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What Car? has listed its top choices in its Used Car of the Year Awards, and its a French model that's been given the biggest recommendation of all.

The Peugeot 5008 SUV was crowned the overall winner, with the seven-seat model praised by judges for offering a spacious and classy interior, impressive refinement and great value.

The list of 17 nominees - all of which won in different vehicle categories - has been revealed at a time when used car prices are at a record high on the back of semiconductor chip shortages restricting the availability of new models.

We list the motors What Car? says are best in class for different buyers.

Used car of the year: The seven-seat Peugeot 5008 has been named the best second-hand motor by What Car? magazine

Prices of some of the more popular used models have risen by as much as 20 per cent as a result of the computer chip shortage that's currently ravaging car makers.

What Car? says this spike in second-hand values makes its selections for the best used motors more significant than ever.

And its top selection is one that won't be popular with all readers, with Peugeot's popular 5008 SUV - launched in 2017 - being the motor the judging panel has gotten behind to recommend to motorists. 

The automotive magazine says the decision comes off the back of the 5008 being a 'regular winner in the new car awards events', which was enough for it to see off rivals including Audi's A4, the BMW 530e and Skoda's Octavia Estate. 

That's despite French vehicles generally having a below-par reputation for reliability, which is one of the biggest considerations for buyers of second-hand models that tend to be slightly older and therefore out of warranty, leaving owners to pick up sometimes extensive repair bills.

It was applauded by the reviews team for its strong line-up of efficient engines along with seven-seat capacity and practicality.  

This also secured the Peugeot a class win in the large SUV category, as well as the overall top prize. 

Mark Pearson, used cars editor at What Car?, said: 'It is always a tough decision, narrowing down so many appealing used car buys and then picking just one overall winner. But in the end, one car stood head and shoulders above the others, and that was the Peugeot 5008. 

'We've long admired it as a new car, and now we think it's a brilliant used buy, too. 

'None of the other category winners could match its combination of all-round desirability, practicality and affordability.'

Julie David, managing director at Peugeot UK, said the brand was honoured to take the What Car? award: 'We're thrilled that the 5008 has stood out from the other category winners and impressed the judges with its design, practicality and refined driving experience. 

'As one of the most prestigious and influential motoring titles in the UK, this award is a fantastic endorsement and further evidence of the popularity of Peugeot's SUV range.'

It was applauded by the motoring title's reviews team for its strong line-up of efficient engines along with seven-seat capacity and practicality

The judges also commended the 5008's spacious and classy interior and impressive refinement

Don't fancy a French motor? These are the models that won in other categories

There were 17 What Car? Used Car of the Year categories this year, with a winner and two runners-up picked in each one to help drivers make an educated decision about which to consider.

All the categories were judged by a panel of experts, who considered all-round ability, reliability, value and the availability of desirable versions, then chose the outstanding cars in that class. 

This year's awards was good to BMW, with the German brand topping four categories in total.

Audi and Skoda were the next most successful manufacturers with three victories each.

Here is the full list of winners and runners-up by category:

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