10 Used Super Saloons You Can Afford: No Germans Allowed

If you’re putting together a list of quick but affordable sports saloons, you could easily fill it several times over with German metal. After all, the Germanic holy trinity of Audi, BMW and Mercedes have given us countless ballistic saloons over the years, with their respective S, M and AMG badges.

As we don’t like doing things the easy way, we thought we’d take a look at the best budget sports saloons under £5k that aren’t German. There are more out there than you’d think…

Mazda 6 MPS

You can forgive the 6 MPS for looking a bit dull, because it’s quick and very cheap. Its 2.3-litre turbocharged four-pot kicks out 256bhp, sending the all-wheel drive 6 from 0-60mph in 6.4 seconds, and on to a top speed of 149mph.

Typical prices: £3000-£8000

Jaguar XJR

If there’s a more relaxing way to go this fast for under £5k, we’re yet to see it. Get an X308 shape XJR, and you’re treated to a 370bhp, supercharged 4.0-litre V8 under the bonnet, a sumptuous leather interior and an unbelievably comfortable ride. Just make sure the potentially troublesome water pump and timing chain tensioners have been seen to.

Typical prices: £2000-£5000

Subaru Impreza WRX

This list wouldn’t be complete without the rally hero Subaru Impreza. £5k gives you a lot of choice when it comes to Scoobies, but with decent, un-abused first-gen models becoming hard to come by, a second-generation WRX is probably a better bet. Earlier 215bhp ‘Bug-eye’ cars start at under £3k, but if you’re not a fan of the looks, a newer rectangular headlamp, 221bhp version can be picked up for a little more.

Typical prices: £2500-£5000+

Ford Mondeo ST220

As we’ve pointed out before, the Mondeo ST220 offers a hell of a lot of saloon for the money. It may be front-wheel drive, but it has a superb chassis, and a muscular 3.0-litre V6 churning out 226bhp.

Typical Prices: £1600-£6000

MG ZT 190

With 185bhp on offer from its 2.5-litre V6, the ZT 190 is the slowest car here. But, and this is a big but, they can be picked up for next to nothing: prices start at well under a grand. It may only be a tarted-up Rover 75, but MG Rover put together a damn good car considering its budget restraints at the time. If you’re feeling flush and want to break our £5k budget, there’s even a rear-wheel drive, 4.6-litre V8 version.

Typical prices: £600-£3000

Mitsubishi Galant VR4

If you want a fast Mitsubishi in this price bracket, a Lancer Evolution isn’t really doable. Worry not though, as the Galant VR4 offers a quirky Mitsi alternative. With a 276bhp 2.5-litre bi-turbo V6 under the bonnet, it offers a lot of punch in a very subtle-looking package. It’ll do 60mph in just under six seconds, and will hit 150mph. You may struggle to find one though, these were imported to the UK only in small numbers.

Typical prices: £3000-£5000

Honda Accord Type-R

Outshone by its Type-R’d Integra and Civic siblings, the Accord Type-R is something of a forgotten hero. Even with that giant rear wing, it’s a more discreet and gentlemanly way to get that VTEC kick, with a healthy 209bhp on offer.

Typical Prices: £2000-£4000

Alfa Romeo 156 GTA

The hot version of the 156 never really made much of an impact. And that’s a shame, as it has a lot going for it. That sonorous 3.2-litre V6 produces 250bhp, allowing the 156 GTA to crack 0-60mph in just 6.1 seconds and 155mph flat out. The fact that those 250 horses are channelled through the front wheels might put you off, but if you fit a surprisingly inexpensive ‘Q2’ limited slip diff, it becomes a whole different animal. As with all Alfas, make sure you get one that’s been looked after by bagging a GTA with a full service history.

Typical prices: £3000-6000

Subaru Legacy B4 RSK

Impreza a bit obvious? Give Subaru’s other super saloon - the Legacy B4 RSK - a go. With 280bhp from its twin-turbocharged 2.0-litre boxer-four it’ll outgun many of its hot Impreza siblings, dispatching the 0-60mph dash in just 5.2 seconds. Like the Mitsubishi Galant it was import only, and not many were brought over, making RSKs quite difficult to find.

Typical Prices: £3000-£5000

Volvo S60 R

A Volvo with 300bhp? That’s OK in our book. Like all great Volvos, the S60 R car sports a turbocharged five-pot, in 2.5-litre flavour here. Get the manual version - which you should - and it’ll do 0-60mph in just 5.5 seconds, and hit the electronic buffers at 155mph. It’s also very capable, thanks to all-wheel drive and lots of clever electronics.

Typical Prices: £4000-£7000