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.
Cupra Formentor
If you’re after a sporty SUV, the Cupra Formentor is a must-look. Even the cheapest Formentor gets sporty-looking bumpers, big alloy wheels and copper detailing inside and out, and the Cupra has the driving experience to match the looks. Four petrol engines – with between 150hp and 310hp – and two plug-in hybrid engines are available, with the PHEVs potentially giving you the best of both worlds: 35 miles of all-electric driving for town duties, and a powerful petrol engine for back-road blasting. You’ll even get a very recent number plate on your Formentor – but with a huge saving versus new!
Shop used Cupra Formentor cars for sale or read our Cupra Formentor 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
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
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.
Shop used Skoda Kodiaq cars for sale
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
MG HS
The new MG HS is better in almost every way than its predecessor. It’s much more pleasant to drive, the interior has received new tech and posher materials, there’s a bigger boot than before and the rear legroom is in a different league to the Nissan Qashqai and Ford Kuga. One of the only things that hasn’t changed is the HS’ commitment to providing excellent value for money – this budget buys you a car that’s just a couple of months old with as little as 2,000 miles on the clock. Perfect if you want a new car without having to wait for it to be built.
Shop used MG HS cars for sale or read our MG HS 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
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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