High mileage ex company cars will have been serviced etc. They might be a little tatty but for a grand can you complain? Agree with Zummertor on the bigger cars at the mo.
It's a fine line, my astra looked crap but was reliable and tidy enough for it's age. The freelander cost a bit more but was still cheap, seems decent so far....................touch wood..... and again is pretty tidy. You can be fussy with these bargain cars. There are a lot of dogs around but some gems too.
It's always worth having a look above the budget and beating them down especially with cold hard cash in your pocket.