Best used cars under £10,000

While the prices of pre-loved cars are higher than they were a few years ago, £10k is still enough to find a decent used car on Auto Trader.
Whether you are after a small daily runabout, a comfortable commuter or you have a growing family to cater for, we’ve got something to suit your needs. Auto Trader makes it easier to shop with a couple of steps: • All vehicles listed on Auto Trader pass a free, five-point check covering whether a car has been stolen, scrapped, written-off, imported or exported. For total peace of mind, you can get a full vehicle history check here. • You can use our price indictor to see, at a glance, whether the price asked is fair - but always check out the advert itself to find out if there are any special features that make this car worth that little bit more. • You can arrange a date and time for a test drive via the advert – we’d always recommend a test drive for a used car just so you know it works and you know it suits. Here’s what to look for when test driving a used car. There are a fair few thousand used cars on Auto Trader for less than £10K, so if you’re wondering where to start – here are some of our top picks.

A popular small SUV, the Renault Captur is well-reviewed, with its comfort highly rated by owners. Its size makes it a good option for small families as well as for urban driving, and it has also been the winner of our New Car Awards for Best Car for City Driving in 2021. With lots of diesel and petrol options available for a used Renault Captur on Auto Trader, you get about 40 mpg on petrol and almost 60 mpg on a diesel Captur.
Find used Renault Captur for sale.

No one can deny how cute and compact the Fiat 500 is. Great for a short commute and city-living, the Fiat 500’s retro look is a head-turner with lots of colour options available. Besides its looks, another plus point for more recent versions of the Fiat 500 is a so-called ‘mild hybrid’ system which gives you a small power boost, reduced CO2 emissions, and a more sophisticated stop-start system to save fuel.
Find used Fiat 500 for sale.

The Toyota Aygo is a small car that offers simplicity with typical Toyota reliability. As a buyer, you get lots of choices, including whether you'd prefer a three- or five-door option, and which of the seven different trim levels you'd like. On the outside, it looks funky and comes in standard and two-tone paintwork options, while on the inside, the car feels roomy for its compact external size and looks decent for the price you pay. Also, the car holds its value over time, making the running costs low overall.
Find used Toyota Aygo for sale.

Citroën C3 is an affordable supermini with its own distinctive style. The C3 has recently been updated, but Citroën offered 97 combinations of exterior colours via the seven different paint schemes, four two-tone roof options and four colour packs on the previous model. As a result we’ve got so many colours available on Auto Trader when you search for a used Citroën C3. On the road, the Citroën C3 provides a relaxing and peaceful experience with comfortable interiors and minimal road noise in the cabin. You also get a good array of safety kit as standard on the entry-level model so you can drive with full peace of mind.
Find used Citroën C3 for sale.

The Kia Picanto is a cracking little city car and £10,000 will get you one that’s only a few years old. This means it will still be covered by the bulk of Kia’s seven-year warranty, giving you increased peace of mind. The Picanto is easy to drive and surprisingly refined given its petite proportions, but we would recommend looking out for one with a higher level of trim as the entry-level cars don’t come with many mod-cons.
Find used Kia Picanto for sale.

The Ford Fiesta has for many years been a top-seller and a fixture of British motoring life for drivers of all ages. Affordable, practical and versatile, the Ford Fiesta is excellent to drive, comfortable and comes with plenty of kit for the price you pay. Sadly, it was discontinued in 2022, but you can still get your hands on one of the many pre-loved Ford Fiestas for sale on Auto Trader.
Find used Ford Fiesta for sale.

We’ve recently been enjoying living with a new Suzuki Swift but there are lots of used ones available on the market. Suzuki consistently ranks well in respected reliability surveys, so it’s cars are a good bet. Previous generations of the Swift had petrol or diesel engines, but newer versions gained frugal mild hybrid option. Alternatively, your budget will also get you a peppy Swift Sport which maximises the fun factor in what was already an enjoyable car to drive.
Find used Suzuki Swift for sale.

Dacia took home the title of Best Value Brand for the fourth year in a row at our 2024 New Car Awards and its pre-loved cars are just as appealing for the same reason. The Duster is a great option for those after a no-nonsense SUV and all-wheel drive versions add off-roading capability to match the rugged looks. It’s comfortable, spacious, and cheaper than similar cars of equivalent size. Plus, higher spec cars have a surprising number of creature comforts for the money.
Find used Dacia Duster for sale.

The roomy Skoda Superb provides an incredible amount of space for your money in both estate and hatchback guise. The Superb really lives up to its name with its blend of quality, practicality, and refinement. Plus, you get all the signature thoughtful Skoda touches such as a handy ice-scraper behind the fuel cap and an umbrella in the door. This is a car which can cover some serious distances, and a lot of the examples for sale have, so look out for one with reasonable miles on the clock.
Find used Skoda Superb for sale.

While the Skoda Superb has limousine-like qualities, a budget of £10,000 is enough to buy you an actual luxury saloon. The Jaguar XJ may be a wildcard option, but what a car it is for the price. Jaguar is currently going through a huge transformation to become a high-end all-electric brand and once it is reborn, you’ll likely need over £100,000 to buy a new one. This makes the old-school traditional big cat look exceptionally good value for money.
Find used Jaguar XJ for sale.

Check out our hub for more advice on keeping your driving costs down.
You can also find our best finance deals on Auto Trader.