The seven best used cars to buy for £10,000 – and the one to avoid

With recent rises in the prices of used cars, £10,000 doesn’t go quite as far as it used to. Nevertheless, it’s still more than enough to give you plenty of options for something that will look smart and be among the most accomplished of its type on the market.

Having said that, too much choice can be a bad thing – and given there are so many shapes and sizes of car for this sort of budget, choosing one can feel like sticking a pin in a map to decide your next holiday destination.

But if you just want a car that’s the best at what it does, look no further. Here, we’ve picked seven particular uses and found the best machine for £10,000 that fits each one.

Among others, you’ll find the best city car, the best for families, the cheapest to run and even the best for carrying dogs. What’s more, for each car, we’ve also included common problems to watch out for, together with an example of what your budget can secure.

And to prevent you from making a mistake, we’ve also included one car you should steer clear of for this budget – and why. So without further ado, here are the best used cars to buy for £10,000.

Best urban runaround

Kia Picanto (2017-present)

This budget will get you into a small car that’s still fairly new – and the third-generation Kia Picanto, still going strong today even after its second facelift, is well worth the money.

Not only do you get the benefit of Kia’s long warranty – seven years or 100,000 miles from the car’s date of registration – but the Picanto is unexpectedly brilliant to drive. It handles neatly and rides bumps with the sort of competence you might expect from a car two sizes bigger.

While it doesn’t quite feel like one inside, it’s certainly more roomy than you’d expect for a car of its town-friendly dimensions: there’s space for four adults to sit in relative comfort.

Price to pay: from £5,000

We found: 2021 Picanto 1.0 2, 11,000 miles, full service history, £9,999

Watch out for: rattly timing chains, scuffed wheels, slow starting due to fuel pump problems

Best for families

Seat Leon (2013-2020)

The seventh-generation Volkswagen Golf (2012-2019) is widely considered one of the most complete family cars of all time – but what if you could get such a Golf for a discount price, with the added benefit of more eye-catching looks as well as sharper handling?

Enter the third-generation Seat Leon, whose stonking value has long made it one of the best used buys. Surely there’s a catch? Well, the Spanish-produced Leon isn’t quite as solidly built inside as the Golf – but it’s still better than most of its rivals, while its interior design is just as easy on the eye as the VW.

In other words, there’s not much to dislike. Whether you choose the Leon in hatchback or estate form, it’s a brilliant family car – and one that’ll make you want to take the scenic route home.

Price to pay: from £4,000

We found: 2018 Leon 1.4 TSI FR Technology, 49,000 miles, full service history, £9,979

Watch out for: dodgy/badly maintained DSG automatic gearboxes, water leaks in rear lights, electrical gremlins

Best for dog owners

Mazda CX-5 (2012-2017)

A car to carry dogs in requires two attributes: a large, tall luggage area and plenty of ground clearance to help traverse rutted forest car parks.

The CX-5 delivers both, while also fitting into relatively benign dimensions that shouldn’t make it too much of a chore to manoeuvre elsewhere. It just so happens that the CX-5 is one of our favourite used SUVs, too, thanks to its smart, well laid-out interior and an excellent blend of ride comfort and agility.

Being a Mazda, it should also be very dependable, with long-lasting interior finishes and reliable mechanicals. What’s more, every CX-5 is generously equipped – and, given the very reasonable prices for this model, makes it excellent value, too.

Price to pay: from £4,000

We found: 2016 CX-5 2.2 Skyactiv-D Sport Nav+, 85,000 miles, full service history, £9,999

Watch out for: chipped or marked red paintwork, cracked interior displays, satnav glitches

Best for fun in the sun

Nissan 350Z Roadster (2002-2009)

Nissan’s brutish grand tourer is often overlooked in the annals of great sports cars, largely because early examples didn’t quite hit the mark. But what’s frequently forgotten is that mid-way through the car’s life Nissan brought out a range of upgrades that made the 350Z one of the most exciting affordable cars of the era to drive.

The best part is that these later “HR” cars (so-called because of their updated engine code) are now within our £10,000 budget, which isn’t a lot of money considering the breathed-on 3.5-litre V6 engine’s soulful yowl, the pin-sharp steering and the excellent handling balance.

What’s more, by comparison with the equivalent Porsche Boxster, the 350Z should be relatively affordable to maintain and repair – not that it should go wrong all that often. And because it is at or approaching the nadir in its values, buying one now is a canny move, as you shouldn’t lose too much money on it.

Price to pay: from £4,000

We found: 2008 350Z GT, 61,000 miles, full service history, £9,850

Watch out for: pre-2007 cars burning oil, knocking anti-roll bar drop links, clicking from rear end, iffy radiator fan switches, modified and thrashed examples

Best for low running costs

Toyota Yaris Hybrid (2014-2017)

It should come as no surprise to find the Yaris Hybrid here, given it’s the most fuel-efficient iteration of Toyota’s famed hybrid powertrain. You can expect an average economy of about 60mpg – and potentially even more in urban driving, where frequent stopping and starting allows the hybrid battery to be recharged by the car’s regenerative braking system.

And don’t forget that a Yaris of this vintage can stay warrantied up to the age of 10 years, providing it’s serviced at a Toyota dealer – thus reducing considerably the costs involved in its repair and maintenance.

The downside is that the Yaris isn’t quite up there with its supermini contemporaries in terms of its interior quality or driving style. But then again, it isn’t so far behind as to rule it out if running costs are your primary concern.

Price to pay: from £5,000

We found: 2015 Yaris Hybrid Sport, 51,000 miles, full service history, £9,999

Watch out for: dashboard rattles, intermittent touchscreen failures

Best with seven seats

Seat Alhambra (2011-2020)

If you need the maximum amount of space in a family car, ignore all the fashionable seven-seat SUVs and plump instead for a good old-fashioned MPV like the Seat Alhambra.

Granted, it isn’t going to win any prizes for fashion, but as a result of that – and thanks to its huge, capacious interior – it offers a brilliant balance between value and practicality. Witness, for example, the seven full-sized seats, enabling everyone to travel in comfort and even adults to travel in the rear-most row. And note the sliding rear doors, which make it easier to load your brood in the car park.

Top-spec SE Lux models even get a slew of luxuries you’d usually expect in the best executive saloons. And whether you choose the punchy petrol engines or the economical diesels, the Alhambra is smooth and easy to drive.

Price to pay: from £5,000

We found: 2012 2.0 TDI SE Lux DSG, 80,000 miles, full service history, £9,991

Watch out for: abused high-mile ex-taxis, electrical niggles, air-con that doesn’t cool, defunct powered boot lids

Best for style

Mercedes-Benz CLS (2011-2018)

The CLS set tongues wagging when it was launched. The idea of a four-door coupé hadn’t been seen in the UK since the 1970s, when the last Rover P5B was sold, but here was a fitting successor: long, low, lithe and beautifully finished, both inside and out.

This second-generation CLS built on the good work, with sharper lines and an even more lavish interior. Yet today, the CLS isn’t as sought after as more obvious coupé alternatives, nor its straight-laced saloon stablemates, which means it’s surprisingly good value.

Choose the excellent 3.5-litre diesel V6 engine and you’ll end up with a consummate grand tourer – smooth, rapid and surprisingly spacious, yet capable of a huge range thanks to its sensible fuel consumption. And, of course, it’ll turn heads wherever you go.

Price to pay: from £5,000

We found: 2013 CLS350 CDI AMG Sport, 74,000 miles, full service history, £9,999

Watch out for: Deflated air suspension, dicky electrics, engine misfires, worn interior fabrics

…and the £10,000 used car to avoid

DS 4 (2015-2019)

The first-generation DS 4 was an attempt to create a French alternative to premium hatchbacks such as the Audi A3.

The trouble was, it wasn’t even as good as the VW Golf on which the A3 was based. Cramped rear seats, cheap plastics, sluggish engines and sloppy handling were just some of the problems with the way the DS 4 drove – and as time has gone on, it’s come to light that its 1.2-litre petrol engines’ timing belts disintegrated, while the 1.6-litre diesels were prone to turbo failure.

Even on the detail, the DS 4 falls down; the rear doors’ trailing edges, for example, finish in a point that’s prone to jabbing you in the chest when you open them. At this price, there are countless better options, whatever your needs may be.