Mazda’s MX-5 convertible is the number one second-hand car of the last decade according to Carsite.co.uk.

The online retailer analysed the reliability, performance, running costs, depreciation, owner reviews, sales popularity and customer satisfaction of hundreds of models to chart the ultimate roll-call of used cars of the noughties.

Since the year 2000 more than 68 million used cars have been sold in the UK – compared with just over 23 million private new car sales in the same period.

The two-seater MX-5, which celebrates its 20th birthday this year, topped the list of 50 second hand models representing 23 different manufacturers compiled by Carsite.

Japanese models dominated the top ten spots with Honda’s CR-V coming second and its Jazz city car at seventh.

Toyota’s Yaris hatchback came fifth in the chart with its global best-seller, the now replaced Corolla, charting at ninth.

Teutonic entries from BMW (3-Series) and Mercedes-Benz (E-Class) were at sixth and tenth respectively with the Skoda Octavia (third) and Ford’s Fiesta (fourth) and Focus (eighth) models completing the top 10.

Other highlights of the poll included the Ferrari 360 at 39th (used examples can now fall under £40k), the Vauxhall Corsa at 21st (one of the biggest selling models of the nineties) and the British-built Caterham 7 just making it in to the top 50 at 49th.

Carsite also found that increased demand for used Mazda MX5 models saw the CAP trade value of a 1.8i model increase by more than £1100 between April and July this year.

Top 20 Used Cars of the Noughties

1 Mazda MX-5 (99-05)
2 Honda CR-V (01-06)
3 Skoda Octavia (98-05)
4 Ford Fiesta (02-08)
5 Toyota Yaris (99-05)
6 BMW 3-Series (98-07)
7 Honda Jazz (01-08)
8 Ford Focus (98-04)
9 Toyota Corolla (01-07)
10 Mercedes-Benz E-Class (02-06)
11 Citroen Berlingo Multispace (98-08)
12 Vauxhall Astra (98-06)
13 Nissan X-Trail 4x4 (01-07)
14 BMW 5-series (03-)
15 Subaru Forester (02-08)
16 Audi TT (99-06)
17 Lexus RX (03-09)
18 Honda Civic (00-06)
19 Audi A6 (97-05)
20 Ford Mondeo Saloon (00-07)