The best used cars to buy in 2026

Now seems like a great time for a potential 720S buyer. The 750 replaced it, and is marginally better, while it’s also far from the most affordable McLaren, so it doesn’t make headlines as a 200mph supercar for hot hatch money. But the first 4.0-litre McLaren looks incredibly valuable as it approaches its tenth anniversary, fetching just over £100,000 as an early example. And with that, one of the largest series-produced supercars of this century is purchased. It improved the performance and capabilities of a Super Series McLaren, thanks to the MonoCage II and new engine, while also boasting the style, theater and excitement that previous Maccas hadn’t quite delivered. The fact that the 750S didn’t really change much from the 2017 car shows what has been achieved. A milestone, in other words. And after 21,000 kilometers this one is little more than 911 Carrera money.

With the Maserati MCPura on the way, there are certainly deals to be had on the incredible MC20. Like an Alpine A110 with twice the power: agile, exciting, engaging, enormously special – and too often overlooked for the equivalent Porsche.

Speaking of the Alpine, it had to get a sports car nod. Of course, it has always been a contender in this category, because it looks cool, drives beautifully and celebrates lightness in a unique, compelling way. There really is nothing like an A110, and that is something to celebrate. More than ever, with production about to end and the electric future uncertain. And while purchasing what could be one of the last internal combustion engine Alpine sports cars would be undeniably special, the A110 was truly great from the start; it never needed a refresh to be fantastic so they all come highly recommended. This 2019 S has a little extra oomph and a more focused chassis that makes it better suited to the track, but honestly, it’s almost impossible to go wrong with an A110. That’s why it’s such a great sports car to buy now, and probably for a long time to come.

More than £20,000 off a 50-mile, 75-plate example of the most beautiful Lotus sports car since the original Elise? With a manual gearbox and a V6? Sign us up…

While it’s to BMW’s credit that it still offers a 2-series shaped M car with a turbo six-cylinder, rear-wheel drive and a manual transmission, you probably don’t need to tell us what’s wrong with it. Like many new cars, it’s heavier, more complicated and more expensive than before; on top of the way it looks. Although it drives very well for such a large car, it’s hard to be too enthusiastic about this generation. The original M2, however, requires no such qualification: it looks great, it drives brilliantly and has an interior designed by adults, for adults. It is undoubtedly the modern M car as it should be: as useful as it is exciting and as fast as it is fun. Despite the firm handling, there is hardly anything to criticize as an all-round coupe package. That’s why we keep recommending it, and why you’ll still need more than £35,000 for a really good one. But the values ​​hold up quite well…

Now that the Mustang lineup is V8-only and better to drive than ever, there isn’t a bad one in the pack. A Dark Horse is the best in the stable, although it’s hard to argue with that with a few hundred miles, a six-speed manual gearbox and not much more than £50,000.

While those who know their Coppice from their Craner Curves may crave something more intense as a track car, the 86 is simply too good to ignore as a track option. The larger engine over a GT means good performance; the revised assists provide a much less serious helping hand; and it is kept light, which will reduce the wear and tear of consumables. In addition to beautiful chassis balance, confidence-inspiring control weights and a good riding position, this is the perfect thing to hone your craft from heel-and-toe to reverse lock. With some racing pads and fluid you can complete a lot of laps – and there’s always the GR86 Cup to take inspiration from for further modifications. Plus there’s the added benefit, if any more convincing was needed, of strong residual costs: this £29,000 car would have cost £30,000 12,000 miles and three years ago…

It won’t be long before there are no more new Duractec-engined Caterhams, and the world will be a worse place. This one beats the construction queue and will keep you smiling for years to come.

It says a lot about the quality of the 718 Spyder, much like the GR86 in fact, that it could still be a selection in more than just this category. There is absolutely reason to recommend it, for example, on the track or in a sports car. But with the glamor of the Spyder conversion against a standard Boxster, plus all the fun of a 420bhp GT4 experience with roof feel, this Porsche is a very easy pick as the best used convertible. Especially now that production has been completed. Cheaper than an RS, more exciting than a GTS and as usable as any other Boxster, the Spyder is truly the mid-engine Porsche sports car at its absolute peak. Also here with a manual gearbox. One for all ages.

Thanks to a series of revisions in 2024, the ND MX-5 is now better than ever before. And still available for almost £30,000. What’s holding you back?

With very few hot hatches left, it feels like you can’t miss this one if you buy used. That said, Hyundai’s recent announcement that it is seriously considering a return to combustion in a segment where it already builds by far the best zero-emissions option (the Ioniq 5 N) speaks volumes about the customer mindset in 2025. Regardless, the i30 N, which was unfairly pushed aside last year, still looks as it ever did – which is to say decent value for money. Granted, he drinks like a fish and has never been blessed with the most nuanced chassis in the world, but his route one approach was always intended to evoke an old-fashioned, old-school attitude; accordingly, it made the much more discreet Golf GTI seem just a tiny bit anemic. Still.

The prices being asked for box-fresh hot hatches these days are insane, considering there’s only the premium flagship left. This makes the initial depreciation cliff-like, making a nearly new A45 S expensive, but also a relative bargain.

Here too there is plenty of choice, thanks to the popularity of chic German managers with a big engine. BMW is typically the go-to given the perennial power of the M3 (take your pick, really), although based on the controversial schnoz we’ve gone the opposite direction and gone for the Q-car appeal of a very buttoned-down Mercedes-AMG C63. The best part is of course the hot 4.0 liter V8 underneath, and the unobstructed connection to the rear axle. This one has very modest mileage and has apparently been cared for like a firstborn child. Best of all, it’s available for considerably less than £40,000, which makes it seem like a bargain compared to the all-wheel drive super sedan that everyone loves to hate.

We may be stretching the ‘almost new’ description here, but the Giulia is hard to leave out: brand new, you’ll pay £80,000. Two years old, less than £60,000. Only the presence of even cheaper, older copies rules out the no-brainer status.

Assuming you’re not vehemently opposed to the prospect of a performance diesel, you might be looking at the best do-it-all car money can buy. Sure, the BMW M recently left its own very important notch in the bed of the fast car, but when you need to rack up highway miles, the D3 S wraps a warm, oily duvet around you and never lets it slip. Alpina’s great appreciation for roller refinement and monster torque has always made sense in the real world, but there’s more than enough high-quality G20 in the mix to make it look a delight against almost any backdrop. Admittedly not cheap at almost £55,000, but Alpina will never make anything like this again. Given the choice between now and never, we would highly recommend it now.

For many, old stalwarts – and with good reason. Skoda has hardly changed the recipe, except to make it faster and faster. Won’t tickle your funny bone; will do pretty much everything else.

Cards on the table: The PH brain trust remains intrigued by the idea of ​​a 5.0-liter V8-powered Range Rover Sport that isn’t an SVR. The combination, of our high horse, seems unbeatable; over 500 hp, but without all the questionable carbon additives. In contrast, the fact that we’ve never driven one seems like a minor detail – especially when, with only average mileage and the later center console, you can get one for just under £35,000. Even taking into account the usual reservations about older Land Rover products, it seems like an incredibly luxurious SUV for the money. Who is with us?

No need to relegate this one to the gallery: we’ve driven the DBX 707 a lot, and it’s a peach. Even better if you can find one with the best part of £50,000 deducted from the retail price, like this one.

Objectively speaking, do we recommend you pay £58,000 for an old Land Rover Defender? No. Ten years ago the car was ages past its sell-by date, and there are plenty of superior options – not least the Discovery 4, which is much nicer to drive and liveable, and is currently about half as good in good condition. But there are two additional factors to consider. Firstly, the concept of a truly ‘traditional’ 4×4 is all but extinct (except perhaps the Ineos Grenadier or the car below), so if you Real If you want one, you might as well buy the gold standard. Secondly, the Defender has long since achieved the status of a modern classic, which is why low-mileage late models like this are coveted like a Condor egg. In other words, you have a decent chance of getting your money back, assuming you don’t want to drive it 12,000 miles a year. Which you probably won’t do.

Forgive us for closing with a very left-field option: the 70 Series isn’t for everyone, which is why Toyota doesn’t bother selling it here. But the fact remains: if a Defender is too common by half, £70,000 buys you one of the most distinctive old-new cars around.