6 Bargain Six-Pot Rides For Under £1500

Desperate to get yourself a car with a little six-cylinder symphony under the bonnet, but don't have much cash? Try one of these!

Matt Robinson

13 Feb 2015

1. BMW E46 330i

A 330i for just £1295? You’d better believe it! 231bhp from a 3.0-litre straight six, a cracking rear-drive chassis all wrapped up in a comfortable saloon car package. You know you want to.

2. MG ZT 190

The idea of sportifying a bunch of humdrum Rovers doesn’t sound like a particularly brilliant idea, and yet the MG ZR, ZS and ZT (based on the Rover 25, 45 and 75, respectively) have a surprising appeal. The ZT is particularly tempting, with a 2.5-litre V6 providing 188bhp and a decent chassis that’s happy to either waft or hoon. This one’s up for just £995.

3. Peugeot 406 coupe

The coupe version of Peugeot’s mid-sized exec saloon of the 90s and early 2000s has aged well, and the 3.0-litre V6 version is usefully pokey with 210bhp on tap. The best part? They’re now dirt cheap. Here’s one for just £795.

4. Mercedes CLK 320

Yes, a Mercedes of this vintage will always be a risky used buy - with electrical issues and rust to worry about - but how can you not be tempted by this CLK? Mileage is reasonable for the year at around 106,000, it has a 218bhp 3.2-litre V6, it looks great, and is going for just £995.

5. Audi A6 Avant 2.7T

This A6 won’t offer the most scintillating drive, but it has a lot going for it. As it’s the Avant it’s endlessly practical, has a detuned version of the twin-turbo V6 you’ll find in the B5 S4, making 230bhp here, and costs just £1495.

Some caution is advised though, as there have been reports of this engine - the more powerful S4 version and the one in this car - having a habit of eating its turbos.

6. Alfa Romeo 156

No six-cylinder list would be complete without a car powered by Alfa’s legendary ‘Busso’ six-pot. The 156 was available with a 2.5-litre version (plus a 3.2 in the hot GTA), giving the car 188bhp and a brisk 0-62mph time of 7.3 seconds. Oh, and it belts out an incredible soundtrack.

There aren’t many on the used market unfortunately, so we’ve resorted to digging up this left-hand drive example. However, keep an eye out for long enough, and the right car will come along for the right price. It’ll be worth the wait.