Best used cars for less than £10,000

The Ford Fiesta is a bestseller and our number one here for good reason.

Ford knows how to do small cars well, and the Fiesta has always been the prime example. Its forte is its excellent driving experience, featuring a composed ride and fun handling.

It's a decently comfortable and practical car, too. Admittedly, the infotainment system isn't quite on a par with the best in the class, but the rest of the package is so good that it’s hardly a deal-breaker.

Its reliability record is strong, and our budget buys a 2022 car, one of the newest on our list. 

"Ford could've played it safe with the Fiesta's handling, but I'm very glad it didn't. The Fiesta is an overachiever in this sense, and you can tell it was crafted by true car enthusiasts." – George Hill, used cars writer

We found: 2022 Ford Fiesta 1.0 EcoBoost Trend, 43,000 miles, £9095

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The Volkswagen Polo tends to cost just a fraction more to buy age-for-age than many of its rivals, so that here you'll have to make do with a 2021 model rather than a 2022 model, like the Fiesta and the Duster, but that's one of the very few digs we can make at what is a comprehensively well-done package.

The Polo is remarkably comfortable and has a nicely finished interior that mimics the larger VW Golf. The small, turbocharged petrol engines are the best picks as they tend to be smoother and quieter than the diesels.

It rides well, is comfortable inside, nicely built, and its reliability looks excellent. It's a terrific all-rounder and a great used buy. It would probably finish in the top slot here if you could get a newer car for the money. 

"The Polo is a safe choice. I find it easy to recommend, because it ticks the average small car priorities list very well. It's spacious, refined and economical, just like a Golf." – Mark Pearson, used cars editor

We found: 2021 Volkswagen Polo 1.0 TSI EVO SE, 49,445 miles, £9295

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In contrast to some small SUVs, the Skoda Kamiq puts you quite low to the ground; in fact, its driving position is barely any more elevated than that of the Skoda Scala family hatchback, another one of our favourite cars. 

However, in every other respect, it's a brilliant used choice, with a supple, well-controlled ride and a remarkably spacious interior. That interior feels classier than that of the Volkswagen T-Cross, too. It's also more spacious, and it has a huge boot. 

If you’ll mainly be driving in town, then the entry-level 94bhp 1.0-litre petrol engine is peppy enough and the cheapest on the used car forecourt. The SE trim is handsomely equipped and fairly priced.

Kamiq reliability is pretty good, too: it scored an excellent 94.1% in our most recent reliability survey. Parts and servicing are both reasonably priced, and our budget here buys you a good 2021 model, though there are 2022 cars within sniffing distance now of our cut-off point. 

"You'll be surprised by this small Skoda. Its interior is really nice, and it drives smoothly too. One of the best." – Mark Pearson, Used Cars Editor

We found: 2021 Skoda Kamiq 1.0 TSI 95 SE, 48,676 miles, £9995

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If you're looking for a tiny town car that offers more civilised motoring on a sensible budget, the Hyundai i10 is an ideal candidate.

It's relatively spacious, comes with a smart-looking interior and great infotainment system, and rides and drives more impressively than plenty of bigger, pricier cars.

It's more refined than the likes of the Skoda Citigo, but it'll cost you a fraction more like-for-like to buy. However, it's proving to be extremely reliable, according to our annual What Car? Reliability Survey, so combined with reasonable servicing costs, the i10 should be easy on the pocket to run. 

"This is a truly grown-up car. It's good to drive and feels like something from a couple of classes up. The interior is nicely finished, too. Anyone downsizing from a larger car will have found the perfect vehicle here." - George Hill, used cars writer 

We found 2021 Hyundai i10 1.0 MPi SE Connect, 25,000 miles, £9000

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The Ford Puma is one of our favourite small SUVs, not just at this £10,000 price point but at any price point.

It’s impressively economical and great fun to drive, with pin-sharp steering and eager handling. All the engine options are gutsy, but we’d seek out the 155 version of the 1.0-litre Ecoboost for its easy oomph.

It's supremely practical and so far proving reliable, too. And here’s the best news of all: the Puma is now excellent value against its main rivals, matching the Skoda Kamiq and being cheaper age-for-age than the Volkswagen T-Roc.

"Before I drove this car for the first time, I had doubts if a small SUV could really be an entertaining drive, but take it from me, the Puma is great fun." – Mark Pearson, Used Cars Editor

We found: 2021 Ford Puma 1.0 Ecoboost 155 ST-Line, 44,294 miles, £10,000

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The Ford Focus has an impressive roster of rivals in the family car class: the Skoda Octavia is spacious, the Volkswagen Golf is comfortable, and the Audi A3 is classy inside.

However, the Focus stands above all of those cars in terms of handling, even besting the Seat Leon. It's sharp, agile, engaging and fun to drive. If you're a keen driver, this is the family car for you – or better yet, check out the Ford Focus ST hot hatch. 

That said, the driving experience isn't the only thing going for the Focus, because buying and running costs are very reasonable, aided by great fuel economy. It's also proving to be reliable, too, according to our annual surveys. You can pick up a good 2020 model within our budget. 

"If you really enjoy and value the driving experience, you'll likely warm to the Focus much more than you will any other family car. It's one of my favourite cars in the class, if not my top choice." – George Hill, Used Cars Writer

We found: 2020 Ford Focus 1.0T Ecoboost Titanium, 42,520 miles, £8995

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The Skoda Karoq just edges out its broadly similar sibling, the Seat Ateca, here. 

It's extremely practical (even more so than the Ateca), plus it's good to drive with a good choice of efficient engines. The ride is cosseting too, and it's decently refined in town and on a motorway.

The Karoq’s greatest asset, though, is its interior, which is flexible, smart and beautifully built, with loads of space for all your passengers. The boot's a good size, too. 

It's also terrific value for money bought used, it's cheap to run and is proving decently reliable, according to our surveys. 

"You really are spoilt for choice when it comes to engine options in the Skoda Karoq. I particularly like the 1.5-litre petrol engine, which produces 148bhp and provides flexible performance for everyday driving. It's even quite cheap to run." – Mark Pearson, Used Cars Editor

We found: 2019 Skoda Karoq 1.5 TSI SE Technology, 58,000 miles, £9995

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The Dacia Duster has more than just a name that's fitting for a rugged SUV.

It's genuinely capable off-road, particularly if you go for a four-wheel drive model, where you can engage all four wheels via a dial near the gearlever. As a bonus, four-wheel-drive models have a more sophisticated rear suspension that two-wheel drive models don't get, helping to improve ride comfort and handling. 

While the Duster is basic in terms of kit and interior quality, it's a practical, rugged car that's excellent value, starting from just £7000 for a high-mileage 4x4 car. That's well within our budget, but if you have £10,000 to spend, you'll be able to find a much nicer 2022 example, like the Fiesta, one of the newest cars on our list. 

"I love the no-nonsense nature of the Duster – it'll happily go where most family SUVs don't. I'm a big fan of the basic, hard-wearing interior, too, which you don't have to worry about getting mucky." – George Hill, Used Cars Writer

We found: 2022 Dacia Duster 1.3 TCe Prestige 4WD, 39,987 miles, £9990

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The Volkswagen Passat Estate boasts a wide range of capabilities.

It's a smart-looking executive estate car with a nice interior, and it's great to drive, with flexible diesel engines and some peppy petrol options. There's a great plug-in hybrid version, too, so you can drive for town miles on electricity alone.

If you're after a plush-feeling and decidedly upmarket cruiser that's also hushed and comfy, look no further. It also comes well-equipped and is quite economical, and – of course – its interior and boot, especially in this estate-car form, are spacious. Six-footers will have plenty of room to lounge in the rear.  

A good result in our most recent What Car? Reliability Survey, after a few years of only average results, has further boosted our admiration for the Passat. It came ninth out of 23 cars in its class with a good overall score of 94.3%. 

"You can get a high-mileage Passat for around £7000, but prices start from around £9000 for a late 2015 example with an above or average mileage for the year. I'd be tempted to spend close to £10,000 to get a lower mileage example." – Mark Pearson, Used Cars Editor

We found: 2019 Volkswagen Passat Estate 1.6 TDI S, 71,000 miles, £10,000

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To start our list, perhaps surprisingly, a sporting coupé.

Over the years, the Audi TT has managed to fend off all competition that tries to match its winning combination of class, practicality and fine driving dynamics.

With sharp, agile handling, it's a joy to drive, and thanks to a class-leading interior and confidence-inspiring reliability, it's effortless to live with as well. There's a range of fine engines to choose from and well-equipped trims. 

With prices starting from just £10,000 for early TTs of this generation, it's simply a stellar buy and a terrific used coupé.

"It's the comfort of a TT that always impresses me. Yes, it's great to drive, good to own and reliable, but you can potter around town, and it's still a lovely thing." - Mark Pearson, used cars editor

We found: 2016 Audi TT 2.0 TFSI Sport, 84,000 miles, £10,000

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