At Used Car Expert Magazine, we are continually being asked for advice on what to buy, followed by a series of caveats. A classic question is what sports car can you buy, that is also practical, cheap and stylish?
Flicking through the sports car section of the magazine with a car buyer on Saturday revealed that Volvo C70s are now under £5,000 if you look at the year 2002 2.0 litre petrols. That a slightly bigger budget – perhaps £700 - can just about get you into a 2003 1.3 Mazda RX-8 with half the mileage (43,000) or a 2005 1.6 Hyundai Coupe which may still have a little bit of warranty left.
Volvo C70
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Coupes and cabriolets that are safe, sensible, well-equipped and getting very affordable. It seats four which is a good thing and the specifications are generous.
Most economical: 2.4 T
Best used buy: 2.0 T
UsedCarExpert.com fault checks: 11
Used Car Expert magazine price guide: A 2002 2.0T C70 is only £1,600 more than a year 2000 model, at around £5,400. But it will have 12,000 miles less on average at around 72,000.
Mazda RX-8
Utterly unique and sought after. Hasn't been around long enough to depreciate very much and not being released from company fleets yet so still pricey.
Most economical: Low power 1.3
Best used buy: High power 1.3
UsedCarExpert.com fault checks: 10
Used Car Expert magazine price guide: The earliest cars are from 2003 and are at least £5,700 and will have around 43,000 miles on the clock.
Hyundai Coupe
A coupe that looks like a Lexus and costs less than a Toyota. The V6 engine makes a great noise and it has lots of equipment. Handling is not great though.
Most economical: 1.6
Best used buy: 2.0
UsedCarExpert.com fault checks: 10
Used Car Expert magazine price guide: The latest shape, 2005 year 1.6 cars can be picked up for as little as £4,200 with 53,000 average miles.