The must-have modern classics to buy now before prices surge | Autocar (2024)

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2. Mercedes CLS

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Price range: £2500 - £10,000

A four-door coupéis about as much an oxymoron as the term 'modern classic'. Yet Mercedes created an instant icon with its E-Class-based CLS.

Its curvy body was unlike anything else on the roadat the time, yet it managed to retain Mercedes' hallmark quality and sensibility.

All versions came with rear-wheel drive and a seven-speed automatic gearbox, while air suspension was an option.

Standard equipment included part-leather trim, electrically powered front seats, climate control, adaptive cruise control and parking sensors.

Today, like many used luxobarges, CLSsare cheap. And like many other luxobarges, they have numerous problems to contend with.

The main issues are the balancer shafts on early petrols, the gearbox speed sensor on petrols and dieselsand the diesel engines’ inlet port shut-off motors. One dedicated owner told us hewould stick clear of early petrol cars entirely.

Read our Mercedes CLS review

3. Ford Fiesta ST

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Price range: £4000 - £10,000

Performance models from the Blue Oval have delighted and titivated generations of Brits. And today the MK7 may well just be the best value fast Ford on the market.

There’s an air of honesty with the Mk7 Fiesta that other performance cars can’t quite offer. You can understand what your extra cash buys you compared with the humdrum hatch.

Chieflyit gets you an excitable turbocharged1.6-litre four with 179bhp or 197bhp.

Thechassis has amazing balance, the shift of the six-speed manual is without fault and the steering is almost telepathic. There really are very few cars as fun as this for as little as this.

The big thing to keep in mind is that many of these cars will have been modified. We will refrain from sounding like your mother here, but listen and feelfor shudders when changing gear. This might be because of worn synchro rings, caused by a swap from dual-mass flywheel to a single-mass one.

For the full-fat 197bhp engine, you will need to go for the ST200 special edition. These models are rarer and more expensive, and you should really ask yourself how bothered you are about an additional 18bhp.

Read our Ford Fiesta ST review

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4. Mazda MX-5

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Price range: £1500 - £10,000

Hold onto your hats, folks, and not just because we’re writing about a convertible. We're now recommending the third-generation (NC) Mazda MX-5.

Historically this era of Hiroshima’s drop-top has been a bit unloved. It didn’t quite capture the imagination like the first two generations. It seemed, if anything, slightly too refined.

Over the years, though, feelings and perceptions change, and the NC is fast becoming a sensible buy, due to it being better built than the first twogenerations (NA and NB).

There are two engine choices to get you going. A 125bhp 1.8-litre or a 158bhp 2.0-litre that also usefully comes with a limited-slip differential and a choice of five- or six-speed manuals, depending on trim. The latter is a bit more money, but we think it offers better value, all things considered.

Opt for a 2009-on facelifted car and the steering is precise and communicative, the chassis fluid, the ride comfortable andthe engine bulletproof. There’s not a lot to look out for.

The first two MX-5s famously suffer greatly from rust,and while the third isn’t as bad in this regard, you should still check under the bonnet, around the boot and on the chassis.

Read our Mazda MX-5 review

5. Jaguar XK

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Price guide: £5000 - £30,000

A British V8-engined coupéwith an aluminium monocoque –and wood,and leather.

The Ian Callum-penned XK came after the XK8, a firm favourite among the modern classic community. And now the XK is beginning to wow this fraternity too.

Pre-facelift models used the same 300bhp 4.2-litre V8 as the XK8, whereas post-faceliftcars upped the ante with a 380bhp 5.0-litre V8.

Supercharged R models exist (420bhp or503bhp) of both too. Then there’s the XKR-S,which turns the state of tune up to 542bhp.

The post-facelift car is worth it, as the new engine is both smoother and keener to rev.

Best of all, the XK is pretty impressive as an everyday car. The rear seats obviously aren’t stellar, but up front even tall (6ft 5in and above) people can certainly get comfy, and it’s reasonably economical.

The ZF eight-speedautomatic gearbox is 'sealed for life',but it’s recommended that it gets serviced at 80,000 miles.

Facelift models received Jaguar’s Computer Active Technology System (CATS), with Comfort and Sport settings. It works brilliantly, but it’s worth remembering that it's ultimately something else that can go wrong.

Read our Jaguar XK review

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6. Lotus Elise

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Price guide: £10,000 - £50,000

Yes, the Elise Series 2. These are getting on for the same money as Series 1snow, and while to some eyes they don’t look quite as cool, as retro oras sweet as the earlier models, they do have one huge improvement: the engine.

This writer has only ever driven a S1once, and the Rover K-series lump decided that it was simply too hot and bothered to maintain the arduous task of housing coolant.

Yes, a lot of you reading this may have a perfect K-series engine that has been to the moon and back without needing a head gasket replacement, but a lot of people haven't had that experience.

Lotus saw fit to replace the K-series with Toyota’s 1.8-litre ZZ-GE engine in 2004,but it’s important to remember that the 111S K-series was still around until 2006, when the Elise switched totally to Toyota power.

Read our Lotus Elise review

7. Porsche 911

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Price guide: £10,000 - £70,000

Thisis a hugely significant car, especially in the realms of classic-versus-modern debates. It's the first of the water-cooled 911s, so what some classic car people might refer to as a betrayal.

Fortunately for us, this has somewhat kept prices of these 996-generation cars down, and they're among the best value on the market.

At launch, this 911 came in coupé form only, powered by a 3.4-litre flat six producing 292bhp and with a choice of six-speed manual or five-speed Tiptronic automatic gearboxes. It was followed by high-performance models with 'Mezger' engines.

First was the 355bhp GT3 , then came the 408bhp Turbo, andtopping them off was the 456bhp GT2.

A 2002 facelift retired the 3.4 for a 312bhp 3.6 with Porsche’s Variocam 2 variable valve timing. The ‘fried egg’ headlights were also dropped in favour of the ‘teardrop’ style.

Big-boy cars have big-boy problems though. You may have read stories about rear main seal (RMS) issues, cracked cylinder heads, intermediate shaft (IMS) failures and split cylinder liners. These are all relatively rare and there are provisos, but they still exist, and you should still approach with extreme caution.

It should be noted that the Turbo got the uprated 'Mezger' engine that powered Porsche's GT1 racers to successso doesn't suffer from the same failure points. It's still worth a thorough inspection, however.

Read our Porsche 911 review

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8. Alpine A110

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Price guide: £35,000 - £60,000

A surprise one here, mostly because you can still buy an A110 new. But this has a bona fide classic car written all over it –not only because of its poise, but also because of its past.

The original A110 was made between 1963 and 1977. It won the the inaugural World Rally Championship in 1973, inspiring youngsters in their thousands.

Youngsters who would grow upand perhaps have a bit of spare cash floating around in the 2010s when Renault relaunched the Alpine brand and the A110 nameplate.

Chatter of a mid-engined Renault was realised fully in 2018. Initial reviews said it was fantastic. Then follow-up road tests said it was even better. We certainly gave it five stars.

Today used A110s are still strong money, because they depreciate slowly.

Lots of options and special editions have come throughout the years.

Owners are yet to report too many faults yet, not unusual considering the age of the cars. But you should bear in mind the UK dealership network isn't massive and the infotainment system is naff.

Read our Alpine A110 review

9. TVR Tuscan

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Price guide: £15,000 - £60,000

Not the most reliable car on this list. Not the most reliable car on most lists. But perhaps the most fun one, with the most wow factor.

TVR touted the hard-topped two-seat Tuscan with a surprisingly large boot as its most usable creation to date – and it was, when it worked.

The straight-six engine (stylised Speed Six) was designed by Al Melling (a man who ran a women’s fashion label and helped design Formula 1 engines) and built by TVR.

There was a 3.6-litre producing 350bhp and a torquier 4.0-litre with 360bhp. There was also a so-called Red Rose 4.0 with 380bhp, but the most sought-after engineis the 390bhp 4.0 S.

You will struggle to find a Tuscan in original condition. Most have been upgraded and are probably running either a rebuilt or refurbished engine and transmission, along with uprated brakes, suspension and ancillaries.

How the carhas been maintained and who has done what are the most important parts of the service history.

Shutlines on the glassfibre body should be good and consistent. If they’re not, it might have been involved in a smash.

Read our TVR Tuscan review

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10. Range Rover

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Price guide: £2000 -£10,000

A lot of people describe the current Range Rover as classless –which is obviously utter toss, as it starts at £100k.

This L322 model, though: it truly is cheap enough to be classless, as it’s equally at home in the city or suburban new build siteas it is a family runaround ora farm truck.

Back in 2001, things were different. This extremely posh high-rider was expensiveand as such had high-powered BMW engines. First there was a 281bhp 4.4-litre V petrol and a 174bhp 3.0-litre diesel.

In 2009 came the addition of a supercharged 5.0-litre petrol V8. This had a0-60mph time of 6.0sec, which was faintly ridiculous at the time (butseems quaint by today's standards).

If you’re bothered by things like MPG, frankly youshould look elsewhere.

Today the alluring aspects of the L322are just as strong as ever. The Mercedes S-Class-like ride, the fantastic visibility and the off-road ability are all still there, while the lure of aluxuriously tactile interior has perhaps heightened over the years as manufacturers cut back on buttons.

There is a 'but' here. Well, several 'buts'. Diesel models suffer from turbo failures, and as soon as they do, they basically become uneconomical to repair. Look out for overheating in BMW engines. The gearboxes can be troublesome. Look out for slow changes and for past owners who have taken the ‘sealed for life’ sign too literally.

Read our Range Rover review

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