Perhaps you’ve concluded that modern cars are rubbish, or at least unsubtle and mundane. Electrified this and SUV that – none of it inspires you and the thought of driving a Euro-blob that’s barely distinguishable from the next leaves you cold.
You’d love to be one of those apparently devil-may-care types driving something old and characterful, of course. But you’re nervous. Rather like living in a grade II-listed manor house, driving a classic car daily can be more frustrating than it looks, with leaky roofs, rubbish heaters and repetitive breakdowns a constant threat.
But not if you choose carefully. Sure, if you decide to buy an ailing British roadster in need of some TLC and put it to work on the daily grind, you’ll probably live to regret it. But there are some classic cars that are quite comfortable enough to live with – and won’t fall apart when pressed into everyday use.
It can even make sense financially. Well, with a certain degree of optimism… Let’s say you were going to spend £30,000 on a base-model Nissan Qashqai – Britain’s top-selling SUV last year. You’d lose a huge chunk of that value the minute you left the showroom – and more each year thereafter.
With a classic, that wouldn’t happen, as these cars have already reached and passed the nadir of their values. You might even end up with an appreciating asset.
And while a classic will undoubtedly have its fair share of costs in the form of attentive maintenance and repairs (not to mention worse fuel consumption), you may well find yourself spending less on these out-of-pocket costs than on the value being sapped from your new car every minute it sits on your drive. Maybe. Just maybe.
Have I convinced you yet? Splendid. In that case, here are my top 10 choices costing the same as a Qashqai at £30,000 – all of which should be comfortable and reliable enough to replace a mundane modern daily driver. Just one proviso: we bear no responsibility if buying one reduces you to penury.
Porsche 968 (1991-1995)
While Boxsters and 911s grab the limelight, there’s another 1990s Porsche that’s worth looking out for. Often overlooked in favour of its newer and more glamorous kin, the 968 is, in fact, a better buy than either, combining the bulletproof foundations of the later 944 with the sort of modernity and practicality that make driving one daily a viable option.
Indeed, the Porsche Club of Great Britain describes it as “arguably the best built Porsche of them all”. The later Sport variant is a good bet for daily use, combining the handling nous of the sought-after but stripped-out Club Sport with a few more creature comforts.
Price to pay: from £10,000
We found: 1994 968 Sport, 125,000 miles, full service history, £29,995
Watch out for: Patchy history, missed timing belt changes, noisy automatic gearboxes, tapping cylinder heads
Mercedes-Benz SL (1971-1989)
Before it came the 300SL and the Pagoda – but for many this R107 generation is the archetypal SL. It managed to take the 1980s Merc design language of heft and solidity, and parlay it into something altogether more svelte, with a not-inconsiderable dose of glamour for good measure.
These days, its durability and dependability make it a classic you really can use a lot. Prices for these cars vary wildly – but ignore the low-mile garage queens and buy one with a bit more use under its belt, one that will have benefited from being driven on more than just high days and holidays.
Price to pay: from £10,000
We found: 1988 300SL, 92,000 miles, full service history, £22,500
Watch out for: Rust (especially floors, bulkhead and windscreen), damp, failing vacuum central locking, milky plastic rear screens, overheating
BMW 6-Series (1976-1989)
Few cars can match the understated grandeur of BMW’s Big Six. From its raked-back nose, through the large, upright glasshouse to the slim, tapering tail, it’s a class act throughout – and inside there are four good-sized seats and a huge boot. It is, in other words, a genuine grand tourer, as well as being a car you can use every day.
Look for the larger engines with automatic gearboxes – best for everyday use – and remember that later cars from 1982 onwards took the updated underpinnings of the later E28 5-Series and therefore feel tighter to drive.
Price to pay: from £12,000
We found: 1982 635CSi, 99,000 miles, recent restoration, £22,995
Watch out for: Rust (especially front outer and inner wings, rear suspension), overheating, worn cloth upholstery, dodgy interior fans and temperature control
Subaru Impreza Turbo (1992-2000)
Fancy reliving your misspent youth playing Colin McRae Rally on a Sony PlayStation? These days, the Impreza is rapidly rising in value, and no wonder – it’s chock-full of rally championship-winning pedigree and a hero car for kids of the 1990s who now find they are able to afford one.
But the Impreza isn’t just a rally car made for the road; it’s also a 1990s Japanese saloon, with all the usability and dependability that entails. So not only is it fast and fun, it’s also easy-going enough for the weekly commute.
Price to pay: from £7,000
We found: 1999 Impreza Turbo, 53,000 miles, full-service history, £25,000
Watch out for: Bent chassis legs due to crash damage, duff head gaskets, poor maintenance, cheap modifications, piston slap
Mercedes-Benz SEC (1979-1991)
Look at those production dates. Merc’s big coupé, also known by its production code of C126, spanned the 1980s and fittingly became an icon of the decade. Sue Ellen Ewing drove an SEC in Dallas, Patrick Swayze’s character Jimmy Dalton had one in Road House and it would be impossible to count the number of times the big Merc appeared elsewhere on screen, driven variously by a henchman or a bigshot.
Now this level of glamour can be yours for a surprisingly reasonable sum; our budget buys you one of the very best. What’s more, it’s roomy enough for a family, sybaritically comfortable, not to mention built like the proverbial tank. As with its smaller SL sibling, avoid low-mileage, garaged examples and go for one that’s been reasonably well used – as long as it’s been well maintained, too.
Price to pay: from £6,000
We found: 1986 560SEC, 93,500 miles, immaculate, two owners from new, £28,000
Watch out for: Rust on parcel shelf, bulkhead, sills, wings, suspension turrets, rattly timing chains, slow-to-engage reverse gear, leaky rear screens
Audi S2 (1991-1995)
While the original Audi Quattro sits slightly outside our budget, its successor – the S2 – is squarely within it. And arguably, the S2 better fits our brief – after all, the Audi 80, on which it’s based, is one of the most modern-feeling classic cars out there, with an unshakably solid interior, cutting-edge aerodynamics and light, fuss-free controls.
Throw in four-wheel drive and a glorious five-cylinder engine and you have a recipe for a car that’s both exciting to drive and easy to live with. Go for an Avant estate version if you want a roomy option that’ll take the dogs or the family clutter.
Price to pay: from £15,000
We found: 1995 S2 Avant, 75,000 miles, comprehensive history, £24,000
Watch out for: Boost leaks, missed oil changes, whining rear differentials, leaky brakes, failing air conditioning
Ford Sierra Sapphire RS Cosworth (1988-1992)
Beloved of boy racers and targeted by thieves, the Sierra Cosworth has had a rough ride in the image stakes. These days, though, the examples that are left tend to be well cared for and in clean, tidy condition, their owners keenly aware of their value.
The later, booted Sapphire Cosworth lacks the cachet of its earlier three-door predecessor – but that means it also lacks the insane prices. And with its more modern trimmings, higher-quality interior and all-weather performance in 4×4 form, it makes an easier car to live with.
Price to pay: from £15,000
We found: 1991 Sierra Sapphire RS Cosworth 4×4, 92,000 miles, full service history, £29,995
Watch out for: Smoky turbos, poor-quality modified examples, rusty arches, sills and strut tops, failing head gaskets, whining diffs, cracked dash tops
Toyota Century Mk1 (1967-1997)
Here’s a left-field option: Toyota’s ultimate range-topper, a plutocratic limousine that offered a very Japanese sort of luxury, with antimacassars on the seats, fold-down footrests, wool upholstery and cutting-edge gadgetry. The Century was never officially sold in the UK, but some examples found their way here – look hard enough to find one and you’ll be rewarded with a car that at once impresses and confuses onlookers.
The downside is that parts aren’t easy to get hold of and you’ll need to make friends very quickly with your nearest Japanese car specialist. But, of course, if it’s well maintained, a Century should never let you down.
Price to pay: from £8,000
We found: 1984 Toyota Century V8, 83,000 miles, £29,000
Watch out for: Disintegrating wool interiors, oil leaks, electrical glitches
Alpina B10 V8S (1997-2004)
For many, the third-generation (or E39) M5 is the pinnacle of the breed, with a thumping V8 engine allied to ethereal poise, granite-solid build quality and perfect proportions. But connoisseurs know that the Alpina equivalent – with its emphasis on comfort – provides an even better daily drive.
The straight-six 3.3 is smooth and refined, but why stop there? Our budget secures one of the most desirable Alpinas of all – the B10 V8S. Knocking out a lazy 370bhp with an engine note that’s all grumbles and burbles, driving one of these would make the commute an event to relish, every single day.
Price to pay: from £11,000
We found: 2002 B10 V8S, 114,000 miles, recent engine rebuild, £25,750
Watch out for: Electrical glitches, failing head gaskets, jerky auto gearboxes, missing pixels in dash display, sticking alloy wheel centre caps
Mercedes-Benz 190E Cosworth (1984-1993)
Renowned Mercedes-Benz build quality: check. A rev-happy, race-bred engine: check. Muscular yet subtle looks and an interior to match: check. The sort of longevity you need from a daily driver: check. Yes, the Cosworth-tweaked Mercedes 190s really do have it all.
More properly badged 2.3-16 and 2.5-16, the latter arriving in 1988, these cars were never quite as rabid as the BMW M3 and Sierra Cosworth they rivalled – but they offered more refined, more progressive performance which, combined with impeccable chassis balance, made them brilliant all-rounders and archetypal sports saloons.
Price to pay: from £9,000
We found: 1988 2.5-16, 145,000 miles, extensive history, £28,750
Watch out for: Rust throughout, especially sills, floors, subframes, wheel arches, lower windscreen surround, rattly engines, failing head gaskets
