20 fun used cars for £1,500

Big thrills – small prices

You could put down £1,500 as the deposit on a new car PCP deal. Then you could spend a few hundred pounds each month for another three years, before handing back the keys at the end of the contract.

Alternatively, you could spend £1,500 on a used car, keep a bit in reserve for maintenance bills and just have fun. Life’s too short to drive boring cars, which is why we’ve trawled the marketplaces in search of driving fun for £1,500.

Here are 20 of our top choices.

Mazda MX-5

Where else to start but the Mazda MX-5? There are plenty around for £1,500 or less, mostly the Mk2 (1998-2005) version seen here. Corrosion is a potential MX-5 wrecker, and plenty have been modified and thrashed. On the plus side, they offer excellent reliability if well maintained – along with unrivalled driver engagement at this price. More than 1.1 million buyers can’t be wrong.

Audi TT

Twenty years after its launch, the original Audi TT still looks like a concept car for the road. In our opinion, it remains more handsome than subsequent models, too. We’re a little surprised to find a selection of cars (both coupes and roadsters) available for this price, so take the opportunity while you can. A 150hp 1.8 T coupe would be our choice for £1,500.

Ford Focus

The Mk1 Ford Focus 1.6 Zetec is one of the most underrated driver’s cars you can buy, with a superb chassis, delightful gearbox and just enough power to perform. And you can still buy one for banger money. The Mk2 Focus is a better car in many respects – and easier to find in the classifieds – but it doesn’t have quite the same magic.

BMW 3 Series Convertible

All this class and sophistication for so little cash. You can find an ‘E46’ (1997-2006) 3 Series Convertible for our £1,500 budget, with the six-cylinder 189hp 325Ci comfortably within reach. Speaking of comfort, this is one open car the whole family can enjoy – even if the rear seats are best suited to children.

Mini Cooper

Remember how controversial the ‘new’ Mini was in 2001? More than two decades on, it’s edging towards modern classic status. You’ll find both R50 (2001-2006) and R56 (2006-2013) models for our budget, but we prefer the older car – especially the best-of-all-worlds Cooper. There’s no shortage of Minis on the classifieds, so you can afford to be picky.

Mazda Eunos

‘Eunos’ is the Japanese name for the MX-5, meaning these are imported cars. However, as prices for Mk1 MX-5s (the ones with pop-up headlights) have crept upwards, the Eunos is more readily available for our budget. Eunos models tend to be better equipped, while Japan’s unsalted roads are kinder to the car’s body panels and chassis. Give the fun-sapping automatic gearbox a swerve, though.

MG TF

The MG TF didn’t have the best reputation for reliability when new – the head gasket issue needs mentioning – but seek specialist help and this is a terrific, if slightly softer, alternative to the Mazda MX-5. We found a 2002 example with 64,000 miles on the clock for our theoretical £1,500. That’s a cheap suntan.

Ford Puma

Draw up a list of the most enjoyable front-driven cars and the Ford Puma will be close to the top. Built between 1997 and 2003, this wedgy coupe transcends its humble Fiesta underpinnings. The revvy 125hp 1.7-litre engine is the one you want. Just beware of rust – a notorious Puma weakness. And remember, as an emerging classic, the best ones will go way over our budget…

Alfa Romeo GTV

This feels like a much riskier bet than a TT, but what price Italian style? The GTV and its open-top Spider sibling still look like nothing else, and their range of engines stretches from 144hp 1.8 TS to 240hp 3.2 V6. Autocar magazine even named the GTV ‘Car of the Year’ in 1995. Future classic status is assured, but expect some big bills.

Suzuki Jimny

Emissions regulations mean the current Suzuki Jimny won’t be sold in the UK after 2021. Thankfully, there were no such problems for the previous model, which lasted an incredible 20 years (1998-2018). The Jimny is terrible on the road and brilliant off it. But it has so much character you’ll forgive its faults.

Ford SportKa

Forget the Volkswagen Up GTI: the Ford SportKa revived the spirit of the Mk1 Golf GTI some 17 years ago. Its peppy 93hp 1.6-litre engine was also fitted to the convertible StreetKa – as advertised by Kylie Minogue. There are a few for sale around the £1,000 mark, but have a good look underneath: rust is a well-known issue.

Mercedes-Benz CLK

We originally hoped to include the SLK roadster, but none were advertised on Auto Trader for our budget. Perhaps the sunny weather has pushed prices up? Anyway, the CLK coupe (also available in cabriolet guise) is another appealing budget Benz. Driving enjoyment here derives from easygoing comfort and a classy cabin, rather than B-road thrills.

MG ZT

The ZT is a sportier take on the Rover 75, with more sculpted front bumper, larger alloy wheels and a boot spoiler. There was also a ZT-T estate version. Just £1,500 is small-change for arguably the best Rover ever made, while reliability is better than you might think. We spotted a 2003 ZT 2.5 160 with 60,000 miles for bang on our budget.

Jeep Cherokee

This could be a lot of fun, not least when you venture into the wilderness. Low-range four-wheel drive means the Jeep reaches the places other 4x4s (not to mention crossovers) can’t go. Yes, older Cherokees look cooler, but this ‘KJ’ model is within budget and comes with a relatively economical 2.5-litre diesel engine. Ready for adventure?

Peugeot 406 Coupe

Here’s a challenge for you: find a prettier car available for less than a ‘bag of sand’. The Peugeot 406 Coupe is one of Pininfarina’s best creations, with a timeless design that’s as good today as it was in the late 1990s. You may be looking at a project for this price, though.

Mazda 3

The Mazda 3 enjoys a bend or two, perhaps because it shared a platform with the Mk2 Ford Focus. The 2.0-litre petrol engine delivers a punchy 150hp and we found one (with 113,000 miles) for exactly £1,500. Reliability, practicality and driving fun – what’s not to like?

Fiat Seicento Sporting

Don’t want to be a bus you-know-what after lockdown? Stage your own Inbetweeners tribute with a small yellow Fiat. The Seicento Sporting (and its Cinquecento predecessor) are as affordable as hot hatches get, with examples costing from £750. Our £1,500 budget buys you one of the best. ‘Hot’ does mean 54hp in this case, however.

Hyundai Coupe

Squint really hard and this could pass as a Ferrari 456. OK, a Ferrari 456 with a Hyundai badge, but we did say you’d need to squint hard. Most Coupes have the 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine with 138hp, but you might get lucky and find a 172hp 2.7 V6. Avoid the weedy 113hp 1.6 if possible.

Daihatsu Copen

The Copen boasts an electric folding hard-top roof and looks like an Audi TT viewed through the wrong end of a telescope. Built to satisfy Japanese ‘Kei car’ rules, the Daihatsu is tiny – 6ft drivers need not apply. We found an early Copen for sale with the 659cc three-cylinder engine. Later cars were powered by a 1.3-litre unit.

Mazda RX-8

Last roll of the dice… We’re not going to pretend that buying a cheap Mazda RX-8 isn’t as risky as betting your house on the outcome of the 6.45 at Haydock. But a rotary-engined sports car with trick rear doors has to be more exciting than a family crossover, right? We found a 2005 car with just 61,000 miles for our £1,500 budget.