Seven alternative used car buys for less than £1,000

So, you’ve got £1,000 in the bank to spend on a set of wheels. You could put that money down as a deposit on a Mercedes A-Class or a BMW 1 Series and then sign up for a lifetime of monthly payments and badge snobbery. But no, you’re a maverick. You’re far more interesting than that, so let TG take you through seven alternative buys for less than that thousand pounds. We take no responsibility for the quality of the cars on offer.

We’ll start off sensibly, because this is proper consumer advice we’re offering here. Thus, may we present the Audi A2 – aluminium construction and mega mpg, all for less than a grand.

We found a 1.6-litre petrol with 99,600 miles on the clock for £995

Need something a bit more practical? Nobody does that better than the Swedes, but let’s leave Volvo for a second and talk Saab. Original 9-5 Aero estates are dirt cheap these days but still look glorious. Plus, after a year on sale Saab had to concede that the 230bhp turbocharged four-cylinder was producing more like 250bhp. Remember the days of humility?

We found a 2.3-litre HOT Aero with 146,360 miles on the clock for £750

What if you’re jealous of all the mums and dads down your street with their brand-new identikit crossovers? Aha, the Renault Scénic RX4 is your answer. All the practicality of an MPV combined with the high driving position of a crossover and a central diff designed by off-road legends Steyr Daimler Puch. Where did it all go wrong?

We found a 1.9-litre diesel with 108,000 miles on the clock for £450

For the style conscious, a slightly ropey Peugeot 406 Coupé miraculously comes in under budget. Less than £1,000 for a Pininfarina-designed, 2.0-litre engined 1990s coupé? The world’s gone mad. Ah, probably shouldn’t say that these days. 

We found a 2.0-litre SE with 128,000 miles on the clock for £700

Need that premium German badge to show off? A super high mileage E34 5 Series Touring should get you far more cred than a boggo 118i, and these days you can pick one up for less than the cost of an M Sport keyring. That’s a win.

We found a manual 520i with 185,000 miles on the clock for £750

Right, here’s what you all came for – it’s big barge time. The Mercedes S-Class is king of the hill in these parts, and somehow a W220 S500 can be bought for less than £1,000. Obviously, you’ll need many times that for repairs, but financial security is overrated anyway. Why have savings when you can have a 5.0-litre V8?

We found a 2000 S500 with 75,000 miles on the clock for £1,000

Last but not least is your hot hatch option, because it wouldn’t be a used car gallery without one. We’re not exaggerating here when we say that the Toyota Yaris T Sport is the greatest car ever made, and that’s not at all influenced by the fact that a certain member of the TG staff owns one. Expect values to rise sharply after this (fingers crossed) so get in there quickly. 

We found a pre-facelift 3dr with 123,000 miles on the clock for £890