Best used cars to buy in 2024
Take a look at our top picks of the best nearly-new cars money can buy
)
Best used cars
At cinch, we class a used car that’s less than one year old with fewer than 5,000 miles as 'nearly new' – and we have plenty in stock.
Of course, we ensure that only the best quality cars make the cut so you'll always be getting a great model, but we get why some would be attracted to cars with the lowest miles and most recent registration plates.
For some, there’s nothing quite like driving a new car with the latest plates, while for others, nearly-new cars are the thinking person’s way into the latest cars. If that sounds familiar, this article is for you.
Below, we run through three standout models that fall into that ‘nearly-new’ bracket.
Each is the automotive equivalent of a spring chicken, yet thanks to being classed as used cars, they come with some decent savings over their original prices. Happy days.
Ford Fiesta
)
The Ford Fiesta is always a popular hatchback buy, for very good reason. The selection of Ford Fiesta models out there tha you can buy used is about as big as they get, although it was a recent arrival to the lineup that’s given Fiesta sales a boost in the hatchback.
The Fiesta mHEV, or ‘mild hybrid’, is an economical, but impressively handling and sporty-looking hatchback capable of entertaining as much as it saves you pennies at the fuel pump.
With a punchy 1.0-litre turbocharged EcoBoost engine coupled to a small hybrid electric system, it’s a brilliantly rounded machine.
The Fiesta is available with a list of great added features such as parking sensors, a top-of-the-range B&O sound system and a wireless phone charging pad – making it a snazzy first car buy.
Mercedes A-Class
 "Mercedes A-Class")
We’re big fans of the A-Class’s ability to cram Mercedes pizzazz and style into a compact body – and at the cheapest price.
First, let’s consider just how nice the latest A-Class is, with its sharp exterior design, swanky interior and strong engine options.
Powering this little German hatchback is a turbocharged 1.3-litre engine, which offers an ideal blend of punch and efficiency.
But if you want more power then there's also a 2.0-litre engine available as either a petrol or diesel.
The A-Class isn’t short of tech either, with Mercedes’ latest dual-screen digital dashboard there to impress occupants with its crisp graphics and augmented 3D sat-nav (which projects directions onto a live image of the road ahead).
You can also have heated seats, a reversing camera, adaptive cruise control and Mercedes’ stylish multi-function steering wheel, with controls at your fingertips.
Hyundai IONIQ 5
)
If you really want to see just how new ‘nearly-new’ can be, let us point you towards this Hyundai IONIQ 5.
Unlike the other two, this Hyundai is a model that didn't exist five or ten years ago. The IONIQ 5 came out in 2021 and instantly stole the hearts of so many people.
Its looks are what draws your attention first because it looks like something straight out of the 1980s, with its boxy shape and square LED brake lights.
Being an electric car, the IONIQ 5 is very quiet and efficient. Power comes from a 58kWh or a 72kWh battery that's good for up to 298 miles on a single charge.
It's practical too, with a 527-litre boot which trumps almost any other hatchback on the market today. We think it's one of the best used cars you can buy.