Car companies are really producing some good stuff at the moment.
Advances in lighting technology, bodywork pressing and packaging mean that cars are getting more and more eye-catching, with lots of different cars standing out for different reasons.
And, while you’re not going to nod your head in agreement at every one of our choices, there’s enough variety within the used car market to find something you love the look of.
Alfa Romeo Giulia
If Leonardo da Vinci had penned the Alfa Romeo Giulia, the Mona Lisa wouldn’t be getting a look in. And not just because everyone would marvel at how a 15th century painter had drawn a car from six centuries in the future. The Giulia’s shape is perfect, with a short tail and a long, tapering bonnet giving a sporty cab-backward look. Some of the body creases look like liquid metal in the right light, and the Giulia also gets piercing headlights and Alfa’s traditional shield-shaped grille. This is a car you’re guaranteed to look back at when you park it.
Shop used Alfa Romeo Giulia cars for sale or read our Alfa Romeo Giulia review
DS 4
Add a bit of ooh la la to your life with a DS 4. This posh hatchback is a more exclusive alternative to the Mercedes A-Class and BMW 1 Series, and it's not just rarity that makes it stand out. Its deep-set headlights, scything LED daytime running lights and big grille give the front end an alluring, confident look. Further back, strong body creases and intricate rear-end detailing leave a lasting impression. The inside is a lush mix of quality materials and really interesting design inclusions.
Shop used DS 4 cars for sale or read our DS 4 review
Hyundai Santa Fe
Hyundai has managed to make a big, rectangular box look the absolute business. Slab-sided styling and semi-octagonal wheel arches help to give the seven-seat Santa Fe a hugely confident appearance, and dazzling pixel details and a few ‘H’ shapes dotted here and there simply add to the appeal. What’s more, the free colour is a gorgeous terracotta orange shade, and there are a host of other earthy shades, not just black or white. We’d go as far as to say it’s one of the coolest looking cars on sale.
Shop used Hyundai Santa Fe cars for sale or read our Hyundai Santa Fe review
Lotus Emira
Lotus is at a bit of a crossroads. It’s struggling to sell the fully electric Emeya and Eletre, which are heavy and tech filled, but it also sells the Emira – a more traditional sports car. The Emira has been on the supercar shakes – it wouldn’t look out of place among a paddock of Ferraris and Aston Martins, but the Emira is sports car money rather than supercar money. And the entry-level 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine doesn’t sound exotic, but it’s only got 1.4 tonnes of car to push around so it’s plenty fast enough. There’s also a V6, mind.
Renault 5
A supermini that’s bite-the-back-of-your-hand beautiful, all because it looks like a car from the 1980s. So many cool details that recall the original R5, and yet it doesn’t feel like a retro pastiche or that Renault has run out of ideas. It just looks fun. And it should be law that you get it in either the yellow or green shades. The interior is a mix of heritage-inspired fabrics and state-of-the-art tech.
Read more about the new Renault 5
Mazda 3
For well over a decade, Mazda has been employing its ‘Kodo’ design language, which ‘explores natural movement in a still object’. Mazda talks about ‘curves with poise and balance’, ‘the play of light and shade’ and ‘creating emotional designs with the fewest possible elements’ – in other words, stripping back the fussiness that many modern cars have and creating something elegant. The result is that the Mazda 3 – and the related CX-30 – can sometimes catch your eye the same way shimmering water does. Pair that with Mazda’s rich paint hues and slim headlights, and the Mazda 3 simply looks stunning.
Shop used Mazda 3 cars for sale or read our Mazda 3 review
Range Rover Velar
The Velar is a Range Rover but sleeker – or, that’s how it looks, anyway. The reality is that the Velar is still a blocky SUV without a crazy swooping roofline, so it’s still immensely practical. And it still has all the Range Rover cues, so onlookers might think you’ve paid Range Rover money for a car that’s closer to BMW X3 prices. If you dare to show its taut bodywork the rough stuff, the Velar still delivers, thanks to Land Rover’s class-leading off-road tech.
Shop used Range Rover Velar cars for sale or read our Range Rover Velar review
Volkswagen Arteon
The Arteon looks mostly like a Volkswagen, but it’s braver and more eye-catching than the brand’s usually conservative designs. Especially at the front end, where the near-full-width grille seems to take over the moody headlights. The fastback is particularly sleek, while the Shooting Brake estate adds a bit more practicality without ruining the vibe.
Shop used Volkswagen Arteon cars for sale or read our Volkswagen Arteon review
Toyota Prius
Yes, that's a Toyota Prius on our list of the best-looking cars and, no, we're not feeling ill. The low, snake-like front end is reminiscent of a sports car (okay, if you squint a bit) and the rear end looks like a classic American muscle car. In the middle of this clash of worlds is a sweetly curving roofline and a hidden rear door. Only available as a plug-in hybrid, the near-£40,000 Prius is likely to remain a rare breed in the UK – which makes it even more of an occasion when you see one and realise you're thinking that a Prius looks good.
Shop used Toyota cars for sale
Mercedes CLA
Not just a Mercedes A-Class with a saloon boot (there’s the A-Class saloon if that’s what you want), the CLA is something altogether more stylish. In fact, it’s a near-perfect replica of the bigger, costlier CLS, with its almost triangular lights front and rear and its beautifully curving window line – which makes it look much more like a coupe than a four-door saloon. Like the Arteon, the CLA is also available as a Shooting Brake estate (basically an estate that’s more focused on style than boot space) – which adds a more useful bootlid and more rear-seat headroom than the saloon.
Shop used Mercedes CLA cars for sale or read our Mercedes CLA review
