Three-car garage: used Range Rover Evoque, BMW i3 and Citroen C4 Cactus for £30k
Want to stand out on the road? Here are three usable options for those who value style
A few years ago, Auto Express produced a series that celebrated some of the best automotive designs on our roads. Called ‘Concept to Reality’, it told the stories of iconic, game-changing creations such as the original Mercedes CLS, which paved the way for the four-door coupé segment.
Great automotive designs aren’t restricted to expensive, premium brands, though. As the Auto Express Buy A Car service illustrates, you can fill up your three-car garage with all sorts of models that really pushed the stylistic envelope. The cars we’ve hand-picked here all provide something different – whether it’s a luxury SUV, a cheap-to-run family car or a forward-thinking electric car.
BMW i3 - £10,295
Here’s a car that uses advanced carbon fibre construction to keep down weight, in tandem with an electric powertrain that doesn’t need a bloated battery or ultra-rapid charging speeds to be usable day-to-day. Little wonder many believe the BMW i3 may soon become a sought-after classic.
We’ve opted for the last-of-the-line, all-electric i3, which gained a 42.2kWh battery for a range of 190 miles. With a maximum charge rate of 50kW, it can be replenished from 10-80 per cent in 36 minutes. This is an electric BMW you can now buy for around £10,000, with fewer than 40,000 miles on the clock – as is the case with the one we’ve got here.
Open up the split-opening doors and you’ll be greeted with a bright cabin that’s far more spacious than the i3’s four-metre length would have you believe. The controls aren’t all located on the touchscreen, and there are proper buttons and switches from a time when BMW was great at interior ergonomics.
Maybe the BMW i3 doesn’t have enough style for you? Check out hundreds of funky used EVs through the Auto Express Buy A Car service.
Citroen C4 Cactus - £8,499
The Citroen C4 Cactus has to be one of the most innovative cars Citroen has produced this century. We’ve gone for the pre-facelift model here, because the updated car in 2018 sadly toned down the C4 Cactus’ wild looks.
The ‘Airbumps’ on the doors prevent small bodywork scratches and dings, while round the back the colour-contrasting plastic protection is incorporated into the design as well.
Inside, the C4 Cactus still looks contemporary, with rounded edges everywhere and interesting details such as the top-opening glovebox, which is reminiscent of a suitcase, and the pop-open rear windows.
This model we found is the range-topper, the appropriately named Flair, which has a reversing camera, 17-inch diamond-cut wheels and cruise control. It’s also done fewer than 40,000 miles and has the 1.2-litre petrol engine, which promises an incredible 65.7mpg.
If the Citroen C4 Cactus doesn’t float your boat, check out other used family hatchbacks through Auto Express’s network of trusted dealers.
Range Rover Evoque - £9,000
The first-generation Range Rover Evoque was a huge sales success, and understandably so. However, its popularity went way beyond its slick exterior styling. The cabin’s layout still holds up today because it’s a fantastic mix of Land Rover’s typical ergonomics and premium materials.
Our example has just 70,000 miles on the clock and is a facelifted post-2015 model, which means it comes with new bumpers and lights front and rear, and a more efficient Ingenium-badged engine – a 2.0-litre diesel with 180bhp which provides a decent combined
economy figure of 45.6mpg. We’ve gone for the TD4 all-wheel-drive model – just to keep the Land Rover purists happy.
Don’t fancy a Range Rover Evoque? There are many used SUV alternatives through the Auto Express Buy a Car service.
Did you know you can sell your car through Auto Express? We’ll help you get a great price and find a great deal on a new car, too.
