While £400 per month is plenty to get you behind the wheel of a brand-new car, you’ll get more for your money by picking something a bit older.
New cars lose a big chunk of money in the first couple of years on the road, so this list features some cars that were quite expensive when they left the factory. From state-of-the-art electric cars to spacious family SUVs, there’s plenty of exciting choice on this list. For more options, browse our whole selection of cars for £300-£400 per month or our cars for £349 per month or less with a £349 deposit.
Toyota RAV4
If your priorities are reliability, a comforting driving experience and fuel economy, rather than adrenaline and excitement, the Toyota RAV4 sounds like it’ll be totally up your street. The RAV4 feels strong and stable, undeterred by any weather or driving situation, and utterly dependable. It’s not exciting, but it’ll make you happy owning one. After all, it’s one of the world’s best-selling cars, so thousands of people all across the globe can’t be wrong.
Shop used Toyota RAV4 cars for sale or read our Toyota RAV4 review
BMW 5 Series
This generation of BMW 5 Series is one of our favourite cars we’ve tested in recent years. It’s superb at soaking up motorways, yet its fun handling can put a smile on your face when you turn onto a twisty B-road. The interior is the perfect blend of luxurious and user-friendly, with all the kit you’d probably ever want and plenty of space. Petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrid engines are available, so there’s something to suit your driving habits.
Shop used BMW 5 Series cars for sale or read our used BMW 5 Series review
Nissan Ariya
A sleek and stylish electric SUV, a 2024-registered Nissan Ariya can also arrive on your drive for under £400 per month. It looks futuristic and expensive, and has a fantastic interior. Nissan has managed to make touch panels on wood trim, and the climate control panel is only visible when the car’s on. You also get a sliding centre console and thick, plush carpet, plus the packaging benefits of using a purely electric platform. Passenger space, for example, is extremely generous.
Shop used Nissan Ariya cars for sale
Volvo XC40
Petrol, diesel, plug-in hybrid or even fully electric – if you like the Volvo XC40’s chunky, youthful styling, there’s an engine to suit you. Whichever you pick, you’ll get a smart, tranquil interior with a portrait touchscreen and a perfect mix of digital and analogue. As you’d hope from a premium car, the tech and materials on offer both impress, while the XC40 is still a fairly practical machine for people and stuff.
Shop used Volvo XC40 cars for sale or read our Volvo XC40 review
Polestar 2
The Tesla Model 3 is the king of the electric small saloons, but perhaps the Polestar 2 should have the crown instead. Its interior is just as techy as the Tesla’s and only a touch less minimalist, and the Google-based infotainment system is actually easier to use than the Model 3’s native software. You might spot that the Polestar shares bits with Volvo models – Polestar used to be a Volvo sub-brand and now both are run by the same Chinese conglomerate. There’s a bigger boot than the Model 3 and similarly decent passenger space, while Long Range versions manage a competitive 280 miles on a charge.
Shop used Polestar 2 cars for sale or read our Polestar 2 review
Audi A5
The Audi A5 is a truly sophisticated choice. Its bodywork is as crisp as a freshly ironed shirt, its interior is grown up and everything about the A5 is smart. If it was a person, you’d never see it wearing trainers. And, as such, don’t expect it to be hot on the heels of a supercar down a country road – but it’ll soak up long motorway journeys without any fuss whatsoever.
Shop used Audi A5 cars for sale or read our Audi A5 review
Range Rover Evoque
The Range Rover Evoque is fashionable and metropolitan, but it still offers four-wheel drive and a lot of Land Rover off-road tech that its rivals wouldn’t dare to include. Which should give you some peace of mind, even if the only off-roading you’ll do is mount an occasional kerb. The Evoque has the luxury feel of a ‘proper’ Range Rover inside, plus decent practicality for a growing family.
Shop used Range Rover Evoque cars for sale or read our Range Rover Evoque review
Peugeot 5008
It might have been replaced now, but this generation of 5008 is a premium-feeling SUV that’s perfect for a large family. Seven seats come as standard, with the added bonus of three individual middle-row seats – each with their own Isofix child-seat mounting points. It’s super stylish for a big old bus, and the interior is a riot of textures and interesting shapes. A row of piano-like shortcut keys quickly take you to the main parts of the infotainment screen, while the digital dials are very high-resolution and sharp.
Shop used Peugeot 5008 cars for sale
Peugeot e-3008
This is the newer-shape Peugeot 3008, which is available for the first time as a fully electric car. The e-3008 is the one to get, in our opinion, because of its 327-mile range and heavy initial depreciation – making it fantastic value as a used car. And with such a high range figure and impressively fast charging capability, you could feasibly live with the e-3008 even if you have to rely on public charge networks. New, even bolder styling is matched by an interior that includes a ‘floating’ 21-inch screen.
Shop used Peugeot e-3008 cars for sale or read our Peugeot 3008 review
Ford Explorer
An all-new model from Ford, the Explorer uses the same electrical components as the Audi Q4 and Volkswagen ID.4. The Explorer manages to feel different to its VW Group cousins, because it’s better to drive and has an eye-catching large portrait touchscreen to control its huge list of features. Six-month-old examples slot in under £400 per month, and you can expect a range figure of up to 374 miles in ideal conditions. Plus, the acceleration is rapid and the battery is covered by an eight-year warranty.
Shop used Ford Explorer cars for sale
Read our top picks for other monthly budgets
- 10 of the best cars for under £150 per month
- 10 of the best cars for under £200 per month
- 10 of the best cars for under £250 per month
- 10 of the best cars for under £300 per month
Affordable finance on used cars
Check out Motorpoint's huge selection of nearly new and used cars, all with a range of flexible finance options.
