Past masters: the best used British bargains on the market today
Bag yourself a slice of greatness for less. John Evans explains how
From luxury saloons, to blue-blooded V8 sports cars, the British car industry has been the birthplace of some of the finest cars ever made.
And the good news keeps on coming because you can now bag a slice of British greatness for as little as £500.
Here, then, are the best British bargains you can buy today.
*British heroes*
For flying the flag and showcasing British production at its best, these five cars are hard to beat.
*Range Rover Evoque Mk1*
The compact Range Rover Evoque was an instant hit, which is why today’s classifieds are awash with them at prices starting from £5000. Diesels are economical and Euro 6 from 2015; petrols are smooth and less prone to particulate filter issues.
*What to look for: *Any rust is likely to be accident repair-related; DPF problems
*Price: *From £2000 to £26,000
*Range Rover Mk3*
The Range Rover has been Britain’s unofficial ambassador for more than 50 years. Our favourite is this third-generation version. It was developed by BMW and offers a fine blend of performance, luxury and off-road ability, and prices for this model are fair.
*What to look for *Check it is mechanically quiet, it sits right and rust isn’t an MOT issue
*Price: *from £1000 - £70,000
*Bentley Continental GT Mk1 (2003-11) *
New Bentley owner Volkswagen was determined to get its high-performance, four-seat coupé right, sweetening the deal with a ‘low’ £110,000 sticker price. The GTC convertible arrived soon after, while 2008 heralded the introduction of key updates.
*What to look for* Well-maintained high-milers are best; check for mechanical and suspension issues and paint damage
*Price:* from £6000 to £63,000
*Lotus Elise S1 (1996-2001)*
Rear-wheel drive and weighing just 725kg, even the least powerful Elise cracks 0-62mph in 5.5sec. There are quicker ones, but the basic 118bhp model is the sweetest.
*What to look for* Wayward panel gaps, rusty rear subframe, track-day accident damage, paint crazing, head gasket leaks
*Price:* from £12,000 to £30,000
*Mini Mk1 (2001-2006)*
Size-wise, the first-gen Mini hatch is the closest to BMC’s original. The One is slow, the Cooper a little quicker and diesels are economical, but the supercharged petrol Cooper S is the one you want.
*What to look for* Cabin damp, gearbox and supercharger noises, irregular maintenance
*Price:* from £350 to £23,000
*British eccentrics*
From the nation that gave the world cricket, these motors do it their way and in style.
*Mini Paceman (2013-16)*
The Paceman had big ambitions, with hatchbacks, coupés and even SUVs in its crosshairs. Buyers were confused, though, and with sales falling, BMW dropped it after just three years. It’s a heavy car and at its best in Cooper S form.
*What to look for* Missed oil changes, worn brakes, peeling decals
*Price:* from £1500 to £13,000
*Lotus Elan SE (1989-1992)*
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With its front-wheel-drive layout, the Elan SE was, in the context of Lotus, almost wilfully perverse. A thrash in the 163bhp turbo version usually won over sceptics. The model returned in S2 form from 1994-95.
*What to look for* Mechanicals are strong but composite body and interior can be tired
*Price:* from £6000 to £13,000
*Range Rover Evoque Convertible (2016-2018)*
Heavier, more expensive and less practical than its five-door sibling, the two-door Evoque convertible was a bonkers derivative that was binned after just three years. Used ones are rare today, but they are at least reasonably priced.
*What to look for* Check for cabin damp, creaks and groans and DPF issues on diesels
*Price:* from £13,000 to £26,000
*Ineos Grenadier (2023-)*
Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s take on the original Defender is no rich man’s vanity project. Used Grenadiers are now more sensible although options-sensitive.
*What to look for* Desirable options; check the underside and that everything works
*Price:* from £43,000 to £96,000
*British value *
Great design and innovation for a lot less than you might think.
*Land Rover Freelander 2 (2006-2015)*
The second-generation Freelander was well built, powerful, practical and comfortable. It’s good to drive on road and off and has high-tech chassis systems including on-demand four-wheel drive and Terrain Response. Cars from 2012 are the best.
*What to look for *Underside damage and oil and coolant leaks, wonky steering, transmission noises
*Price:* from £1300 to £17,000
*Jaguar I-Pace (2018-)*
Used EVs have nosedived in price in recent months, and few have done so more steeply than the handsome, comfortable and tech-rich I-Pace. Four-year-old cars with fewer than 30,000 miles start at £17,000; SE trim is the sweet spot.
*What to look for *Check charge cables are present, that the battery and brakes are in good condition and that all the updates have been carried out
*Price:* from £14.000 to £75,000
*Jaguar XF MK2 (2015-2024)*
The Mk1 XF is cheap but long in the tooth, so check out this, its good-value Mk2 successor: a prettier and better-finished car with new underpinnings and engines. There are even versions with four-wheel drive, but the regular rear-drive cars go well enough.
*What to look for* Oil dilution in diesels, infotainment glitches, water leaks into the cabin
*Price:* from £1500 to £48,000
*Jaguar XE (2015-2024)*
The XE has a class-leading blend of comfort and agility. There’s a wide choice of petrol and diesel engines, too. With good build quality, fair prices and an interior brimming with nice touches as standard, what’s not to like?
*What to look for* DPF issues on diesels, infotainment gremlins, irregular tyre wear
*Price:* from £2500 to £40,000
*MGF (1995-2002)*
The MGF was an affordable, mid-engined, rear-drive roadster with engaging handling and a supple ride. It was facelifted in 1999 and offered in 110bhp, 118bhp and 145bhp outputs, and it went on to become Britain’s best-selling rag-top.
*What to look for* Hydragas suspension and head gasket leaks, underbody corrosion, steering issues
*Price:* from £500 to £7000
*British sports*
Six of the best for road or track – and sometimes both
*Lotus Exige S2 (2004-2011)*
Buoyed by the success of the Elise, Lotus followed up with the more powerful Exige two-seat coupé in 2000 and the Exige 2 four years after that. Its 1.8-litre Toyota/Yamaha engine produces from 187bhp in standard form to 256bhp in the supercharged 2011 S.
*What to look for* Unblemished service history, coolant leaks, gearbox wear, signs of tracking, tired body
*Price:* from £20,000 to £35,000
*Jaguar F-type coupe (2013-24)*
More than 10 years since it was launched, Jaguar’s homage to the E-Type continues to thrill in terms of both performance and value for money. Good 5.0-litre V8-engined cars start at around £28,000, 3.0-litre V6s cost from £18,000 and the sweet (2018-on) 2.0-litre four-pot model is around £25,000.
*What to look for* Interior rattles, seized centre air vent and door handles, faulty active exhaust, leaky rear differential
*Price:* from £17,000 to £145,000
*Aston Martin V8 Vantage (2005-2017)*
The baby in Aston Martin’s range when it was launched proved to be one of the brand’s finer offspring, possessed of a charismatic and reliable 4.3-litre V8 (increased to 4.7 litres from 2008), an aluminium body and a well-designed cabin.
*What to look for* Full service history, worn clutch, suspension and alignment issues, oxidation on early cars
*Price:* from £14,000 to £175,000
*Jaguar XK (2006-2014)*
Like its predecessor the XK8, the XK is a pretty 2+2 coupé powered by a choice of V8 petrol engines. Some of those are supercharged, which means the XK is quick but also comfortable. If you can, buy the better, post-2009 facelift version.
*What to look for* Bulletproof service history, supercharger leaks and noises, warped wheels, faulty parking brake, aluminium oxidation
*Price:* from £3500 to £50,000
*Mini 2.0 Cooper S (2013-2024)*
Most models improve over the generations, and the third-gen Mini Cooper S is no exception: it’s quicker, usefully roomier, more refined and more ‘grown-up’ than its predecessors. Prices are very colour- and option-sensitive.
*What to look for* Heated seats and the larger sat-nav and upgraded stereo, peeling decals, budget tyres suggesting penny-pinching
*Price:* from £3500 to £34,000
*McLaren 570S (2015-2019)*
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Autocar’s road testers awarded McLaren’s rival to the Porsche 911 Turbo S the full five stars. Today, with prices for 2016-reg examples starting from £70,000, or half their price before extras when new, perhaps a bonus sixth star for ‘good used buy’ is now due.
*What to look for* A trickle charger, broken suspension springs, leaky dampers and coolant hoses, wayward panel gaps and bubbling on panel edges
*Price:* from £67,000 to £104,000
*British brutes*
Meet the Brits that pack a punch
*Jaguar S-type R (2002-2007)*
Prices for this cool-looking, rear-wheel-drive 395bhp V8 super-saloon now span from around £7000 to £15,000. In a head-to-head with like-minded rivals, Autocar rated it not far behind the E39 BMW M5, the prices of which start where the Jaguar’s leave off.
*What to look for* Rotting sills, supercharger rattles, missed oil changes, hunting transmission, baggy suspension, faulty electrics
*Price:* from £3000 to £17,000
*TVR Griffith 500 (1993-2002)*
Prices have risen for this 5.0-litre, 340bhp version of the original hairy-chest express, with the cheapest cars now around £15,000 and the most expensive double that. TVRs have a poor reputation but, fortunately, by now the few Griffs for sale have had most issues sorted.
*What to look for* Electrical problems, mechanical noises and cooling issues, quiet reverse gear engagement, suspension and bodywork faults, rotting chassis outriggers
*Price:* from £17,000 to £40,000
*Range Rover Sport 5.0 Supercharged (2009-2013)*
With 503bhp and 416lb ft, this most powerful of the first-generation Sport can sprint from 0-62mph in just 5.9sec. Thanks to adaptive suspension and active anti-roll bars, it rides and corners comfortably and securely too.
*What to look for* Supercharger noises, failed water pump, weak battery, sitting oddly at rest, irregular tyre wear, underbody damage
*Price:* from £7000 to £15,000
*Jaguar XFR (2009-2015)*
Son of S-Type R also has a supercharged V8, but in this case it produces 503bhp to give 0-62mph in 4.7sec. In its road test, Autocar awarded the 2012-facelift version the full five stars. There’s an even more powerful and dramatic XFR-S with 542bhp, but they’re hard to find and prices for them are high.
*What to look for* A failing timing chain (the engine might sound like a diesel tractor on start-up), fuel and coolant leaks, perished pipework
*Price:* from £7000 to £21,000
*British luxury *
Probably the finest quartet of pre-owned motorcars in the world.
*Bentley Arnage (1999-2010)*
New owner Volkswagen’s first stab at a Bentley was a bit wobbly, with the company ditching the car’s modern 4.4-litre BMW V8 in favour of the old Bentley Turbo R’s 6.75. Cabin is a bit plasticky, but a tidy car still cuts a dash.
*What to look for* Full Bentley or specialist service history, correct batteries, galvanic corrosion, weak interior trim
*Price:* from £11,000 to £45,000
*Jaguar XJ (2009-2019)*
The XJ’s last hurrah is a stylish and capable saloon worthy of the name and, as a used car, good value. Ride and handling, performance and refinement are top-drawer, and prices begin at just £5000.
*What to look for *DPF issues on diesel cars, six-speed gearbox issues on pre-2012 update cars, sagging suspension, infotainment gremlins
*Price:* from £3500 to £32,000
*Range Rover (2012-2021)*
The fourth-generation Range Rover again demonstrates the model’s uncanny ability to combine workhorse and luxury limo in one. JLR is updating models from 2018 with better security and has relaunched a dedicated insurance scheme.
*What to look for* A solid gold warranty and courtesy car provision – some problems can be fixed in a day while others take months
*Price:* from £11,000 to £120,000
*Rolls-Royce Ghost S1 (2009-2014)*
It may be the ‘baby’ Rolls-Royce, but when it comes to satisfying expectations, the Ghost is a grown-up: see its twin-turbo, 6.6-litre V12 for evidence. It’s a car for the owner rather than their chauffeur, and that, as the Ghost ages and becomes cheaper, can only be good news.
*What to look for* Idling problems possibly caused by faulty injectors, gearbox oil leaks, tired suspension, signs of clocking
*Price:* from £54,000 to £100,000