Eleven years since it was launched, the Scirocco’s concept car looks have served it well. Production stopped at the end of 2017, although there are some 2018/18-reg cars around.  It was facelifted in 2014, when it gained new lights, restyled bumpers and uprated engines. However, at heart, it remained the Golf Mk5 that it was based on, a model launched way back in 2004.  You can feel that relationship in the crashy ride of more extreme Sciroccos and see it in the cliff-like dashboard.  The long doors weigh a tonne, too, although strong catches ensure they don’t swing uncontrollably into adjacent cars. If they did, the other motor would come off worse. The Scirocco’s steel is that strong.  There are loads for sale at all ages, mileages and prices. We went mid-market and found a 2009/09-reg 2.0 TSI GT, the 198bhp version, with 70,000 miles. It’s a manual rather than the DSG automatic. There are claims that the auto gearbox was a little troublesome and that it was only from 2012 that VW truly sorted it. That said, fitted with paddle shifters, it’s quick and hugely entertaining.  One trick when checking out a 2.0 TSI is to remove the dipstick while the engine’s running. If the motor stutters, all’s well, but if it runs on smoothly, there may be a problem with the crankcase ventilation system. Checking that second gear engages smoothly is another. Misfires may be the coil packs playing up but they’re inexpensive.  Our find has full service history and only two previous keepers. Finished in sparkling white, it looks good – if you can live with its tan leather interior.  This S60 saloon, a 2018/18-reg with 7000 miles, is less than half the price it was new, when it cost £37,050. R-Design Lux Nav is loaded with kit and the D4 diesel engine is economical. If you can stand its plodding handling, it’s a decent buy.  Unlike the ugly ducking, Suzuki’s stubby-booted, two-seat T-top never turned into a swan but it was at least fun and stood out from the crowd. This 60k-mile 1997/R-reg has a new battery, cambelt and exhaust.  Marcos Mantula, £13,600: The Mantula was one of the better-looking products of the UK’s specialist car makers. This 1986 one uses a 3.5-litre Rover V8 and has done 28k miles. Its history folder is 5in thick. The car has new suspension and has been kept in a dehumidified garage.  A new Mercedes S350d AMG Line or this 52k-mile 2011/11-reg Ghost with full service history and stacks of extras, including a panoramic roof and 360deg cameras? It has just been wrapped, though, which raises a few questions, chief among them ‘why?’.  Auction watch  At launch in 1994, the original four-wheel-drive RAV4 3dr thrilled car buyers with its secure handling and strong performance. Sadly, subsequent generations of the model porked out and the moment passed. Fortunately, you can relive those happy days from £500 for a 1995 M-reg with 146k miles and a new MOT.  Meanwhile, someone was feeling a little more flush when they bid £1100 for this tidy 1997 R-reg 2.0 with 89,000 miles. It’s in Stax trim, a special edition. The RAV4 was never short of creative trim names, others being Heat, Reebok, Max and Giant. Get it while you can As the Octavia’s replacement draws near, pre-reg vRS Challenges are appearing at low prices. We found a 2019/19-reg DSG with one mile for £24,733, or, as the main dealer’s advertisement claims, £6437 less than new. It needs to be that cheap, though, because as this was written, Skoda was supporting sales of new Octavias with an additional £1000 discount, a £2500 finance deposit contribution and cheap servicing.  Clash of the classifieds Brief: Find me a car that depreciates slowly for less than £20,000, please. The task John has set is to find a slow depreciator, but I think I’ve found something that could be on the cusp of actually going up in value. The 928 is one of those Porsches that has yet to find the classic car spotlight, but it will, because this was a revolutionary car when it arrived: it was the European Car of the Year winner in 1978. This example has the fantastic Pascha inserts in the seats, air conditioning, cruise control, pop-up headlights and only 74,000 miles showing on the clock. Buy one now for just £16,928 and watch as prices rise. Max Adams Usually praised more for its agility than its durability, the noble Elise has enlivened our roads for more than 20 years, but this lightweight sporting paragon – so light that without a human sitting in it, it’s in danger of floating off – is rock solid in one very important area: residual values. A regular topper of polls to find the slowest depreciators, an Elise bought now will probably be worth more when you come to sell it. No wonder: nothing else is as immediate, as responsive or as much fun to drive. This original example has been well cared for and comes with a minimal mileage. Mark Pearson  Verdict: It’s a close call but the 928’s time has finally
Origin: Buy them before we do: second-hand picks for 12 July

With looks inspired by the Vision SLR concept unveiled at the 1999 Detroit motor show and a galvanised body guaranteed to prevent the rust that corroded Mercedes’ reputation throughout the 1990s, an SLK R171 is a great second-hand buy. It was launched in 2004, facelifted in 2008 and expired in 2010 – long enough, then, to generate a fair quantity of motors ranging in price from around £2500 for an early SLK 200 to £11,000 for a late-plate 300. Feeling flush? Tidy – and potent – SLK 55s start at around £12,500 and go to £20,000 for a 2009-reg.  Our choice would be a 2008 facelifted model (it gained a new nose and rear end plus more than 650 other new parts, including a new instrument cluster). Given the SLK isn’t the last word in performance and handling, we’d save our money for something undemanding such as the SLK 200 auto we found. Registered in 2008 and with 63,000 miles, it has a full history, black leather trim, silver paint and the essential Airscarf neck warmer.  All good so far, but we’d be keen to check the timing chain is quiet from cold and that the auto ’box shifts smoothly, especially into reverse. A quick spin around the block should tell us how the front and rear antiroll bars are behaving (the bushes are a weak spot), while a poke about underneath will give us a chance to check no springs are broken. While there, we’ll check the rear subframe for corrosion.  Finally, to the SLK’s party trick: its folding roof. It’s sure to work but lack of use can allow dust to clog the microswitches. Now you wouldn’t want that, would you? One of our number still pines after the 405 2.0 GLX he once had. This 1995-registered 1.8 has a year’s MOT and only 60,000 miles. The 405 was a classy repmobile that was also fun to drive. A casualty of its success was the larger and similar-looking 605. A B3 Coupé is still a handsome beast worthy of inspection. This 2.3-litre example has just 134bhp, but marvel at the rust-free galvanised body and the overall impression of solidity after 90,000 miles – and wonder how you’ll see over that sky-high belt line. Reliant SS1 T1, £2450: Not the prettiest thing, but the SS1, launched in 1984, deserved to do better. There are a few naturally aspirated 1.6s around, but we found a tidy 1988 1.8 turbo (it’s a Nissan Silvia engine) with 43,000 miles. It’s a daily driver, too, apparently. Here’s an interesting Q-car – a sort of Focus GT launched in 2011 whose 179bhp 1.6 turbo motor would find its way into the Fiesta ST two years later. We’ll let you have first dibs on this 2012-reg, 90,000-mile alternative take on the Focus.  Auction watch ‘A bargain basement entry into Lotus ownership,’ gushes the sales catalogue for this 1990 Lotus Excel. It could have added ‘tough and reliable’, given that some major parts came from Toyota, at the time a shareholder in Lotus. The Excel also had a galvanised steel backbone chassis to complement its glassfibre body panels. Corrosion and breakdowns were licked, then, while performance was covered by a 160bhp 2.2-litre engine good for 0-60mph in 7.1sec. Handling and ride came courtesy of Lotus’s expertise. At £5265, it’s a bargain. Get it while you can News that the current XJ is no more will have bargain hunters flocking to see what pre-reg pickings can be snaffled. We found a 2019/19-reg 3.0 diesel Portfolio with 100 miles on the clock. The ad says it’s a dealer demo, but it can’t have been busy… Still, it’s specced to the eyeballs, taking the OTR price from £72,620 to £79,924 with options. To get it off their hands, the dealer is now offering it for £43,400 – a discount of almost £36,000. Clash of the classifieds Brief: Find me a comfortable car for £12k. The original, wonderfully iconoclastic LS 400 took the luxury limo world by storm, and all of its good qualities were carried over to the 600h hybrid version. It was magnificently comfortable, with a pillow-soft ride and a sybaritic interior that could teach Britain’s luxury car makers a thing or two. Immense build quality, too. This one is Presidential spec with a rear comfort pack, below-average miles and a full Lexus history. It’ll be cheap to tax, and if you get tired of wafting it’ll lift up its skirts and sprint from 0-60mph in just six seconds. Mark Pearson I admire Mark going down the ‘self-charging hybrid’ route, and it’s true that silent motoring is pretty relaxing. But so too is a super-smooth and virtually silent V12, which is what you’ll find stuffed under the bonnet of my S-Class. Okay, it’s not a Zonda engine, but there’s still 367bhp to play with, and because it has only covered 45,000 miles, it’s barely run in. What’s more, the S-Class has a better image and a nicer cabin to relax in, with electrically reclining rear seats – just like the LS. The only difference here is that they do so for around £4000 less than the price of Mark’s Lexus. Bargain. Max Evans Verdict: The Mercedes is so tempting, but the LS’s Presidential spec
Origin: Buy them before we do: second-hand picks for 5 July