A £30,000 budget opens up a lot of fantastic nearly new and used cars. We’ve rounded up 10 of our favourites.
These days, you might be surprised how many new cars cost over £30,000, so check out what's available if you go nearly new.
These are cars that are a couple of years old that have already lost a considerable amount of their initial value. Our list includes hot hatches, SUVs, sports cars and state-of-the-art electric cars. Which of our choices for the best cars for under £30k would you choose?
Ford Focus ST
- Fantastic to drive
- Lovely manual gearbox
- Still has space for a family
The Ford Focus ST is one of the most engaging and best hot hatches money can buy, even in a world of 400hp German mega-hatches. This fast Ford makes a healthy 280hp, but it’s the rest of the driving experience that really shines. It devours twisty roads and makes every journey feel like you’re winning a touring car race, yet it still offers family-friendly practicality and an interior full of the latest infotainment tech. You also get much sportier seats than the standard Focus, which are guaranteed to keep you snugly in place when you’re pretending to be a racing car driver. We’d get it in Mean Green (pictured) for knockout visual appeal.
Shop used Ford Focus ST cars for sale at Motorpoint or read our Ford Focus review
Volkswagen Passat
- Vast rear-seat space and boot
- Excellent cruiser
- PHEV has fast-charging, which is rare
We've waxed lyrical about the latest Volkswagen Passat many times, but we're always happy to talk about the genuinely ridiculous amount of rear-seat space you get and the massive boot behind you. Upfront, there's plenty of storage for road trip essentials – and the Passat is a car you'll want to do big miles in. It's comfortable, refined and powerful, especially if you pick the eHybrid that can run on both petrol and electric power. And it's not a token amount of electric range, either: the Passat eHybrid offers around 80 miles of pure-electric driving once you've fully topped the battery up. For even longer trips, you can either fast-charge the battery or rely on the good old petrol engine.
Shop used Volkswagen Passat cars for sale or read our Volkswagen Passat review
Peugeot 5008
- The most eye-catching 7-seater
- Huge savings vs new
- Futuristic interior
Combining smart looks with genuine room for seven adults, the Peugeot 5008 is a top seven-seater for under £30,000. We'd go for the standard 'Hybrid' engine which is capable of over 50mpg (perhaps a little less with all seats filled). For this budget, you can snag a top-spec GT model – with suede heated front seats, adaptive cruise control and upgraded headlights – that's less than a year old and has around 5,000 miles on the clock. The 5008 also has one of the most impressive interiors of any seven-seat car, with lots of lovely fabric trim and a 21-inch screen.
Shop used Peugeot 5008 cars for sale or read our Peugeot 5008 review
Kia Sportage
- Nearly brand-new models available in budget
- Hybrid engines are economical around town
- Best-selling family SUV – there are plenty to choose from
The Kia Sportage and its cousin, the Hyundai Tucson, are our favourite midsize SUVs. Both offer bold styling, efficient hybrid engines and long warranties, but we’ve picked the Sportage as you can get a near-enough brand-new model on a 75-plate for less than £30k. Go for the mid-range hybrid engine and you’ll get up to 50mpg without having to plug in. GT-Line cars get more equipment than wasps at a picnic.
Shop used Kia Sportage cars for sale at Motorpoint or read our Kia Sportage review
Volkswagen Tiguan
- Infotainment system very user-friendly
- Lots of engine choice
- Stately driving experience
The Volkswagen Tiguan is a car that's always felt solid and unflappable – as if it's been hewn from stone. Opt for the latest model, introduced in 2024, and you get the solid feel, plus improved practicality and a cinema-sized touchscreen. VW's latest infotainment software is much improved and configurable shortcuts let you get to regularly visited menus in just a tap. An automatic gearbox is standard and there's even a diesel engine available for high-milers. If you do a low-to-medium annual mileage we'd recommend the frugal 1.5 mild-hybrid petrol engine.
Shop used Volkswagen Tiguan cars for sale or read our Volkswagen Tiguan review
Cupra Formentor
- One of our favourite sporty SUVs
- Choice of economical or fast engines
- Well equipped
You might not initially realise that the Cupra Formentor shares oily bits with the likes of the Volkswagen Golf, given how sporty the Formentor feels. Cupra’s first exclusive model – there’s no SEAT version unlike the Leon and Ateca – is only sold with sporty looks and big wheels, and it’s marked out by copper trim and suede fabrics. Alongside a range of increasingly powerful petrol engines are two plug-in hybrid options.
Shop used Cupra Formentor cars for sale at Motorpoint or read our Cupra Formentor review
BMW 3 Series
- Well suited to every road
- High-quality interior
- Low-mileage examples can be found in budget
The BMW 3 Series might be an obvious choice. That's for a reason – it's a fantastic all-rounder that needs to be on your shortlist. It's fun to drive, big enough to be useful for a family, comfortable on the motorway and decently fuel efficient. And the interior is a delight, with big, glossy screens and excellent material quality.
For £30,000, you can nab a 320i petrol in M Sport trim – the most popular spec in the UK, that's less than a year old and with under 5,000 miles on the clock. The most satisfying bit is that you're saving around £12,000 versus the cost of a brand-new 3 Series, yet these nearly new ones are available today and still feel box-fresh.
Shop used BMW 3 Series cars for sale or read our BMW 3 Series review
Renault Scenic E-Tech
- Reborn Scenic is a desirable family car
- Every version has a long range
- Spacious interior
The bush doesn't need beating – the Renault Scenic E-Tech is one of the best electric SUVs you can buy right now. And it's even sweeter for under £30,000. That's at least £8,000 off the list price. It's hard to say what's the most impressive bit of the Scenic – is it the sustainable interior materials, the class-leading infotainment system, the immense practicality or the promised 379-mile range? We also like how it's easy to adjust the level of brake regeneration and to turn some of the driver aids off.
Shop used Renault Scenic E-Tech cars for sale or read our Renault Scenic E-Tech review
Jaecoo 7
- 'Viral' SUV has become an overnight bestseller
- Unmistakeable styling
- Lots of tech and features
Behind the slightly Amazon-own-brand name, which is a portmanteau of 'cool' and the German word for 'hunter', there's real substance. You're probably drawn in by its Range Rover-esque styling and its affordable price, but you might expect a second-rate interior with obvious cost-cutting. Instead, there are rugged-looking grab handles, some lovely textured trim pieces and strips of ambient lighting. The quality of both the materials used and how they're screwed together is really good, and the 7's spacious cabin makes it feel expensive. You can choose between petrol, hybrid and plug-in-hybrid versions of the 7, and we prefer the latter for its smoother driving experience and decent electric range.
Shop used Jaecoo 7 cars for sale or read our Jaecoo 7 review
Tesla Model Y
- Synced up driving and ownership experience
- Excellent range and performance
- Seriously practical
The Tesla Model Y combines everything great about the Model 3 with a more practical body and a higher driving position. The boot is vast, the range and performance is still among the best around, and it's exceptional value versus a brand-new one. Such is the Model Y's popularity that it even knocked the Toyota Corolla off the perch as the world's best-selling car in 2023 and 2024.
Shop used Tesla Model Y cars for sale or read our Tesla Model Y review
