Three-car garage: BMW X5, Dacia Spring and Ford Fiesta ST all for the price of the average new car
With the price of the average new car at around £42,000 we set out to fill your driveway with used metal on that budget

It’s no secret that new car prices have increased in recent years. An entry-level Volkswagen Golf is closing in on £30,000 these days and as for the average price a UK customer pays for a set of brand new wheels - that’s around £42,000. With this in mind, we thought there must be three rather excellent cars you can get from the Auto Express marketplace on that budget. A three car garage that beats any single £42k new model hands down…
BMW X5 xDrive40e Auto M Sport - £18,995

You might expect a 2017 BMW X5 to take up most of our budget but at under £19,000 we think it’s a steal. This is the plug-in hybrid xDrive40e too so partnering the petrol engine is a battery that provides a useful 19-miles of electric-only running.
With a combined 313bhp this premium SUV is surprisingly quick, too, needing only 6.8 seconds to reach 62mph. Being the M Sport it looks the part and has all the equipment you could want - including a head-up display, heated rear seats, four-zone climate control and a reversing camera.
If you missed the opportunity to snap up this particular BMW X5 there are several more available through our Find a Car service...
Dacia Spring - £10,795

The Dacia Spring may have only just launched in the UK, but there are deals to be had already. Priced at £14,995 new, this one we’ve found can be had at just £10,795 - a saving of £4,200.
Just as amazing is the fact that this is a 25-plate model and it’s done less than 100 miles. It only has 45bhp from its electric motor and a 140-mile range, so you will not be going very far or very quickly but the other cars in this selection cover those bases. For pure-electric motoring, especially in the city, the Spring is a brilliant little runabout.
If you've just missed this Dacia Spring by the time you get here, you can find more great buys by clicking the link below...
Ford Fiesta ST - £11,899

When Ford axed the Fiesta in 2023 it took with it the ST hot hatch variant. That made us rather sad because the final Fiesta ST was not only the best of its breed - but one of the finest hot hatches ever made.
The new three-cylinder turbocharged engine gave it a different character to the old car which used a four-pot and with 200bhp on tap it was even faster. What made the ST great as an all-rounder was that it didn’t lose the usability of the standard Fiesta. With a compliant ride and relatively decent fuel economy, it’s a hot hatch you can use every day.
If you weren't able to snap up this particular Ford Fiesta ST in time, there are plenty of others available right now...
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