The Most Stunning Summer Cars You Can Afford

Brand new, you can get a TT Roadster from £33,315, which is actually pretty good value for a car like this, however, we’re more interested in the used car market. Look back at the 2016 models and you can pick one up with under 30,000 miles, so below average mileage, for around £18,000 - roughly half the price of a well spec’d brand new one! Bargain. This might suit better as a weekend car as there are only 2 seats and the boot isn’t tiny but isn’t large either at 280 litres.

The 4 Series is still a relatively new addition to the BMW model lineup, replacing the older 3 Series Coupe and Convertibles, and it is certainly one of their most desirable and best-looking cars to date. Right now you can pick up an 18 plate model in top-spec M-Sport level trim for under £29,000. Brand new, a 420d M Sport will cost you at least £42,000 - so you can save up to £13,000 by buying a year old model. 2015 models are starting from around £20,000 now, so if you go for something a bit older you can make a huge saving.

New car prices for the A5 Cabriolet start at a hefty £38k, with the popular S Line model starting at £40,490, which is far from cheap but, in fairness, the A5 is a real head turner, particularly in Cabriolet form, and because it’s an Audi it has an extremely luxurious interior with stacks of technology on board. If you’re keen for a saving, have a look at 2018 models, which is when the latest version was released. These early models are typically kitted out in S Line form and are just about sneaking underneath the £30,000 mark. Definitely worth a test drive on a sunny day with the roof down...

Less of a ‘driver’s car’ than the BMW alternatives, but leagues ahead in terms of prowess, luxury and refinement is the Mercedes-Benz SL Class. This is more of a grand-touring car than it is a roadster, better suited for cruising to the south of France than it is hammering around a circuit. A brand new model will set you back a massive £78,385 before you’ve added a single option, but there was a facelift in 2017 so a wise move might be to buy the model from before the facelift. We found pre-facelift models from 2014/15 from under £25k. 

A new Boxster released in 2016 has caused prices of the pre-facelift 3rd generation to come right down. It was only on sale from 2012 to 2016 so examples of this model are few and far between and they’ll become even more elusive as summer approaches, so get your skates on to give yourself the best chance of picking up your perfect model. We’ve found one that have just snuck under the £32,000 threshold, and one at £35,905. Bear in mind that a brand new Boxster will cost at least £46,651 and the options list for all Porsche models are notoriously costly.

Alright, I’ve cheated a bit here, for this last one I’ve raised the threshold from £30,000 to £40,000ish, but I’ll explain why; the stunning Jaguar F-Type Convertible has to be one of, if not the, best-looking convertible on the market. As British sports cars go, it’s something we can all be immensely proud of, and it’s getting more and more accessible on the used car market as the years go by and as Jaguar continue releasing new models. We have some F-Type models on the market for under £43,000 - with one of them being a 3.0 V6 Supercharged model which has just 7,000 miles on the clock. That V6 model will do 0-60mph in just 5.5 seconds, and brand new a 3.0 litre V6 is priced from £60,820 so this one will save you about £20,000. Have I justified including it in this list yet?