Best used cars under £15,000
Take a look at our favourite options for the best used cars under £15,000
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By Ben Welham
Last updated: 14 July 2025
Finding the best used cars under £15,000 for your doesn’t need to be hard – there are some impressive options on the used car market.
You can pick between some efficient and eco-conscious electric models, something practical and hardwearing, or a luxury icon that feels prestigious.
Take a look at our top picks for the best used cars under £15,000 in our guide below.
Best used cars for less than £15k
Audi A3
BMW 3 Series
DS3 Crossback
Fiat 500X
Mini Hatchback
Peugeot 208
Renault Zoe
Volkswagen Golf
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Audi A3
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The Audi A3 has come a long way from its origins as a slightly posher take on the Golf platform (both Audi and Volkswagen have the same parent company). It’s now a genuinely luxurious family hatch in its own right. The styling has that traditional Audi chicness and makes the car look a cut above.
Inside, Audi’s traditional talent for interiors has been put to good use. It's an angular but highly classy design, with materials that feel top quality.
We'd pick:
Petrol: 1.4-litre TFSI
Diesel: 1.6-litre turbo
The petrol is best if you tend to do shorter journeys, and the diesel is great on longer trips.
All models come with cruise control, alloy wheels, automatic lights and wipers and rear parking sensors as standard, as well as air-con, a DAB radio and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto.
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BMW 3 Series
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If you go for a BMW 3 Series, you're getting an iconic car from an iconic brand.
This used BMW simply does everything well. It looks great, feels great, drives wonderfully no matter which engine is under the bonnet, and it won’t cost a fortune to run.
For efficiency and longer trips, we'd pick:
Engine: 2.0-litre diesel
All models are well-equipped with cruise control and DAB radio, but it’s worth stepping up to the SE trim and beyond, where you’ll get rear parking sensors, dual-zone climate control and automatic lights and wipers.
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DS3 Crossback
 "DS 3 Crossback front")
The DS3 Crossback is a chic little car that's easy to live with.
If you're after that hatchback-like driving experience but with a higher driving position and increased features, a used DS 3 Crossback may be your answer.
Engine options include petrol, diesel and a fully electric version that returns around 200 miles.
If you're on a budget, you're better off sticking to the cheaper petrol, but if you want to cut running costs, the EV is a great bet.
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Fiat 500X
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The Fiat 500X does a great job of combining the style of the Fiat 500 with the additional space for those who need it.
In 2018, Fiat ditched diesel engines from the 500X range, so they’re getting rarer and rarer on the used market.
Of the petrol models, we'd pick:
Engine: 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol
The interior feels a real cut above that of the 500, with soft-touch materials all around.
There’s also plenty of space up front and decent space for two child seats in the rear – or two kids once they’ve outgrown the seats.
Daily life is eased by the presence of air-conditioning, cruise control, lane-keep assist and a seven-inch touchscreen in all models.
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Mini Hatchback
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It’s fair to say the Mini is mini in name only these days, so it can hold rank against more obviously family-focused models.
Mini ditched diesel power a few years ago, so numbers are reducing on the used market.
Petrol engines include:
Cooper: three-cylinder 1.5-litre
Cooper S: 2.0-litre turbocharged
All Minis have the sort of super-quick steering and zippy handling that the brand is known for, although it’s fair to say this sporting focus gives the car a slightly firmer ride. Still, you don’t buy a Mini for limo comfort, do you?
It’s safe to say all Minis are well kitted-out, with air-con, automatic lights and wipers and DAB radio – and with BMW as the company’s parent, quality is high.
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Peugeot 208
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Peugeot has really upped its styling game in the past few years, with stunners including the 508, 2008 and this, the funky 208, adding some real aggression to UK roads.
The good news is that the 208’s talents are far more than just skin-deep because it's genuinely good to drive, with a range of enjoyable and frugal petrol and diesel engines.
Our engine choice:
1.2-litre Puretech petrol
Even entry-level cars have rear parking sensors, a central touchscreen, and alloy wheels, and moving up the trims adds niceties such as a larger screen, front sensors, and a rear-view camera.
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Renault Zoe
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While not the first entrant into the world of electric cars, the Renault Zoe has established itself as a car to really bring battery power to the masses.
Offering rapid charging and a much longer range than its dinky size would suggest (now well over 200 miles), it’s also reasonably priced.
The stats looks like:
Battery: 41kWh
Range: 250 miles
Entry-level cars get cruise control and climate control, while mid-spec cars add keyless entry and go, rear parking sensors, automatic lights and wipers and a DAB radio. Top-spec cars add Bose audio and a rear-view camera.
Space is perfectly reasonable up front, and there’s room for two people in the rear.
The boot will take a pair of small suitcases, although the optional Bose subwoofer does take up extra space.
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Volkswagen Golf
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The seventh generation of Volkswagen Golf is so good that the company has used its underpinnings as the basis for the current (Mk8) car – if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
For engines, we'd choose:
For something punchy: 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol
For long trips: 1.6-litre diesel
No matter your engine choice, you can rest assured that all of these used Volkswagen models feel remarkably well-made. That's thanks to an interior that features high-end materials and switchgear that's been engineered to feel classy.
It’s spacious, too, with room for five adults and a decent-sized boot capable of swallowing three medium-sized suitcases plus more.
Go for a Match model and it’ll have alloy wheels, electrically adjustable and folding door mirrors, radar cruise control and automatic lights and wipers. It’s always been the smart-thinking hatchback offering, and arguably, never more so than it is nowadays.
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Used cars under £15k
Although sticking to a budget can put a dampener on the shopping experience, having £15,000 to spend on a car is more than enough to get an impressive model.
Take a look at our full range of used cars under £15,000 to see all your options.
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