Now and then, many of us find ourselves in the market for a new car – or perhaps that should be, a used car? After all, amid the economic ups and downs of the COVID-19 crisis, as well as demand outstripping supply in many cases, there has been strong upward pressure on car prices lately, even in the used market. You might have read the recent story by CarDealer magazine, for instance, reporting that the average price of a used car has shot up by a whopping £3,400 since May.
The data points to the average price having now reached £17,366, which – for great numbers of us – is a lot to spend on a used vehicle.
Thankfully, even in the current climate, it’s still more than possible to find enticing used-car bargains – especially here at Cars Under 3000. We’re continuing to live up to our name, offering tempting vehicles for just a few grand.
So, picking out examples of actual vehicles that have been in our stock lately, we thought we’d cite just five car models you should especially seek out if you’re eager not to spend more than £3,000 on your next set of wheels in 2022.
BMW 5 Series
Could you honestly have a fine example of this highly acclaimed and refined executive car with change from £3,000? The short answer is… possibly yes, if you shop around.
We’ve recently had a 2004-model-year 3.0 530d SE Touring model in our range, available for a single pound under that amount. While it was priced for a quick trade clearance sale, it seemed to run and drive well, and had just 134,000 miles on the clock.
MINI Cooper
Let’s stay with the BMW ‘family’ for our next inclusion; being in the market for a used car under £3,000 means that late-2000s examples of this highly rewarding sporty hatchback could be within your financial reach.
One such recent example we had on sale – again priced for a quick clearance sale – was a 1.6-litre model finished in white, producing 118bhp and with a mileage of 92,000. We had it available on finance from just £88.34 a month.
Mercedes-Benz SLK
If you grew up in the late 1990s admiring the rash of roadsters and coupes that were launched around that time – and which combined throwback with contemporary styling – you might be interested to know that you could now have a Mercedes SLK for as little as £1,500.
We recently offered for sale on our site a 2000-model-year SLK200 Kompressor for exactly that price, this two-litre variant having 171,000 miles on the clock.
Ford Focus
One thing that we feel we don’t emphasise enough at times, is that – despite our name – we aren’t just a great source of vehicles priced below £3,000, but can also offer you excellent cars for sale under £2,000 in the UK.
One fine recent example of this in our stock was the venerable Ford Focus; a late 2004 five-door 1.6-litre LX model was on sale for a mere £1,495. Finished in blue, this petrol hatchback had racked up 122,000 miles, but offered up all the strengths that have long made this nameplate a bestseller in the UK, including smart looks, punchy engines, and a rewarding driving experience.
Being able to get your hands on a Focus at this price is an important reminder that you aren’t restricted to choosing between tiny city runabouts when purchasing at this end of the market. And it’s still got street cred – after all, it was with the Focus that Ford won the World Rally Championship manufacturers’ titles in 2006 and 2007.
Jeep Cherokee
You might not have expected your £3,000 budget to stretch to an SUV of any kind, never mind one with genuine off-road ability. With the Jeep brand being very much the American counterpart to the British Land Rover marque, you can have confidence that if you do need to do a bit of mud-plugging, the Cherokee will stand up to the task.
An example of the Cherokee that came into our stock recently was a 2.8-litre Sport CRD model, with five doors and producing 161bhp. Finished in black, this diesel 2006-model-year vehicle was priced by us at just £2,995.
So, if you think you’ll be in the market for a rugged-looking and affordable SUV with an elevated driving position, family-friendly interior and plenty of space, it’s well worth keeping your eyes peeled for further such deals in 2022.
When you know what to look for and do your research to ensure you aren’t caught out by any nasty surprises, £3,000 – or even less than that – can be a more than good enough budget to get your hands on some fine machinery in the coming year. And here at Cars Under 3000, we will continue to do our bit during 2022 to bring you some of the best deals on the market!