The £10k big bargains

Trying to find the holy trinity of a big name on a big car that’s luxurious, and all for less than £10,000, is not easy but it’s possible.

Here are five contenders:

1.) Mercedes-Benz SL500 (1989-2008)

You have the choice of six generations and over 60 years for this hardy perennial, but two of the best are the R129, from 1989 to 2002, and the R230, from 2003 to 2008.

With a 5.0-litre V8 you’re never going to be short of performance yet, along with the power, comes a solid reputation for reliability and longevity. With auto transmissions also working smoothly, you get fairly gentle suspension and steering. Even though they’re quite weighty cars, you get a low centre of gravity so you can use that performance without wallowing around. The R129s go from around £2500 while the R230s are north of £8500.

2.) BMW M5 (1998-2003)

Even older M5s offer monstrous performance but with all the practicalities and luxuries of an exec saloon. The main thing to watch for is that many will have been used hard, so be on the lookout for worn out tyres and brakes, along with clutches and steering. Crash damage is not unknown and insurance will be steep.

But, even so, for just £5k you could get a 1999 E39 M5, with a 4.9-litre V8 pumping out 394bhp. Sure, it’s an older car, but you’re still getting close to supercar performance, with a 0-60mph time of just five seconds. Extraordinary.

3.) Jaguar S-Type R (2002-2007)

From humble beginnings. The original S-Type was a fair way behind the 5 Series BMW so Jaguar had another go at it with the launch in late 2002 of the Type R. Result second time around. Now with a 4.2-litre supercharged V8 putting out 400bhp and later 420bhp, the auto Type R was a revelation. Great performance limited to 155mph, matched to great handling, developed by Mike Cross.

There are full-history examples out there for less than £5k, which is again amazing value for money.

4.) Mercedes-Benz CL600 (2003-2005)

The large Mercedes coupés took wafting along to new levels. If we had to choose one it would be the 2003 C215 V12. That gives you 493bhp from its twin-turbo V12. Which is good for 590lb ft of torque, a 0-60mph time of just 4.8sec and top speed limited to 155mph.

With such power comes relaxation as well as excitement. The engine was also installed in the W220 S-Class saloon, so you could have a coupé or a saloon. Either cost around £5-£10k, so that’s a lovely choice to make.

5.) Audi S4 Cabriolet (2004-2007)

There are a lot of S4 cabriolets around, but the third-generation B6 is certainly one of the better ones. One of the first things you should do before buying is get an insurance quote. Service costs can seem high too, compared to the purchase price, but if you can deal with all that you’re getting a brilliant car.