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.
Ford Focus ST
We kick off with one of the most exciting hot hatches on the market. The Focus ST feels gloriously old school – it’ll put a smile on your face with exact steering and a fizzing 2.3-litre petrol engine. At the same time you can take your family with you and put a couple of suitcases in the boot – or more if you get the ST estate. The Focus’ driving experience is boosted by a perfect manual gearbox and fantastic handling.
Shop used Ford Focus ST cars for sale or read our Ford Focus review
Toyota RAV4
If your priorities are more set on reliability, a comforting driving experience and fuel economy, rather than adrenaline and excitement, the Toyota RAV4 sounds like it’ll be more up your street than a fast Ford. 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
Skoda Kodiaq
One of our favourite seven-seaters, the Skoda Kodiaq is probably the ultimate family car. The interior is the perfect mix of posh and hard-wearing – you’re not going to be too bothered about the crumbs and mess that your kids cause, but it feels luxurious up front. It’s really roomy, and the boot is vast with the rear seats folded down. There’s still a torquey diesel engine on offer for easy power, load lugging and towing, and a slick-shifting DSG automatic gearbox too.
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Hyundai Kona
The Hyundai Kona isn’t the biggest car on this list, but it’s probably the newest. For this budget you can get a Kona that’s less than a year old with fewer than 5,000 miles on the clock. And a choice of petrol, hybrid or fully electric options. Slim coast-to-coast LED light bars front and rear make the Kona look very futuristic – a theme that continues inside, with two big screens that are crisper than a Walkers factory. Crucially, the Kona has grown in size for this generation, so it’s actually usable for carrying people and things at the same time.
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Hyundai Ioniq 5
If it’s futuristic electric driving you want, the Ioniq 5 is the car to go for. It looks like a 1980s interpretation of the year 2056, and the powertrain is similarly forward-looking. The Ioniq 5 boasts some of the fastest charging times of any EV, and can also power other electricals from its onboard battery. Photos don’t do it justice – it’s deceptively big and luxuriously practical. What’s more, you don’t even have to spend the whole budget, because early small-battery models are now under £20,000, or closer to £300 per month.
Shop used Hyundai Ioniq 5 cars for sale or read our Hyundai Ioniq 5 review
Peugeot 408
The Peugeot 408 is another car that’s in budget, even for barely driven one-year-old examples. Rakish and presenceful, the 408 is a bit of a hidden gem. It’s really practical, has a first-class interior and comes with the choice of peppy petrol and plug-in hybrid engines – the latter offering 225hp and a useful 34-mile electric range. Every 408 comes with an automatic gearbox for easy, refined driving.
Shop used Peugeot 408 cars for sale or read our Peugeot 408 review
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 Q3
Combining big-Audi tech with small-Audi prices, the Q3 could well be the sweet spot in the lineup for many buyers. Bigger and more practical than the entry-point Q2, but almost as easy to park as an A3 hatchback – the Q3 offers plenty of space for four adults (five at a push) and all their stuff. Up front, the tech has come from above. No, not heaven, but from posher and dearer Audis like the A8 limousine. It’s easy to see why you’d upgrade to the Q3 from something like a Nissan Qashqai or Ford Kuga.
Shop used Audi Q3 cars for sale or read our Audi Q3 review
Mercedes CLA
If you take all the best bits of the Mercedes A-Class, and wrap them in a sleek, coupe-like body, you get the CLA. Crucially, it looks and feels expensive, with big screens and quality switchgear. The screens will wow your passengers, as will the ambient lighting and the soft Artico leather seats. If you find the rear headroom or boot opening a bit tight in the saloon, there’s a CLA Shooting Brake estate as well.
Shop used Mercedes CLA cars for sale or read our Mercedes CLA review
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
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