The used car market is brimming with tasty deals, but sometimes it can be hard to tell the wise buys from the potential money pits.
Fear not: our used car experts have compiled their picks from the classifieds. See anything you like? Best to move fast and buy them before we do...
BMW M135i £16,500: Hands up those of you who’ve noticed how cheap the BMW M135i has become lately. Go on, be honest. Well, okay, maybe you had, as an astute reader of these pages, but clearly you’re in the minority, because otherwise they’d be being bought up in their droves.
The M135i is, of course, that rare thing: a rear-wheel-drive hot hatch, last heard of in the days of the Renault Clio V6 and, before that, the Vauxhall Chevette HS. But that isn’t the only thing that makes it special.
For one thing, there’s a 316bhp powerplant that combines a glut of low-down shove with a soaring top end, and then there’s the balanced chassis with a fabulously sticky front end that makes hurling the little BMW through corners at ever- increasing pace a delight.
Find a used BMW M135i on PistonHeads
And when you’re not out giggling yourself senseless, the M135i plays the part of a sophisticated family bus with consummate ease, with plenty of space in the back for two kids, high-quality plastics up front for mum and dad, and a decent-sized boot for everyone’s detritus. There’s even a five-door version.
A four-year-old example isn’t one of those, but it is just £16,500. Truth is, these days you can actually buy high-mile M135is for less than £15k, which seems like a steal. This private-seller car has covered a measly 30,000 miles, though, and comes with a generous helping of options, including the performance exhaust to help liberate the sound of that straight six when you’re on a charge. There is, as you’d expect, a full history as well.
All of which sounds like the sort of thing one should jump on before the rest of the world catches up.
Ferrari 348 TS £45,995: The 348 is still a great entry-level Ferrari, even if it isn’t the finest- handling car to come out of Modena. Indeed, with that in mind, why not go for a Targa? It still looks just as terrific as the tin-top and offers you a spot of al fresco motoring. This right-hand- drive example has high miles but, at the price, looks worth a punt.
Vauxhall Insignia £8650: They might be about as exciting as a spoon, but these late-model Insignias are terrific value if all you need is a whopping car for the money. Elite-spec ones like this come laden with kit and don’t cost much more than the mid-range cars. You’ll probably have to pick a diesel, though, because petrol versions are rare and thirsty.
