I want a fast car for under €20,000!
Could you suggest the best car for under €20,000 that is less than 10 years old AND can do 0-100km/h in less than six seconds?
John Walsh (Dublin)Sep 2015 Filed under: choosing used car
Expert answer
Hi John,
The critical question here is how much road tax and insurance pain are you willing to take? An early 2000s Porsche 911 will crack 5.3 seconds 0-100km/h all day long but you'll pay through the nose for tax, disc and servicing. And never, ever buy one without a full Porsche or Porsche Specialist service history.
Most Mercedes-AMG models from the same era will do similar but again the same caveats on servicing and running costs apply.
A BMW M3 Evolution will do 5.5 seconds, but watch for ones that have been badly fiddled with or modified.
Probably better would be a Ford Focus RS or a Volkswagen Golf R or R32. Both are pretty rugged in the reliability stakes but again you have to be wary of cars that have been modified or altered from standard.
However, possibly the best bet is a Honda S2000. As long as you don't need back seats it's a fantastic thing to drive, will do 6.0 seconds 0-100km/h and it's rock solid in reliability terms. Loads around well within your price band but again watch carefully for badly done modifications or cars that haven't been cared for.
Neil Briscoe - Complete Car Adviser@neilmbriscoe