The best used cars you can buy

After two years of unprecedented demand, used car prices are finally coming down to earth. Once again bargains are to be had, but what car to go for?

That’s where the What Car? Used Car Awards for 2023 come in: we’ve picked up the best car in each class, together with three runners-up. Our criteria are that they have to be excellent cars, have to be widely available on the used market, reliable, and offer great value for money. Let’s take a look:

Audi A3 2013-2020

Prices from: £6000 Our pick: 1.5 TFSI 150 Sport

The previous-generation Audi A3 Sportback offers something for everyone. Want an economical engine? Thanks to its clever cylinder deactivation tech, our favourite 1.5-litre petrol engine (available from 2017) officially uses less fuel than even a 1.0-litre Ford Focus. The A3 scores highly on driver appeal, too. Its steering is accurate and almost perfectly weighted, and its exceptional body control and huge reserves of grip help you to scythe through bends with confidence.

In five-door Sportback form the A3 shines when it comes to practicality, accommodating four adults much more comfortably than the previous-generation BMW 1 Series with which it competes, plus it has a bigger boot. Although a newer generation of the A3 is now available, in some ways we actually prefer this previous model. It certainly has the edge on interior quality; in fact, it’s classy enough to embarrass plenty of newer, pricier alternatives.

Seat Leon: 2020-present - Price from: £15,000 - Our pick: 1.5 TSI 130 FR (pictured)

You can buy a lightly used example of the current Leon – our favourite new family car – and pocket a saving of several thousand pounds. Prices start at around £15,000, and the Leon is much better to drive and roomier in the rear seats than rivals.

Suzuki Celerio: 2016-2019 - Price from: £4000 - Our pick: 1.0 Dualjet SZ3

You’ll find a relatively young Celerio with a respectably low mileage for what you might pay for an older Kia Picanto, Skoda Citigo or Volkswagen Up, and you get a lot for your cash. The sole engine option – a 67bhp 1.0-litre petrol – is perky, and the Celerio feels quite grown up on the road, with secure handling and a supple ride. Inside, there’s plenty of room for four.

Skoda Octavia: 2013-2020 - Price from: £5000 - Our pick: 1.5 150 TSI SE

The Skoda Octavia is spacious enough that parking your kids in the back is like walking them into a cave, and its boot will swallow 10 carry-on suitcases (the Audi A3 loses its appetite after five). The Octavia’s well-designed interior is child’s play to use, as well as being childproof in construction, and has a comfy motorway ride and excellent range of punchy yet economical engines.

Audi A4 2016-present

Price from: £12,000 Our pick: 2.0 TDI 150 Sport

A used Audi A4 is a pretty risk-free investment; the presence of its badge helps it to retain its value healthily, and that’s great news when the time comes to move it on. But then, its sheer all-round competence means you might well want to hang on to it. The A4 puts you at ease from the moment you slide behind the wheel, surrounding you with top-class materials.

All versions come loaded with equipment, and you’re unlikely to feel cramped up front. Those in the back aren’t quite as generously served, though. The A4’s engines, including the economical 2.0-litre diesel that we recommend, are smooth, quiet and not short on power. Meanwhile, stick with SE, Technic or Sport trim and you get ‘comfort dynamic’ suspension, which provides excellent comfort.

Skoda Superb: 2015-present - Price from: £6500 Our pick: 1.5 TSI 150 SE (pictured)

The Skoda Superb punches way beyond its premium economy price tag in the space department. The car’s economical engines are good news for your wallet, too, and the efficient plugin hybrid iV model enables you to tackle urban traffic without using any petrol at all.

BMW 3 Series: 2019-present Price from: £20,000 Our pick: 330e M Sport

No rival can match this car’s sharp steering and well balanced handling. And yet the 3 Series is as much about common sense as it is about excitement. It’s well equipped and nicely built inside, and it’s spacious enough that five can travel together. Its infotainment system is top notch, too.

Audi A8: 2017-present Price from: £25,000 Our pick: A8 50 TDI

This luxury leviathan is bigger and pricier than our other contenders, but it’s a lot cheaper and quieter than a private plane, with which it compares rather well. There’s acres of interior space, especially in the long-wheelbase L versions, and with a smoother ride than rivals.

Mazda CX-5 2018-present

Price from: £15,000 Our pick: 2.0 SE-L Nav

The Mazda CX-5 standing head and shoulders above all other SUVs. Now in its second generation, Mazda’s distinctive family SUV has always been one of our favourites. For starters, keen drivers will love it for its agile handling. Meanwhile, families will love its interior. For the driver, it offers a lofty seating position and easy-to-use controls, including an intuitive dial between the front seats for operating the infotainment system.

Occupants get to enjoy acres of space, too; indeed, the CX-5’s slightly larger dimensions give it the edge on practicality over five-seat rivals such as the Seat Ateca and Skoda Karoq. Furthermore, the CX-5 is handsomely equipped, robustly built and full of high-quality materials. Not only does the CX-5 have an excellent reliability record, but when it comes to value, few can match it in any class.

Audi Q5: 2017-present Price from: £20,000 Our pick: 2.0 TDI 190 Sport (pictured)

The Q5 looks and feels wonderfully plush inside, and all the materials on show are top notch and nicely tactile. Meanwhile, it’s blissfully quiet at motorway speeds and rides superbly; indeed, it’s more comfortable and refined than upmarket rivals such as the BMW X3 and Volvo XC60.

Porsche Macan: 2014-present Price from: £25,000 Our pick: 3.0 Diesel S

The Macan is terrific fun to drive, with a choice of engines ranging from pleasingly punchy to distinctly rorty, as well as well-balanced handling and ultra-precise steering. It also has a wonderfully classy interior, and retains its value well.

Seat Arona: 2017-present Price from: £10,000 Our pick: 1.0 95 TSI SE

Buyers after a small SUV should seek out an Arona, for the simple reason that here is a compact car that is stylish, practical and perky. Bought used, it’s pleasingly affordable, too; with prices starting at around £10k, it’s much cheaper than rivals but is surprisingly roomy inside, and well equipped.

Volkswagen Passat 2015-present

Price from: £10,000 Our pick: 2.0 TDI 150 SE

The Volkswagen Passat Estate is the ideal car for almost any occasion. This iteration marked a move upmarket, with VW decking its large load-lugger out with classier looks and a more lavish interior compared with its predecessor. In this category, there’s another factor that’s vital for success: space.

The interior is roomy enough to accommodate five tall adults in comfort, and the boot is positively cavernous. , easily outstripping the amount of cargo that rivals such as the Ford Mondeo Estate and Mazda 6 Tourer can carry. Even if you’re an Ikea shopping addict, the Passat will swallow nearly as much flat-pack furniture as the gigantic Skoda Superb Estate. It’s also very reliable.

BMW 3 Series Touring: 2019-present Price from: £25,000 Our pick: 330e Sport (pictured)

This car’s lively and agile handling will make you smile much more often than you would in an Audi A4 Avant or a Volvo V60. It also has a comfortable ride, decent rear leg room and boot, while this model will make short commutes cheaper, because they can be done on electric power.

Skoda Octavia Estate: 2013-2020 Price from: £5000 Our pick: 1.5 TSI SE

This cars has plenty of head and leg room for a family of five and a huge boot that can easily carry all of their kit. Nor do you have to pay a premium for all this space. It’s also roomy and practical

Mercedes E-Class Estate: 2016-present Price from: £15,000 Our pick: E220d SE

A plush, tech-laden interior provides plenty of space for five occupants, and if you buy a car equipped with optional pull-up seats in the boot, you’ll be able to turn it into a seven-seater. Without them the boot is cavernous. The E220d model provides good fuel economy with grunt.

Tesla Model 3 2019-present

Price from: £37,000 Our pick: Standard Range Plus

If you can charge the Tesla Model 3 at home (where prices are cheapest) and plan to keep it for a long time, it can work out to be a bargain. The good news doesn’t stop with simple pounds and pence, either. You can rely on your Model 3 more than any other Tesla model, because it’s very reliable. And then there’s how far you can go in it. The earliest Standard Range Plus we recommend as a used buy had an official range of 254 miles, while later, post-2020 models upped that to 267 miles.

On top of that, the Model 3 benefits from the fast and convenient charging offered by Tesla’s own Supercharger network. Performance is punchy in all versions, the ride is well controlled yet generally comfortable, too, and the Model 3 is more fun to drive than most rivals. Minimalism is the order of the day inside, with almost every function controlled through a 15.0in central screen. The screen’s layout is intuitive and it responds quickly to inputs.

Jaguar I-Pace: 2018-present Price: from £40,000 Our pick: EV400 S (pictured)

Not only is the I-Pace usefully cheaper to buy used than either of its rivals, but it can also go farther between charges, with an official range of 292 miles and around 250 miles in real-world use. Where the I-Pace really shines, however, is inside with ton-notch materials and plenty of kit.

MG ZS EV: 2019-present Price from: £17,000 Our pick: 45kWh Exclusive

MG’s family SUV is much cheaper to buy used than rivals. Its boot is far bigger than those of most similar-priced electric cars, too, while head, leg and shoulder room are fine whether you’re sitting in the front seats or the rears. The 163-mile official range isn’t huge, but should be good for most.

Renault Zoe: 2013-present Price from: £8000 Our pick: R110 ZE40 Dynamique Nav

For the best version of the Zoe you’ll want to up your budget to around £15,000, allowing you to drive our recommended post-2017 facelift R110 model. That facelift gave the Zoe new looks inside and out, but it also virtually doubled the original car’s range to 186 miles, and later 250 miles.

BMW 530e 2017-present

Prices from: £18,000 Our pick: 530e M Sport (Pro Pack)

This plug-in hybrid version of the BMW 5 Series demonstrates better than any other that the trappings of luxury and a low carbon footprint can go hand in hand. The 530e is more rewarding to drive than rivals and its official electric range is 31 miles (or up to 37 miles on later versions) – competitive with what rivals can manage and enough to cover many commutes. Plug it in regularly and do mostly short journeys and you might get close to the official fuel economy of 166mpg.

The 530e is so smooth and quiet that it puts some luxury limos to shame. By luxury car standards, it’s proving reasonably dependable, too. With superior performance, handling and refinement, plus a more polished interior, we stand in awe of the remarkable value for money that is the 530e. It’s the definition of luxury, but without the high costs that usually come with it.

Volvo XC90: T8 2016-present Price from: £26,000 Our pick: Momentum (pictured)

This version of Volvo’s luxury SUV may no longer be the only plug-in hybrid seven-seater available, but it’s easily the cheapest when you include used examples in the mix. You also get wonderfully spacious, luxurious surroundings, with quality of materials as good as on a BMW X5.

Volkswagen Passat GTE Estate: 2017-present Price from: £17,000 Our pick: 1.4 TSI GTE

Some plug-in hybrids lose out on boot space compared with regular models but the Passat GTE Estate isn’t one of them. It’s very practicaland , cheaper than other large loadluggers such as the Skoda Superb iV Estate. It should be cheap to run, too, with an official electric range of 37 miles.

BMW i8: 2014-2020 Price from: £40,000 Our pick: i8 Coupé

BMW’s novel plug-in hybrid sports car went off sale in 2020, and with prices now starting at £40k (compared with more than £100k when new), now is the time to buy. Even today, there’s almost nothing like it: an exotic, scissor-doored sports car that can run near-silently on electric power.

Peugeot 5008 2017-present

Price from: £18,000 Our pick: 1.2 Puretech 130 Allure

When the current Peugeot 5008 arrived it was stylish and practical; it can seat seven, and third-row passengers get far more room than they do in rivals. What’s more, the 5008’s interior feels plusher, with an eclectic mix of materials that work harmoniously to give it the sort of upmarket feel you usually find only in pricey, premium-badged models. Refinement is another strength, with wind and road noise well contained at motorway speeds and engine noise generally muted.

That said, we’d recommend seeking out a 1.2 Puretech model; not only is this 129bhp petrol the smoothest engine of the lot, but it’s also cheap to run, packs enough punch for most people’s needs and sells in big enough numbers to give you plenty of used ones to choose from. However, the 5008 never feels anything less than surefooted and is easy to drive. Plus, its supple yet well-controlled ride makes it as adept at taking the sting out of urban potholes as it is playing the long-distance cruiser.

Citroën Grand C4 Spacetourer: 2018-2022 Price from: £13,000 Our pick: 1.6 BlueHDi Feel

The Citroën Grand C4 Spacetourer is a great option. Not only do you get five individual rear seats that are easier to fold flat than those of the Ford S-Max and Vauxhall Zafira Tourer, but the Spacetourer also has more storage areas inside, and visibility is superb.

Hyundai Santa Fe: 2013-2018 Price from: £9000 Our pick: 2.2 CRDi Premium

Big SUVs tend to make the best tow cars, particularly when fitted with punchy diesel engines. The Hyundai Santa Fe is an excellent example, and it can pull up to 2500kg with ease; it feels stable and secure right up to motorway speeds, with suspension set up to favour a comfy ride.

Audi Q7: 2015-present Price from: £23,000 Our pick: 3.0 TDI quattro S line

The current Audi Q7 can seat seven people in luxury and comfort, and which combines strong performance with surprisingly agile handling. We suggest spending around £30,000 to get a less-travelled 2018 car, pre a facelift that wasn’t entirely for the better. It is quiet and have a cosseting ride.

Audi TT 2014-present

Price from: £10,000 Our pick: 2.0 TFSI Sport

With the Audi TT there’s a great range of engines to suit all budgets and tastes. Even the least powerful petrol and diesel offer satisfyingly brisk acceleration. For us, the sweet spot is the more powerful, 227bhp version of the 2.0-litre petrol, although speed freaks can opt for a hotter TTS or TT RS for even more thrilling performance. Whether you choose a front or four-wheel drive TT (the latter offering extra traction inslippery conditions), it has loads of grip and eager handling.

The TT can also double as a refined cruiser, being far more civilised and comfortable than the more focused Toyota GT86. The TT’s cool and capable demeanour carries through to its interior, which features premium materials, a minimalist design and an intuitive infotainment system that’s built into the digital instrument panel, all backed up by high quality materials throughout.

Ford Fiesta ST: 2013-2017 Price from: £7000 Our pick: 1.6 Ecoboost ST-3 (pictured)

The Ford Fiesta ST hits the hot-hatch bullseye, with razor-sharp steering and playful handling. The 1.6-litre turbo engine of this previous-generation ST packs 180bhp and offers up serious performance, sprinting from 0-62mph in just 6.9sec. If that isn’t impressive enough, there’s also a more powerful ST200 model, available as a three or five door.

Mazda MX-5: 2015-present Price from: £12,000 Our pick: 1.5 Sport Nav

With a small four-cylinder engine, rear-wheel drive and a manual gearbox, Mazda’s roadster is a simple recipe for fun. A low weight means it doesn’t need stiff suspension to tame its body movements in corners. In other words, you get a really nimble car that’s also comfortable.

Renault Megane RS: 2018-2020 Price from: £21,000 Our pick: 280 Cup

Four-wheel steering grants this family-sized hot hatch the agility of a smaller car, and this combines with amazing grip and balance to create a memorable driving experience. The Megane beats rivals for thrills and engagement, but in doing so it hasn’t become too impractical.

And the winner is … the BMW 530e 2017-present. This car has a long list of attributes, from its low running costs to its limolike refinement, and it’s a terrific used buy. And it was that exceptional value that, in the end, gave it the edge over the other cars here. Simply put, none of the others offers so much of such a good thing for so little.

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