Used Car of the Year Awards: Executive cars
With living costs on the rise, getting a good deal on your next car is more important than ever. That's where our Used Car Awards come in. These are our favourite executive cars...
Tesla Model 3
Price from £12,000 Our pick Standard Range Plus RWD
Pop music changed for good after Rock Around The Clock. The world would look very different had Frank Lloyd Wright not been so good with a pencil. And it’s just as hard to overstate how the Tesla Model 3 forever changed the way people look at electric cars.
Prior to the Model 3’s arrival in 2019, the Nissan Leaf had gained traction among environmentally conscious families, but the Model 3 was aimed squarely at the executive class as an all-electric alternative to the Audi A4 and BMW 3 Series. It sold like hot cakes, no doubt helped by being far more attainable than the bigger Model S. But the Model 3 was and still is an outstanding car in its own right – and it’s now a spectacular used buy.
Inside, the Model 3 threw away the rule book. The usual array of controls and dials is replaced by a simple desk and single, vast high-resolution display. It takes some getting used to but makes most other cars feel old-fashioned. That simplicity permeates the whole interior, the huge glass area of which brings a seriously airy feel.
Plus, unencumbered by the mechanical hard points of its combustion-engined rivals, the Model 3 is more spacious inside as a result. Having no engine under the bonnet frees up space for luggage there instead. In fact, between the front and rear boots, it can swallow a whopping 11 carry-on suitcases.
What’s more, the Model 3 is good to drive, as well as comfortable on a long trip – and every model has enough range to make the latter possible. And for when the range does dwindle, Tesla’s brilliant Superchargers are spread throughout the UK, and Tesla drivers are given preferential rates.
If you can charge at home, the electric Model 3 will be much cheaper to run than its combustion-engined rivals, and – as a used buy – the Model 3 is made even better by its prevalence and affordability. There are loads of them around, and they often cost less than an equivalent A4 or 3 Series of similar age and mileage. Reliability is generally assured, and forget concerns about battery failure; a hard-worked Model 3 is likely to have lost only a fraction of its stamina.
Also consider...
Best for driving pleasure
BMW 4 Series Gran Coupé (2014-2022)
Price from £7500 Our pick 420i SE
Imagine finding out that adding a Flake to your ice cream makes it not only tastier but also better for you. Well, the BMW 4 Series Grand Coupé is that dessert dream made real.
Under the surface, it has all the goodness of the contemporary 2012-2019 BMW 3 Series, so it’s fantastic to drive, with a great range of engines, plus it has a brilliant, easy-to use infotainment system. But the 3 Series is a saloon, whereas the 4 Series Gran Coupé looks rather more exotic, thanks to its swooping roofline.
It’s not all about style and a fancy name, though; the Gran Coupé is also very practical. Its tailgate opens wider than the 3 Series saloon’s bootlid, and the boot is bigger than that of its Audi A5 Sportback rival. The Model 3 is more practical still, though.
Given that the Gran Coupé is often cheaper than the equivalent 3 Series and equals it for reliability, this is where our money would go if we really didn’t want – or couldn’t live with – an electric exec.
Read our full used BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe review >>
Find a used BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe for sale >>
Best for luxury
Audi A8 (2017-present)
Price from £23,000 Our pick L 50 TDI Vorsprung
Shopping for a used executive car invites much naughty temptation. You could be sensible with a Tesla Model 3 or a BMW 4 Series Gran Coupé, or you could taste the high life in the kind of car a CEO gets to swan around in. As with all big execs, an Audi A8 costs a fraction of what its original buyer paid, bringing serious luxury at a bargain price.
Why an A8 over a BMW 7 Series or a Mercedes-Benz S-Class, though? Well, it’s generally cheaper than the equivalent 7 Series, and while the latter is more engaging to drive, the A8 is a quieter, comfier companion – more so, even, than the S-Class. And while it doesn’t have the Las Vegas-at-night glitz of the S-Class inside, the A8 betters that car (and most others) for interior quality.
Just be aware that the running costs are likely to need deep pockets, even if the purchase price doesn’t.
Read our full used Audi A8 review >>
Find a used Audi A8 for sale >>
For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? newsletter here
