Are you in the market for a second-hand car? If so, you will want to read on to find out which models a team of expert road testers have named Britain’s best used motors at the moment.
What Car? has named its top picks across eight different categories – and if you don’t like them, there are a selection of recommended alternatives in each segment to also consider.
The top award has gone to BMW’s 3 Series- the evergreen model that’s been a fixture on our roads for decades due to its popularity among families, company car drivers and sales reps.
Scroll to the bottom to find out the other segment victors
The best used car Britons can buy: The BMW 3 Series (2019-present) has been selected as the choice second-hand motor by experts at What Car?
It Bavarian executive saloon has been chosen by What Car?’s dedicated team of testers who selected their favourites based on a range of factors, including value for money, slow depreciation, strong reliability, product quality, practicality and relative running costs.
Launched in 2019, the current 3 Series walked off with two category wins in this year’s awards; best used executive car for the range as a whole, plus best hybrid for the 330e PHEV.
If you are considering a second-hand 3 Series, prices for a three-year-old example with less than 30,000 miles on the clock start from just over £20,000, according to vehicles currently listed on Auto Trader.
The 3 Series beat a host of excellent cars to the overall crown, fending off strong competition from 2023’s best-selling new model, the Ford Puma (2019-present), and Tesla’s impressive Model 3 (2019-present) EV.
It was chosen as overall best used car for its immense driver appeal, great range of engines, upmarket interior and class-leading refinement, as well as for its versatility.
The 3 Series took the honours at What Car?’s annual Used Car Awards, which sees its expert team of road testers pick their recommendations for buyers looking at pre-owned vehicles
The road testers said it won out for its immense driver appeal, great range of engines, upmarket interior and class-leading refinement, as well as for its versatility
With a quality interior and choice of frugal petrol, diesel and hybrid engines, What Car? said the BMW 3 Series is the stand-out second-hand car
What Car? used cars editor Mark Pearson, said: ‘The task of picking just one winner seems to get more and more daunting with each passing year.
‘In the end, though, the 3 Series stood out.
‘It’s a desirable choice that does almost everything exceptionally well, which means you can buy it with your head as well as your heart, and its versatility means it won not one but two of our classes this year.
‘It was the variety of options it offers the used car buyer, from swish petrols to frugal diesels and a highly tempting hybrid, that gave it the victory.
‘That this immensely appealing executive car should also be such great value when bought used just sealed the deal for us.’
If you are considering a second-hand 3 Series, prices for a three-year-old example with less than 30,000 miles start from just over £20,000, according to Auto Trader listings
What Car? said the current used prices and strong residual values for the 3 Series are other reasons why the BMW took the top prize in 2023
Launched in 2019, the current 3 Series walked off with two category wins in this year’s awards; best used executive car for the range as a whole, plus best hybrid for the 330e PHEV (pictured)
The Audi TT (2014-2023) was named the best used sports car in the same year production will cease as the much-loved coupe and roadster will be axed from the German brand’s line-up after 25 years on sale.
Other winners include Honda’s dependable Jazz (2020-present) as best hatchback, Peugeot’s 5008 (2017-present) taking the seven-seater crown and Volkswagen’s Passat Estate (2015-2023) the pick of the estates.
The best second-hand suggestions have been published at a time when soaring used car prices of late appear to have hit a ceiling and are already started to drop back.
Other notable used car recommendations include the current Audi TT (right), Production of the popular sports car is ceasing this year, some 25 years after the original (left) arrived
The best used SUV award went to Ford’s compact Puma (2019-present). This is also set to become the UK’s best-selling new model of 2023
Honda’s durable and practical Jazz (2020-present) was named the best hatchback for used buyers
Heavily restricted new car supply in the two years post pandemic forced greater demand for second-hand models that are immediately available to drivers. This in turn made competition for quality vehicles more intense and pushed prices to record levels.
However, the latest monthly report from Auto Trader says the average price of a used car was £17,736 in September, which is down 0.4 per cent year-on-year and 1.2 per cent less month-on-month.
‘The market is overlapping three years of exceptionally high levels of growth; in September 2022 and 2021, prices increased 11.2 per cent YoY and 21.4 per cent respectively,’ experts at the used car sales platform explained.
As a result of stabilising prices, used buyers can now get more car for their money than they have done in previous months in 2023.
This is great news, given how much the general cost of living has risen, but What Car? says it remains vitally important that consumers still choose a second-hand car carefully.
And to help them make their selections, its Used Car of the Year Awards highlight the best used models across eight classes, ranging from hatchbacks to SUVs, with an overall winner chosen from the category winners.
Here are the motors What Car? suggest you buy when buying used:
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