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30 cars for £300 per month
For many car buyers, leasing will never make much sense. You put down a chunk of money and pay a monthly rental fee, then hand the car back at the end of the term and walk away with absolutely nothing at all.
Nonetheless, leasing is a hugely popular way of funding a new car purchase. It’s convenient, hassle-free and it keeps you in a steady stream of new, warrantied metal. Depending on the terms of the agreement vehicle maintenance may be included in the package, too. Over the following few pages we’ll pick out 30 of the best cars you can lease today for £300 or less (much less in certain cases).
All of the cars highlighted in this guide are highly rated by Autocar’s road testers. The deals were all sourced through our sister title What Car?, whose online leasing service searches for the best deals from more than 300 franchised dealerships across the country.
The deals are all personal rather than business contracts - which means VAT is included - and unless stated otherwise they are based on a 36 month agreement with a three month payment upfront, and an annual mileage limit of 10,000 miles. They do not include maintenance. Along the way we’ll also drop in some expert advice to help you decide if leasing really is the best option for you.
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Hatchbacks: Volkswagen Golf 1.5 TSI EVO SE 130PS
£657 deposit, 36 payments of £219
When VW was preparing to launch the facelifted Golf early last year, the outgoing model was still top of its class. The revisions VW made to the evergreen family hatchback - a nip and tuck of the exterior styling, minor cabin tweaks and new engines and transmissions - simply nudged the Golf a few paces further ahead of the pursuing hatchback competition.
In this post-diesel era the new 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine will be the big seller. It’s an excellent power unit, too, with decent performance, good refinement and strong fuel efficiency (58.9mpg claimed). The only car many people will ever need.
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Seat Leon 1.4 ECOTSI 150 FR
£715 deposit, 36 payments of £238
It’s little wonder this magazine rates the Seat Leon so highly in the hatchback category; beneath its sharply-tailored bodywork, you’ll find the same underpinnings as the class-leading VW Golf. This FR model may have a slightly smaller engine than the Golf offered above, but with 148bhp it is around 15 per cent more powerful.
The Leon’s interior can’t quite match the Golf’s quasi-premium cockpit, and nor does its Seat badge have the same cache as the the VW emblem, but for the vast majority of buyers it will be every bit as good to drive, and to own.
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Honda Civic 1.0 VTEC Turbo SR
£702 deposit, 36 payments of £234
If a VW Golf looks far too strait-laced, the Civic is the car for you. Overall, the best Civic yet.
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Vauxhall Astra 1.4T 150 SRI
£609 deposit, 36 payments of £203
Stylish and excellent value for money, the Astra falls just a little short of the class best out on the road.
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Mini Cooper Countryman
£828 deposit, 36 payments of £276
A good dose of the funky individualism Minis are so popular for, wrapped up in a refined and more practical package.
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Mercedes A250 AMG Line Auto
£1776 deposit, 36 payments of £296 (8000 miles per year, six months upfront)
The new A-Class brings big car levels of technology and refinement to the hatchback sector, albeit at a price.
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Leasing vs Finance
For all the similarities that exist between car leasing and the various types of finance plans offered these days, they are actually fundamentally different ways of paying for your car. Leasing, also known as Personal Contract Hire (PCH), is really just a rental arrangement. You pay a non-refundable deposit upfront and make monthly payments for the duration of the contract, then hand the car back at the end and walk away. It’s straightforward and convenient, but you’re not building up any equity and you never own the car.
The most popular type of finance plan is a Personal Contract Purchase, or PCP. Much like a lease you put down a deposit and pay a fee each month, but at the end of term you have a number of options. At the start of the plan you will have agreed to a Guaranteed Minimum Future Value for the car, and its end you can either pay off that lump sum in one go and take full ownership of the car, or you can hand the car back and walk away with nothing. Most people trade the car in for a replacement and sign up to another PCP.
The simplest finance plan is Hire Purchase (HP). You pay a sizeable deposit and make monthly payments for an agreed length of time, until the car is paid off in full. You then own it outright.
PCPs have become so popular - they account for almost 80 per cent of new car purchases - because that end-of-term lump sum, the balloon payment, keeps the initial deposit and the monthly payments down to a minimum. They also offer the most flexibility at the end of the agreement. The important thing to remember is this: if you are unlikely to buy the car outright at the end of the PCP term, like the vast majority of people, a PCH will work out cheaper.
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Crossovers and SUVs: Seat Arona 1.6 TDI SE
£589 deposit, 36 payments of £196
Our favourite compact crossover, the Arona demonstrates why high-riding SUV-style cars are so popular with buyers at the moment. It is spacious inside despite the modest exterior dimensions, it has a grown-up ride quality and the interior finish is very good for the class. Its infotainment system is a stand-out feature, too.
This car’s 1.6-litre turbodiesel engine may not be fashionable, but an advantage of leasing a car compared to buying one outright is that it simply doesn’t matter if this car’s diesel engine makes it unsellable three years from now. There’s no arguing with 68.9mpg, either.
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Renault Captur 0.9 90 TCE Dynamique Nav
£552 deposit, 36 payments of £184
Europe’s best-selling B-segment crossover is also one of its most convincing. Facelifted last year, all versions of the Captur were treated to improved levels of standard kit. This one-up-from-base-model Dynamique Nav now gets 17-inch wheels, climate control and an upgraded infotainment system.
The Captur isn’t exactly aimed at the keenest of drivers. Instead, it offers light steering and effortless manoeuvrability, with a cabin that’s versatile and solidly-built. The 89bhp petrol motor is at its best in town; elsewhere, it can feel asthmatic. What’s most important, however, is the car’s excellent value for money.
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Mazda CX-3 2.0 SE Nav
£617 deposit, 36 payments of £206
Handsome and boasting a high-quality cabin, the CX-3 is one of the best crossovers to drive, too.
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Nissan Qashqai 1.2 DiG-T Visia
£610 deposit, 36 payments of £203
Still the definitive crossover, the Qashqai remains one of the very best. Refined, comfortable, practical and strong value for money.
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Jaguar E-Pace 2.0d 2WD
£878 deposit, 48 payments of £293 (8000 miles per year)
Lacking Jaguar’s trademark dynamic polish, the E-Pace is nonetheless easy on the eye and refined at a cruise.
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Skoda Kodiaq 1.4 TSI SE
£879 deposit, 36 payments of £293
What it lacks in brand kudos the Kodiaq makes up in practicality, cabin quality and affordability. Seating for seven, too.
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Jaguar XE 2.0 Ingenium SE
£1815 deposit, 36 payments of £303 (six months upfront)
You will have to put six months’ worth of payments down as a deposit rather than three, but it is very possible to get yourself into a Jaguar saloon for a whisker over £300 a month. The XE is a handsome machine with class-leading ride and handling and a good cabin, although rear legroom and boot space are compromised compared to some of its rivals.
Rated at 197bhp, the turbocharged petrol engine returns very good performance while also being impressively refined. Overall, the XE ticks so many boxes for such reasonable outlay that you have to wonder what more a buyer could need.
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Audi A3 Saloon 1.5 TFSI Sport
£811 deposit, 36 payments of £270
There is a whiff of My First Executive Car about the A3 Saloon and it doesn’t have the same cavernous load space as the A3 Sportback upon which it based, but it will be a rarer sight on our roads it you might also say it’s better-looking, too. Like its hatchback counterpart it has an excellent cabin and it is every bit as impressive to drive.
With 148bhp the 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine returns brisk performance and, if you drive with a reasonably light right foot, decent fuel economy, too. It is also the cheapest way into a premium saloon.
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Ford Mondeo 1.5 EcoBoost Zetec Edition
£849 deposit, 36 payments of £283
Short on prestige but long on practicality and refinement on the motorway. Still good to drive on a decent road, too.
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Vauxhall Insignia Grand Sport 1.6 Turbo D ecoTec
£741 deposit, 36 payments of £247
Excelling in terms of long-distance comfort, value and interior space, the Insignia is another good-looking modern Vauxhall.
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VW Passat 1.4 TSI 150 GT
£766 deposit, 36 payments of £255
The Passat may be a workhorse, but there is still plenty to appreciate in its cabin quality, standard kit and sophisticated dynamics.
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Skoda Superb 2.0 TDI
£762 deposit, 36 payments of £254
Superb may be a stretch, but Skoda’s flagship model has lots to commend it (even though it is, technically, a hatchback).
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Fun Cars: Ford Fiesta ST
£1756 deposit, 48 payments of £293 (six months upfront)
Replacing the extraordinary Mk 7-based Fiesta ST with a new model must have felt like one of the more daunting tasks Ford had faced in recent times, but the Blue Oval pulled it off. Every bit as fun to drive as the model it replaces, the new Fiesta ST is now more grown-up, too.
To bring the monthly payments down below £300 you’ll have to sign up to a four year contract and put down six months upfront. That doesn’t seem like too much to ask for a car that we’ve described as ‘a barrel load of fun’.
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VW Golf GTI
£1699 deposit, 36 payments of £283 (six months upfront)
Blending performance, entertaining handling, refinement, cabin quality and badge appeal in one very affordable package, the Golf GTI is arguably the most complete car on sale right now. The model offered here doesn’t come equipped with the limited-slip differential and power boost of the uprated Golf GTI Performance, but that should only be of consequence to the most exacting of driving enthusiasts.
This lease contract does demand six months’ worth of payments upfront, but the monthly fees themselves comfortably dip below the £300 mark. If you need a practical car but don’t want to hand in your petrolhead membership card, the GTI is hard to beat.
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Mini Cooper Convertible
£666 deposit, 36 payments of £222
The hot Cooper S is just out of budget, but the Cooper model is fun to drive and very desirable nonetheless.
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Abarth 124 Spider 1.4 T Multiair
£1774 deposit, 36 payments of £296 (six months upfront)
Not quite as well-rounded as the redoubtable MX-5, the 124 Spider instead majors on harder-edged dynamics.
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Mazda MX-5 2.0 SE-L Nav
£789 deposit, 36 payments of £263
For so long the go-to affordable sports car, the MX-5 is good to drive without being a dynamic superstar.
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Audi TT Roadster 1.8 T FSI Sport
£1786 deposit, 48 payments of £298 (six months upfront)
It lacks the handling poise of a purpose-built sports car, but the TT Roadster is way ahead in terms of usability.
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Electric/hybrid: Renault Zoe Dynamique Nav 92
£1829 deposit, 48 payments of £305. (8000 miles per year, six months upfront)
The cost of electric cars is going down and the distance they can cover between charges is going up, but the improvements so far have been frustratingly incremental rather than wholesale. It’ll be a while yet before the majority of buyers feel the technology and the infrastructure that supports it is ready for them to make the switch, but the latest Zoe shows progress is being made; it will cover 160 miles on a single charge, up from around 100.
This lease deal will limit you to 8000 miles per year and, like all six cars here, it is over a four year term.
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Nissan Leaf Acenta
£874 deposit, 48 payments of £291 (8000 miles per year)
The second-generation Leaf has more power and torque than the model it replaces, improved range and more distinctive styling, but it’s actually slightly cheaper to buy. The cabin quality is better now, too, although it still isn’t well-finished as it should be given the cost.
The Leaf is brilliant to drive around town, it has a comfortable ride quality and there’s even a degree of agility out on the open road. You should reckon on a range of 170 miles or so in the real world, which will be more than enough for the vast majority of journeys.
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Hyundai Ioniq Electric Premium
£1656 deposit, 48 payments of £276 (8000 miles per year, six month upfront)
With a claimed range of 174 miles and practicality on its side, the Ioniq is a worthy alternative to established EVs.
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Toyota Prius Hatchback 1.8 VVTi Active
£1499 deposit, 48 payments of £250 (six months upfront)
The latest Prius is the most conventional to drive, as well as being the most refined version yet. Good value, too.
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Kia Soul Hatchback EV
£1828 deposit, 48 payments of £305 (8000 miles per year, six months upfront)
The Soul’s distinctive styling helps it to stand out, but in most other measure it falls short of the class best.
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Kia Optima 2.0 GDi PHEV
£1818 deposit, 48 payments of £303 (8000 miles per year, six months upfront)
Hardly the last word in dynamic ability, the Optima PHEV nonetheless feels upmarket and refined, with decent cabin quality.
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Expert Leasing Advice
The British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association is the UK trade body for companies engaged in car leasing. It ensures its members adhere to the highest standards of professional conduct. Here are its top car leasing tips:
1. Do your homework. Are you looking at personal or business contracts? The latter will not include VAT and will only be available to business users.
2. Understand the contract length. Most are 24, 36 or 48 months in duration. You’ll see figures such as ‘3+36’ or ‘6+48’. The second number refers to the contract length, while the first refers to the multiples of the monthly cost you’ll pay upfront as a non-refundable deposit.
3. Do you want a maintained contract? On top of the monthly rental fee, you can also choose to pay an additional amount to cover vehicle maintenance. This will take care of routine servicing as well as the cost of consumables, such as tyres, plus replacement parts.
4. Understand the mileage limit. It’s tempting to sign up to a low annual limit to reduce the monthly fee, but if you exceed it you’ll pay a penalty. This may be as little as 5p per mile, but could be considerably more.
5. You do not own the vehicle. Leasing is a form of rental, which means the car is owned by the leasing company. If you want to fit a tow bar, for instance, you’ll need to get permission. You’ll also need a VE103 certificate to prove you’re entitled to drive the car in Europe.
6. Hand the car back in a reasonable condition. If the car shows excessive wear and tear at the end of the agreement, you may face further charges. Be present when the vehicle is inspected to ensure it is being fairly assessed.
7. Check for the BVRLA logo for assurance the company in question meets the body’s standards.
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Subscription Services
As an alternative to traditional car leasing and finance contracts, several manufacturers have launched their own subscription services. Jaguar, Land Rover, Volvo, BMW, Mini, Porsche and a handful of others now offer subscription schemes, all with slightly different advantages. Mostly, these services are geared around flexibility and convenience.
Jaguar Land Rover’s version, named Carpe, is aimed at drivers who cover very high miles and would therefore be penalised by a conventional lease contract. The scheme starts at £910 per month over a fixed 12 month term, for which you get a Jaguar E-Pace. For £2200 per month you can drive a Range Rover Sport.
What distinguishes this scheme from a lease arrangement is the absence of any upfront deposit. Just about every conceivable running cost other than fuel - such as road tax, insurance, maintenance, servicing, roadside assistance, recovery and, if necessary, a replacement car - is covered, too. Carpe offers no option to change your car during the 12 month term.
The annual cost of an E-Pace through Carpe is £10,920. A hefty sum, certainly, although the same car would cost around £5520 per year on a traditional lease deal once the deposit and monthly rental fees have been paid. That’s before you’ve forked out for maintenance, servicing, insurance and any excess mileage costs. You would also be tied into a four year contract, rather than a 12 month one.
Other schemes offer further benefits, such as Volvo’s, which allows you to borrow a different Volvo model for short periods, should you be taking the family away on holiday, for instance. It starts at £629 per month over two years for an XC40.
Porsche’s pilot scheme, named Porsche Passport and so far only operational in Atlanta, Georgia, allows you to switch between its various models on a weekly basis. The entry-level cost is $2000 (£1510) per month.
The headline cost of these subscription services is hard to ignore, but, nonetheless, car manufacturers are confident that more and more of us will sign up to them in the coming years, seduced by the convenience and flexibility.
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