The Best Second-Hand Cars to Buy for Under £3,000

If reliability is a top priority when buying a low-cost used car, a Japanese car maker is nearly always a great place to start, especially a model from Toyota. This brand is known for its dependable products that are known to last for decades not years.

One of the best options within a £3,000 budget is the Yaris supermini, particularly the second-generation model. Expect to pick up a 2008-registered example with around 80,000 miles on the clock for this budget. A Yaris of this age is well-made, practical and economical on fuel too, making for a cracking used buy.

One of the most popular used cars available is the Ford Fiesta. There are thousands of them available across the country, including lots within a £3,000 price bracket. We’d recommend a seventh-generation Fiesta, which was first introduced in late 2008.

Bringing far more modern styling than its predecessor, the Fiesta has universal appeal, whether it be for smaller families or those wanting their first car. This generation is known for its fun driving experience, extensive range of versions and engines, and for just being one of the best small cars that has ever been sold here in the UK. You can pick up a 2009 example with around 80,000 miles on the clock for the £3,000 budget.

Mazda is sometimes forgotten next to other more popular Japanese car brands, but if you’re looking for something stylish, reliable and good value for money, its models are worth considering.

We particularly like the Mazda 3, a family hatchback that rivals the Ford Focus. For a £3,000 budget, you can pick up a second-generation example, and expect to get a tidy 2009 car with 100,000 miles on the clock.

It still looks cool and modern next to new cars in this class (at least on the outside) while offering an engaging driving experience. There are roomier cars in this class, but it should still offer a good amount of room for families.

If you need something with more space than the cars we’ve already mentioned, the Skoda Octavia will most certainly do the trick. Available as a large hatchback or as an estate, both offer a great deal of space and are ideal for families or those with large dogs, for example.

It would be a second-generation that is the best option with this budget, with a tidy 2010 example with around 100,000 miles on the clock available for this budget. There’s a broad range of petrol and diesel models available, while you can even get a sportier vRS version for less than £3,000.

If you want reliability, a Honda is another great place to start. From the Jazz supermini to the Accord saloon, it’s quite hard to go wrong with a used Honda. But for this budget our pick has to be the CR-V – one of the few dependable SUVs you can pick up for less than £3,000.

We’d be looking at a third-generation CR-V, and expect to get a 2007 car with 125,000 miles. That might seem a lot of miles, but as long as a car has a good maintenance history, there should be little to worry about. The CR-V is well-equipped and still feels very solid inside, with the excellent diesel engines being our pick of the range.

If you’re looking for a small car that will cost you as little as possible to run, we would highly recommend the Kia Picanto, which punches well above weight for something of its size. The Picanto is ideal around town, but surprisingly competent away from urban areas.

It would be an early second-generation Picanto from 2011 or 2012, with around 90,000 miles on the clock that will sneak into this budget. It will return great fuel economy, while many examples of this age will also be free to tax as well.

Low insurance groups mean it will be a fantastic first car, too. Examples of this age still look fairly modern, while the interior is nicely finished for a car of this size.

You might find used Volkswagens are a bit more expensive than rival models of a similar age, but not only are you paying for that more premium brand, you also a get higher-quality finish inside. That’s the case for the Volkswagen Polo, as you will likely be shopping for an older example.

It would be a facelifted fourth-generation car that you will get for this budget, and something with around 70,000 miles on the clock. This generation of Polo is a very well-built small car that has the road manners of something far larger. A broad range of petrol and diesel engines means there’s something to suit most audiences too.

Nissan’s Qashqai was the car that helped to establish the trend for more compact SUVs, known as crossovers, and remains one of the UK’s best-selling cars. What you might not know, however, is that Nissan sold a seven-seater version for a number of years, known as the Qashqai+2.

Offering three rows of seats, albeit the rearmost seats are only really suitable for children, it adds additional functionality to what is already a practical car. The Qashqai is also comfortable and refined, while there’s a good choice of petrol and diesel models available. You should be able to pick up a diesel, 2010-registered model with around 110,000 miles on the clock for within this budget.

Just because you’re shopping on a budget, it doesn’t mean you can’t have something fun to drive. So if you’re looking for thrills for less than £3,000, we recommend the first-generation Audi TT. It’s a bit older than the other cars here, but still feels solid and has aged brilliantly. You’d never know it was almost 25 years old.

Strong engines offer great performance, while the TT has a very solid-feeling interior that still feels remarkably well-built. You can have this Audi as a coupe or convertible, with the quattro four-wheel-drive models being the most appealing. You can pick up usable, if not immaculate, examples with around 100,000 miles for this budget.

Moving back to smaller, cheaper-to-run cars, we have the Suzuki Swift. This supermini isn’t quite as well-known as models like the Fiesta and Polo, but if you’re looking for a reliable and fun small car, it’s worth a look.

The Swift brings modern styling considering it’s approaching 20 years old, while it’s roomier inside than you might expect.

With small, efficient engines, it should be fairly frugal, while equipment levels are fairly generous as well. You’ll be able to pick up a low-mileage car from 2008 in this budget, while those wanting something a bit more lively can choose the Swift Sport hot hatchback for within this price, albeit with more miles.