Our top 11 used cars under £12,000 perfect for the summer season

With a budget of £12,000, you may be surprised with some of the hidden gems up for grabs in Cambridgeshire; from convertibles to compact hot hatches.

Whether you’re after a new car big enough to fit the family, or looking for something small for just you to enjoy the roads, we’ve picked something for everyone.

TOP 11 USED CARS UNDER £12,000

1) Volvo C70

This Volvo C70 is available at Hankins Car Sales at Ramsey. (Image: Hankins Car Sales)

We start the list with our cheapest car of them all, a humble 2003 Volvo C70 with a nippy 2lr petrol engine and the most important part... a drop top.

This silver convertible – with 110,000 miles on the clock – is priced at just £1,695 as is available from Hankins Car Sales at Whytefield Road in Ramsey.

There is no better way to enjoy the sunshine than a convertible, and this car is a very clean example and is up for less than £2,000... it’s a no brainer really!

2) Volkswagen Beetle

This Volkswagen Beetle is available at Car Nation in Wisbech (Image: Car Nation)

Next on our list is, yep... you guessed it, another convertible! This time we’ve taken the budget to just over £5,000 but it is definitely worth it.

This very clean-looking 2010 blue Bug has just 86,000 miles on the clock and benefits from a mile-crunching 1.9lr diesel engine, giving you over 50 miles per gallon.

The bargain Beetle comes with heated and electric door mirrors and is priced at just £5,295 from Car Nation at Weasenham Lane in Wisbech.

3) BMW 3 Series

This BMW 330d is available at Crosslands Vehicles at Ramsey Forty Foot. (Image: Crosslands Vehicles)

It’s number three and... yeah, sorry... another cabriolet, but this one is a bit different and could appeal to anyone wanting a more ‘sporty-looking’ car.

This very clean 2007 silver BMW 3 Series not only benefits from its extremely sporty body, but comes with a full black leather interior.

The M-sport 330d has a 3lr diesel engine, paddle shifters and heated seats and is being advertised for just £5,999 from Crosslands Vehicles at Ramsey Forty Foot.

4) Audi A3

This Audi A3 is available at Hankins Car Sales at Ramsey. (Image: Hankins Car Sales)

Taking the budget over the £6,000 mark, and... yes this may be becoming a bit of a running joke... but we have yet another convertible, it is summer after all!

This stunning 2010 Audi A3, in a classy piano black paint colour, benefits not only from the drop top roof, but an insanely cheap yearly road tax of just £30.

This 2lr diesel, with just 73,000 miles on the clock, can average 61 miles per gallon and is available for £6,495 from Hankins Car Sales at Ramsey.

5) Renault Clio

This Renault Clio is available from Paragon Motor Company in Wisbech. (Image: Paragon Motor Company)

Moving to something slightly newer, this 2017 Renault Clio is perfect for new and young drivers due to its small petrol engine and good insurance group.

The small sporty hatchback has just 19,000 miles on the clock, quick manual gear box and a yearly road tax cost of just £150.

Looking bright and modern with a peal white paint job, this car comes with 12 months warranty and is available for £7,395 from Paragon Motor Company in Wisbech.

6) Fiat 500 Abarth

This Fiat 500 Abarth is available from LG Car Sales in Littleport. (Image: LG Car Sales)

If you’re looking for something super sporty, with a nice exhaust tone and stunning sparkly blue paint job, this Fiat 500 Abarth is perfect for you.

Different from the regular Fiat 500, this 2015 car has been souped-up by Italian racing and road car maker Abarth is certainly is a head-turner.

With just 17,000 miles on the clock, this bargain beauty is available from LG Car Sales in Littleport for just £8,495 and also benefits from a 12-month £150 road tax cost.

7) Fiat 500

This Fiat 500 is available from Dave Parrin Car Sales in Wisbech (Image: Dave Parrin Car Sales)

Now... if the sporty Abarth wasn’t for you, but you still liked the design and form factor of the agile Fiat 500, then this ‘ordinary’ edition might be the one for you.

Finished in a bright red paint job, and sporting a cream leather and cloth interior, this 2018 hatchback is perfect for any city-goer.

With just 24,000 miles on the clock, it comes with one year's MOT, a full service and three months warranty for just £8,695 from Dave Parrin Car Sales in Wisbech.

8) BMW 5 Series

This BMW 5 Series is available at M&L Car Sales in Whittlesey. (Image: M&L Car Sales)

It’s quite hard to find one of these under £9,000, but we’ve managed to source this large, black, family-sized BMW 5 Series saloon.

This sleek-looking 2013 BMW comes with body modifications, including splitters and a rear spoiler and has only had three previous owners.

Despite its high mileage of 122,000, the car comes with six month’s warranty for peace of mind and is available for £8,995 from M&L Car Sales in Whittlesey.

9) Vauxhall Corsa

This Vauxhall Corsa is available from Thurlow Nunn in Wisbech. (Image: Thurlow Nunn)

Another one perfect for young and new drivers, this 2019 Vauxhall Corsa ‘Griffin’ edition has just 2,600 miles on the clock and benefits from a good insurance group.

With cheap car insurance and a nippy 1.4lr petrol engine offering an average miles per gallon of just under 50, this is perfect for motorists on a budget.

It’s sleek design and good Vauxhall sound system, this car is perfect for summer road trips and is priced at £9,190 from Thurlow Nunn in Wisbech.

10) MG Motor MG3

This MG3 is available at WH Brand in Whaplode Drove near Spalding. (Image: WH Brand)

How about a brand-new car? This 2020 MG car on a 69 plate has an unbelievable milage of just 20... that’s delivery miles for anyone wondering.

Fresh off the lot, this white five-door sporty hatchback is still big enough for a small family and comes with the latest Apple Car Play technology.

With stylist diamond-cut alloys, this car looks the part for summer and is available for just £9,295 from WH Brand at Whaplode Drove, near Spalding.

11) Mercedes-Benz SLK

This Mercedes-Benz SLK is available at Marshall Peugeot Peterborough. (Image: Marshall Peugeot Peterborough)

Now... top spot, and our most expensive car on our list, goes to this luxurious 2013 Mercedes-Benz SLK, perfect for a summer road trip.

This black two-seater is of course a convertible, so you can crank the tunes up and take the roof down to really enjoy the summer sunshine.

Benefitting from, on average, nearly 60 miles to the gallon, this luxury roadster – with just 42,000 miles on the clock – is priced at £11,950 from Marshall Peugeot Peterborough.