Three-year used bargains - Pictures

There’s a triple celebration to kick off 2008, beginning with the car that went on to become the UK’s best-seller. The second-generation Ford Focus was more luxurious and spacious than the mould-breaker it replaced, and it

Turning three this month is the second-generation Mercedes A-Class – the Ford Focus rival that is shorter than a Fiesta. Intelligent packaging provides excellent interior space, but with a £13,700 list price, it certainly w

The third birthday of the BMW 3-Series arrives in March. And the fifth generation is proving as popular as ever, selling more than every Saab and Lexus combined in 2006. The star model is the 320d, which boasts near-50mpg economy and e

It’s many happy returns this month to the Suzuki Swift, which still looks box-fresh today. Used prices reflect buyer enthusiasm for this well built, taut-handling supermini, and the 1.3 GL kicks off at £6,000 second-hand. T

Spring 2005 kicked off with the introduction of a mid-life facelift for the Ford Mondeo, which updated the nose and cabin, while performance ST versions joined the line-up. The 153bhp ST TDCi is a much better buy used from £12,00

It’s a summer anniversary for a trio of city cars. The Peugeot 107, Citroen C1 and Toyota Aygo (pictured left to right) are immensely popular, thanks to low £7,000 showroom prices and 60mpg economy, and have barely dipped u

A double MPV celebration for July, starting with the Vauxhall Zafira. Less drab, more refined and just as agile as before, the second-generation model is super-flexible thanks to its seven seats. The current entry point for a 1.9 CDTI

The sole August candle is for the Fiat Croma, a model snuffed out altogether following weak sales. An uneasy blend of MPV and estate, the high-spec Croma at least offers a 500-litre boot, good diesels and low prices, which start from &

This month, honours start with the SEAT Leon. The third spin-off from the brand’s Salsa concept looks much like its Altea and Toledo brothers. It’s only available with five doors, but its initial five-strong engine line-up

Supermini fans should look towards the three-year-old Renault Clio. Launched first in three-door trim, the spacious and well made supermini isn’t cheap second-hand. The popular 1.4 Expression is expensive from £7,000 used a

A sports-themed celebration in November sees the third-generation Mazda MX-5 as the first to pop the balloons. November isn’t the best time of year to be selling a drop-top, either, so that makes it a great time to find one of th

It's Christmas and a birthday rolled into one for the Ford Focus ST, which delivers superb handling and a 222bhp punch from Ford’s 2.5-litre, five-cylinder turbo engine. The most common are the high-spec ST-2 and ST-3 versions in