Best cars for £1,000 or less

Used cars remain more expensive than they were prior to 2020, but it’s still perfectly feasible to find a top second-hand car for £1,000 or less. Such a tight budget will mean you need to be realistic about some points, though, such as the car's age, its mileage, or the exact specification.

Even so, picking a used car with a keen price is just as achievable now as it’s ever been if you do your homework. The best news is that our experts have already done the hard work and picked out some of the best cars for £1,000 or less.

MINI Mk2

• Years produced: 2006-2014
• Engines available: 1.4, 1.6 petrol, 1.6, 2.0 diesel

Who said you can’t have a fun and funky car for this sort of money? Not us, and the second-generation MINI hatch proves it. It followed the same simple recipe as its predecessor but added a little more room for those sitting in the back. If you’re in the driver’s seat, it’s the place to be as the MINI is huge fun to drive no matter which engine it comes with.

There’s a decent number of this generation of MINI on the used market at less than £1000. As with all MINIs, make sure you can live with whatever colour scheme and options were added when new or since. Air conditioning is a welcome option, along with alloy wheels. Cars with the manual gearbox are better to drive and more frugal.

Skoda Roomster Mk1

• Years produced: 2006-2015
• Engines available: 1.2, 1.4, 1.6 petrol, 1.6 turbo petrol, 1.2, 1.4, 1.6, 1.9 diesel

Skoda is never shy of trying something new and it did just that with the Roomster. As the name makes clear, it’s all about interior space in this five-seat oddball MPV, which is based on the same mechanical parts as the Fabia. That means the Roomster is much better to drive than you might think and the diesel engines are very frugal. However, these engines can also be noisy, so a petrol is a better bet unless you cover lots of miles.

All Roomsters have loads of space for people and luggage, so you can carry three adults passengers plus the driver, or three kids will fit across the back seat. The boot is surprisingly vast for a car this size, which makes it an ideal choice if you need to lug lots of kit around or have a big dog.

Toyota Yaris Mk1

• Years produced: 1999-2006
• Engines available: 1., 1.3, 1.5, 1.5 turbo petrol, 1.4 diesel

The first generation of Toyota Yaris may be pushing on in years, but it’s also quietly built something of a cult following. Young drivers love it because the Yaris is relatively affordable to insure while also being decent to drive. It endears itself for being unerringly reliable, so you won’t be spending much on keeping it in good nick.

It’s a bit bland inside, but Toyota quality means it will keep on working long after most of the Yaris’ rivals have fallen to pieces. We’d seek out the 1.3-litre petrol if you can find one within budget as the 1.0-litre is on the slow side, though that can help with insurance costs for new drivers.

Renault Clio Mk3

• Years produced: 2005-2012
• Engines available: 1.2, 1.2 turbo, 1.4, 1.6, 2.0 petrol, 1.5 turbo diesel

A lot of driving instructors used this generation of Renault Clio, which goes some way to explaining its popularity as many new drivers’ first car. It was a good call for both instructor and learner as the Clio was and remains very smooth and comfortable to drive. It has plenty of safety kit for a car of this age, too.

The feisty Renaultsport model is way beyond our budget here, but the 1.2 petrol makes for a good mix of driving fun and low running costs. The diesels are even cheaper to fuel but can be noisy, so we’d stick to the petrol engines. There are plenty of Clios out there, so you can afford to be a little choosy to find a clean, tidy example.

Ford Ka Mk2

• Years produced: 2009-2016
• Engines available: 1.2 petrol

The original Ford Ka was a game changer for Ford and city car buyers, and you can still find them within our budget here. However, we reckon the second-generation Ka is a better bet for most drivers thanks to it being newer and better equipped. Most have air conditioning and electric windows.

All Kas are entertaining to drive, and it shares its platform with the Fiat 500. There’s only a 1.2 petrol engine in the Ka, whereas the Fiat offers a wider choice of motors. However, the Ka is more affordable than its cute Italian cousin, so it makes for the savvier buy at this price point.

Kia Rio Mk2

• Years produced: 2005-2011
• Engines available: 1.4 petrol, 1.5 diesel

Kia knew exactly who was going to buy its second incarnation of the Rio supermini. They were drivers who wanted comfort, space and an easy life, and they got just that. The same applies to the Rio now as a used car, where Kia’s solid build means there are always a few Rios within budget that look fresh and ready to carry on for many more miles.

The Rio isn’t as sharp to drive as some rivals in this list, but it will happily cruise on the motorway and zip around town. The 1.5 CRDi diesel is unrefined but sips fuel, though we’d take the greater refinement of the 1.4 petrol every time. All but the basic 1 trim come with a decent amount of standard equipment, so seek out a 2010-on facelift car in mid-space 2 or 3 trim for an undemanding, reliable car for this sort of money.

Citroen C1 Mk1

• Years produced: 2005-2014
• Engines available: 1.0 petrol

You could have this car in Peugeot 107 or Toyota Aygo shapes, but you’ll find more Citroen C1s for this money. All are much the same except for their badges, so the Citroen drives with the same verve around town as its cousins. On faster roads, it handles neatly but becomes rather loud and the 1.0-litre engine - the only choice - gets strained at higher speeds.

You can select from three- and five-door C1s and both look neat. Large plastic bumpers guard against town parking knocks, and the Citroen is more spacious inside than you’d guess from its compact exterior. Pocket money running costs are another attraction, which makes this an appealingly purse-friendly used buy.

Fiat Panda Mk2

• Years produced: 2004-2011
• Engines available: 1.1, 1.2, 1.4 petrol, 1.3 turbo diesel

There was an eight-year gap between the original Fiat Panda going off sale in the UK and the second-generation model arriving in 2003. That’s quite a gap, but it was worth the wait for the new model as it was one of the best city cars you could ask for at the time. Its high roof meant four adults could fit inside, but boot space was tight.

Comfort is another Panda plus point as the suspension is supple over the bumps. You won’t find a sporty 100HP model for this budget nor a 4x4 version, but the rest have nimble handling, light steering around town that can be made even easier at the touch of a button for parking, and frugal engines. We’d dodge the smallest petrol, which is a 1.1, and head for the zestier 1.2 that is the best all-rounder.

Daihatsu Sirion Mk2

• Years produced: 2005-2010
• Engines available: 1.0, 1.3 petrol

Looking for something a bit different? Step this way and check out the Daihatsu Sirion that arrived in 2005. It was always a bit under the radar when new and carries this on as a used car. Quite why we’re not sure as it’s reliable, strongly put together, and a great companion for town driving.

The cabin’s plastic doesn't help the Sirion’s cause as they look low grade, even if they will stand up to a workout from the kids. It will also offer up lots of space in the back seats for the younger members of the family. All Sirions come with a longer list of standard kit than most rivals, while the perky 1.0-litre engine is happy in town but you’ll want the 1.3 if you venture further away on a routine basis.

Vauxhall Corsa D

• Years produced: 2006-2014
• Engines available: 1.0, 1.2, 1.4 petrol, 1.6 turbo petrol, 1.3, 1.7 turbo diesel

This Vauxhall Corsa is a perennial of affordable cars because there were so many of them sold new. That popularity when new translates into an affordable used car with more space inside than most competitors, so you can fit four inside the Corsa without fear of complaints from anyone in the back seat. The boot is a reasonable size, too, but some of the interior trim and quality feels cheap.

On the road, the Corsa serves up decent handling, it’s easy to park, and will cruise on the motorway so long as you skip the base 1.0-litre. HIgher mileage drivers will love the economy of the 1.4 turbodiesel. With so many Corsas falling into this price band, take your time to find one that has been cared for and comes in one of the higher levels of the bewildering array of trims Vauxhall offered throughout the model’s life.

Best cars for £1000 or less

• MINI Mk2
• Skoda Fabia Mk2
• Toyota Yaris Mk1
• Renault Clio MK3
• Ford Ka Mk2
• Kia Rio Mk2
• Citroen C1 Mk1
• Fiat Panda Mk2
• Daihatsu Sirion Mk2
• Vauxhall Corsa D

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