BAG A TOP 100 CAR FOR LESS

Second-hand needn't mean second-best, so here's the cream of the classified crop

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Are you tempted by one of our Top 100 new cars but put off by the cost of factory-fresh metal? We come with good news: by turning your attention to the second-hand market, there are plenty of bargains to be found.

We've trawled the classifieds to put together a handy guide to sourcing a budget version of our best of the best, from the BMW 3 Series to the Maserati MC20 and beyond.

Of course, some of our Top 100 stars are too new even to have a first-hand market, let alone one depreciated by previous owners. In those cases, we have swapped it for the next-best thing - or a wildcard alternative.

Porsche 911 (991)

The current-generation 992 has resisted depreciation remarkably well: the cheapest example we found in the classifieds was £76,000. But the previous 991, launched in 2012, is less than half as much. Yet it's every bit the driver's car, and maybe even a bit better suited to British roads than the later 992 thanks to its slightly tighter proportions. Entry-level 991s also come with a sonorous, naturally aspirated flat six rather than the duller turbocharged engine you get in the current equivalent. 

Skoda Superb Estate

Nominative determinism at play here, but a diesel Superb Estate is quite possibly all the car you could ever need. Spacious, comfortable and fairly reliable to boot: there's a good reason why so many end up as minicabs. 

We would steer clear of those that have been halfway to the moon in taxi service, tantalising though those sub-£5k prices might seem. Twice that much will secure you a well-maintained low-miler with the desirable 2.0-litre turbodiesel that will run long past the time you're bored of it.