The iPhone X is the must have cool gadget this Christmas, but retailing at £1,000, this slice of cutting edge tech doesn’t come cheap. So, how about spending the money on a cool car instead?
Car buying comparison site Motorway.co.uk has researched the used car market and found 10 vehicles that possess a cool quality, whether it’s because they were classic cars of their time or because of their quirky design. All these vehicles can be purchased today for the price of an iPhone X or less.
The Jaguar XJ is one of the most iconic British cars ever built, instantly recognisable by car aficionados. Motorway.co.uk has found a 2004 XJ8, with 204,000 miles on the clock, currently for sale for just £595. It may not last another 100,000 miles, and it may not past its next MOT, but who cares when you’re cruising through town in a motor this cool?
Or how about the sporty MG MGF, which was launched in 1995 to worldwide acclaim? It quickly shot to the top of sports car bestseller charts and Motorway has found a 1996 MGF on the market for just £690.
The following table shows ten cool cars recently valued on Motorway.co.uk that you can currently purchase for the price of an iPhone X or less (links to cars available on request):
| Brand | Model | Mileage | Year | Price |
| Jaguar | XJ8 | 208,000 | 2004 | £595 |
| Chrysler | PT Cruiser | 78,000 | 2008 | £655 |
| MG | MGF | 95,000 | 1996 | £690 |
| Volkswagen | Beetle Cabriolet | 154,000 | 2005 | £690 |
| Alfa Romeo | T Spark Lusso | 147,000 | 2003 | £795 |
| Jeep | Cherokee CRD Sport Auto | 147,000 | 2004 | £795 |
| Mini | Cooper Hatch | 115,500 | 2002 | £895 |
| Mitsubishi | Shogun Pinin | 129,000 | 2001 | £995 |
| SsangYong | Rodius 2.7 | 102,000 | 2008 | £1,000 |
| Triumph | TR7 | 57,000 | 1981 | £1,000 |
The £1k used car market
Motorway.co.uk has also had a look at the £1,000 or less used car market as a whole, to see the size of the market for anyone thinking a grand would be better spent on a car than a phone.
On the Auto Trader website, there are just under 11,000 cars (10,792) for sale at £1,000 or less. Of those, the car makes that top the list in terms of numbers are Ford (1,817), Vauxhall (1,666) and Renault (1,005). It’s even possible to pick up luxury brands for less than £1,000, with Auto Trader currently listing 221 BMWs, 218 Mercedes, 175 Audis and 104 Jaguars.
If you’re hoping to pick up a car for less than £1,000, then something has to give in terms of the condition and specification. Not surprisingly, the majority of these cars have been around the block a few thousand times. Half have more than 100,000 miles on the clock and just 95 have covered less than 35,000 miles.
Alex Buttle, director of car buying comparison website Motorway.co.uk, comments:
“When we looked into the £1,000 used car market, we were surprised by the sheer number of cheap cars for sale that were cool when bought new a few years back and are even cooler today.
“If you can see past a few miles on the clock and the odd mechanical failure, you can pick up a little piece of auto history for less than the price of an iPhone X. Not only that, but it may last more than a year before needing an upgrade!”