Which Cars Can You Buy for £10k - £100k?
How far does your money stretch?
10. £0 - £10,000
Commonly seen being blasted down the motorways, the Vauxhall Insignia is a large family saloon/hatch which has won the hearts and minds of modest families up and down Great Britain. Now is an interesting time to look at them on the used car market, though. A brand new model is now on sale from £17,500, but these are extremely popular fleet vehicles, so there’s a huge demand. This means that the older models have lost a significant amount of value. We found a number of 16 plate models for under £10k, that’s a lot of money off a car that is less than 2 years old!
9. £10,000 - £20,000
Volvo has come on leaps and bounds in recent years, it is fair to say that they’re currently producing their most competitive cars to date. The V40 is their most accessible model, a large hatchback/small estate with a wealth of comfort features and a striking exterior which boasts sophistication. We’re not interested in the regular V40 though because if your budget is between £10k and £20k then you should look at the R-Design which has bigger alloys, better headlights and a host of sporty kit. R Design Nav Pro models start at £27,000 but there are plenty falling under the £20,000 mark after just one year.
8. £20,000 - £30,000
The IS competes with the likes of the BMW 3 Series, Audi A4, Mercedes-Benz C-Class and Jaguar XE in the ‘compact executive’ segment, but it stands alone as a relatively unorthodox choice. The outside bet, if you will. This is largely due to the fact the IS is petrol only, and the competing vehicles typically sell with diesel engines, but the IS shouldn’t be cast away for that reason. The 300H is a hybrid powertrain which will return over 60mpg. It’s also a really striking car with a gorgeous interior. Buy a 1-year-old F-Sport (which sells for nearly £40,000 when new) for just under £30,000 and save yourself a pretty penny.
7. £30,000 - £40,000
The first generation Audi R8 has really plummeted in price over the last 10 years as newer models have replaced it with improved engines, gearboxes and so on. Luckily, this means you can pick up the original models for under £40,000. You’ll need to be careful of running costs, but we found a 2007 model with 60,000 miles on the clock for only £36,950 - what are you waiting for...
6. £40,000 - £50,000
The current shape Range Rover has been on sale since 2012, and although it costs around £100,000 when buying brand new, the car has been out long enough (and sold well enough) to allow used models to drop below the £50,000 mark. We found a well-specced 2013 model with just 44,379 miles for only £40,000.
5. £50,000 - £60,000
You can get a Jaguar F-Type brand new from £50,000 (£56,000 for the convertible) and then it’s on you to spec a load of extras that should probably be standard, which really drives the price up. Alternatively, look at the used car market where you can get a ready-made model with delivery mileage. We found a 2017 plate V6 model with a high spec for just £51,000 - a saving of at least £14,000 from when it was ‘new.’
4. £60,000 - £70,000
Fresh from the showroom, a BMW X5 M will set you back a steady £94,910.00 - which is an awful lot of money. For this, you do get a massive 4x4 with an exquisite interior, a 4.4 litre V8 engine and 545 horsepower… Oh, and an annual road tax bill of £505 while you only achieve a maximum of 26mpg.
On second thoughts, why not buy a year old model, save over £30,000 on the list price and still have plenty of life left in the warranty? We found a number of BMW X5 M’s for around £61,000 with as good as no miles on them.
3. £70,000 - £80,000
The RS6 has built up a bit of a cult following among car enthusiasts. It is appreciated as a practical family car which can slip by unnoticed… while also outperforming about 95% of the other cars on the road when it needs to. The RS6 is also desirable because it seems to be the weapon of choice for footballers who don’t want to attract unwanted attention, countless RS6s litter the roads of leafy Cheshire.
Brand new the RS6 starts from £81,430, but that barely gets your the tyres. Pretty much every RS6 is built with a shopping list of extras, and we’ve found a number of Performance models (which starts at £90,000) too.
2. £80,000 - £90,000
They’ve aged quite well, haven’t they? While the value of the Gallardo may not be susceptible to the rapid ascents that modern-classic Ferraris tend to benefit from, the Gallardo (built from 2003 to 2011) has held onto its worth pretty well, but if you do fancy putting a big chunk of money behind a second-hand Lambo then we’d certainly recommend buying a later model. We found a 2011 Gallardo with 17,000 miles on the clock for £87,950.
1. £90,000 - £100,000
The new S63 Coupé is one of the most powerful cars AMG have ever produced, as well as being the most luxurious. This a car that blends mind-boggling performance with a frankly extraordinary interior. Buying brand new, the sticker price starts at £130,000 for an S63 Coupé, but this is a luxury car and any modest amount of optional extras is going to take the price close to £150,000 - alternatively, we found 17 plate cars with as good as no mileage for just under £100,000. For something incredibly expensive, that’s quite a bargain...
