Are you looking for the best used cars to buy in 2025? You’re not alone. Over seven million used cars changed hands in 2024, compared to just under two million new car registrations. We’re a nation of used car buyers in the UK, and we live and breathe them here at Parkers.
There are more makes, models, and variants to choose from than ever on the used market, meaning finding the right car can be a pain. Whatever your reason for choosing used rather than new, we have the best advice for you.
The cars we’ve expertly chosen should make for dependable and trusty used transport. We’ve paid close attention to reliability, practicality, and versatility as key considerations. Most of our picks also have that all-important smattering of desirability and, in some cases, even sporting prowess.
At Parkers, we have years of used car expertise, with unrivalled car valuation data since 1972, and a team that loves used cars, no matter what the budget is. Many drivers prefer to look for a used car simply because they don’t want to enter into a finance contract and want to ‘own’ the cars — for many, a used SUV for under £5,000 makes much more financial sense than a £5,000 deposit on a PCP’d new SUV.
If you’re looking for something newer, our weekly Deal Watch: Nearly New series casts an eye on lightly-used cars with simply staggering money off.
The best used cars to buy in 2025
Our used car pick for 2025
Price: From £2,155
For many, the F30 generation BMW 3 Series is all the used car you’ll ever need. We rate it so highly that it won our Best Used Car award for 2025. It was popular when new so there's plenty to choose from second hand, and available in so many forms that there's bound to be one to suit your needs perfectly. Not bad for a car that starts at less than £5,000.
For those looking to eke out the most mpg, the 318d and 320d models deliver fantastic fuel consumption, if not excitement. The 330e offers hybrid assistance, while an M3 has all the power and driving dynamics you'd expect from a top-shelf Beemer. Don't forget the body styles too, alongside the saloon there was an estate (F31) and the lumpen-looking Gran Turismo (F34).
To find out more, read our full BMW 3 Series review
For those looking to eke out the most mpg, the 318d and 320d models deliver fantastic fuel consumption, if not excitement. The 330e offers hybrid assistance, while an M3 has all the power and driving dynamics you'd expect from a top-shelf Beemer. Don't forget the body styles too, alongside the saloon there was an estate (F31) and the lumpen-looking Gran Turismo (F34).
To find out more, read our full BMW 3 Series review
Pros
- Great to drive, brilliant engines
- Excellent fuel economy from entry-level models
- Petrol and diesel engines are all excellent
Cons
- Rear seat space isn’t the best
- Servicing and maintenance are costly
Great to drive, cheap to run, and simply excellent
Price: From £740
The Ford Fiesta won the 2024 Parkers Best Used Car of The Year award winner and still represents a great buy. With the demise of the Fiesta name, we're happy to call the sixth generation the cream of the crop. It was one of Britain's bestsellers when new and is still one of the UK’s most popular used cars, and with very good reason.
It’s a great car to drive that’s available in myriad versions, from the super-economical EcoBoost petrols and TDCi diesel-powered models to the fun-to-drive ST hot hatch. We love the fact that prices are competitive, servicing is cheap, and as such, it’s a reliable and safe car to invest your money in. Just skip the 1.0-litre EcoBoost examples and their well-documented – and engine-killing – wet timing belt issues.
To find out more, read our full Ford Fiesta review
It’s a great car to drive that’s available in myriad versions, from the super-economical EcoBoost petrols and TDCi diesel-powered models to the fun-to-drive ST hot hatch. We love the fact that prices are competitive, servicing is cheap, and as such, it’s a reliable and safe car to invest your money in. Just skip the 1.0-litre EcoBoost examples and their well-documented – and engine-killing – wet timing belt issues.
To find out more, read our full Ford Fiesta review
Pros
- Great to drive
- Huge number to choose from
- Cheap to run
Cons
- Interior not the best quality
- 1.0 EcoBoost models can be troublesome
Excellent all-rounder that’s roomy, good to drive and great value
If you’re looking for one of the most reliable, practical family cars, look no further. The Octavia hatch and estate both have huge space for both people and luggage, as well as low running costs, great reliability and very competitive pricing.
There is a choice of two petrol and two diesel engines, plus ultra-frugal GreenLine versions of the diesels, which can return a claimed combined fuel consumption figure of 83mpg – although, in reality, its 60mpg plus figure is nothing to be sneezed at. It’s green, too, with a CO2 emissions figure that dips to 87g/km, meaning certain models are free to tax. Or you can the sportier vRS models and their punchy performance.
To find out more, read our full Skoda Octavia review
There is a choice of two petrol and two diesel engines, plus ultra-frugal GreenLine versions of the diesels, which can return a claimed combined fuel consumption figure of 83mpg – although, in reality, its 60mpg plus figure is nothing to be sneezed at. It’s green, too, with a CO2 emissions figure that dips to 87g/km, meaning certain models are free to tax. Or you can the sportier vRS models and their punchy performance.
To find out more, read our full Skoda Octavia review
Pros
- Talented all-rounder and a great bargain
- Excellent reputation for reliability
- Interior space particularly impressive
Cons
- Doesn’t feel particularly special
- Difficult finding a low-mileage one
Rational, reliable and backed up with a great warranty
Price: From £7,175
Buy a Niro made from 2018 and you'll potentially have some warranty left, which is a major source of comfort. That seven-year package is reason enough for many drivers to feel comfortable laying out their hard-earned on one of these roomy and comfortable family SUVs.
The Niro is good news for buyers looking to go green, too, as there are both hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions to go for. This, allied with the excellent fuel consumption and low running costs, make the Niro a very sensible and satisfying used car choice. There's even an electric model - the e-Niro - that took a runner up spot in our Best Used Car awards.
To find out more, read our full Kia Niro review
The Niro is good news for buyers looking to go green, too, as there are both hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions to go for. This, allied with the excellent fuel consumption and low running costs, make the Niro a very sensible and satisfying used car choice. There's even an electric model - the e-Niro - that took a runner up spot in our Best Used Car awards.
To find out more, read our full Kia Niro review
Pros
- Spacious and practical
- Excellent dealers
- Smooth and comfortable
Cons
- A bit dull to look at
- It’s not the sharpest-driving SUV
Stamping your ticket to an easy life
Price: From £2,137
The Toyota Auris is about as sensible a car purchase as you can get. It's like a good pair of socks; you'll never rave about how good it is, but it'll always be there, performing diligently and never letting you down. The Auris is a rock-solid used car pick, and if you settle on a hybrid example, an incredibly frugal one, too.
The Toyota Auris is at the top of our most reliable used car list because it's built to last and basically never goes wrong. They're also popular with taxi drivers, a byword for low running costs, effortless driving dynamics and an ability to brush off long drives. It's not exciting or charismatic, but who cares when it ticks so many logical boxes?
To find out more, read our full Toyota Auris review
The Toyota Auris is at the top of our most reliable used car list because it's built to last and basically never goes wrong. They're also popular with taxi drivers, a byword for low running costs, effortless driving dynamics and an ability to brush off long drives. It's not exciting or charismatic, but who cares when it ticks so many logical boxes?
To find out more, read our full Toyota Auris review
Pros
- Strong reliability record
- Solid feel overall
- Economical engine range
Cons
- Boot is quite small
- Dull to drive
Practical, classless, and available with economical engines
Price: From £1,570
The Skoda Yeti was the perfect family SUV long before they became as popular as they are today. It may have been off-sale now for some time now, but the continued popularity of these excellent rugged family cars proves that they were really on to something with this one. The Yeti was built to take a beating, and will have taken the battering of a hard life with minimal fuss.
Available from as little as £1,570 you can buy the Yeti in petrol or diesel form and with optional four-wheel drive, too. Based on simple Volkswagen technology, they’re proving cheap and reliable to run and finding their way into lots of families – which is why we’re big fans of Skoda’s first SUV. For a few more mod cons – a used Skoda Kamiq – the Yeti's spiritual successor, makes excellent used family transport.
To find out more, read our full Skoda Yeti review
Available from as little as £1,570 you can buy the Yeti in petrol or diesel form and with optional four-wheel drive, too. Based on simple Volkswagen technology, they’re proving cheap and reliable to run and finding their way into lots of families – which is why we’re big fans of Skoda’s first SUV. For a few more mod cons – a used Skoda Kamiq – the Yeti's spiritual successor, makes excellent used family transport.
To find out more, read our full Skoda Yeti review
Pros
- Chunky styling still looks modern
- Four-wheel drive available
- Excellent petrols and diesels
Cons
- Finding a low-mileage one is getting more difficult
- Petrol models are quite rare
Totally accomplished, and another former Parkers used car of the year
Price: From £2,760
The Volkswagen Golf has evolved, great white shark-like, into a sublime small family car. It looks good, fits in anywhere and is available with just about any engine you care to think of – right up to an all-electric e-Golf version. If anything, Volkswagen lost its way with the successor, so the Mk7 stands as the ultimate iteration.
You can pick one up for just under £3,000 if you look hard enough, too. The diesels are the most numerous, and either the 1.6- or 2.0-litre TDI will serve you well if you’re looking to lower your running costs, whereas our favourite GTI models will be great fun and re-sell well when the time comes to move it on.
Read our full Volkswagen Golf Mk7 review
You can pick one up for just under £3,000 if you look hard enough, too. The diesels are the most numerous, and either the 1.6- or 2.0-litre TDI will serve you well if you’re looking to lower your running costs, whereas our favourite GTI models will be great fun and re-sell well when the time comes to move it on.
Read our full Volkswagen Golf Mk7 review
Pros
- Tough and rugged interior
- Excellent tech and safety gear
- Solid and timeless image
Cons
- A Ford Focus or Astra is better value
- Not quite as reliable as you’d think
A fantastic family SUV
Price: From £2,790
The Honda CR-V has been around since the mid-1990s, making it something of an SUV pioneer, which in its earliest days was very close in concept to the Land Rover Freelander. But it’s the last-generation model that really saw it grow up into a fully-fledged large family car that can turn its hand to anything that’s thrown at it.
It’s roomy for passengers, has a huge boot, and is available with punchy and reliable – if slow – diesels or smooth, responsive petrol engines. Ride quality and refinement are brilliant, too. They’re also packed with equipment, making the smooth, reliable CR-V an excellent used car to buy right now.
To find out more, read our full Honda CR-V review
It’s roomy for passengers, has a huge boot, and is available with punchy and reliable – if slow – diesels or smooth, responsive petrol engines. Ride quality and refinement are brilliant, too. They’re also packed with equipment, making the smooth, reliable CR-V an excellent used car to buy right now.
To find out more, read our full Honda CR-V review
Pros
- Fabulous reliability
- Excellent dealer network
- Comfortable, easy to drive
Cons
- Not cheap to run as some
- Relatively small numbers available
Proof a sensible city car can be desirable
Price: From £1,684
Volkswagen nailed the city car formula with the Up. It was small but expertly packaged, well-built, frugal, and cheap to insure. The positive buzzwords continue for this city car; it's even proving reliable as a used pick. Above all else, we love the versatility it offered. Whether you want three or five doors, petrol or electric power, simplicity or relative plushness, there will be a used Up for your needs.
Don't think Volkswagen scrimped on the fun either; an Up is a hoot to drive even in its most basic form. There was even a fabulous sporty GTI model. And if you don't fancy a Volkswagen badge, the Up was also sold in Skoda and SEAT flavours, in the form of the Citago and Mii.
To find out more, read our full Volkswagen Up review
Don't think Volkswagen scrimped on the fun either; an Up is a hoot to drive even in its most basic form. There was even a fabulous sporty GTI model. And if you don't fancy a Volkswagen badge, the Up was also sold in Skoda and SEAT flavours, in the form of the Citago and Mii.
To find out more, read our full Volkswagen Up review
Pros
- Class-leading build quality
- Peppy range of engines
- Fabulous Up GTI model
Cons
- Only four seats
- Three-star Euro NCAP rating
A sensible and compromise-free to embrace electrification
Price: From £6,522
The funky-looking Hyundai Kona Electric quickly made a name for itself as one of the first affordable EVs to offer a near 300-mile range on a single charge when it debuted in 2018. Prices have tumbled down nicely and it's now possible to pick up a larger 64kWh battery example and its superior range and performance for £11,000.
On top of that, Hyundai offers a generous standard features list, and newer models come with a reassuring five-year, unlimited-mileage warranty, giving you peace of mind for the long haul. And, while the first-generation Kona Electric isn’t the most spacious option in the small crossover category, it should still accommodate a family without too much shoulder-barging.
To find out more, read our full Hyundai Kona Electric review
On top of that, Hyundai offers a generous standard features list, and newer models come with a reassuring five-year, unlimited-mileage warranty, giving you peace of mind for the long haul. And, while the first-generation Kona Electric isn’t the most spacious option in the small crossover category, it should still accommodate a family without too much shoulder-barging.
To find out more, read our full Hyundai Kona Electric review
Pros
- The interior is exceptionally finished
- Batteries are holding up nicely
- Still looks fresh today
Cons
- The ride is bad
- Limited boot space
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