Best cars for £10,000 or less

In the not too distant past, £10,000 could have bagged you a brand-new budget motor in the shape of an MG3 or Dacia Sandero. Rising prices mean this is sadly no longer the case, but on the plus side, the used car market still offers plenty of choice for £10k or less. You’re not just limited to entry-level superminis or family hatchbacks, either.

Our experts have trawled through the classifieds to find the best cars for £10,000 or less on today’s market. From load-lugging SUVs and executive saloons, to premium electric cars, there should be something for just about everybody.

For this budget, you should be able to find some low-mileage and relatively new examples, but no matter how good a used car looks, it’s important to take the right precautions to avoid losing any hard-earned money. Check the car's MOT and service history beforehand, and taking the car for a thorough test drive is highly recommended, as it should help highlight any hidden or potential issues. Asking a professional to do a full mechanical inspection will also offer peace of mind, while preventing any surprise bills or breakdowns later on.

Best cars for £10,000 or less

Read on to discover some of the best cars you can buy for £10,000 or less. 

Jaguar XF Mk1

7

• Best executive estate for £10,000 or less
• We found: 2.2d R-Sport auto, 2014, 52k miles
• Years produced: 2008-2015
• Engines available: 3.0, 3.0S, 4.2, 5.0 petrol, 2.2, 2.7, 3.0 diesel

In the premium segments, German car brands have long had a hold over British car buyers. That’s been a shame for Jaguar, but it means that you can get a lot more used executive estate for your money. 

Take the XF Shooting Brake for example; all of the cars within budget are diesels, and while most are the 2.2-litre four-cylinder that offers decent pace with enticing economy, there are some 3.0-litre V6 editions, too. With 237bhp and 500Nm of torque for scintillating in-gear acceleration, you’re guaranteed effortless cruising abilities, and all in hushed luxury.

BMW i3

7

• Best electric car for £10,000 or less
• We found: i3 EV, 2016, 23k miles
• Years produced: 2013-2022
• Powertrains available: 22kWh/168bhp, 33kWh/181bhp EV

BMW has never been one to cut corners, but it really went to town when it developed the i3. It built a factory purely to make the bespoke carbon-fibre bodyshell that offered strength, stiffness and lightness for its first EV. The result was a car that was efficient, great to drive and looked like nothing else on the road. 

For those who don’t want to commit to a full EV, the halfway- house range-extender also packs a 650cc petrol engine and a nine-litre fuel tank to boost the range from 90 miles or so to around 170 miles.

Renault Clio Mk4

7

• We found: 0.9T Dynam.,2017, 11k miles
• Years produced: 2013-2019
• Engines available: 0.9T, 1.2, 1.2T petrol, 1.5 diesel

The Clio was always a likeable car, but when the Mk4 arrived in 2013, Renault really moved up a gear. Bigger and only available in five-door form, the car was built to a far higher standard than its predecessors and was much more grown-up to drive. 

Diesel-engined versions were part of the line-up, and these can make a lot of sense if you cover loads of miles. But the 0.9 and 1.2-litre turbo petrol engines offer lots of zip with decent economy. We’d avoid the non-turbo 1.2-litre petrol engine because it feels rather flat in comparison with other Clios.

Kia Sportage Mk4 

7

• We found: 1.7 CRDi 1, 2016, 41k miles
• Years produced: 2016-2021
• Engines available: 1.6, 1.6T petrol, 1.6, 1.7, 2.0 diesel

By the time the Sportage Mk4 arrived, Kia’s star was in the ascendancy, largely thanks to the brilliance of the Mk3. A regular favourite in our Driver Power polls, the Sportage claimed top spot out of 100 cars in our 2019 Used Car survey, underlining its desirability. 

A £10k budget buys an early Mk4, which is fine, but it means you miss out on the 1.6 CRDi diesel engine, which is far better than the 1.7 CRDi that it replaced in 2018. The eight-speed auto trounces the earlier six-speeder, too, but the key thing to avoid is the non-turbo 1.6 GDi, which is short of muscle.

Skoda Superb Mk3

7

• Best family car for £10,000 or less
• We found: ​​1.6 TDI Greenline SE, 2017, 77k miles
• Years produced: 2015-2023
• Engines available: 1.4T, 1.5T, 2.0T petrol, 1.6, 2.0 diesel, 1.4 PHEV

There was a time when the levels of interior space found in the Skoda Superb were available only in saloons built for captains of industry. But now you can buy your own luxury limo for less than £10k, complete with premium features such as touchscreen sat-nav and heated leather seats. 

The 2.0-litre diesel is the best engine, though, because it perfectly blends pace and economy. For the icing on the cake, go for a DSG automatic transmission, and if you’re towing, be sure to add four-wheel drive to the mix. Impressively, all of this is within reach for less than £10,000.

Ford Galaxy Mk3 

7

• We found: 2.0 TDCi Zetec, 2017, 105k miles
• Years produced: 2015-present
• Engines available: 1.5T, 2.0T petrol, 2.0 diesel, 2.5 hybrid

It’s easy to think of the Galaxy Mk3 as merely a facelifted Mk2, but it was an all-new car that built on the peerless usability of its forebears. All versions had seven seats as standard, with rows two and three capable of being folded flat into the floor for ultimate convenience. 

Turbocharged petrol engines were offered, but virtually all cars costing less than £15k have the excellent 2.0 TDCi diesel unit that gives plenty of pep with acceptable economy. Aim for at least a mid-range Titanium, while Titanium X offers luxurious leather trim.

Buying advice

“This is where things start to get really interesting – £10k reveals a host of electrified cars, which are not only smoother and quieter to drive then their petrol equivalents, they should also be far cheaper to run.” - Deputy editor, Richard Ingram

The best cars for £10,000 or less

• Jaguar XF Mk1
• BMW i3
• Renault Clio Mk4
• Kia Sportage Mk4
• Skoda Superb Mk3
• Ford Galaxy Mk3

The best used cars for all budgets:

• The best cars for under £1,000
• The best cars for under £3,000
• The best cars for under £5,000 
• The best cars for under £10,000
• The best cars for under £15,000
• The best cars for under £20,000
• The best cars for under £30,000