The misfit in this category, the Jaguar S-Type, looks dated and is routinely priced at less than £10,000. With high mileage, that drops down to around £6,000. Even a fairly recent 3.0 SE automatic from 2000 sells for just less than £8,500. That is great value for money, but take out the SE and you start to pay less than £8,000.

Alternatives: BMW 5 Series, Lexus IS200/300