It might not be in its first flush of youth, but the Rover 45 is still a respectable second-hand purchase. Launched in 1999, the 45 replaced the Honda Civic-based 400, and from the outside looks very similar. Apart from the front grille, bumpers and headlights, the bodywork is much the same, but improvements under the skin included a revised interior, different engines and claimed better build quality.

There are some niggles, but the 45 is largely reliable and offers tremendous value for money, as initial depreciation is fairly steep. Then there's the MG ZS. Of all the cars transformed by Rover's engineers, this motor is perhaps the most remarkable, as it turned the originally rather dowdy 45 into a fire-breathing super saloon.