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Fiat 600e

Volkswagen T-Cross

the-best-used-cars-you-can-buy

The annual <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/awards/used-car-awards">What Car? Used Car Awards</a> are the best guide to getting your hands on the best model for you and your wallet next time it comes to changing your car.

As always, we’ve taken all our expertise in road testing new cars and evaluating used ones at various ages and price points to bring you what we believe to be the best models available today. As a result, we’re confident these awards will help you choose the right car.

Let’s take a look at the winners:

Slideshow story: please click the right-hand arrow above to continue, or simply scroll down if you’re reading on your mobile

The best used cars you can buy

Hatchback

Honda is a company that doesn’t like to follow the crowd. So, while it competes in most of the traditional sectors of the car market, in each case it does something a little bit different.

The Jazz, for example, might look like just another rival to Britain’s best-selling car, the Ford Fiesta, but it’s actually much more practical than its rivals, with a flexible boot and Tardis-like interior.

The bigger Civic is also a practical choice, but it’s mainly distinguished by having eye-catching, love-it-or-hate-it styling, despite competing in a sector of the market that’s usually more conservative than a blue rosette.

And while it may not seem so radical now, Honda’s large SUV, the CR-V, was one of the first to forego any pretence of being an off-roader and instead focus on on-road driving dynamics.

HONDA

JAZZ

Prices from £14,500 Our pick 1.5 i-MMD Hybrid SR

The <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/honda/jazz/hatchback/used-review/n24519">Honda&nbsp;Jazz (2020-present)</a>&nbsp;is a wonderfully practical little car which has much to offer most drivers.&nbsp;Also, the Jazz’s 1.5-litre petrol engine and electric motors work together seamlessly, and economically: when we tested it, we managed upwards of 60mpg.

Best used Hatchback: Honda Jazz (2020-present)

As well as keeping running costs low, the Jazz represents startling value for money when bought at a couple of years old. It’s more versatile than rivals, and should be cheaper to run too. Practically perfect indeed.

Also consider&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/skoda/citigo/hatchback/used-review/n836">Skoda Citigo (2012-2020)</a>, <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/audi/a3/hatchback/used-review/n17405">Audi A3 (2013-2020)</a>

Saloon

Munich-based BMW is most famous for its sports saloons, in particular the 3 Series and 5 Series. However, it actually builds almost every type of car imaginable: everything from two-seat convertibles to seven-seat MPVs.

The cheapest model in the BMW range is the 1 Series hatchback, which is a rival to the Audi A3, Mercedes-Benz A-Class and Volkswagen Golf. Meanwhile, at the other extreme is the M8&nbsp;grand tourer, which costs more than £120,000.

BMW was also quick to capitalise on the rise of the SUV and now has ten in its range: the X1, X2, X3, X4, X5, X6, X7 and XM, plus the electric iX3 and iX.

All of this makes it one of the big three German prestige brands, along with Audi and Mercedes-Benz.

3 SERIES

Price from&nbsp;£20,000&nbsp;Our pick&nbsp;330e M Sport (Pro Pack)

Sporty yet easy to live with, and desirable yet surprisingly obtainable, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/3-series/saloon/review/n91">BMW 3 Series</a>&nbsp;has proved so popular over the years that every new premium-badged&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/executive-cars/n2004">executive saloon</a>&nbsp;tends to be billed as that brand’s 3 Series.

True, the actual 3 Series is no longer our class champion as a new car, having been beaten by the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/tesla/model-3/saloon/review/n19010">Tesla Model 3</a>&nbsp;because of the Benefit-in-Kind tax savings available to drivers of electric company cars. This is obviously not something used car buyers have to worry about, though, and that shifts the balance back in the 3 Series’ favour.

Best used Executive car: BMW 3 Series (2019-present)

Its&nbsp;interior is classier than the Model 3’s, and,&nbsp;while the Model 3 is good to drive, the 3 Series is even better.

There isn’t a bad engine in the line-up; the petrol range encompasses everything from the rev-hungry four-cylinder unit in the 320i to the monstrously powerful twin-turbo straight six of the M3, and the diesels are as punchy as they are frugal. But we reckon the best model of the lot is the 330e plug-in hybrid.

Also consider&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/audi/a4/saloon/used-review/n787">Audi A4 (2015-present)</a>, <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/audi/a8/saloon/used-review/n17890">Audi A8 (2017-present)</a>

&nbsp;

Estate

The VW Group famously spends more money on research and development than any rival – and as a result, perhaps it should be no surprise that our testers rate its cars so consistently highly.

The fact that many of those cars use the same underpinnings also helps, because it means that if they get it right once, they have the foundations to keep on getting it right.

However, the Volkswagen brand faces plenty of tough competition, often from within, because the rapidly rising Seat and Skoda brands that are also part of the group have access to the same technology.

VOLKSWAGEN

PASSAT

Price from&nbsp;£11,000&nbsp;Our pick&nbsp;GTE

The boot of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/passat/estate/used-review/n917">Volkswagen Passat Estate (2015-present)</a>&nbsp;is&nbsp;colossal; the long load bay created when the rear seats are folded flat means you need never pay for an Ikea delivery again. A low floor makes for easy loading and unloading of cargo and comfortable access for the family hound.

Naturally, there’s plenty of room inside for a pair of adults and 2.4 children. Tall grown-ups will be perfectly comfy in the front or outer rear seats, although a wide floor hump and protruding centre console mean the middle rear perch is best suited to the ‘point four’ child.

Best used Estate car: Volkswagen Passat Estate (2015-present)

With a 154bhp turbocharged 1.4-litre petrol engine allied to a 113bhp electric motor, the GTE variant is&nbsp;very nippy when you want it to be; the 0-62mph dash takes 7.6sec. Alternatively, if your commute or school run is short, it’ll tackle it using electric power alone; the GTE’s 9.9kWh battery provides an official range of up to 37 miles.

Also consider&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/focus/estate/used-review/n20364">Ford Focus Estate (2018-present)</a>, <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/3-series/estate/used-review/n22742">BMW 3 Series Touring (2019-2022)</a>, <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/5-series/estate/used-review/n17983">BMW 5 Series Touring (2017-present)</a>

Ford builds some of the most popular cars in the UK, including the Fiesta and Focus hatchbacks.

This success is partly down to longevity and the fact that there’s a Ford dealer around every corner. However, it’s also because Fords tend to offer good value and be among the best cars in their respective classes to drive.

The company’s huge range also helps; it offers everything from the small – but surprisingly practical – Ka+ to the large and lavishly equipped Edge SUV.

Meanwhile, other highlights of the range include the S-Max and Galaxy people carriers, the Mondeo executive car and the Ranger pick-up.

FORD

PUMA

Price from&nbsp;£15,000&nbsp;Our pick&nbsp;1.0 Ecoboost mHEV 155 ST-Line&nbsp;

Picking just one SUV from a class that encapsulates everything from the smallest and most frugal at one end to the largest and most luxurious at the other might seem a Herculean task, but in this case the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/puma/hatchback/used-review/n22465">Ford Puma (2019-present)</a>&nbsp;automatically rises above all the others.

When it was first launched at the end of 2019, we were so impressed with it that we had no hesitation in making it our overall 2020 Car of the Year. Buyers like it, too: the Puma is&nbsp;the best-selling car in the UK so far in 2023.

Best used SUV: Ford Puma (2019-present)

And the Puma is at least as good a buy when used as it is when new. For starters, it’s not only impressively economical but also great fun to drive. The Puma’s steering is pin-sharp and its handling is delightfully eager. All the engine options are gutsy, but we’d seek out the 155 version of the 1.0-litre Ecoboost petrol engine for its easy oomph.

Also consider&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/seat/arona/hatchback/used-review/n17875">Seat Arona (2017-present)</a>, <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/x3/4x4/used-review/n18008">BMW X3 (2018-present)</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/kia/sportage/estate/used-review/n25774">Kia Sportage (2022-present)</a>

Peugeot has its strongest model line-up for some years, with some of its cars now rated by our testers as being among the very best available.

Highlights focus around the firm’s newest SUVs, the 3008 and 5008. The 5008 was named Large SUV of the Year at the 2018 What Car? Awards, thanks to its appealing blend of space, interior quality and low running costs.

That bodes well for future launches, too, because many of the learnings from these cars will be passed on as new versions of existing cars are launched – something that could take many years, because the Peugeot range is so big, ranging from an entry-level supermini with the 108 to an executive saloon with the 508, up into the SUV range and also vans.

Buyers should evaluate some of the lower-rated cars in the range more carefully, though. Some are now quite old, and are subsequently left behind in terms of quality when compared with the opposition, making them below-average buys, in our estimation.

PEUGEOT

5008

Prices from&nbsp;£16,000&nbsp;Our Pick&nbsp;1.2 130 Puretech Allure

The <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/peugeot/5008/estate/used-review/n962">Peugeot 5008 (2017-present)</a> is&nbsp;a perennial favourite of ours, and it isn’t just easy on the eye. The 5008 is easy to drive, able and surefooted. Its refinement, even with the entry-level 1.2-litre engine, is as impressive as in cars costing far more, and it’s noticeably quieter at high speeds than its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/hyundai/santa-fe/4x4/review/n68">Hyundai Santa Fe</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/skoda/kodiaq/estate/review/n17362">Skoda Kodiaq</a>&nbsp;rivals.

It’s spacious, too, with plenty of room for middle-row&nbsp;passengers to sit three abreast. The third-row seats are comfier than those in the comparable&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/seat/tarraco/estate/review/n17865">Seat Tarraco</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/tiguan-allspace/estate/review/n17379">Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace</a>, too, meaning 5008 passengers should feel happier for longer.

Best used 7-seater: Peugeot 5008 (2017-present)

Whichever 5008 you choose, though, you’ll get a terrific all-rounder with a top-notch reliability record. It’s a much more sophisticated car than the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/citroen/grand-c4-spacetourer/mpv/used-review/n21715">Citroën Grand C4 Spacetourer</a>; it’s much nicer to drive and more refined to ride in. If you can forgo a little luxury, we think its attractive price and lower running costs give it the edge over the imperious&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/audi/q7/4x4/review/n87">Audi Q7</a>, too.

Also consider&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/citroen/grand-c4-spacetourer/mpv/used-review/n21715">Citroën Grand C4 SpaceTourer (2018-2022)</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/audi/q7/4x4/used-review/n813">Audi Q7 (2015-present)</a>

Tesla is a US brand&nbsp;that revolutionised&nbsp;the car industry, putting <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/best-electric-cars-2022/n17000">electric cars</a> in the limelight&nbsp;for the first time – helped by the personality and profile of boss Elon Musk.

Today, Tesla has a broader&nbsp;line-up than ever, with the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/tesla/model-3/saloon/review/n19010">Tesla Model 3</a> saloon&nbsp;and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/tesla/model-y/hatchback/review/n23624">Tesla Model Y</a> SUV the company's cheapest models. For those with bigger budgets or a need for more space, there's the larger <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/tesla/model-s/hatchback/review/n150">Tesla Model S</a> saloon and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/tesla/model-x/hatchback/review/n161">Tesla&nbsp;Model X</a> SUV.&nbsp;A&nbsp;new Roadster, complete with supercar-beating acceleration, is also in the works.

&nbsp;

TESLA

MODEL 3

Price from&nbsp;£23,000&nbsp;Our pick&nbsp;Standard Range Plus

Credit where credit is due: Elon Musk has led <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/new-car-deals/make/tesla">Tesla</a> to become one of today’s most popular car brands. He’s no stranger to controversy in other matters, but&nbsp;the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/tesla/model-3/hatchback/used-review/n22340">Tesla Model 3 (2019-present)</a>&nbsp;has proved to be an electric vehicle (EV) milestone. This&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/executive-cars/n2004">executive car</a>&nbsp;has sold immensely well since its launch, and it continues to do so today, meaning the used market is flooded with them.

The Standard Range Plus officially travels 254 miles on a single charge, or 267 miles if you go for a post-2020 example. If you need 300-plus miles of range (more than any&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/jaguar/i-pace/estate/review/n122">Jaguar I-Pace</a>&nbsp;can offer), you can pick up a Model 3 Long Range or Performance for a few thousand pounds more; these versions have larger batteries.

Best used Electric car: Tesla Model 3 (2019-present)

Its minimalist interior takes some time to get used to; everything from the door mirrors to the headlights is controlled via a 15.0in central touchscreen. Fortunately, the latter is logically laid out and quick to respond to inputs.

Despite its many virtues, the Model 3 will cost you less to buy than the practical&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/skoda/enyaq/4x4/review/n22909">Skoda Enyaq</a>. Sealing the deal is that Model 3 owners get easy access to Tesla’s fast, reliable and rapidly expanding Supercharger network, and the fact that this car uses electricity more efficiently than any of its rivals.

Also consider&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/renault/zoe/hatchback/used-review/n817">Renault Zoe (2013-present)</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/skoda/enyaq/4x4/used-review/n25767">Skoda Enyaq (2021-present)</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/porsche/taycan/saloon/used-review/n26000">Porsche Taycan (2020-present)</a>

Price from&nbsp;£20,000&nbsp;Our pick&nbsp;330e M Sport (Pro Pack)

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: if your journeys are usually short and you have access to an electric charger, a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/best-plug-in-hybrid-cars/n22743">plug-in hybrid</a>&nbsp;is a marvellous option, because you can cover your local chores using cheap electric power and save your petrol for those longer journeys. And while plug-in hybrids come in all shapes and sizes, we reckon the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/3-series/saloon/used-review/n20393">BMW 330e (2019-present)</a>&nbsp;– our favourite version of our favourite&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/executive-cars/n2004">executive car</a>&nbsp;– is the best of all.

Top of the list of the 330e’s talents is its sheer driver appeal. It's quick, beautifully balanced through corners and offers a great sense of connection through the steering wheel. It’s a hybrid for the driver who doesn’t want to sacrifice enjoyment for efficiency.

Best used Hybrid car: BMW 330e (2019-present)

Its&nbsp;superbly built, classy and very comfortable interior is another key strength. Five adults should have plenty of space to travel together – much more than in the rival&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mercedes-benz/c-class/saloon/review/n70">Mercedes-Benz C300e</a>. Plus, while the 330e’s battery reduces boot size compared with other 3 Series models, the 375-litre space that remains is enough for five carry-on suitcases.

Also consider&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/passat-gte/estate/used-review/n18007">Volkswagen Passat GTE Estate (2017-2023)</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volvo/xc90/4x4/used-review/n838">Volvo XC90 (2015-present)</a>

Coupe

Audi is a brand that sets the standard for interior quality, and this, combined with its vast and ever-growing model line-up, has helped it become one of the ‘big three’ German prestige car makers, along with BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

The A3 hatchback, A4 executive saloon and Q7 SUV are all common - yet upmarket - sights on UK roads.

At least some of Audi's success over the past 30 years can be attributed to the growth in sales of vehicles with four-wheel drive; the company arguably led the way in bringing 4x4 technology into the mainstream, with its Quattro coupé in the early 1980s.

Today, most Audis are available with at least the option of four-wheel drive, while the list of SUVs from the brand includes the Q2, Q3, Q5 and Q7.

AUDI

Price from&nbsp;£12,000&nbsp;Our pick&nbsp;2.0 TFSI Sport

Whether you’re going to the dentist or Denmark, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/audi/tt/coupe/used-review/n814">Audi TT (2014-present)</a>&nbsp;promises to paint a grin across your face.

Our favourite engine is the punchy 227bhp 2.0-litre petrol. You can have it with front-wheel drive or quattro four-wheel drive – the latter helping to deliver a 0-60mph time of just 5.3sec when we tested it.

If you’d like even livelier pace, there’s the TTS and TT RS. The RS is the quickest TT of the lot: it has a great-sounding 2.5-litre five-cylinder engine and can out-accelerate an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/aston-martin/db11/coupe/review/n17217">Aston Martin DB11</a>&nbsp;to 60mph.

Best used Sports car: Audi TT (2014-present)

More so than the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/toyota/gr86/coupe/review/n24631">Toyota GT86</a>, the TT is a quiet, comfortable cruiser. It’s more practical than a fair few rivals, too, with a good-sized boot (and a large hatchback opening), plus small rear seats for occasional use, whereas some sports cars, including the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/z4/sports/review/n64">BMW Z4</a>, are strictly two-seaters. It’s more reliable than its peers, too, ranking first out of 14 models in its class in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/class/reliability">2023 What Car? Reliability Survey</a>.

Also consider&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/fiesta-st/hatchback/used-review/n17883">Ford Fiesta ST (2013-2017)</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mazda/mx-5/sports/used-review/n855">Mazda MX-5 (2015-present)</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mercedes-benz/amg-a45/hatchback/used-review/n26010">Mercedes-AMG A45 (2019-present)</a>

Price from&nbsp;£20,000&nbsp;Our pick&nbsp;330e M Sport (Pro Pack)

All of our category winners are outstanding used buys; if you’re looking for a specific type of car, you won’t be disappointed with any of them. Whittling them down to come up with an overall winner was a daunting task, but in the end it came down to a choice between three contenders.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/puma/hatchback/review/n20838">Ford Puma</a>&nbsp;excels in many of the areas that are important to buyers of used&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/small-suvs/n17050">SUVs</a>. As well as being highly practical, frugal, well equipped and fun to drive, it’s the most affordable of our finalists.

Overall Used Car of the Year: BMW 3 Series (2019-present)

Meanwhile, anyone looking to buy a used&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/electric-cars/n17000">electric vehicle (EV)</a>&nbsp;can’t afford to ignore the<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/tesla/model-3/saloon/review/n19010">&nbsp;Tesla Model 3</a>. It’ll be easier to live with than most rivals, and with the recent slump in EV prices, you can now pick up this rapid, practical, ultra-efficient saloon for what would have been an unthinkably low price not that long ago.

However, as we said earlier, used Model 3s don’t enjoy the same tax advantages as new ones, and that’s why it lost out to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/3-series/saloon/review/n91">BMW 3 Series</a>&nbsp;in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/executive-cars/n2004">executive car</a>&nbsp;category. The fact that the latter was also named best used&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/hybrid-cars/n17013">hybrid</a>&nbsp;should tell you what an exceptional car it is.

Our judges especially liked the variety of options available to used 3 Series buyers, from swish petrols and frugal diesels to the tempting plug-in hybrid 330e. The 3 Series is not only classier and more comfortable than the Puma but also, in plug-in hybrid guise, potentially as affordable to run as the Model 3, while being smarter inside and even better to drive. The fact that you can pick up this immensely well-rounded executive car for as little as £20,000 is really quite remarkable.

<hr />
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<h2>Read more: <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/awards/new-car-awards">What Car? Car of the Year Awards</a>&nbsp;&gt;&gt;</h2>

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