There’s a cheap and easy way to sidestep the long queues for new cars: buy second-hand. Our experts pick 100 great used cars, from £500 to £500,000

Prices for new cars are soaring for a number of reasons – rising material and energy costs, supply chain restrictions and increased equipment levels among them – and on top of that, most buyers are having to wait months between placing an order and taking delivery due to heavily delayed production schedules.

The second-hand car market can provide welcome respite. There are budget-friendly ‘pre-loved’ alternatives to every new car on sale, so you could pick up a gem for a fraction of the price, and in a fraction of the time, it would take to configure and collect a factory-fresh model. But a knock-on effect of more expensive new cars is – you guessed it – higher demand, and higher prices, for used cars. So you need to be extra quick and extra careful when perusing the classifieds.

We’ve compiled a list of 10 cars in each of the market’s most popular segments, with prices ranging from £500 to £500,000, to demonstrate the variety on offer and inspire you to swap into a used car when you fancy a change. Take your pick…

LUXU RY CARS

HILTON HOLLOWAY

It’s always amusing to see just ‘how much car’ you can nab on the used market for a fraction of the cost of a new alternative. A boggo 22-plate Dacia Sandero asks more than a leggy first-gen Bentley Continental GT we found, for example. Throw caution to the wind with one of these sumptuous second-handers.

BENTLEY ARNAGE 1998-2009

Price £12,500-£53,000

From a classic British luxury brand taken under the German wing (initially by VW, then BMW), the Arnage has one foot in an old-school British drawing office. It was updated and improved throughout its production run, so the later cars are probably better, especially in terms of day-to-day reliability. Its pre-Germanic roots mean that you get a properly upright dashboard, high driving position and pre-modernist styling. Because these cars were individually specified and there were many special factory editions, choose the right one and you’ll get plenty of trad walnut, quilted leather and ‘engine turned’ trim. The best way to buy is from a specialist (they often offer their own warranties) and stick with them for maintenance. It won’t be cheap to run and fuel, but you’ll get genuine get-away-from-it-all luxury.

ONE WE FOUND 2006 BENTLEY ARNAGE 6.8T MULLINER II, 55K MILES, £36,950

ROLLS-ROYCE GHOST 2009-2014

Price £70,000-£90,000

For my money, one of the finest pieces of styling of the past decade and perhaps one of the most stunning UK-produced cars ever. It’s unfairly overshadowed by the Phantom, but Ghost owners say they are happy to have a slightly less conspicuous machine and they feel they have lost nothing in terms of ultra-luxury. Much is made of the performance, refinement and isolation.

If you drive yourself, it’s arguably the ultimate pure luxury car.

ONE WE FOUND 2010 ROLLS-ROYCE GHOST, 25K MILES, £89,950

AUDI A6 2004-2011

Price £1200-£14,000

It’s arguable that trad German exec cars are much more mile-munching business machines than true luxury transport, but an A6 Quattro will cover long distances and leave its driver unflustered. This A6 has a smooth V6 diesel with huge punch. The cabin is vast. As ever, you need to find one that has been meticulously serviced. Avoid S Line (suspension unsuited to UK roads) and front-drive A6s (Multitronic CVT, which is becoming hard to repair).

ONE WE FOUND 2008 AUDI A6 3.0 TDI QUATTRO, 97K MILES, £4750

HONDA LEGEND 2005-2012

Price £3000-£9000

I know a motoring hack who ran one and he says it was among his favourite cars ever. Rather than repeat the past Legend formula of a big, plush car with a peaky V6, Honda lent towards brisk handling. The petrol V6 has 295bhp and 265lb ft, which is delivered to the road via a sophisticated four-wheel drive system. The ride isn’t sublime but owners report terrific reliability and rave about these as a driving machine. Plush, thirsty, rare and very cheap.

ONE WE FOUND 2008 HONDA LEGEND 3.5 V6 SH-AWD, 89K MILES, £5995

ROVER 75

1999-2005 Price £1200-£12,000

Probably a genuine classic now, especially as the 75 arrived just as its time was gone, making it feel more ’80s than late ’90s. A very effective evocation of the classic British luxury car, but stymied by being launched into an era defined by the arrival of Germany’s tech-first, Bauhausinfluenced cars. It’s silly cheap today, even for examples that have been cared for by enthusiasts. Weak points (including the complex V6 cambelt change) are well understood by a small network of specialists. The styling is ageing very gracefully and the ride quality remains fantastic. Buy a pre-facelift V6 car that has been cared for and enjoy the 75’s unique take on luxury over apex-clipping.

ONE WE FOUND 2000 ROVER 75 2.0 V6, 88K MILES, £1795

SKODA SUPERB 2008-2015

Price £1600-£15,000

A car that can delivery luxury travel with main street running costs. Saloon shaped, with the option of a boot opening or full hatch access, the Mk2 Superb was based on a long-wheelbase VW Group platform and was of notably higher quality than its period Octavia sibling. It’s quiet, calm and huge inside. Choose the smooth and punchy 1.8 turbo petrol over the diesel. Just two hurdles: check the 1.8 has had oil changes once a year from birth or it may burn oil (look for sooty exhaust pipes), and you’d want to see a DSG gearbox service as well.

ONE WE FOUND 2010 SKODA SUPERB 1.8T, 92K MILES, £6000

LEXUS GS 450H 2006-2009

Price £5500-£13,500

A used Lexus is almost always a no-brainer. There’s probably no other brand of cars that stays in the dealer servicing network as long. Twelve-and 14-stamp Lexus service histories are not uncommon. And the faith in the reliability of this brand is reflected by the dealer network, which can be seen retailing Lexus models even 16 years old. Okay, so the GS has a small boot (blame the battery pack for the hybrid system) but it remains beautifully engineered inside and out. Enjoy the plushness.

ONE WE FOUND 2006 LEXUS GS 450H, 74K MILES, £8276

BMW 5 SERIES GT 2010-2016

Price £6500-£22,000

An oddball, but I will make a case for this, having driven one from Lisbon in Portugal to Fez in Morocco and back. Regardless of the hatch-cumsaloon rear end, what made this car so amazingly comfortable and relaxing over distance was the raised driving position and superb front seats. Rear passengers also get raised ‘cinema’ seating, a much underrated feature. It’s not the full SUV but has most of the advantages in terms of comfort. The six-pot diesel is a gem, and these are tough machines generally.

ONE WE FOUND 2011 BMW 530d GT, 45K MILES, £14,500

DAIMLER DOUBLE SIX

1994-1997 Price £8500-£15,000

True old-school Brit, which delivers another unique driving experience. The narrow glasshouse, higher floor and low roof are satisfyingly of another time, before luxury cars were packaged by numbers. Have no doubt that the Double Six is a true luxury experience. The V12 is like nothing since and the Jaguar dynamic balance allows a beautiful mix of flying carpet ride and surprisingly deft handling. Usefully backed up by a knowledgeable network of Jag specialists.

ONE WE FOUND 1995 DAIMLER DOUBLE SIX, 32K MILES, £15,000

MINI COOPER S

GOODWOOD 2012

Price £15,000-£30,000

Another take on luxury, this time Rolls-Roycelevel fittings squeezed inside a tiny city car. Only 1000 of these £41,000 cars (when new) were produced and just 250 in right-hand drive. This car was inspired by the early 1960s bespoke coachbuilt Minis (famously by Radford but there were others) commissioned by stars such as the Beatles and Peter Sellers. While everyone loved the classless design and handling of original Minis, they were also very sparse and noisy machines. That wasn’t the case with the donor Mini here, but the Goodwood took things up a good many notches by being trimmed in Rolls-grade leather and other rich interior materials. Prices are currently rocketing upwards. A genuine rarity that would be worth hanging on to.

ONE WE FOUND 2013 MINI COOPER S GOODWOOD, 18K MILES, £20,000

FAM I LY HAULERS PIERS WARD

Why leave the kids, the pets or even the kitchen sink at home? There are some highly dependable and desirable bargain buses on sale – and our picks prove you needn’t sacrifice pace, poise or kerb appeal when it comes to choosing your next shopping wagon.

VOLKSWAGE N GOLF

ESTATE 2003-2010

Price £1500-£8000

Beloved by everyone from school-run parents to impoverished aristos, the Golf transcends lists like these: it’s just so ubiquitous that it’s the cliché that keeps on giving. Hand-me-down Mk4 hatches were popular when my mates and I were in our youth, but those in the know hankered after a Mk5 estate. Launched in the wake of the all-conquering Focus, the Mk5 was when Volkswagen realised it couldn’t just make a reliable car (remember the ad?): it had to drive well ’n’ all.

This was in an era when diesel wasn’t completely vilified, so the 2.0 TDI was the engine of choice. The 1.9 diesel was a bit rougher. Most Golfs of this vintage were and remain pretty reliable, but keep an eye out for the alloy wheels because they can suffer from corrosion.

ONE WE FOUND 2008 VW GOLF 2.0 TDI SPORTLINE, 76K MILES, £4690

VOLVO XC90 2002-2014

Price £800-£22,000

The car that launched 1000 imitations. With its clever, fold-flat seats, raised seating position and flattering looks, the Volvo XC90 was to MPVs what the asteroid was to dinosaurs. Its diesel engines aren’t the smoothest and the auto gearbox desperately needs a torque lock-up to avoid the constant downchanges, but few can argue with the way the XC90 swallows family life. Even Jeremy Clarkson loves it: he’s owned several.