Here are the best sub-£1,000 used cars we found this week

Let’s kick off with a corker in this high-mileage 528i saloon, packed with a 2.8-litre six-cylinder that’s good for 193bhp and a 147mph top speed… once. It’s nearly a quarter of a century old now, so it’d be premature to think it could still hit those numbers. But what can still be appreciated wholly is the evergreen looks. Proper car, this.

Two years on from the Bimmer came this wonderful thing: the Audi A2. A car so brilliant... it flopped back in its day. All the better to bag a bargain now. Lightweight construction. Great styling. Good fuel economy. Spacious. Get one immediately.

This would make a quite fabulous first car because it's handsome, well-equipped (sort of) and Italian. Nowadays, a lot of kids also escape the ‘cheap hatchback that still has a CD player’ stage and go straight on to Apple CarPlay. If you’re against this ideology, this is the perfect present for your newly qualified 18-year-old.

The pre-facelift S-Type isn't exactly a looker (what’s going on with that grille and the lower bumper?). What the S-Type does have is comfort. And class. Lots of both, in fact, and since so many of them were sold, examples like this are up for a fiver under a grand nowadays.

A similar sort of car to the S-Type, in that it’s less a sporty-grand-tourer and more a low-spec cruiser that you wouldn’t think twice about bumping. Ironically, this one’s already been bumped (quite a few times, we’d proffer) by one of the previous owners, so it could now be yours for the same amount as the big cat.

A C200 Kompressor with just under 70,000 miles covered in 18 years of service: how on earth is it possible to own one for under a thousand pounds? The interior of this one still looks sharp too, and boasts plenty of wood and physical switch gear - remember those? Better act fast though, we doubt it’ll roam the used car wilderness for long.

A V6-powered estate, and one that captures Noughties Britain. Not exactly an exciting thing, mind. It’s not helped by the grey cloth upholstery, either, but as monotonous as this 75 may be, the cabin does look snug. It’s also economical, making it a properly thrifty run around.

Alternatively, you could have a torque-y diesel estate from Sweden. It still upsets us that Saab was forced to fold around 10 years ago now, but we do at least have an armada of its used cars up for sale in Britain. This 9-5, for instance, is well-built, exciting to look at and well-equipped - what’s not to like?

Or you could just purchase one of the 9-5’s native rivals instead, and (probably) one of the cars which caused the brand to go extinct: the Volvo V50. Yes, it’s got over 247,000 miles to its name, but the reason why these old estates are so revered is simple: they just keep going. Yours for 895 quid.

This week’s wildcard isn’t quite as flamboyant as those seen in recent weeks. It’s much the opposite, actually, since this BMW X5 has enough tech and grunt to red-face a worrying number of modern SUVs. The best part? It’ll cost you less than a trip to continental Europe during the holiday season... with a bit of negotiating.