V6 S, 2015/64, 46,000 miles, £23,995

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. Prices from just £18,000.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Full service history, worn clutch, suspension and alignment issues, oxidation on early cars

WE FOUND: Aston Martin V8 Vantage 4.3, 2007/56, 54,000 miles, £25,000

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

WE FOUND: Jaguar XK 5.0 V8 Portfolio, 2010/60, 73,000 miles, £12,995

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

WE FOUND: Mini 2.0 Cooper S, 2018/68, 43,000 miles, £11,995

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

WE FOUND: McLaren 570S, 2016/65, 27,000 miles, £69,990

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 t he 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

WE FOUND: Jaguar S-Type 4.2 V8 R, 2002/02, 70,000 miles, £8795

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 Griffiths 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

WE FOUND: TVR Griffith 5.0 500, 1994/S, 54,000 miles, £16,500

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

WE FOUND: Range Rover Sport 5.0 V8 Supercharged, 2011/61, 66,000 miles, £9990

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

WE FOUND: Jaguar 5.0 V8 XFR, 2013/63, 65,000 miles, £17,995

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 cuts a dash.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Full Bentley or specialist service history, correct batteries, galvanic corrosion, weak interior trim

WE FOUND: Bentley Arnage 4.4 V8, 1998/S, 68,000 miles, £18,999

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

WE FOUND: Jaguar XJ 3.0 V6 R-Sport, 2017/66, 47,000 miles, £18,995

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.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR: A solid gold warranty and courtesy car provision – some problems can be fixed in a day while others take months

WE FOUND: Range Rover 3.0 TD V6 Vogue, 2016/16, 66,000 miles, £21,750

It may be the ‘baby’ Rolls-Royce, but when it comes to satisfying expectations, the Ghost is a grown-up: see its twin-turbo, 6.6 -litre V12 for evidence. It’s a car for the owner rather than their chauffeur, and that, as the Ghost ages and becomes cheaper, can only be good news.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Idling problems possibly caused by faulty injectors, gearbox oil leaks, tired suspension, signs of clocking

WE FOUND: Rolls-Royce Ghost, 2010/10, 41 ,000 miles, £62 ,999