Classy used four-door saloons for £5k

This once proud class is being slowly throttled to death by the rise of the SUV. However, their unfashionability can be to your advantage: prices are still competitive and bargains are still to be had. These, then are the classiest four-door saloons you can bag for five grand. Let’s take a look:

VW axed the Mk6 Jetta from the UK line-up in 2017, leaving the Passat as the sole surviving saloon in the range. Hardly surprising given the poor sales figures; the Jetta shifted just 379 units in the UK between 1 January and 1 October 2017.

You’ll almost certainly end up with the ubiquitous 2.0-litre diesel engine, with the 148bhp unit delivering a great blend of performance and economy. You’ll save money by opting for the Jetta over the Golf, but the small market for compact saloons could mean that you’ll struggle to sell it on. It’s a gloriously inoffensive car, so grab a bargain. As with all the cars were talking about here, be careful of buying any pre-2015 diesels if there are any new ULEZ zones opening up near you.

If you can’t stretch to a new Alfa Romeo Giulia, or you don’t fancy following the crowd with a BMW 3 Series or Ford Mondeo, the 159 is worth a look. Spoiler alert: it’s almost certainly the prettiest saloon on our shortlist.

It doesn’t drive as well as it looks, so fans of the 3 Series should look away now, and while an Alfa with a diesel engine still feels wrong, it means you can expect decent fuel economy. The diesels have their problems, but the number of high-milers for sale on Auto Trader suggest that they’re capable of going the distance. Opt for the charismatic 3.2-litre V6 if you can live with the thirst.

Audi A4 prices start from less than £1000, but armed with a £5k budget you should choose the B8, on sale from 2008. It narrowed the gap to the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class, with a noticeable upshift in cabin quality and features.

Again, the A4’s popularity within fleet circles means you’ll almost certainly end up with a 2.0-litre diesel, but it’s worth finding a 3.0-litre TDI if you fancy something more powerful yet economical. Don’t dismiss the 2.0-litre TFSI petrol, as it’s the same engine you’ll find in a VW Golf GTI.

Still classy after all these years. Sticking our necks out, we’d argue that the Volvo S60 has aged better than its contemporary German rivals, especially in R-Design guise. The 2014 facelift saw a new multimedia system, new seats and a new instrument panel, along with new safety features. Well, it is a Volvo.

Because it uses clever technology to reduce emissions and boost performance, the D4 DRIVe engine is the pick of the crop. Quiet idling and the potential to achieve 50mpg in everyday use are the highlights of this unit, while the car itself is a comfortable and safe alternative to the 3 Series.

Of all the cars on our list, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class is the one most likely to be welcome at Salon Privé. The guests may think their Uber has arrived, but the C-class remains a classy choice in a crowded market.

The trick is to budget for a later model; the W204 generation C-class was on sale from 2007 until 2017. Predictably, the diesels are the most common, so it’s fortunate that they’re also the best. The 2.2-litre four-pot turbodiesel in the C 220 CDI is, cliché alert, all the engine you need.

Few mourned the passing of the Jaguar X-type, but does Jag’s entry-level saloon deserve to rot in mediocrity hell? Not necessarily, so you can leave your Mondeo gags at the door. Besides, to dismiss the X-type as little more than a ‘posh Mondeo’ is both inaccurate and unfair.

Sure, the diesel engines arrived too late, but there are plenty available on the used car market. If you can afford the fuel bills, a four-wheel drive 2.5 or 3.0-litre V6 could be a cheap winter hack, but it would go against the spirit of Saloon Privé to recommend the excellent estate version.

It would be too easy to recommend the Ford Mondeo. You know it’s excellent and there are plenty to choose from on the used car market. Shunning convention, we’re flying the flag for the overlooked four-door Focus.

Focus saloons tend to be driven by, how can we put this, more mature drivers, so you can expect a car that has led an easier life and is backed by a full service history. The saloon drives as well as the hatchback – some would say it’s better – while a Ghia trim delivers just the right level of posh.

The Lexus IS is one of the used car market’s best kept secrets. It feels more like a luxury car than an executive saloon, so it’s surprising that used examples tend to be cheaper than their contemporary German rivals. Lexus attracts a certain type of driver, which means there are fewer buyers to go around.

The classy interior is one of the highlights, and while the engines and transmissions aren’t strong points, the IS offers excellent body control and precise steering. The 2.2-litre four-cylinder engine delivers excellent fuel economy and should be cheap to run. Only limited room in the back and a relatively small boot let the side down.

Launched in 1999, the VW Bora was a sporting saloon designed to tempt people out of their BMW 3 Series. It couldn’t quite achieve this, not least because the UK market for compact saloons is so small, but the Bora is nicer to drive than the platform-sharing Golf. It’s all thanks to the stiffer suspension and tight body control.

Quality is excellent, and while the interior is hardly the last word in excitement, it feels every bit as robust as a contemporary VW Golf. Opt for a Highline model for the most toys, but it’s worth noting that the leather can look a little saggy on high-mileage examples. The ‘wood’ trim on some models is very ‘Marmite’.

Citroën received some flak for its “Unmistakably German” ad campaign, but the C5 was clearly designed to tempt buyers away from their German saloons. It’s a stylish car, feeling more premium and less French than its predecessor. This may or may not be a positive, depending on your view of French saloons.

If you favour comfort and specification over dynamics, the Citroën C5 is worth a look. Its Hydractive 3 suspension makes it feel more like a Mercedes-Benz S-Class than a Ford Mondeo, while the 3.0-litre HDi V6 is the pick of the engines, if you can find one. If not, the 2.0-litre HDi offers the best blend of performance and economy.

You don’t need an I-Spy badge to spot the Seat Exeo’s Audi roots. Launched in 2009, the Exeo was a reworking of the old Audi A4 with a price tag £6000 lower than new A4. However, there was more to the Exeo than a simple name change and Ibiza-style nose. The interior was lifted from the A4 Cabriolet, while Seat tweaked the suspension to give it different feel.

Lowered and stiffer suspension was a no-cost option on the Exeo Sport, but you’ll need the 197bhp 2.0-litre TSI engine from the Golf GTI to make the most of it. A heavy bias towards diesel sales means you’ll struggle to find a petrol version, but the Exeo seems to get more appealing with every passing year.

The fourth-generation Mercedes-Benz E-class is now firmly within budget territory. You’ll need at least £2495 for the privilege, so it’s one of the most expensive cars on our list, but you’ll be rewarded with more space and a greater level of comfort. The E-class is a class act.

Far from looking dated, the dashboard is a welcome tonic to the screen-dominated cars of today, while even the entry-level SE trim comes with the likes of heated faux leather seats, parking sensors and Bluetooth, but an Avantgarde will feel more upmarket. Don’t be put off by high miles; many diesels have led an easy life on the motorway.

The Volvo S40 (2004-2012) shares a platform with the second-generation Focus, and while you shouldn’t expect the same sparkling dynamics as the Ford, it’s far nicer to drive than its predecessor.

Build quality is excellent and there’s a good range of engines, including four- and five-cylinder diesels. Predictably, all models come with impressive safety features and a generous level of standard equipment. A 2.0-litre diesel in SE trim should be all the S40 you need.

Scroll through the classifieds and you’ll notice a high proportion of Saab 9-3s with around 150,000 miles on the clock. That’s a good sign, because it proves that some of the old Saab DNA crept into one of its final models. Indeed, the 9-3 was one of its finest products.

Buy on condition rather than mileage. You’re just as likely to find a neglected but late 9-3 at the bottom end of the market as you are an early but cherished example. The twin-turbocharged 1.9 TTiD engine offers excellent performance with a realistic 50mpg in everyday use.

Why have cotton when you can have silk? It might be a stretch to class the Honda Legend as a car from another galaxy, but a silky-smooth saloon with a 3.5-litre V6 engine might be a welcome alternative to a European diesel car.

You get a host of luxurious standard features, Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (fancy), and the kind of driver assistance systems that felt otherworldly in 2005. Excellent build quality, a distinctive cabin and suitably different styling are the highlights of this Legend.

Put a Connoisseur in your garage and you’ll have the next best thing to a luxury motor. It won’t be long before the used car market wakes up to the potential of the Rover 75; current prices are criminally low for this future classic.

BMW splashed out on a bespoke platform for the Rover 75 and supplied a range of robust and durable diesel engines, which will run for 300,000 miles without major work. The 2.5-litre V6 petrol is preferable to the 1.8-litre, but few cars at this end of the market offer the same blend of class and sophistication.

We’ve tried to focus on relatively new cars in our Saloon Privé feature, but it’s worth remembering that the Vauxhall Omega made it into the new millennium. It was also the last of the breed; the large Vauxhall saloon died with the Omega, murdered by German brands, somewhat ironic given the Omega was really an Opel and just as German as they were.

The four-cylinder engines feel a little out of place in such a large car, but the 2.5-litre, 3.0-litre and 3.2-litre V6s are easier to recommend. They also come with the desirable toys you demand from your large executive saloon. The six-cylinder diesel engine is also worth a look.

You’ve heard of the VW Passat, right? Great, because we’re recommending the ‘Passat Plus’. As Richard Bremner wrote in 2018, “a car isn’t necessarily a bargain just because it has lost a huge percentage of its value over a few years, because a few years after that it will probably do so again. And it will keep on shedding pounds like a man with savage and terminal dysentery.”

That doesn’t prevent us from starring longingly at the cheap Phaetons in the classifieds.

We don’t know how much time you spend watching polo, but it’s good to know that the Lexus GS fits in. For this budget, you’re looking at a second- or third-generation GS, which sits in the middle between the IS and LS.

Alternatively, double the budget for a GS 450h, with 3.5-litre V6 petrol-electric hybrid powertrain. It won’t excite you like a BMW 5 Series, but you’ll be won over by the build quality, interior ambience and ride quality.

Catastrophic depreciation is a wonderful thing. It means you can buy a Teutonic luxo-barge for less than the price of a new Dacia Sandero.

If you’re prepared to put up with a car with intergalactic mileage, you could drive away in a 2010 Audi A8 for around £3k. Tempted? You should be.

Have we saved the best until last? The star of Saloon Privé? The top of the pops?

The 5 Series is the ‘Goldilocks’ of the BMW saloon car range. If the 3 Series is too small and the 7 Series is too grandiose, the 5 Series is ‘just right’. It’s the one you want.