Want a used performance estate with over 200bhp? Here are 10 for under £5k

A turbocharged six-pot Vauxhall understeers its way onto our list. It’s not the world’s most handsome wagon, sure, but this 24-valve Vectra VXR makes up for it with substantial numbers: 252bhp, 261lb ft, 0-62 in 6.7s and a top speed of 158mph. Best enjoyed wearing your cap backwards.

Or for another 200 quid, you can boost your dyno figure up to 384bhp with an E60-gen 535d estate. The seller also notes 640lb ft of torque, which means this throwback mile-muncher would have no problem red-facing a few boy racers on an Autobahn stretch. Imagine their shock when they see a brood of Labradors in the boot hurling past them.

Here's a ‘blob-eye’ WRX estate with bits from Prodrive, including a stainless steel exhaust, fuel pump and high-flow intercooler hose. The resulting 260bhp is put to all four wheels via a five-speed manual ‘box, and since this is a Scooby, it’ll get that power down in any and every environment known to man. The A12’s had it.

We do need to provide a sensible suggestion or two with these lists, so welcome to the entirely sensible Volvo V50 T5. This one gets the ‘Winter Pack’, adding heated front seats and washer nozzles, which will all be particularly useful in a country whose winter lasts 51 weeks. It’s a tasty ‘R-Design’ spec too, meaning posher bumpers and skirts to give more substance to the 227bhp five-pot.

OK, the alloys on this Mondeo ST220 need a refurb, as do small sections of the bodywork. But these niggles are more than offset by the gleaming condition of its interior, which includes leather seats, fresh-looking dials and cupholders for rear-seat passengers. It’s a car that’s aged magnificently, and that V6 soundtrack is still a belter. Yours for just £4,250 with less than 100,000 miles on the clock. 

One of two eight-cylinder cars featured, and admittedly, there are a few issues. First is the engine warning light, a result of a faulty thermostat (which the seller can also provide the fix for); the second is a minor fuel leak. But hey, this Passat W8 drives. And ultimately, you’re snapping up a rare, hearty waft-mobile for just £2,250. Bargain.

If the Volvo was sensible, this Skoda's a straight-up sleeper. The 3.6-litre six-cylinder gets a DSG gearbox and all-wheel drivetrain for support, and that means 0-62mph is complete in just 6.6s. That’s hot hatch territory… in a car that looks like it should be picking you up at 3am after a moonwalk and a kebab.

Another Japanese hero, though this one comes with a roof rack, seven-spoke Work Emotion alloys and a solid 211bhp six-cylinder powertrain. The rear-wheel drive IS300 is often considered a great (and cheap) option for drift novices to get some practice in, and despite the extra dimensions, the SportCross is probably just as eager to have fun.

Of course. It's a naturally aspirated, manually driven, Quattro-backed B6-generation Audi S4 Avant. With a healthy 344bhp to hand and more grip than an antelope that’s just seen a pack of lions. Is there a better all-rounder for £3k? Unlikely.

The wildcard shatters this week’s budget by over four times the amount, but we felt compelled to give it some coverage because it is, quite simply, a bagged Subaru Legacy with a 750bhp 2JZ engine. It’s got the full works, including forged rods and pistons, with a bigger intercooler intake and a straight-pipe exhaust system.

There's more, too. So much more. A drive shaft from a 350Z, wheel bearings from a Silvia S14 and the six-speed manual from an E60 5 Series. As far as Frankenstein projects go, this is right up there.