Video summary

8 Cars Nobody Wants — But UK Mechanics Say BUY THEM NOW

Main summary

Key takeaways

Product Review

Product / vehicles reviewed (video summary)

The video isn’t reviewing a single product; it’s a mechanic-led list of 8 used cars in the UK that are “cheap because nobody wants them”—with detailed workshop-style reasoning for why they’re good value (and what to watch for).

Overall stance: Buy these cars if they match your use-case and you verify the “one expensive thing” to check on each model. The host argues the market undervalues them due to reputation, badge perception, body-style fashion, or fuel-type politics—not because they’re mechanically poor.

Key points (unique) by car

8) Toyota Avensis (2009–2018, 1.8 petrol Valvematic, saloon/estate)

Why nobody wants it (cheap for “non-mechanical” reasons)

  • Looks / fleet identity: “Avensis means fleet car,” so buyers see it as boring (“beige”), especially under 40.
  • Often associated with drivers who didn’t truly “own” it; mileage isn’t the main issue—service history is.

Main mechanics / features praised

  • Naturally aspirated 1.8 petrol (no turbo).
  • Timing chain (not a belt).
  • Avoids higher-cost categories like:
    • No high-pressure fuel pump issues typical of certain diesel/gas systems.
    • No wet-belt concept.
  • Engine described as refined, built for longevity.

Pros (ownership experience)

  • Timing chain vs belt reduces a major expense category.
  • No DPF, no dual-mass flywheel, and less AdBlue/regeneration complexity.
  • Routine services are inexpensive: oil & filter under £200 at independents.

Cons / watch-outs

  • Biggest drawback is appeal and fleet-image.
  • Buy only examples with strong service history (some have been “hammered”).

Price / running-cost claims

  • Typical purchase: £2,000–£4,000 for a tidy 1.8 petrol with decent history.
  • Oil/filter: under £200.

Comparison mentioned

  • Compared with a “German saloon” of similar age/money: timing-chain work estimated £1,200–£2,000 before ~120,000 miles.

7) Ford Mondeo Mark 5 Estate (2015–2022, diesel 2.0 TDCi / later 2.0 EcoBlue)

Why nobody wants it

  • UK moved to crossovers; Ford stopped making it.
  • Versus similar-price SUVs/crossovers: less space, higher center of gravity, and generally worse ride.

Main mechanics / features praised

  • Enormous, practical estate boot for family use.
  • Claimed comfort: may ride better than small SUVs due to lower seating position and proper suspension travel.

Crucial engine issue (the big “check this first” item)

  • Around 2018: 2.0 EcoBlue uses a wet timing belt inside the oil (wet belt design).
  • If it breaks, debris can block the oil pickup → engine failure.
  • No real warning—it may fail abruptly.

Pros

  • If you verify build date and belt replacement status, the rest is described as “honest.”
  • Fleet popularity means parts are everywhere and independents are experienced.

Cons / watch-outs

  • Confirm whether the wet belt has been done.
  • Belt job estimated around £1,000 and is described as effectively non-optional.

Price claims

  • High mileage with full history: £3,000–£6,000.

Other workshop example

  • Host customer: running to 210,000 miles with only clutch, battery, tires.

Comparison mentioned

  • Framed against German alternatives by focusing on parts availability and affordability shaped by depreciation.

6) Honda Accord (2008–2015, 2.4 i-VTEC petrol)

Why nobody wants it

  • It’s a saloon.
  • “Not German,” and Honda stopped selling it in Britain, so there’s less showroom “brand reminder.”
  • Thirsty in town by modern standards → best for motorway users.

Main mechanics / features praised

  • 2.4 petrol described as “Honda K series” style in the video:
    • Naturally aspirated
    • Chain-driven
    • No turbo
    • Avoids direct-injection carbon problems and avoids a high-pressure fuel system category.
  • Documented as durable beyond 200,000 miles with regular oil/filters/plugs.

Pros

  • Fewer expensive diesel-type jobs:
    • No DPF regen issues
    • No EGR clogging
    • No turbo actuator problems
  • Host positions it as “mechanically safe” compared with diesel repair costs that erase fuel savings.

Cons / watch-outs

  • Town fuel economy is a drawback.
  • “Not many left.”

Price claims

  • Clean examples: £2,000–£4,000.

5) Hyundai i40 Tourer (2011–2019, 1.7 CRDi diesel estate)

Why nobody wants it

  • Badge perception: thought of as “small company,” not Mondeo-class.
  • Sold in tiny numbers, so reputation lagged.

Main mechanics / features praised

  • Practical estate: “Mondeo-sized at Fiesta money.”
  • 1.7 CRDi diesel described as straightforward:
    • Belt-driven (budget for cambelt)
    • No wet belt
    • Avoids “exotic” injection failure categories.

Pros

  • Large-estate value with full service history.
  • ULEZ / clean air compliance note: claimed Euro 6 diesel compliant in London ULEZ and other UK clean air zones (not banned).

Cons / watch-outs

  • Diesel needs proper motorway use for DPF health.
  • Short town journeys can become costly.

Price / range claims

  • Tidy car: £3,000–£5,000.
  • Cambelt / water pump: £400–£600 (independent estimate).
  • If ruined by 2-mile trips: £1,000–£1,800.
  • Framed as relevant for 2026 buying context.

4) Mazda 6 (2013–2023, 2.0 Skyactiv-G petrol) — explicitly the petrol version

Why nobody wants it

  • Britain “went diesel,” then “panicked about diesel.”
  • Many buyers choose small turbo petrol crossovers because they “feel modern.”

Main mechanics / features praised

  • Naturally aspirated petrol
  • No turbo
  • Chain driven
  • Avoids expensive modern system pain points:
    • No turbo replacements
    • No DPF
    • No wet belt
    • No AdBlue
    • Avoids dual-mass flywheel stress typical of diesel setups

Pros

  • “Last big normal petrol car” in the UK; simpler ownership.
  • Shorter list of failure items than turbo/D.I. crossover alternatives.

Cons / watch-outs

  • Avoid the diesel 2.2 model; host warns about oil dilution and carbon issues on short journeys.
  • Implied: more attractive as a “normal petrol” than a “crossover” style.

Price claims

  • £4,000–£7,000 for clean examples depending on year/mileage.
  • Service/insurance/parts described as “ordinary” (no figures given).

Comparison mentioned (the crossover alternative)

Crossover bills cited:

  • Turbo replacement: £900–£1,500
  • Wet belt: ~£1,000
  • Carbon cleaning for direct injection: £300–£600

3) Nissan Leaf 40 kWh (2018–2022)

Why nobody wants it

  • Electric used prices dropped; Leaf fell hardest because it’s most common.
  • Fleet returns + private buyer nervousness left the market with more cars than demand.

Main mechanics / features praised (mechanical simplicity)

  • No oil change, cambelt, clutch, turbo, DPF, exhaust system, or injectors.
  • Low brake wear due to regeneration.
  • Simple servicing: cabin filter, brake fluid, tire check, coolant look.
  • Built in Sunderland → easier parts/specialists to find.

Cons / watch-outs (the honest limitations)

  • No active battery cooling on 40 kWh: slows rapid charging on long motorway runs.
  • Older Chademo rapid connector—becoming rarer.

Who it suits

  • “Brilliant second car,” commuter/school run/town car.
  • Not a great choice for ~400 miles/day.

Money & running-cost claims

  • Purchase: £6,000–£9,000 with full history (down from ~£30k+ new).
  • Charging cost estimate:
    • Home overnight cheap tariff: 2–4 pence per mile
    • Petrol equivalent: 15–17 pence per mile (using stated pump prices)
  • Over 10,000 miles/year, savings: “well over £1,000 every year” before servicing differences.
  • Road tax: noted it “does now pay road tax” since April 2025 (rule change mentioned).
  • Battery health: must check state of health before buying.

2) Lexus IS 300h (2013–2020)

Why nobody wants it

  1. Not a BMW 3 Series: buyers want image/brand more than the car.
  2. Enthusiasts dislike hybrid gearbox feel:
    • Doesn’t shift like a conventional automatic
    • Can drone if you “bury the throttle”

Main mechanics / features praised

  • RWD compact saloon; petrol hybrid.
  • 2.5L Atkinson cycle petrol engine + electric motor.
  • Chain-driven; no turbo.
  • Hybrid transmission described as extremely robust:
    • No clutch pack
    • No torque converter to wear
    • Planetary gear set with “essentially nothing to fail”

Pros

  • Regenerative braking makes brakes last “extraordinarily long.”
  • Reliability credibility: Lexus/Toyota “near top” of What Car reliability tables (host asserts).
  • Space caveat: tight rear seat space—best for two adults, not five.

Cons / watch-outs

  • Buying perception + hybrid behavior complaints (drone / shift feel).
  • Hybrid battery worry is the main fear, but host says it’s uncommon.

Price claims

  • £7,000–£11,000.
  • Early-road-tax note: low based on emissions (no explicit number given).
  • Compliant in UK clean air zones.

Comparison mentioned (German diesel saloon at same age/money)

German diesel equivalents cited:

  • Timing chain job: £1,200–£2,000
  • DPF: £1,000–£1,800
  • Dual-mass flywheel + clutch: ~£1,000

  • Mechatronic unit in gearbox: £1,500+ Host’s argument: any two of those can exceed the Lexus value.

  • Lexus battery repairs: reconditioned units £800–£1,500 fitted

1) Lexus LS 460 (2007–2017) — “ridiculous one,” flagship V8

Why nobody wants it

  • Expensive when new: ~£70,000 (host figure).
  • Badge/style doesn’t impress at “dinner party,” so demand is low.
  • High upfront price stigma.

Main mechanics / features praised

  • Full-size flagship saloon: described as embarrassing Mercedes S-Class in build/comfort.
  • 4.6L V8, chain-driven, no turbo, no supercharger.
  • Eight-speed automatic; many with air suspension.
  • Host claim (workshop experience): “never had failed bottom end” on one.

Pros

  • Strong durability story and serviceable simplicity:
    • No turbo / no belt-to-change category.
  • Key story of value vs German flagships:
    • German flagship (twin-turbo V8, air suspension): over 3 years had two air struts, turbo oil feed leak, injectors, control module; running total just over £9,000 on a car worth ~£8k.
    • Swapped to LS 460 for ~£7k; over two years only tires, brake pads, oil service, and one air suspension compressor.

Cons / watch-outs (the real weak point)

  • Air suspension is the genuine weakness on high-mileage cars:
    • Strut: £600–£1,000 fitted
    • Compressor: ~£600–£800 (later said £6–£800)

Fuel / road tax

  • Petrol V8 fuel economy: ~22–25 mpg realistic.
  • Road tax “high.”
  • Still claimed to be compliant (not hit/sold badly like some diesel execs), including driving into central London/clean air zones without diesel penalties.

Price claims

  • Current purchase: £6,000–£10,000.

General advice / “buying method” emphasized

The host’s approach is essentially:

  1. For each car, identify the expensive failures for that exact engine (turbo, belt/chain, DPF, gearbox, air suspension, etc.).
  2. Get repair quotes.
  3. Compare likely 3-year bills to the purchase price:
    • If likely 3-year costs exceed the purchase price, you’re buying the wrong car.

The host’s message: these cars are cheap for a reason, but that reason is typically reputation/market perception, not mechanical inferiority.

Overall pros / cons across the list (as presented)

Pros (common themes)

  • Depreciation + “wrong badge / wrong fashion / wrong fuel narrative” creates bargains.
  • Many models avoid costly modern failures:
    • fewer turbo/DPF/wet-belt components (depending on model)
    • simple service routines (especially Leaf and hybrid systems)

Cons (common themes)

  • Many are “cheap for perception reasons,” so buyers may ignore them even if fundamentals are good.
  • Each has one key check item:
    • Avensis: rely on service history; focus on chain/petrol simplicity
    • Mondeo EcoBlue: wet belt build date / replacement
    • Accord: town economy
    • i40: motorway use for DPF health
    • Mazda 6: ensure you pick the petrol engine
    • Leaf: battery cooling limitation + Chademo rarity
    • IS 300h: hybrid feel/drone and tight rear space
    • LS 460: air suspension cost risk

Verdict / recommendation

Strong recommendation to consider these used cars—especially if you match the intended use-case and verify the model-specific “expensive failure” risk.

The host’s top pick is Lexus LS 460, framed as the best value in Britain due to durability and avoidance of many German flagship failure patterns, with air suspension as the main cost risk.

Speakers / views

  • Single main speaker (Rory Stroud): 20+ years in independent Midlands workshops; presents the list and workshop-based reasoning.
  • He references data sources: DVSA/MOT failure data, What Car reliability figures, manufacturer statements, recall notices, and independent workshop evidence. (No other speakers appear in the subtitles.)

Original video