The best cheap used cars in Ireland under €3,000 (November 2026)

Ranked from 696 cars for sale under €3,000: how often they're priced well, how they do at the NCT, how dear they are to fix and how quickly they sell.

#	Model	Typical price	NCT pass	For sale
1	Mercedes-Benz E-Class 2004–2012	€2,900	38% avg 31%	12
2	Ford Mondeo 2006–2014	€2,300	34% avg 34%	35
3	Skoda Octavia 2006–2013	€2,500	34% avg 34%	16
4	Hyundai i40 2012–2015	€2,600	35% avg 46%	13
5	Opel Corsa 2006–2014	€1,950	42% avg 34%	31
6	Opel Astra 2006–2014	€2,000	44% avg 38%	35
7	Opel Insignia 2010–2015	€2,700	44% avg 42%	43
8	Audi A6 2008–2010	€2,500	34% avg 31%	14
9	MINI Cooper 2003–2010	€2,000	34% avg 30%	11
10	Volkswagen Passat 2008–2012	€2,200	33% avg 34%	14
11	Ford Fiesta 2007–2012	€2,500	38% avg 34%	22
12	BMW 5 Series 2006–2010	€2,500	28% avg 31%	14
13	Opel Zafira 2006–2013	€1,750	33% avg 38%	12
14	Honda Civic 2007–2011	€2,500	31% avg 31%	14
15	Nissan Note 2006–2011	€2,100	29% avg 31%	12
16	Kia Ceed 2007–2013	€2,300	28% avg 34%	13
17	Nissan Micra 2004–2012	€2,350	42% avg 31%	16
18	Renault Megane 2007–2013	€2,000	27% avg 34%	26
19	Toyota Corolla 2004–2011	€1,800	39% avg 30%	16
20	Renault Fluence 2011–2015	€2,500	33% avg 42%	20

NCT pass: first-time pass rate for those years, against the average ("avg") for all cars the same age: green when better. Older cars pass less often, so compare with the average. Source: Road Safety Authority (RSA), NCT make & model data 2025, initial tests.