5 Cheap FAST Practical Cars Under 2k (ULEZ compliant)

[@drivenbydatacars]

Hey guys! Important note - the figures quoted for the E46 330i are incorrect. Parkers actually suggests a time of 6.8 seconds 0-60 and top speed of 153mph for the auto saloon. My sincere apologies for this error, I will be more careful in future videos. Shoutout to @enzo1992enzo1992 for catching that - thank you.

[@Brickhazard]

Have owned my 04 manual Saab 9-5 Estate for nearly 10 years now. Bought on 100k and now on 180k. Best 1900 quid I have ever spent. Stage 1 tuned with an alloy radiator. Everything has been replaced suspension wise with choice poly bushes and Eibach springs with Sachs dampers. Rear rust cut out and new metal in. You can't go faster in comfort for the money. Late 30's MPG on a run for close to 300 BHP. Have taken it plenty of times on the continent. It loves to eat up the miles.

[@drivenbydatacars]

Love to hear that. Unbelievable value for money, speed comfort and character! Roughly how much did you spend sorting it with the suspension bits, radiator etc?

[@dzgaming1]

sounds like that was a 04 money pit. and a auto 330i would smoke you 0-60 ever single time

[@Brickhazard]

@@dzgaming1 Not a money pit. I just replaced everything to make it mint. All in I am most likely 5k in. Can easily sell it for that now and would need 15k to replace it with anything that is "worthy" of an upgrade. 330i wouldn't know where a Remapped Saab 9-5 went. Near enough 300BHP and 420nm. That's 60+BHP more and 100lbft more of torque. 335i or 535i is more of an equal speed wise not a little 330i but they are a lot newer cars. Nothing really compares outside M and RS cars of it era really.

[@dzgaming1]

i don't wanna send any bad luck your way but that car wont be running for long no matter how much money you put into it but good luck and wish u the best.@@Brickhazard

[@Brickhazard]

@@dzgaming1 It will still be here long after any rusty BMW with plastic thermostat housings. Haha

[@Kiinell]

I like the stats at the end, but would be very interested to see what insurance groups they're all in. That would make a huge difference as to which one I'd choose.

[@drivenbydatacars]

Thanks for the feedback. I've added insurance groups to the next video :)

[@dj_paultuk7052]

Also do not forget the Renault Laguna II 3.0 V6 24v VVT. 205bhp, the Initiale models have toys and goodies for days. They are light as the bonnet and wings are plastic. Drive very well. 150mph no issue and also they do 40mpg with ease. We have had 3.

[@drivenbydatacars]

Good call. Love a V6 Renault, a great sleeper car. Difficult to find these days!

[@dj_paultuk7052]

@@drivenbydatacars Hard to find any Laguna II's now. They suffered from a major problem. They were the first car in the world ever to achieve EuroNCAP 5 rating. However initially it failed. They got around it by fitting massive wide tyres for the time. 245/45x17. However the suspension was not designed to take these and it would tear up the rear main bushings every 3years. Owners got fedup with this so they were scrapped pretty early.

[@drivenbydatacars]

Wow 245s on an early 2000s Renault from factory, thats pretty wild. How do you deal with it on yours? Smaller tyres or stronger bushings perhaps? 🤔

[@dj_paultuk7052]

@@drivenbydatacars No we kept replacing bushing until we were done with them. Main issue is that Peugeot, Renault, Citroen dropped all part support for the L7X V6 in 2015. So i could not get any gaskets, and they leak oil so bad. So scrapped both cars. (Same engine as Clio V6).

[@drivenbydatacars]

Sounds like we’ll see Clio v6 values rocket even further in the coming years then!

[@PeterGrover-q5r]

I love all the data points and the details are amazing.....could you just breathe, I'm exhausted after listening to you :) Really like the comparisons of affordable cars that are still fun and won't break the bank.

[@drivenbydatacars]

Thanks for the feedback! I slowed down a bit in the most recent video haha

[@giorgio.]

As a 2004 Saab 9-5 owner, the thumbnail picture made me click on the video. I love that car, mine is manual and a true sleeper. Good luck with the channel; I subscribed. Cheers from Canada!

[@drivenbydatacars]

Very cool to have a manual, great cars. Thanks for the support!

[@parkecorepersonaltrainingp2601]

Great vid. Just found your channel and love it. Many thanks 👍👍

[@drivenbydatacars]

Welcome aboard, thanks for watching!

[@UtaHagawi]

I love classifieds and I never would’ve come across the Jag or the 9-5 at this price point. Fantastic video, well done

[@drivenbydatacars]

Thanks for the feedback, glad you enjoyed it!

[@joshmerrick4716]

I had a 2003 Saab 95 aero hot manual a few years ago and it was a brilliant car. It had been mapped by noobtune to just shy of 300bhp and still retaining high 20’s mpg on average. And it was comfy. It was like driving a soft arm chair. And because most people didn’t know what it was it used to surprise a lot of people in things like imprezas and vxr’s 😅 and it was cheap to insure too. I was 25 at the time and had 3 points but it was less than £1000 for the year where as an equivalent powered more common car would have been way more expensive. I’d have another in a heartbeat but I’d go for a wagon this time around. The saloon has a huge boot but lacks a bit of practicality because of the lack of height.

[@drivenbydatacars]

Haha yes it is like a fast comfy armchair! I bet they are good fun with a manual box, only tried the auto. I love the estate practicality and tbh I prefer the look of them to the saloon for the 9-5. Interesting that it was cheap on insurance, not a common boy racer car I guess haha

[@jaydenbeanfield4388]

great video ive been looking at the bmw 330ci for a while now and might have to get one soon!

[@drivenbydatacars]

I loved my e46 when it worked! Just a note, as @enzo1992enzo1992 kindly pointed out I used incorrect figures for the 330i. I pulled them from the autotrader specs on the listing but have cross-checked with parkers and see that they are incorrect. Parkers suggests 6.8 seconds 0-60 and 153mph for the auto. My sincere apologies, I shall be more careful in the future :)

[@amigachris]

you bought a lemon, never had an issue with mine in 200k...@@drivenbydatacars

[@choppare5331]

Spot on with the data and how it flowed think you should add insurance groups and average cost in 3 different parts of the country if possible

[@drivenbydatacars]

Thanks for the feedback! A few people suggested insurance groups actually so I added it in my most recent video '5 luxury midsize cars under 10k' check it out and let me know what you think. Good idea regarding the average cost as well, bit more complicated to get so I'll have a think about it

[@chrissdavey]

The BMW and SAAB recommendations are spot on. I own both 👍

[@drivenbydatacars]

Very nice! Which is your favourite?

[@chrissdavey]

@@drivenbydatacars The Saab is faster, particularly when the air is nice and cold and dense which is perfect for the turbo! The BMW handles better and I love the sound of a straight six engine. The BMW is more of a complete package.

[@drivenbydatacars]

Great insight, thank you!

[@Haz0506]

Picked up my 55 plate 9-5 aero for £750 earlier this year with 12 months MOT, the mid range acceleration is hilarious

[@drivenbydatacars]

Very nice buy!! Yes the mid range is infectious

[@SaabUnleashed]

Great video, enjoyed it

[@drivenbydatacars]

Thanks, and great name! Stay tuned, more Saab content coming soon

[@BradderzTekkerz]

Was just about to say you need to include things like tax and mpg great information dude legs build this channel!

[@drivenbydatacars]

Appreciate that, thanks bro

[@ifeelsiqq]

I'm always looking for this sort of car. Added them to my list. Much appreciated mate 😎

[@drivenbydatacars]

No worries! Cheap cars are the best cars haha

[@ifeelsiqq]

@@drivenbydatacars especially turbo barges haha

[@drivenbydatacars]

Volvo t5 anyone?

[@Rabbit420_7I0]

I dare say this channel will go far!! You heard it here first folks

[@drivenbydatacars]

Appreciate the support! Let’s do it together

[@theyorkmethod]

On the 9-5, also watch for the PAS lines. They will rot and fail anywhere from 100k upwards. New lines are only about 90 bucks but they are a pain to fit. Expect 3-4 hrs labour. ABS modules also like to die and are a few hundred to replace. Front subframe bushes can wear out fast so always replace these with poly. But otherwise these are solid very well built cars. Finally, always carry a spare ignition cassette in the boot.

[@drivenbydatacars]

Great tips, thank you for taking the time to share! I know polybushing is very popular on these but wasn’t aware of the PAS lines - good call out. Do you have one?

[@theyorkmethod]

@@drivenbydatacars my pleasure. I have x2 aeros, 05 and 08. Owned many.

[@drivenbydatacars]

Very nice. Do you prefer the ph2 or the DE?

[@theyorkmethod]

@wearedrivenbydata The phase 2 with the shark tooth bumper is the best in my opinion. The dame lost more of the Saab feel and gained more plastic.

[@drivenbydatacars]

Makes sense, I know a lot of people like the shark tooth. I have to admit my favourite front is the ph1 grille with the chrome nod to the old 900 and 9000s

[@robinhatwell194]

Dude, great video but my only gripe is the clips you use are of left hand drive models. May just be me but it grates a bit. Keep going. Sure you'll be fine. BTW I have a E46 330CIi convertible on a 2003 plate, which was the first year of the face lift.

[@RikAindow]

Great video. I didn't know the S-Type V8 had dropped this low in price. That surprises me as one of its slightly later rivals, the ZT 260, completely avoided such a price slump..

[@drivenbydatacars]

Thanks 🙌 I love the ZT260, really fancy an estate but very hard to come by and keep their value well as you say

[@iandavies1893]

A really good video but, the bmw performance figures I believe is from a smaller engine model 😜 I owned a 330ci, great handling, poor quality interior and reliability. Saab 9-5 hot aero, pretty good at most things and a great overtaking machine. Jag s type V8 was awful on fuel, had a lazy gearbox and engines have issues. Currently got a remapped mercedes 3.0V6 diesel w211 that is way quicker than all of the cars in this group as has more power than the Saab and twice the torque of the BMW , really comfortable, nice handling balance. I subscribed too. Take care

[@drivenbydatacars]

Yes good spot, had a bad source on that one and made the mistake of not double checking! Great to hear your experience. Is it the e320 cdi you have? I do think the w211 is a great buy at the moment. Thanks for the sub!

[@iandavies1893]

@@drivenbydatacars Hi i cheated and bought the e280cdi as unlike bmws the engines are identical just an engine management change so literally the same outputs are achievable from both. The cayman that got dropped from the traffic lights on the A303 on the way back from the Emirates Stadium must have wondered what had happened 😂 if there's a better buy for the money i haven't seen it. Hope the channel grows if you need any help let me know.

[@drivenbydatacars]

Haha I love a sleeper, surprising ‘faster’ cars at the lights guaranteed to put a smile on your face. Emirates Stadium… do you run the Merc in the ULEZ or just visiting? 🤔 Thank you for the offer, much appreciated!!

[@iandavies1893]

@@drivenbydatacars Good evening. I was just visiting London for a match at the Emirates. Tbh the whole ulez thing is a joke as people were misinformed about Diesel vs Petrol and now the normal drivers on standard salaries are being priced out of the cities and it's only the rich who could afford to pay the charges are benefiting, so I try and avoid London despite being a Londoner at birth. Still think a diesel badged car with silly power is the way to go😂 I would be interested to see a video on something like the E class or 5 series through the generations video on effeciency, performance and safety as remember the wonderful E39 beat the E60 in the eruoncap and BMW having to make changes to get from a 3* to the 4* of the e39. Take care.

[@TestTGBDonor]

Great vid! I had a 2003 9-5 Aero, great car but the seats didn't fit my back. Bought it in Moscow for 2k, best value for money. Currently enjoying a 96 XJ x300

[@drivenbydatacars]

Nice! The x300 has been underrated for a long time in my opinion, they were common to find for under 1k but think prices have started rising. Thanks for watching

[@amigachris]

People allways go on about the plastic cooling system on the e46, can't say I've ever had any issues - maybe I just got lucky. M54 was generally a bullet proof motor.

[@zanderdaily-p1r]

Suprizinly, and I never would've thought before, the Saab is looking quite possibly the choice for me. Naturaly however i initially would go for the BMW. side note i live in the states sadly lol

[@steven1000000000]

2004 Volvo S60 2.5T, £1992 , 210bhp, 236 ft-lb, 0-60 mph 6.8 sec, 146 mph. This is faster 0-60 than all cars listed except the Jag, with a top end faster than the BMW and only just shy of the rest. This was essentially the same engine as the 5 cylinder 2.5 T in the Ford Focus ST.

[@drivenbydatacars]

Great call, the t5 Volvos are rapid. I used to have a 2001 v70 and loved it. Getting more difficult to find cheap ones, people are cottoning on. Would love a V70R one day

[@steven1000000000]

@@drivenbydatacars I had the S40 T5 which had the same engine as the S60 and enjoyed it. Was the right balance between style and performace for me. Another Volvo I'd love is a little older than the V70, the 850 R wagon from the 90's which raced in the BTCC - a total sleeper and properly fast.

[@Yorkmedia1]

I would definitely go for the Saab

[@drivenbydatacars]

Yes they are very cool and under-rated

[@hannahspooner3977]

Great video👍Would you be able to do cheap fast hatchbacks under 5k that are ulez compliant as well

[@drivenbydatacars]

Thanks Hannah! Great suggestion, I’ll add it to the list

[@hasansamee-ahmed9432]

Yo, I'm the 1000th subscriber!

[@drivenbydatacars]

Niceeee, thank you brother 🙌

[@HowardMessias-e8z]

Ys, I carried a spare cartridge on my wonderful Aero after the first one left me stranded.

[@GeoBot_Gaming]

Well... I see Aero, I press LIKE :))

[@drivenbydatacars]

Haha love it. I think you’ll like the upcoming vids… stay tuned

[@michaelloach9461]

Love it! In an ideal World you would choose an M3? Personally I would choose an Audi RS4 Avant! Not only more practical but also come with indicators as standard, not just an 'optional extra'. I am also looking at the cost to tax per year, that's bonkers! The SAAB has brilliant cupholders...well mine did...work of art! The jag? A nice 'Q' car if you can find one that has been well maintained & the electrics are fine. Personally I would choose the SAAB because they are getting scarce......All the best.....

[@drivenbydatacars]

It’s a tough choice Michael… I find it hard to look past the M3 for out and out driving experience, having RWD and especially with the new M3 touring. Having said that the RS4 Avant is very cool and less obvious. I actually REALLY like the B8.5 S4 Avants, absolutely rapid with a remap and even more ‘Q’ car than the RS4 especially if debaged. I’ve been eyeing them up myself… But agreed, of this list my heart is with the Saab. There is something about them

[@amigachris]

Seriously??? Audi are the worse for that, by far....

[@michaelloach9461]

@@amigachris I agree, they are not the best cupholders.....

[@captainpugwash6889]

Lexus 4 or 4.3 litre?

[@James-ld2jc]

It would have to be a SAAB for me. I owned one years ago and have always fancied another...

[@kaspararrowitz8730]

I have 2007 Saab 9-5 Aero HOT, just enjoying drive with that every day :) Comfort plus speed :p Up to this point it have not cost me too much yet, although there are some common Saab problems which will haunt me soon :D But even then - why to buy ten years newer car wit 10k bigger sum of money, especially as most of them are not immune to failures or just expensive care.. If you can enjoy older cars, it is best option to be just ready for some expensive repair, which in overall cost will still be cheaper than already initially pay 5-digit sum of money! If newer cars just fancy you more and makes you feel more proud - go ahead! It is all about the feel and which era have you stucked mentally as you age :D :D

[@drivenbydatacars]

Totally agree about your last point, everyone has different tastes and that’s the beauty of cars - something for everyone. Like you I prefer older cars, not just financially but the cars I grew up dreaming of as a kid. I remember watching that top gear episode with clarkson in the 9-5 and thinking ‘wow one day I want one of those’

[@ChR0nos_7734]

3:44 for that money you can't even get pre-LCI 318d in Croatia. 330i's go for well above €6000 (well into E90/91 4cyl diesel price range)

[@drivenbydatacars]

It is really interesting how car prices vary from country to country. I’m often surprised looking at prices in the US compared to the UK. Do you know of any cars that are cheaper in Croatia relative to other countries, or is it always this way?

[@zzhughesd]

Hot aero quite the car. Torque steer aside. They’ve jumped a little. Hard find buy. Nice a HOT !!!!!!!!

[@drivenbydatacars]

They are great. I think you’ll like the upcoming videos, stay tuned 😉

[@Sid3300]

I'd have the ST220 or the Saab myself, though seeing as I currently own a 9-3 Aero I'm probably a little biased towards the brand.

[@drivenbydatacars]

The 9-3 Aero is another great choice! Such a shame Saab is no more...

[@mikesear482]

Like JB but we can actually hear what you're saying 🤩

[@drivenbydatacars]

High praise, thank you - JB is excellent

[@AlfaRomeoqaz]

Small advice for another video some cars that not a lot of people know about are the alfa romeo 159/brera/spider 939

[@drivenbydatacars]

Nice name ;) Thanks for the tips, love Alfas particularly with a busso - will definitely cover them in the future

[@CinammonCynic]

Great vid, very informative. Now all I need is a license and £2000 😶‍🌫

[@drivenbydatacars]

Haha nice… License I can’t help you with but you can get a cool car for pretty much any budget, even some of these you can find for under 1k sometimes. Will cover more cheaper stuff in the future 🤙

[@mozanoon7217]

Would love to see a sub £3000 7- seater video please

[@drivenbydatacars]

Thanks for the suggestion! I’ll add it to the list

[@enzo1992enzo1992]

acceleration times and top speed for e46 330i are wrong. You did probably get numbers for 330d diesel e46.

[@drivenbydatacars]

@enzo1992enzo1992 right you are sir, thank you for pointing that out. I pulled them from the autotrader specs on the listing but have cross-checked with parkers and see that they are incorrect. Parkers suggests 6.8 seconds 0-60 and 153mph for the auto. My sincere apologies, I shall be more careful in the future.

[@dickie8184]

Had four e46 330i's brilliant cars. Should never have sold my grey, manual saloon.

[@drivenbydatacars]

Very nice, manual saloon is the best combo IMO. Did you have a rust issues?

[@dickie8184]

@@drivenbydatacars One rear arch had a couple of pin head bubbles. Yes they were prone to rust but from my ownership I really think how they have been kept, and where is a big factor in how the arches are effected by rust.

[@drivenbydatacars]

That's not too bad! Not many cars of this era are rust free to be honest

[@lickwidgoat3480]

Number 6. Any toyota with a 3.5 v6 280hp, my wifes rav 4 crabwalks if i turn off the atc, it nuts, pluss its more reliable than anything on this list

[@drivenbydatacars]

Wow never heard of that engine in a rav4 over in the UK, sounds like a beast. Come to think of it I don’t know of a 3.5 v6 in any UK Toyotas, will have to look into it

[@lewisbrown51]

Great vid and start.... But please mate, slow down..... The commentary here is frantic... All the best!

[@drivenbydatacars]

Thank you mate. Started slowing down with the new videos 👌

[@CourtneyCave-Browne-Cave]

I’ll have another look now you’ve gone to this much trouble ,.👍

[@killbill8378]

great vid bit rushed

[@drivenbydatacars]

Thanks for the feedback!

[@stevenmaxted5679]

Miss saab

[@drivenbydatacars]

They are great, I just bought one!

[@KieranGV]

WTF IS A MONDEO

[@Keless]

rofl what are these prices ? In France any car you showed has a 5x price

[@drivenbydatacars]

Wow! UK has many issues but at least we seem to have a good choice of cheap interesting cars

[@enzo1992enzo1992]

e46 330i can do easily 6,5s (0-60mph). Where did you get 7,8s ? thats not correct. Even 325i can do 7s.

[@drivenbydatacars]

@enzo1992enzo1992 yes agreed, I made a mistake. I mentioned in my reply to your other comment but I pulled the specs straight from the autotrader listing - clearly not a reliable source! I will be cross-checking for future videos - thanks for your flagging that. Parkers suggests 6.8 seconds 0-60 and 153mph for the auto

[@dzgaming1]

These are a bunch of Saab 8===D riders in the comments, saabs would get beat by a auto 330i each time every time. 330xi would do the same with no sweat

[@tomdomhill]

The e46 0-60 was 6.5 not 7.8

[@drivenbydatacars]

Yep I made a mistake on that one, my apologies - see pinned comment

[@caseyarcher_21]

I miss my 2005 Saab 9-5 Aero! Good info but you talk too fast...

[@drivenbydatacars]

Thanks for the feedback, slowed it down a bit for the next video!

[@chunkybeats79]

Just seen this come up on my feed and thought this channel is a tribute to High Peak Autos, this presenter has a very uncanny resemblance and behaviour to Matt from HPA just saying.....

[@drivenbydatacars]

Haha I’ll take it as a compliment, Matt is great.

[@wmarhaug]

You probably forgot about all the VOLVOs S60s/V70s (Gen2 from 2001-2008) - Fuck the SAAB, FORD and JAG.. complete garbage in comparison. My favorite lux & power car is still the BMW 5-series (the newer models).

[@drivenbydatacars]

Haha I didn’t forget them, I used to have a 2001 v70 and loved it. You’re right the t5s are very quick but at the time I made the video couldn’t find any in budget, definitely good call if you can though

[@wmarhaug]

@@drivenbydatacars Ok great, so I had two V70s one from 2002, and one from 2008 (both Gen 2). Both 2.4 Diesels D5s. One had ~280hp (h. moded), last one had 220hp/455nm (chipped). Definitely worth mentioning. (but they are getting fairly old now). In Norway they cost from $3000-$10 000 - have become a popular car with the youth.

[@drunkenmonkey1887]

All Lies. According to "Bladerunners", none of these cars exist.

[@cupidstunt22]

Ian Bell separated at birth

[@drivenbydatacars]

Not had that one before haha

[@cupidstunt22]

@@drivenbydatacars apologies bud I couldn't resist

[@arifstar34]

This guy copying content from JB CARS everyone report him