What Car? Q&A - Which used coupe should I buy?

Q: I want to buy a used coupe, but can't decide between the Toyota Celica 1.8 ST('94-'99), Hyundai Coupe 2.0SE ('96-'02) or the Ford Cougar 2.0 ('98-'01). Which one would you choose, and which is the most reliable?
Tom Randell

A: A Toyota Celica of that age will have covered about 70,000 miles, and although it has a good record for reliability, it's more likely to need expensive repairs. However, it's probably a better bet than the Hyundai Coupe built up to 2002. The Toyota is also a safer bet when you sell it on, because many people consider that year of Hyundai to be ugly in comparison.

The Cougar is a realistic alternative to both and generally tough, but they can suffer from suspension problems. The best idea is to stretch your budget to afford the newer-shape Toyota Celica, '99-'06 which has proved more reliable. Try private sales to save money, and avoid inflated garage prices.