Five of the best used cars to purchase

Here at Shortfall we have been giving top five run downs as of late for different vehicle sectors on the market. Some of these have included the likes of vehicles used as taxis, SUV vehicles,family cars and Electronic vehicles. Today we go into a combination of them with many different vehicles from different sectors. Our top five run down today is for some of the best used cars available on the market right now.

Second hand cars have certainly proven to be a key part of the success for manufacturers all around the world and have proven to be good sellers on a global scale. The way some of these best second hand vehicles have been determined by reliability, features and just how much fun you can get from a driving experience in one of these cars. Our list is compiled of SUV models, large family vehicles and city cars. Many different sellers sell used vehicles these include independent car dealers,rental companies,auctions and vehicles can also be sold privately.

So what are some of the best used vehicles to own and cause the least amount of issues?

The top five best used car experiences

Finding it's way at the bottom of our list in the fifth spot comes a vehicle from the Czech Republic based firm Skoda and comes in the manner of an estate vehicle.

5. Skoda Octavia Estate

The Octavia estate is known for a being a great all round family vehicle, due to the size of the car it is great for the whole family as much interior space is incorporated into the vehicle. The car also benefits from some good features and power and could be a driving experience you may be missing out on.

Some of the engine choices to come along with the car include two diesel models and two petrol engines. One of the most popular choices amongst buyers though is the 1.6 litre,TDI diesel. We see this addition to the engine range produce 104 brake horse power altogether. With all engine ranges the choice of either a six speed manual transmission system or a DSG gearbox is available for purchase. The Octavia estate is a front wheel drive vehicle but an exciting feature here is that when the car senses a loss of grip or unsteadiness the vehicle the rear wheels come into play making this an all wheel drive vehicle.

Three separate trim levels are available for the estate version of the car these are the S,the SE and the Elegance. Each trim provides more additional equipment than the last. Some additional pieces of kit which are widespread amongst the range include fully leather upholstery,a built in sat nav system and dual zone climate control. A price on a brand new version of the Skoda Octavia estate will set you back £17,115 for the entry level model. Again this is a good used car to own also so if you're interested in going down that route expect to pay a cost of around £11,000 to £16,000.

Heading in to our list at the number four spot is an SUV vehicle of epic proportions.

4. The Land Rover Discovery 4

The Discovery range from British firm Land Rover is a vehicle that has certainly proven to be a king of the road amongst the SEV sector of today's car industry. We seen the very first Discovery model launched onto our streets back in 1989.One of the latest versions of the car to reach our streets came this year but with a new name. The Land Rover Discovery is now what it is known as. The 4 has been dropped from the vehicles name. The car is currently in it's fourth generation and provides much competition for the likes of the X5 from German rivals BMW. Much more interior space than ever before is included with this years addition and it is great for the family as it comes in the form of a seven seater. If you're looking for a varied engine line up this may not be the car for you. If you are happy with the one diesel engine though it is definitely worth looking into. The Discovery 4 comes fitted with a 3.0 litre,V6,Twin turbo diesel engine. Overall we see that this engine helps the SUV to deliver on 252 units of brake horse power and therefore achieves the leap from 0 to 60 miles per hour in just on 8.8 seconds. An eight speed automatic transmission combined with the engine also helps provide a much smoother driving experience that can be hard to beat.

The interior is the vehicle is very luxurious also as we see a combination of leather,wood and plastic complete it nicely. Some neat technology features are also thrown into the mix which include a dual view centre console and cameras which help when it comes to parking. The boot size of 543 litres is also very handy if you have a lot of shopping to pick up or other items. A brand new Discovery model rolls in at £41,595 whereas the top of the range addition is set at £59,965. Prices for a used Discovery range from around £5,000 to £29,000 varying on which year model you purchase.

Diving into our third position on the list comes one of the biggest selling vehicles of all time.

3. The Ford Fiesta

The Fiesta is one of Fords biggest selling vehicles of all time. It was first debuted around the world in 1976 and has since gone on to bring much achieved success for the American Ford brand. The vehicle has seen seven generations since it's original launch and is in it's seventh right now after the most recent recent life cycle starting in 2008. The Fiesta currently holds the record for being the best selling vehicle in the United Kingdom of all time which just goes to show what a hit this car has been. Over the course of its existence, we have seen the Fiesta fend of competition from the likes of Renault, Vauxhall and Peugeot amongst many other manufacturers. Used sales for the vehicle have also proven to be top of the range. So what features make the Fiesta a good seller for the American firm and why is this a good vehicle to own whether purchasing brand new or used ?.

Well if we take a look into the engine range made available with the Fiesta, we see that a varied amount of engines are made available for the car which include the 1.0 litre Ecoboost,1.25 litre petrol engines and the new three cylinder engine from the brand. The 1.25 litre variants include power developments of 60 and 82 brake horse power where as the 1.0 litre Ecoboost engine delivers on 99bhp. Earlier on this year Ford launched special editions of the Fiesta known as the Red and Black editions. These featured new paint schemes and the 1.0 Ecoboost engine which produces 138 bhp. Tweaks were also made to the engine with these models as we seen the Red and Black editions hit the 62 mph zone in a time of nine seconds flat. A range of diesel engines also are thrown into the mix which include a 74bhp packing 1.5 litre TDCi and a 1.6TDCi which delivers on 94 brake horse power.

There are numerous variants of the car to choose from which include the Zetec,Zetec S,Titanium,Titanium X amongst many others. Prices vary depending on which model you purchase. A brand new cost for an entry level present day Fiesta though stands at £9,995 with the range topping Titanium X setting you back £17,995. Ecoboost versions of the car which have proven to be very popular often sell used for around £11,000 where as you can pick up the Titanium X used for about £12,000.

Reaching the number two spot now is one of the best all round city cars that has ever been on offer. This vehicle was included in our list of best city cars a few days ago and has certainly left a long lasting impression for such a small car that is good value for money.

2. The Skoda Citigo

We put the Citigo in third position for some of the best city cars on offer right now. Not only is the vehicle good value for money, it makes trips into the town and city more pleasurable than that of a bigger style car. You wont have any trouble fitting into a parking space with the Citigo and for a little car it certainly does pack some fair power for a city car. Pieces of added kit are fairly standard for the entry level version of the car although different trim levels are offered for the Citigo which add more pieces of equipment. Engine wise we see just the one engine offered. Two different power outputs are made available for the engine though which include 59bhp or 74bhp. The engine also comes along as a three cylinder. A total of five trim levels are offered with the car which consist of S,SE,Greentech,Sport and Elegance. The different features and added components to come along with these trims feature the inclusions of body colour door mirrors and handles,14 inch alloy wheels and fog lights for the Elegance model. Another one of the most popular trims is the Sport which adds body striping and Black alloy wheels on top of the standard basic kit. The top of the range Elegance model sells brand new for £11,045 where as if you want the vehicle used you are looking at a price of around £9,000.

Reaching our top spot for one of the very best used cars to purchase is vehicle that has sold just over 51,000 vehicles this year alone up until July. It was first produced back in 2008 and is still being produced to this day.

1. The Vauxhall Insignia

The Insignia is one of the best selling used vehicles ever to reach global markets. It is one of the flagship vehicles for the Vauxhall brand is currently in it's seventh year in the industry. It has topped sales charts on European markets and has outsold some of it's finest contending rivals by over 50 percent in the past. Production milestones have also been met by the Insignia which in 2012 had its 500,000th vehicle produced. A range of engines are also made available for the Insignia including the more popular 2.0 litre,CDTI diesel which puts out on 118 units of brake horse power. One of the more powerful engine ranges on offer is the V6,2.8 litre,Turbocharged engine. A top speed of 168 miles per hour comes with this version of the car. These engine ranges are all part of the facelift that the car received last year. Added pieces of equipment also sweep the board for different trim levels on the Insignia. Some of these pieces of kit also include the likes of Dual zone climate control,a leather interior trim and a set of 18 inch alloy wheels. Some updates to the chassis,steering and suspension also made their way into the 2013 version of the car to provide a much more comfortable and updated driving experience. Some of the more eye catching features of the 2013 facelift came thanks to the addition of a larger front grille than the previous addition to the range,a brand new set of LED headlights and a brand new spoiler.

The price range for the 2013 model begins at £16,534 with prices reaching £28,359 for the top of the range model which adds additional pieces of kit. £12,000 is the average selling price for a used version of the car. Will used vehicles continue to be a big hit in the near future?

Without a doubt it has certainly been proven that used cars a very much a big seller for the automotive industry around the world. Although used cars can often be seen as more reliable, if you choose to make the purchase on one of these top rated used vehicles you will certainly get your moneys worth.