10 Cool 2000s Cars For Under £10,000

We might not have realised it at the time, but we were living through a golden age of cars in the noughties. Comfort, reliability and safety had all come on leaps and bounds by the turn of the new millennium, but cars hadn’t yet become the overweight lumps they often are today, with characterless engines strangled by emissions rules and overbearing tech that only serves to make your life more annoying.

What’s more, as 1980s and ’90s collector markets have come of age in the last few years, resulting in skyrocketing values, it seems all but certain that the same will happen with the noughties as the generation that grew up idolising these cars begins to garner proper purchasing power.

We reckon now, then, is the perfect time to bag a noughties bargain. So, dig out your old Motorola Razr and that CD copy of Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not, and join us for a tour of our favourite used 2000s cars for under our usual £10k budget.

Renault Clio 182

After a fairly rough 1990s, the hot hatch came back strong in the 2000s. One thing hadn’t changed, though – the French were still really, really good at them. Nowhere was that summed up better than in the original versions of the Renaultsport Clio.

While some prefer the original 172 car, the later, more powerful 182 is easier to find these days. With 180bhp from its fizzy 2.0-litre nat-asp engine and just 1110kg to shift about, it’s not particularly sophisticated, but it is practically endless, simple, wheel-cocking fun. If you can track one down with the slightly lighter, harder Cup chassis, you’ll be giggling around every mini roundabout.

Nissan 350Z

After years of it being a bit of a punchline among its Japanese performance peers, is it time we finally re-evaluate the Nissan 350Z? Yes, it was a bit heavy and lumpen among some of its coupe contemporaries, and no, the VQ35 engine isn’t the most aurally pleasant thing ever.

In 2025, though, when this kind of car is basically extinct, the 350Z’s recipe is undeniably appealing: a big, brawny V6 sending at least 276bhp (more in later versions) to the back wheels through a manual gearbox. Its throwback looks seem to get better by the day, too, especially in that (admittedly hard to find) Sunset Orange launch colour. It’s the sort of thing we’d be fawning over if it were launched today, so maybe it’s time to stop being so mean about it.

Subaru Impreza WRX GD

Bugeye, Blobeye, Hawkeye – take your pick. Though the good ship STI may already be sailing, you can still get plenty of rally-bred flat-four flavour for four figures (try saying that five times quickly) in the shape of the ‘lesser’ Subaru Impreza WRX.

The UK was perhaps second only to Japan in terms of its sheer enthusiasm for the hot Impreza in its prime, and as such, there was a vast and baffling array of WRXs offered here, meaning you should have no trouble finding one to suit you. You’ll still be getting at least 215bhp – more if you track down one fitted with one of the various Prodrive Performance Packs offered – plus the usual Subaru-y flat-four, all-wheel drive goodness.

Ford Focus ST Mk2

Never a widely used configuration even in its prime, the five-cylinder engine is almost extinct in new road cars today. If you want to remind yourself why it’s such a characterful engine layout, we can’t think of many better ways than with a second-generation Ford Focus ST.

Its subtle-as-a-smack-in-the-chops attitude might not be for everyone, but the warbly soundtrack and 221bhp turbocharged wallop of that 2.5-litre engine is hard to argue with. And let’s not forget that it hails from an era when driving dynamics were still very close to the top of the list of priorities with Ford’s cars, performance models or not.

BMW 335i E9x

Few would argue that the recipe for the perfect BMW calls for a straight-six up front, drive to the rear, and a manual gearbox. While this combo’s found its way into many full-fat M cars that are quickly becoming unobtainium, you can still experience it on a relative budget with the E9x generation 335i.

With a still-impressive-today 302bhp from its 3.0-litre twin-turbo straight-six, most of the 335is you’ll find with three pedals are going to be the E92 coupe, and for some, that’ll just be fine. Be patient, though, and you might even track down an E90 saloon or E91 Touring with this combo, making for one of the best driver-friendly sleepers ever. And hey, we won’t begrudge you if you go for the auto, either.

Mini Cooper S R53

With the retro design craze in full swing at the turn of the 2000s, not many cars nailed it as well as the original reborn Mini of 2001. As well as sensitively updating the original’s looks for a new millennium, it recaptured much of the hilarious chuckability of the car it was inspired by.

The base models were good, but with its feisty supercharged 163bhp 1.6-litre engine, the S is the one that we find ourselves craving the most. Not much else before or since has combined a genuinely brilliant drive and undeniable style at such an attainable price point. Just make sure you read our in-depth buyer’s guide before taking the plunge.

Mazda RX-8

Not quite as iconic as the RX-7 that preceded it and with a bit of a reputational issue these days, the Mazda RX-8 – still the last road car to use a rotary engine to actually drive the wheels – is nonetheless a hugely appealing thing.

228bhp from a high-revving twin-rotor engine, sent to the back wheels of a 1350kg, meant the RX-8 was a proper sweetheart to drive, and its unconventional clamshell door arrangement was even a small nod to practicality that its rivals couldn’t match. And if you do have our full budget to play with, you should be able to find a very tidy car and potentially stave off those apex seal fears for a bit.

Range Rover L322

Ask any Range Rover devotee what the best of the bunch is, and there’s a good chance an L322 will be the answer. This third-gen version is arguably the one where all the best Rangie traits came together in the most cohesive way – proper off-road ability combined with a decent on-road drive and absolutely exquisite luxury.

If you’re prepared to stomach the hit-and-miss reliability, it really is a huge amount of car for the money, and with some many powertrains available, you should be able to find something that suits. Our hearts say 395bhp, 4.2-litre supercharged V8, but our heads are quite loudly shouting about one of the sensible six-cylinder diesels. Or there is, of course, the best of both worlds TDV8.

Maserati Coupe

A proper Italian GT car, with a fully-fledged Ferrari engine? It may not be as out of reach as you think. The unimaginatively-named Maserati Coupe ditched the earlier 3200 GT’s sexy ‘boomerang’ tail lights, and most versions – especially in our budget – will have the clunky F1 semi-auto transmission.

However, it was a sweeter handler than the 3200 GT, and the noise made by that 4.2-litre Ferrari-Maserati V8 is one of the all-time great automotive soundtracks. It’s a more reliable car than its predecessor by all accounts, too, although let’s be realistic here – any sub-£10k Maserati is going to be a bit of a roll of the dice.

Porsche Boxster 987

Yeah, some people might make jokes about you not being able to afford a 911. Ignore them. They don’t know what they’re talking about. Everyone should know by now that the Porsche Boxster is a phenomenal car in its own right, with its beautiful mid-engined balance and range of flat-sixes that sounded just as good as anything a 911 Carrera could muster.

Our budget brings you a whole lot of choice among base 2.7-litre, 240bhp cars with unscary mileages, or a handful of higher-mileage 3.2-litre, 280bhp S models for the risk-takers among you. Whichever route you go down, you’ll be getting one of the very best of the noughties sports car crop.