One for the Road: A car that offers performance with reliability

Imran Khan is an expat and has up to £20,000 for a car that will start first time when he comes home.

A car for the head

Talking to Imran, I find out that he likes a quick car, but I convince him that spending so much on a vehicle that will depreciate quickly is daft. And rather than a sports car he needs a proper four-door saloon. For reliability and being parked up for long periods, I would go for a Lexus. The LS has everything plus a big V8, does not hang around and starts first time every time. Just £4,200 buys a one-owner immaculate 2004 LS430 with 97,000 miles and a warranty.

A car for the heart

As Imran wants a performance-focused and probably more charismatic car, he will adore a BMW M5. Here's a car that won't just hold its value but is likely to actually appreciate. This legendary performance saloon can be bought for £7,495 as a 2001 example. Then again, there are some 5 series models that did not have the same M badge, but a very similar V8 engine, making it plenty fast enough. A 1998 540i can be picked up for just £1,250 with just over 100K miles and has old-school reliability.

Looking to buy?

Email James Ruppert at onefortheroad@independent. co.uk, giving your age, address and phone number, details of the type of vehicle in which you are interested, and your budget