Best used cars for £25,000 and under

You see some over-inflated prices on the new car market these days, but you can still buy some of the best cars for £25,000 or less if you want to ferry it around on the used market.

The top end of this budget will get you a brand new, modestly optioned Mini Cooper hatchback – or, if you don’t mind something pre-owned, a blue-blooded, older luxury car, assorted German road rockets or one of the finest small hot hatches ever conceived, and in its first flush of youth.

Newer, smaller cars may come with a manufacturer’s approved used warranty, but if you fancy something with a bit more heritage, you can stumble across some alluring obscurities.

All of the cars on this list are, in Autocar’s considered opinion, the very best in second-hand machinery for this budget. Each one comes with its own USP, can be bought with less than 50,000 miles, is compliant in a low-emissions zone and won't need plugging in overnight.

Since we’ve already considered the best used buys for less than £10,000 and £15,000, it would be rude not to investigate those for £25,000 and under.

Jaguar XKR (2011-2015)

It can be argued that there's no such thing as subjectivity in car design: you either get good sketches or bad ones. And if you don't like the look of it, that's for your eye to behold.

If that theory was unequivocally true, the Jaguar XKR is a prime example of good design. It’s smooth but aggressive, shouty but not angry and, according to designer Ian Callum, is one of the ‘purest’ cars he has ever been involved with.

And it has the grunt to back up those looks. From a 5.0-litre supercharged V8, you get 503bhp, 461lb ft of torque, a 0-62mph time of 4.6sec and a top speed limited to 155mph. That's quick even by today's standards.

The interior is equally modern. When it first came out, it was both loved and loathed for a lack of toys, but an attention to modern minimalism makes it look quite fresh in today's very modern and very minimalist market. And don't worry if you're a maximalist; you still get lots of noticeable R badges dotted around.

Best of all, you can grab one with less than 30,000 miles and still stay within our budget.

Is it really all good news? If you buy a routinely