A-class: attractive with a capital A

The versatile Mercedes A-class is no longer the must-have fashion item it once was. There are plenty of used examples of this baby Benz about, not to mention easyCar.com's ex-rental cars. Prices have slipped as a result.

Some examples: a 99T A140 Classic with 18,000 miles at £7500; a 00W A140 Avantgarde with 18,000 miles at £9000; and a well-equipped 22,000-mile 98S A160 Elegance or an efficient 26,000-mile 00W A170 CDI diesel Avantgarde at just £10k. All of these were at independent dealers.

Check the service history is up to date, as cars with a patchy history could prove troublesome and costly in the future.