Bangernomics best buys: Volvo V70

2010 Volvo V70 2.5T SE Lux Geartronic, 54,000 miles, £7650: Here’s a highly specified Japanese import. It’s a ULEZ-friendly petrol with xenon lights and Bluetooth, to name just two features, plus an easy-to-live-with Geartronic gearbox.

Or try this - 2002 Volkswagen Passat 4.0 W8 4Motion 185,000 miles, £2795: Instead of a 1.9 diesel, how about eight cylinders of sheer performance joy? There aren’t many details about this one, so it might be cheap for a reason, but there’s lots of room and roof bars.

Idol Fancy: Alfa Romeo Brera, 2006-2012

This is the Alfa Romeo coupé with a glamorous name that’s very big on value. It’s good to drive and easy to own but still a legit Italian legend that will entertain and deliver you to your destination in some real style. All it needs is a proper history.

The entry-level 2.2-litre four-pot develops 185bhp. It sounds good, too, thanks to a trick exhaust. What you really want, though, is the 3.2 for added drama. Most of all these are bargains.

Dodge the spares or repairs costing around a grand. From £2500, you will get a 2006 2.2 petrol with just over 100,000 miles. It will have had a few owners but ought to come with a full MOT. Around £4000 gets you a decent JTD with a full MOT and it will deliver just over 40mpg. To get your backside into a V6 3.2, you will have to dig into your balance to the tune of £7995. The mileage will be just below six figures and it will have a reassuring dealer warranty.

It is, of course, an Alfa, so best to check that it has a full complement of electrics. Avoid the complicated Selespeed and note that gearbox bearings and the timing belt might need to be replaced at 100k miles.

Buy now: Renault Clio

The Clio is a wonderful example of a supermini for the masses. Well, they all should be, but this is a pretty tough, practical and economical nugget, and the 2001-2005 model is the current cheapie sweet spot. And it’s hard not to love those huge headlights.

This is the really safe Clio, with four airbags and seatbelt pretensioners; the split-folding rear seats are standard fit for flexibility; and it’s one of the best first cars to buy for a youngster and insure.

It’s almost impossible to unravel the various specification levels, but Dynamique tends to do the job. Usually the first frugal thought is the dCi diesel, which delivers comfortably over 60mpg. At worst, the largest 1.6 petrol is around 47mpg.

Beware those troublesome-if-blocked diesel EGR valves and failing ignition coils and water pumps.

2003 Renault Clio 1.2 Authentique, 117,000 miles, £395: Here’s one of those part-exchanges to clear. They’re always a risk, but this one is a wheel-trim-free full rural-France experience with four practical doors and room for chickens. This really is bottom-of- the-barrel money, but at least it’s roadworthy, with an MOT expiry in July and ready to do a commute.