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  1. Five of the best cars for under £1,000
  2. Saab 9-3, Sparing Swede
  3. Volkswagen Passat, Prudent Passat
  4. Peugeot 306, Frugal Frenchie
  5. Volkswagen Corrado, Careful Corrado
  6. Vauxhall Omega, On sale Omega

Vauxhall Omega, On sale Omega

The Omega was a big favourite with the UK's police forces, doing a tremendous job pounding up and down our motorways in pursuit of speeders. Massive, comfortable and effortlessly quick - especially in V6 guise - the Omega is a huge amount of car for our tiny budget. They'll all be old and they'll all have big mileages, but fear not, the Omega is built to last and will keep going on indefinitely with a bit of cheap and easy maintenance. Try that in any of its premium badged rivals.

Estates are pretty rate, but the saloon's boot is so vast you'll need to be the world's worst packer or have a St Bernard to justify the time finding a wagon. Avoid white ones, as they're more than likely ex-police cars. Instead look out for private owners who've held onto ex-company cars and cherished them. You'll find lots to choose from for £1,000 so bargain hard and you'll have a massive, well-equipped and very comfortable car that you could live in if the house gets repossessed.