The 11 Greatest Cars You Can Buy For £2000

Honda Civic EP3

The EP3 Honda Civic Type R is a wonderfully-balanced, front-wheel drive hatchback, with bags of charm, decent power (197bhp and 145lb ft) and predictable lift-off oversteer for when you need to trim those corners. What’s more, it’s a very reliable car, features VTEC and has a sweet manual gearbox that you’ll be using a lot to keep the car in that high-rev-range sweet spot! It’s quite quick too (thanks in part to its 1204kg weight), hitting 0-62mph in 6.6 seconds ahead of its 146mph top speed.

BMW E36 328i coupe

One of BMW’s best bang-for-buck cars currently is the E36 328i coupe. It looks great, has around 192bhp, and features a sweet-sounding straight-six engine that pulls hard. What’s more, fitting the less restrictive M50 inlet manifold from the E34 525i or E36 325i and swapping that out with the 328i engine’s M52 manifold (roughly a £250 job) is a great way to free up around 20bhp. Giving the engine a stainless exhaust manifold also reveals one hell of a sexy exhaust note (I know, I did it a few years ago). If a car like this tempts you (of course it does), be prepared to fight rust during your time as owner.

Renaultsport Clio 182

The small-but-mighty Renaultsport Clio 182 (that number referring to its horsepower figure) is another car on this list that deserves serious recognition. Not only is it light (1090kg) and seriously nimble, it’s also stable at high speeds, thanks in part to the fact that it features a 12mm wider front and 16mm wider rear track compared with its 172 predecessor. Despite its beefy and low suspension, the 182 is also surprisingly comfortable over most road surfaces.

The 2.0-litre engine with variable valve timing loves to scream its way to the 7200rpm red line, and the five-speed manual gearbox is quick enough to help drivers get from 0-60mph in 7.1 seconds and onto a top speed of 139mph.

But the best bit about the Clio 182? “It makes you feel happy…”

Alfa Romeo GTV 2.0 T Spark

The GTV might be one of the slowest cars in this list, but there’s no doubt that it’s also one of the, if not the prettiest. Under the Pininfarina-designed body sit 1.8- and 2.0-litre inline-fours and 3.0- and 3.2-litre V6 engines. The latter V6-powered cars will cost you anywhere between £2700 and £7000, so we’ll focus instead on the 2.0-litre cars that offered 148bhp and a limp 8.2 seconds to 60mph.

The GTV’s handling, however, is where the coupe excels. Despite being FWD, it grips hard, has a finely balanced chassis and is rewarding to drive.

Audi TT 1.8 T Quattro

The Audi TT is one of the most successful cars the brand has ever made, despite having to be recalled in 1999 following high-speed stability issues that killed a few drivers. That’s why the awkward-looking spoiler was added as well as some suspension modifications.

Based on the Audi A3, Skoda Octavia and Volkswagen Golf Mk4 platform, the 2+2 coupe is powered by either a 1.8-litre turbocharged inline four or a 3.2-litre V6 engine with 247bhp. The more powerful inline-four (with 222bhp), and the V6 came with quattro AWD as standard, while the 178bhp inline-four car got this as an optional extra.

Naturally, with quattro AWD fitted, the TT is sure-footed and confident in the corners, while the 1.8 turbos offer brisk performance (7.6 seconds and 6.4 seconds to 60mph) for the 222bhp and 247bhp cars. In terms of styling, the TT’s looks aren’t to everyone’s tastes, but it has aged well, is reliable and safe, and is an absolute steal these days.

Mk1 Mazda MX-5

In a line-up of great sub-£2000 cars, the Mk1 Mazda MX-5 was always going to make an appearance. The reasons are simple: it’s light, rear-wheel drive, cheap to run, simple to fix, features pop-up headlights and is crazy fun to drive in any given situation.

The MX-5’s 1.6- or 1.8-litre engines won’t set your pants on fire, but fit the car with good suspension and a decent set of tyres, and people in much faster and more expensive cars will struggle to keep up with you on a twisty road. The Mk1 is an honest car with no frills (except for a button on the dashboard that pops the lights up and down), and while everyone loves to call it a hairdresser’s car, people in the know appreciate the little Miata for its no damns given attitude to life. If you’ve never tried one, I’d urge you to do so.

Just be warned. Chris Harris isn’t the MX-5’s biggest fan…

Ford Puma

By far the cheapest car on the list, the FWD Ford Puma is a truly excellent little sports car with feline-like eyes, a responsive 1.7-litre engine with 123bhp, and wonderful driving balance that has stood the test time. It also features a lovely short-throw five-speed gearbox that suits the engine down to a tee.

Despite its small size, the Puma was also pretty practical (you can just about seat two adults in the back), and because the car is a more sporty version of the Fiesta, parts are cheap and plentiful, and repair costs will be low. The people who have driven and owned a Puma absolutely swear by them!

Fiat Coupe 20v Turbo

If you’re feeling brave, and if you’re prepared for questionable Italian reliability, then say hello to the dashing, and blisteringly fast, Fiat Coupe 20v Turbo.

The wonderful exterior of the Coupe was designed by Chris Bangle, while the interior is of Pininfarina design. But it’s underneath the bonnet where you’ll find the real masterpiece. Here, you’ll find a 2.0-litre, five-cylinder turbocharged unit with 220bhp and a 0-60mph time of 6.5 seconds.

The Coupe is another nimble and responsive car in this list, and makes for a rapid daily driver. Just be aware that electrical faults are commonplace, and avoid buying a car that has been tuned to within an inch of its life.

Volkswagen Corrado

The boxy but beautiful (to car people, anyway) 2+2 Corrado was based on the Golf Mk2 and was originally conceived as a replacement for the Porsche 944. The engine line-up included a 1.8- and 2.0-litre inline-four, plus the more desirable 2.8- and 2.9-litre VR6 units. The 2.0-litre, 16v version (the one in our price range) produces 136bhp, while the higher-powered VR6 has 187bhp to its name. There was also a supercharged G60 Corrado with 160bhp, but finding one of these cars to buy nowadays is increasingly difficult.

Alongside the Corrado’s fine handling characteristics, its party piece was an active spoiler that raised automatically above 50mph. Who needs pop-up headlights when you’ve got active aero?

Seat Leon 2.0 T Cupra

If the Audi TT caught your eye but was too small and compromised, then you should take a close look at the 1.8-litre Seat Leon 20v Turbo Cupra with which the TT shares the same 177bhp engine (this was later upgraded to 225bhp for the Cupra R). Despite its FWD layout, handling is sharp and accomplished, and the big power gives the Leon instant one-car-for-all-purposes status.

With the exception of a coil pack fault, the Cupra is also very reliable and safe, comes with great standard equipment (climate control, heated mirrors and electric windows) and a massive boot.

Subaru Impreza

Rally pedigree, the famous boxer burble (these engines are mounted lower to aid the Scooby’s centre of gravity) and symmetrical AWD are three massive reasons why the Impreza Turbo makes a strong case for itself on this list.

The 2.0-litre turbocharged model in our price range pumps out a hefty 215bhp, which gives the ‘rally car for the road’ a 0-60mph time of around 6.3 seconds. On top of its straight-line speed, the Impreza also produces heroic levels of grip through the corners, is reliable and makes its owner feel like a driving God. Pound for pound, there’s nothing that gets close to the Impreza in terms of performance.