Best of
Best cars 2026: the very best cars to buy in the UK reviewed and rated
If you're looking to buy a new car in 2026, this list should be your starting point – from hatchbacks to SUVs, and electric cars to hybrids, these are the best models on sale
Darren Moss
Updated: 14 October 2026
Did you know that the very first issue of What Car? was launched in the middle of a fuel crisis? That's right, in 1978, when the first issue hit shelves, fuel prices were rising due to panic buying and hoarding caused conflict in Iran. Back then, What Car? served to be the antidote to hysteria, offering practical buying advice for drivers regardless of their budget. And while the world has changed a lot since then, that purpose remains the same.
In this story we'll reveal the 10 cars which we think are the best you can buy, regardless of the category they compete in. The short answer is that the Kia Sportage tops our list – its efficient range of engines, comfortable drive and practical interior means it's the best choice for most people.
If that doesn't float your boat, then there are plenty of other options to consider, including the Mercedes GLC Electric and Renault 5.
How we chose the best cars
To find Britain's best cars, our expert team of road testers have driven every new model on the market, both back-to-back against key rivals on public roads, and at our private test track.
As well as assessing what each model is like to drive and how easy they are to live with, we pay special attention to those areas which real buyers tell us are the most important to them, and in this case that's reliability, a comfortable driving position, and the amount of equipment you get as standard.
This story lists the best new cars you can buy in the UK. The list includes cars from all car classes, so SUVs compete with sports cars, and hatchbacks compete with hybrids.
Best cars to buy now – and how to get the best deal
Make and modelBest forWhy it makes our listKia SportageBest for combustion powerExcellent value, smart interior, generous rear spaceMercedes GLC ElectricBest electric SUVGreat ride and handling, superb performance, huge front bootMG4 UrbanBest small electric carVery well priced, more practical than rivals, great safety recordTesla Model 3Best for electric powerFast and reliable charging, long range, surprisingly practicalVolkswagen T-RocBest small SUVComfortable ride, high-set driving position, good boot
If you don't find the car that you want in this list, remember to look at our other category specific lists.
Best small cars
Best small SUVs
Best family cars
Best family SUVs
Best electric cars
Best hot hatches
Best hybrid cars
Best small electric SUVs
Best electric SUVs
Best executive cars
Best sports SUVs
Best luxury SUVs
Best coupés
Best performance cars
What's new?
October 2026: We refresh our list of Britain's best new cars, with new entries including the Mercedes GLC Electric and MG4 Urban.
The What Car? Reliability Survey is live, tell us about your car now
advertisement
scroll for more
Kia Sportage
Best buy: 1.6 h T-GDi Pure Auto Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr
0-62 mph: 7.9 sec
MPG/range: 51.3 mpg
C02 emissions: 125 g/km
Seats: 5
Boot: 587 litres
Insurance group: 23E
Driving
Interior
Practicality
Buying & Owning
Strengths
- Lower-spec models are great value
- Smart interior
- Generous rear leg room and boot space
Weaknesses
- Rear head room compromised with panoramic roof
- No clever rear seat functions
- Auto gearbox feels frustratingly slow with non-hybrid engine
Family SUVs are among the most sought-after cars on sale today, and the latest Kia Sportage is the cream of the crop.
As our reigning Family SUV of the Year, it offers buyers a choice of petrol, hybrid and plug-in hybrid power options – meaning that whether you want to plug it in or not, the Sportage can help to lower your fuel bills.
Our favourite version is the hybrid, which gets you a punchy 1.6-litre engine and an electric motor, combined with a slick six-speed automatic gearbox.
The Sportage is a comfortable choice, too, rounding off all but the biggest potholes. Only the Volvo XC40 does a better job – and that car is a fair amount more expensive. In fact, the starting price for the Kia Sportage roundly undercuts rivals such as the Hyundai Tucson, Mazda CX-5 and Peugeot 3008.
It's not like Kia has skimped on equipment to do that, either, with even entry-level cars getting climate and cruise controls, 17in alloy wheels and an electronic parking brake. And for that reason, we don't think you need to spend more on upgrading from the basic 'Pure' trim.
“Like all Kias, the Sportage comes with the reassurance of a seven-year warranty should anything go wrong. That's not likely, though, because the brand consistently performs well in our annual What Car? Reliability Survey.” – Claire Evans, Consumer Editor
Read our in-depth Kia Sportage review
New car deals
Best price from £27,995
What is What Car? best price?
The What Car? best price shows you the cheapest way to buy your new car, whether it's by choosing an in-stock car through our partner Autotrader or placing a factory order.
Available now from: £27,995
RRP from: £31,395
Nearly new deals
From £22,730
Leasing deals
From £306
About our price indicator
What Car? indicative Personal lease example (subject to status)
Kia Sportage
Expected annual mileage 5000 Term months 36 Deposit months 12 Monthly payment £305.95 Initial payment £3,671.40
Step-by-step
Leasing works a bit like a long-term rental. You drive it, but you don’t own it.
- Choose your car, pick your terms and apply for lease credit online
- Pay monthly rental payments for your chosen term length
- Drive it, enjoy it, then give it back at the end
What you get
When you lease with Autotrader you get all of this:
- Full manufacturer’s warranty
- Road tax and roadside assistance included
- Free returns within 30 days*
Excess mileage charges and return conditions apply. Subject to availability and credit status. 18+ T&Cs apply.
In partnership with
£3,916 total upfront (£3,671 initial rental plus £245 processing fee) | 5000 miles | 36 months
- Lower total monthly cost than PCP/HP
- No balloon payments
- Road tax included
Mercedes GLC Electric
Best buy: GLC250 85kWh Sport Auto2 5dr
0-62 mph: 5.9 sec
Range: 389 miles
Seats: 5
Boot: 520 litres
Insurance group: 50E
Driving
Interior
Practicality
Buying & Owning
Strengths
- Fine ride and handling balance
- Superb performance
- Huge front boot
Weaknesses
- Not the cheapest option
- Some tyre noise at high speeds
- Rear seats don’t do anything clever
It took a mighty effort for the Mercedes GLC Electric to de-throne our Car of the Year, the BMW iX3, but it's a feat that the Mecedes managed nontheless.
For a start, it's faster up to motorway speeds than the BMW. In GLC 400 4Matic form, the 0-60mph sprint takes just 4.1 seconds, which is half a second faster than the iX3 in 50 xDrive form, and on a par with the Audi SQ6 e-tron sports SUV. Even lesser versions of the GLC can manage the same feat in 5.9 seconds. Both versions are limited to a top speed of 130mph.
The iX3 gets the win in pure range stakes, but we dare say that the GLC 400's official 405-mile range should be enough for the needs of most people. In our real-world testing, we think about 350 miles should be possible. And in our testing, the GLC Electric has proven to be even more efficient than the rival Volvo EX60.
Space for your rear passengers is roughly on par with what you'd find in the iX3, which is to say that a couple of taller folk should be able to stretch out without any issues. The boot of the GLC Electric matches its BMW rival, too, offering 520 litres at the rear and an extra 128 litres at the front. It swallowed one more carry-on suitcase than the iX3 in our testing, though, showing that numbers on paper only tell you half the story.
Yes, the GLC Electric will cost you a little more than the iX3 to buy, as well as the equivalent Tesla Model Y, but you do get plenty of standard kit. We'd recommend going for AMG Line trim, which adds sportier front seats and a muscular body kit to help you stand out from the crowd.
"I’m pleased to see Mercedes doing a better job of interior quality. The GLC feels better screwed together than some of the company’s other recent models or an Audi Q6 e-tron, for that matter." – Will Nightingale, Reviews editor
Read our in-depth Mercedes GLC Electric review
New car deals
Best price from £54,495
What is What Car? best price?
The What Car? best price shows you the cheapest way to buy your new car, whether it's by choosing an in-stock car through our partner Autotrader or placing a factory order.
Available now from: £54,495
RRP from: £55,495
Nearly new deals
From £39,990
advertisement
scroll for more
MG4 Urban
Best buy: 53.9kWh Comfort Long Range Auto 5dr
0-62 mph: 9.5 sec
Range: 258 miles
Seats: 5
Boot: 577 litres
Insurance group: 23A
Driving
Interior
Practicality
Buying & Owning
Strengths
- Aggressive pricing and plenty of kit
- Much more practical than similar-priced alternatives
- Five-star Euro NCAP rating
Weaknesses
- Laggy infotainment system
- Peak charging speed isn't that quick
- Suspension noise
The MG4 Urban is the best small electric car you can buy at the moment.
For a start, even the Standard Range model can officially go further on a charge than the equivalent Renault 5, with a range of 201 miles. The Long Range model ups that figure to 258 miles thanks to a bigger 52.8kWh battery, and that's again slightly better than its Renault Rival. In our real-world testing, we think you should expect to see up to 165 miles from the smaller battery, and up to 220 miles from the larger one.
The MG will be more pleasant for a taller rear passenger to spend time in, too, thanks to an abundance of space in the rear seats. There's even a completely flat floor back there, so squeezing three people in side-by-side will be easier than in most small electric car rivals. Plus, the MG4 Urban has a bigger boot than you'd find in many similarly priced alternatives.
Given its many abilities, you might expect the MG4 Urban to cost more than most of its rivals to buy, but with MG offering a guaranteed saving on the list price at the time of writing – to make up for the fact that the car doesn't qualify for any Government grant – it actually undercuts most other cars in this class.
It's not like entry-level versions are left wanting for kit, either. Our recommended Comfort models get 16in wheels, climate control, adaptive cruise control and a heat pump to warm up the car's interior efficiently in colder weather.
“The MG4 Urban has no storage under its bonnet, but I think the big main boot and generous underfloor storage offer more luggage space than most would expect from a car in this price range.” – Will Nightingale, Reviews Editor
Read our in-depth MG4 Urban review
New car deals
Best price from £19,995
What is What Car? best price?
The What Car? best price shows you the cheapest way to buy your new car, whether it's by choosing an in-stock car through our partner Autotrader or placing a factory order.
Available now from: £19,995
RRP from: £23,495
Nearly new deals
From £16,999
Leasing deals
From £258
About our price indicator
What Car? indicative Personal lease example (subject to status)
MG4 Urban
Expected annual mileage 5000 Term months 60 Deposit months 12 Monthly payment £257.85 Initial payment £3,094.20
Step-by-step
Leasing works a bit like a long-term rental. You drive it, but you don’t own it.
- Choose your car, pick your terms and apply for lease credit online
- Pay monthly rental payments for your chosen term length
- Drive it, enjoy it, then give it back at the end
What you get
When you lease with Autotrader you get all of this:
- Full manufacturer’s warranty
- Road tax and roadside assistance included
- Free returns within 30 days*
Excess mileage charges and return conditions apply. Subject to availability and credit status. 18+ T&Cs apply.
In partnership with
£3,339 total upfront (£3,094 initial rental plus £245 processing fee) | 5000 miles | 60 months
- Lower total monthly cost than PCP/HP
- No balloon payments
- Road tax included
Tesla Model 3
Best buy: 84.7kWh Premium Long Range Auto 4dr
0-62 mph: 5.2 sec
Range: 466 miles
Seats: 5
Boot: 594 litres
Insurance group: 37D
Driving
Interior
Practicality
Buying & Owning
Strengths
- Fast and reliable charging via Tesla's Supercharger network
- Long range between charges
- Surprisingly practical
Weaknesses
- Fiddly interior controls
- Handling not as entertaining as the best petrol-powered rivals
- Windscreen pillars can hamper visibility
Like a lot of the cars on this list, the all-electric Tesla Model 3 comes with a number of accolades – it's our favourite executive car and company car.
Winning two of our current best-for categories is no small feat, but the breadth of the Model 3's talents is very broad indeed. Even in entry-level rear-wheel drive form, the Model 3 is quick – beating the Hyundai Ioniq 6 to 60mph in our tests, and matching the entry-level BMW i4 and BYD Seal.
Then there's the range. RWD models have an official range of 318 miles between charges, while Long Range models can take you 390 miles. And while it's worth taking those figures with a pinch of salt, the Long Range model still managed 293 miles in cold conditions in our real-world winter range test. Indeed, it's the Long Range RWD model which is our favourite.
When you do need to plug in, Tesla's super-fast and super-reliable Supercharger network is the best in the business – and it's recently been upgraded to allow non-Tesla cars to charge using its stations too.
Tesla's minimalist interior design, which sees almost every function being controlled through the central touchscreen, won't be to everyone's taste, but the system is quick to respond and offers lots of features. And while your rear passengers will be slightly more comfortable in a Volkswagen ID 7, the space the Model 3 offers will be fine for most people, most of the time.
“While I did eventually get used to them, Tesla's haptic buttons on its steering wheel, which you use to control functions like the indicators, windscreen wipers and cruise control, feels like a solution to a problem which shouldn't exist.” – Will Nightingale, Reviews Editor
Read our in-depth Tesla Model 3 review
New car deals
Best price from £37,990
What is What Car? best price?
The What Car? best price shows you the cheapest way to buy your new car, whether it's by choosing an in-stock car through our partner Autotrader or placing a factory order.
Available now from: £39,290
RRP from: £37,990
Nearly new deals
From £43,695
Leasing deals
From £498
About our price indicator
What Car? indicative Personal lease example (subject to status)
Tesla Model 3
Expected annual mileage 5000 Term months 60 Deposit months 12 Monthly payment £498.33 Initial payment £5,979.96
Step-by-step
Leasing works a bit like a long-term rental. You drive it, but you don’t own it.
- Choose your car, pick your terms and apply for lease credit online
- Pay monthly rental payments for your chosen term length
- Drive it, enjoy it, then give it back at the end
What you get
When you lease with Autotrader you get all of this:
- Full manufacturer’s warranty
- Road tax and roadside assistance included
- Free returns within 30 days*
Excess mileage charges and return conditions apply. Subject to availability and credit status. 18+ T&Cs apply.
In partnership with
£6,225 total upfront (£5,980 initial rental plus £245 processing fee) | 5000 miles | 60 months
- Lower total monthly cost than PCP/HP
- No balloon payments
- Road tax included
advertisement
scroll for more
Volkswagen T-Roc
Best buy: 1.5 eTSI MHEV Life DSG Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr
0-62 mph: 8.9 sec
MPG/range: 50.4 mpg
C02 emissions: 128 g/km
Seats: 5
Boot: 475 litres
Insurance group: 18E
Driving
Interior
Practicality
Buying & Owning
Strengths
- Comfortable ride and quiet on the motorway
- High-set driving position for a small SUV
- Good-size boot by class standards
Weaknesses
- Touch-sensitive interior controls can be fiddly
- Upper trims are costly
- Not as fun to drive as some of its rivals
The previous Volkswagen T-Roc was one of our favourite small SUVs, because it combined a generous amount of space with the kind of big-car feeling you'd expect from a larger model. And the latest T-Roc picks up right where the old one left off.
It's available with three petrol engines, all of which come with mild hybrid technology – meaning you get small amounts of electrical assistance to help keep your running costs sensible. Our favourite is the mid-range 148bhp 1.5-litre engine, which can sprint up to 60mph in less time than a Lexus LBX. The ride is comfortable, being more supple than the Ford Puma and soaking up most bumps exceptionally well. And while the Puma is the more engaging car to thread along a country road, the T-Roc's light and accurate steering make it engaging.
Inside, the T-Roc feels like it's been well screwed together, and the materials feel like a step above what you'd find in a Puma or Renault Captur. You don't need to step above entry-level Life trim to get all of the kit you'll want, either, because that comes with 16in alloy wheels, two-zone climate control and adaptive cruise control as standard.
“I like that you get a ski hatch and the ability to fold the front passenger seat down. It means you can fit really long loads in the T-Roc." – Lawrence Cheung, New Cars Editor
Read our in-depth Volkswagen T-Roc review
New car deals
Best price from £27,200
What is What Car? best price?
The What Car? best price shows you the cheapest way to buy your new car, whether it's by choosing an in-stock car through our partner Autotrader or placing a factory order.
Available now from: £27,200
RRP from: £31,990
Nearly new deals
From £20,980
Leasing deals
From £260
About our price indicator
What Car? indicative Personal lease example (subject to status)
Volkswagen T-Roc
Expected annual mileage 5000 Term months 24 Deposit months 12 Monthly payment £259.60 Initial payment £3,115.20
Step-by-step
Leasing works a bit like a long-term rental. You drive it, but you don’t own it.
- Choose your car, pick your terms and apply for lease credit online
- Pay monthly rental payments for your chosen term length
- Drive it, enjoy it, then give it back at the end
What you get
When you lease with Autotrader you get all of this:
- Full manufacturer’s warranty
- Road tax and roadside assistance included
- Free returns within 30 days*
Excess mileage charges and return conditions apply. Subject to availability and credit status. 18+ T&Cs apply.
In partnership with
£3,360 total upfront (£3,115 initial rental plus £245 processing fee) | 5000 miles | 24 months
- Lower total monthly cost than PCP/HP
- No balloon payments
- Road tax included
BMW X7
Best buy: 3.0 40i MHT M Sport Auto xDrive Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr
0-62 mph: 5.8 sec
MPG/range: 29.1 mpg
C02 emissions: 220 g/km
Seats: 7
Boot: 300 litres
Insurance group: 50E
Driving
Interior
Practicality
Buying & Owning
Strengths
- Supremely quiet and comfortable
- Incredibly spacious and practical
- Fabulous interior quality
Weaknesses
- There are cheaper alternatives
- Looks won’t be to all tastes
- No plug-in hybrid or electric option
However you choose to define luxury, the BMW X7 comes out on top.
If luxury to you means sumptuous materials and lots of tech, then the X7's graphically rich infotainment system, plush materials and stellar build quality will have you impressed.
Alternatively, if luxury means having all the room you could want to stretch out, then we'd ask you to sit in the X7's front or middle seats, which offer exactly the sort of first-class experience you'd expect. And even better, should you need to carry two more passengers, the X7's rearmost seats will be fine for a couple of six-footers, and they'll have more head room than they would in the rival Range Rover.
Perhaps luxury means the abundance of choice? Well, the X7 can be had with petrol or diesel power, with the former offering up to 523bhp in range-topping M60i form. And while the diesel option is a good choice for high-mileage drivers, we think most buyers will be best served by the 40i petrol, which offers punchy acceleration and decent fuel economy.
Elsewhere, the X7's standard-fit air suspension does a fine job of soaking up the lumps and bumps of battered British roads, and despite its hefty weight, the X7 feels more gainly through bends than the Land Rover Discovery or Mercedes GLS.
“M Sport trim is only slightly more expensive than entry-level Excellence, but its extra desirability means that you should get more of your money back when you come to sell it on. It also means the monthly PCP finance cost isn't that much higher.” – John Howell, Deputy Reviews Editor
Read our in-depth BMW X7 review
New car deals
Best price from £83,290
What is What Car? best price?
The What Car? best price shows you the cheapest way to buy your new car, whether it's by choosing an in-stock car through our partner Autotrader or placing a factory order.
Available now from: £83,290
RRP from: £93,280
Nearly new deals
From £69,699
Leasing deals
From £1,192
About our price indicator
What Car? indicative Personal lease example (subject to status)
BMW X7
Expected annual mileage 5000 Term months 48 Deposit months 12 Monthly payment £1,191.50 Initial payment £14,298.00
Step-by-step
Leasing works a bit like a long-term rental. You drive it, but you don’t own it.
- Choose your car, pick your terms and apply for lease credit online
- Pay monthly rental payments for your chosen term length
- Drive it, enjoy it, then give it back at the end
What you get
When you lease with Autotrader you get all of this:
- Full manufacturer’s warranty
- Road tax and roadside assistance included
- Free returns within 30 days*
Excess mileage charges and return conditions apply. Subject to availability and credit status. 18+ T&Cs apply.
In partnership with
£14,543 total upfront (£14,298 initial rental plus £245 processing fee) | 5000 miles | 48 months
- Lower total monthly cost than PCP/HP
- No balloon payments
- Road tax included
advertisement
scroll for more
Kia EV3
Best buy: Standard Range 58.3kWh Air Auto 5dr
0-62 mph: 7.5 sec
Range: 270 miles
Seats: 5
Boot: 460 litres
Insurance group: 33D
Driving
Interior
Practicality
Buying & Owning
Strengths
- Well-equipped for the price
- Long range (especially in the, er, Long Range)
- Comfortable ride
Weaknesses
- Rivals have more versatile rear seats
- Not very agile
- List price is higher than some rivals
Our reigning Small Electric SUV of the Year, the Kia EV3, is a top choice if you want to go electric but still want the practicality of an SUV – indeed, you'll find that your rear passengers have more room to stretch out than they would in the rival Jeep Avenger Electric, Mini Countryman and Volvo EX30. Plus, there'll be more space for your luggage than in most rivals.
No matter which EV3 you go for, you'll get a 201bhp electric motor driving the front wheels, but depending on whether you go for the Standard Range or Long Range model, you'll get ranges varying from 270-375 miles. Given that even the Standard Range beats the ranges offered by some rivals, it's the one we'd recommend you go for. And when you do need to charge, a 10-80% top-up could take as little as half an hour if you find a suitably quick charging point. In any case, the Standard Range's 100kW maximum charging rate matches that of the Hyundai Kona Electric.
The EV3's relatively soft suspension setup delivers a plush ride around town, and a smooth experience on the motrway. No version is especially agile, though – this is an electric SUV geared more towards comfort than thrills. There's more body lean through corners than either the EX30 or Skoda Elroq, and the nose dives noticably when you hit the brakes.
“I value usability over a slick interface, so I was pleased to see that the EV3 features physical buttons for its climate control – that's not something you get on the Skoda Elroq or Volvo EX30.” – George Hill, Reviewer
Read our in-depth Kia EV3 review
New car deals
Best price from £31,495
What is What Car? best price?
The What Car? best price shows you the cheapest way to buy your new car, whether it's by choosing an in-stock car through our partner Autotrader or placing a factory order.
Available now from: £31,495
RRP from: £33,055
Nearly new deals
From £27,895
Leasing deals
From £321
About our price indicator
What Car? indicative Personal lease example (subject to status)
Kia EV3
Expected annual mileage 5000 Term months 48 Deposit months 12 Monthly payment £320.69 Initial payment £3,848.28
Step-by-step
Leasing works a bit like a long-term rental. You drive it, but you don’t own it.
- Choose your car, pick your terms and apply for lease credit online
- Pay monthly rental payments for your chosen term length
- Drive it, enjoy it, then give it back at the end
What you get
When you lease with Autotrader you get all of this:
- Full manufacturer’s warranty
- Road tax and roadside assistance included
- Free returns within 30 days*
Excess mileage charges and return conditions apply. Subject to availability and credit status. 18+ T&Cs apply.
In partnership with
£4,093 total upfront (£3,848 initial rental plus £245 processing fee) | 5000 miles | 48 months
- Lower total monthly cost than PCP/HP
- No balloon payments
- Road tax included
Hyundai Santa Fe
Driving
Interior
Practicality
Buying & Owning
Strengths
- Outstanding seven-seat practicality
- Comfortable and quiet at speed
- Long warranty
Weaknesses
- PHEV’s underwhelming electric-only range
- Not the quickest or most agile seven seater
- Some rivals are even cheaper
It's rare to find a car with a breadth of talents which are as wide as the Hyundai Santa Fe – but then again, this is a very big car to begin with.
No matter which seat you end up in, you'll find that you've got plenty of head and leg room to stretch out. Indeed, even though space in the middle row is vast, the third row is still amazingly spacious, especially relative to other seven-seaters such as the Mazda CX-80 and Peugeot 5008. And here, the same boxy styling which might have heads turning as you drive by ensures that even taller adults will have good head room in the rear.
Up front, drivers will appreciate the Santa Fe's terrific driving position, which places you high above the road and offers you plenty of adjustment to get comfortable. It also affords you a great view out of the car, with big wing mirrors and a good view out of the back – helped by a rear-view mirror which doubles as a screen to show a camera feed of what's behind you on some models.
There are only two choices of engine in the Santa Fe, a 1.6-litre hybrid, or the same engine with plug-in hybrid power. Both should help to lower your fuel bills compared with a purely combustion-engined car, but it's worth noting that no version feels especially quick.
“I recently spent a long journey in the Santa Fe, and because it comes with the brand's Relaxation Seats, which recline right back and include a leg rest, it was one of the most comfortable passenger experiences in recent memory.” – Lawrence Cheung, New Cars Editor
Read our in-depth Hyundai Santa Fe review
New car deals
Best price from £37,585
What is What Car? best price?
The What Car? best price shows you the cheapest way to buy your new car, whether it's by choosing an in-stock car through our partner Autotrader or placing a factory order.
Available now from: £37,585
RRP from: £49,185
Nearly new deals
From £37,490
Leasing deals
From £454
About our price indicator
What Car? indicative Personal lease example (subject to status)
Hyundai Santa Fe
Expected annual mileage 5000 Term months 36 Deposit months 12 Monthly payment £453.82 Initial payment £5,445.84
Step-by-step
Leasing works a bit like a long-term rental. You drive it, but you don’t own it.
- Choose your car, pick your terms and apply for lease credit online
- Pay monthly rental payments for your chosen term length
- Drive it, enjoy it, then give it back at the end
What you get
When you lease with Autotrader you get all of this:
- Full manufacturer’s warranty
- Road tax and roadside assistance included
- Free returns within 30 days*
Excess mileage charges and return conditions apply. Subject to availability and credit status. 18+ T&Cs apply.
In partnership with
£5,691 total upfront (£5,446 initial rental plus £245 processing fee) | 5000 miles | 36 months
- Lower total monthly cost than PCP/HP
- No balloon payments
- Road tax included
advertisement
scroll for more
BMW M3
Driving
Interior
Practicality
Buying & Owning
Strengths
- Staggering pace and grip
- Surprisingly comfortable ride
- High-quality interior
Weaknesses
- M3 Competition doesn’t sound that special
- Pricey to buy
- As expensive to run as you'd expect
You might be surprised to see a barn-storming performance car like the BMW M3 make our list of the very best new cars you can buy, but when you consider just how fantastic the M3 is, especially in Touring form, it's a no-brainer.
Let's start with the engine, because it's an absolute peach. Most versions offer 523bhp, while the M3 CS Touring which we recommend ups that figure to 543bhp, allowing you to take the 0-62mph sprint in just 3.5 seconds. That's about the same time as a Porsche 911 Carrera 4S.
Then there's the incredible amount of customisation available to M3 drivers through the car's extensive infotainment system. You can specify a frankly overwhelming number of characteristics about your car, from the sensitivity of the brakes to the loudness of the exhaust. And once you find the combination of settings which suits you perfectly, you won't want to stop driving.
The Touring is the one to go for if you also want practicality from your performance car, because it has plenty of space for six-footers to relax in the rear seats, a more user-friendly hatchback boot opening than the M3 Saloon, and an extra 20 litres of load space – taking the total boot space to 500 litres. That means your holiday suitcases won't be a problem.
"I found it really useful that the BMW M3 Touring’s rear window can be opened independently of the tailgate. It makes it really easy to quickly pop it open and grab smaller items." - Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer
Read our in-depth BMW M3 review
New car deals
Best price from £78,999
What is What Car? best price?
The What Car? best price shows you the cheapest way to buy your new car, whether it's by choosing an in-stock car through our partner Autotrader or placing a factory order.
Available now from: £78,999
RRP from: £91,485
Nearly new deals
From £70,000
Leasing deals
From £1,242
About our price indicator
What Car? indicative Personal lease example (subject to status)
BMW M3
Expected annual mileage 5000 Term months 60 Deposit months 12 Monthly payment £1,242.14 Initial payment £14,905.68
Step-by-step
Leasing works a bit like a long-term rental. You drive it, but you don’t own it.
- Choose your car, pick your terms and apply for lease credit online
- Pay monthly rental payments for your chosen term length
- Drive it, enjoy it, then give it back at the end
What you get
When you lease with Autotrader you get all of this:
- Full manufacturer’s warranty
- Road tax and roadside assistance included
- Free returns within 30 days*
Excess mileage charges and return conditions apply. Subject to availability and credit status. 18+ T&Cs apply.
In partnership with
£15,151 total upfront (£14,906 initial rental plus £245 processing fee) | 5000 miles | 60 months
- Lower total monthly cost than PCP/HP
- No balloon payments
- Road tax included
Skoda Superb Estate
Best buy: 1.5 TSI e-TEC MHEV SE Technology DSG Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr
0-62 mph: 9.3 sec
MPG/range: 56.5 mpg
C02 emissions: 118 g/km
Seats: 5
Boot: 690 litres
Insurance group: 23E
Driving
Interior
Practicality
Buying & Owning
Strengths
- Hugely spacious boot and interior
- Comfortable on adaptive (DCC) suspension
- Well equipped and priced – PHEV makes a cheap company car
Weaknesses
- Grabby brakes on the PHEV
- Interior quality not the best in places
- 3 Series Touring is more fun to drive
Welcome to business class. You see, if you're looking for a car which can soak up motorway miles, while offering space and comfort for your passengers, pets, and anything else you might want to bring with you, then nothing does it better than a Skoda Superb Estate.
Go for a car fitted with Dynamic Chassis Control Plus (DCC), which is standard on top-end trims and optional elsewhere, and you'll have one of the plushest rides of any car. It's very customisable, too, so you can adapt the Superb Estate to whatever type of road you're on.
These days, you can have the Superb Estate with petrol, diesel or plug-in hybrid power. The diesels are incredible workhorses for towing, while the plug-in hybrids are the best options for company car drivers. But for private buyers, we reckon the mid-range 1.5-litre petrol is the best option. It combines plenty of pep with mild hybrid technology to help lower your fuel bills, and is quiet and smooth when you put your foot down.
The Superb Estate's driving position is supremely comfortable, and while the interior doesn't have the pizzazz of some premium estates, it's full of useful kit. The materials aren't quite up to the standard of the closely related Volkswagen Passat or the costlier, but should stand up to family life well.
Where the Superb Estate shines is in the back, where you can fit three passengers side-by-side more comfortably than you can in most other estate cars. And then there's the boot, which at 690 litres in non-PHEV versions is, well, massive. It's bigger than what you get in a BMW 5 Series Touring, Mercedes E-Class Estate or Toyota Corolla Touring Sports.
"With vast space on offer, you'd have to be transporting something or someone truly colossal for it to not fit inside the Superb Estate. I didn't come close to filling it up." – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer
Read our in-depth Skoda Superb Estate review
New car deals
Best price from £38,060
What is What Car? best price?
The What Car? best price shows you the cheapest way to buy your new car, whether it's by choosing an in-stock car through our partner Autotrader or placing a factory order.
Available now from: £38,060
RRP from: £38,430
Nearly new deals
From £26,495
Leasing deals
From £274
About our price indicator
What Car? indicative Personal lease example (subject to status)
Skoda Superb Estate
Expected annual mileage 5000 Term months 24 Deposit months 12 Monthly payment £273.78 Initial payment £3,285.36
Step-by-step
Leasing works a bit like a long-term rental. You drive it, but you don’t own it.
- Choose your car, pick your terms and apply for lease credit online
- Pay monthly rental payments for your chosen term length
- Drive it, enjoy it, then give it back at the end
What you get
When you lease with Autotrader you get all of this:
- Full manufacturer’s warranty
- Road tax and roadside assistance included
- Free returns within 30 days*
Excess mileage charges and return conditions apply. Subject to availability and credit status. 18+ T&Cs apply.
In partnership with
£3,530 total upfront (£3,285 initial rental plus £245 processing fee) | 5000 miles | 24 months
- Lower total monthly cost than PCP/HP
- No balloon payments
- Road tax included
And the worst car...
KGM Tivoil
This small SUV gives you plenty of standard kit and a relatively long warranty, but it's inefficient and sloppy to drive, and the infotainment system is unintuitive to use.
Read our review
How to choose the best car for you
With dozens of car makers offering hundreds of different models, choosing the best car for you can be a minefield. And that’s before you consider the myriad trims available, plus countless options, paint colours and interior fabrics.
But whittling that long list of cars into something more manageable isn’t all that difficult if you ask yourself the right questions…
Think about how much you’re able to spend
Your budget should be the first thing you consider – because it could rule out swathes of models. But as around 90% of new car buyers make their purchase using some form of finance, the list price can often be considered more as an indicator of cost rather than an absolute sum.
That’s because, clearly, the more a car costs, the more you’ll pay on finance. But there are many factors which influence the actual amount you’ll hand over each month. All of that is a long-winded way of saying work out what you can afford to pay each month – understanding those regular £300 payments are far more important than worrying about dipping into your savings to find £30,000.
There are different ways to finance your car, too:
Personal contract purchase (PCP) means you’ll lay down a deposit (typically 10% of the car’s purchase price) then make a series of monthly payments. At the end of the agreement, you can pay a further lump sum to keep the car, use excess value in the car as a deposit on a PCP deal for a new car, or hand the car back and walk away. The main advantage is that PCPs provide appealing monthly repayments; the main disadvantage is that if you decide not to keep the car, it may cost you more in total than a car lease.
Hire purchase (HP) is easier to understand: you pay a deposit and regular monthly payments until the car is paid off. On the plus side, it means you’ll own the car once the final payment is made, however, because you’re paying off the entire cost of the car, those monthlies can be more expensive.
Car leasing is effectively long-term rental, where you make a few months of upfront payments, followed by a series of monthly sums. As you’re not able to keep the car at the end of the agreement, you simply hand it back and take out a new agreement. The main advantage is that the initial deposit is far smaller than you’d find with a PCP; the main disadvantages are that they’re relatively inflexible should your circumstances change, and there’s no option to buy the car at the end.
Think about where you’ll drive your car – and over what distance
The size of the car, its bodystyle and the fuel type you choose will largely be governed by how, where and how far you’ll drive it.
Generally speaking, smaller cars are better suited to urban routes because they’re easier to park and can thread through congested traffic more efficiently. Conversely, larger cars are generally better if you’re travelling longer distances, where the amount of space and – often – more supple suspension provides improved comfort.
SUVs offer a higher driving position and often a better view of the road ahead. They’re available in a huge range of sizes, so some are perfect for the urban grind, others are big, bona fide luxury cars – and the family SUV brings the best of both worlds.
Should I choose petrol, diesel, electric or hybrid?
If you believe the headlines, everyone is buying electric cars. And while it’s true they’re being sold in ever-larger numbers, it’s still petrol that powers the UK’s best-selling cars. Petrol remains a known quantity for most drivers, with quick and convenient fill-ups. Yet higher-mileage drivers shouldn’t automatically discount diesel. Despite concerns around local air pollution, diesels emit comparatively low levels of carbon dioxide, and the most economical diesel cars can return stellar fuel economy.
Hybrid cars combine petrol (or occasionally diesel) power with a battery and electric motor. Full hybrids, like the original Toyota Prius, can travel short distances on electric power, but for the most part, the battery and motors reduce the burden on the engine to cut fuel bills. If you want to reduce your fuel bills and can’t charge – or don’t want to – they’re a great option.
Plug-in hybrids are much the same, but their bigger batteries can be charged at home to allow them to drive for as much as 80 miles on electricity alone. You can also use that power to assist the engine, or in some cases, retain charge to allow electric-only motoring in city centres. They’re particularly popular with company car drivers because their official CO2 emissions and fuel consumption are low – however, you’ll need to charge daily to reap these rewards.
Electric cars are a superb choice if you have the means to charge at home (public charging can be costly and less convenient) and don’t often travel huge distances in one sitting. It’s worth noting that almost every EV is capable of more than 100 miles on a charge, and some are able to cover more than 400 miles between stops. EVs are quiet, very easy to live with and if you charge at home (on a good EV tariff) they’re extremely cheap to run.
How much space will you need?
Think about how you use your car today, and how you might use it in the future. If you carry passengers, will they all fit comfortably? If you have – or are planning – a family, can you get your child seats in okay, and is the boot big enough for pushchairs? Similarly, if you have any hobbies which require you to carry equipment, such as golf clubs, skis or bicycles, will they all fit?
But space isn’t just limited to room within: consider the amount of space it’ll take up when parked. If you park on the street in a busy area, a small car will be easier to park. And if you have a driveway or a garage, make sure it’ll fit – the last thing you want is for your new purchase to hang over onto the pavement or be too wide for you to open the door.
Best
News and advice
News
New Fiat Topolino Dolcevita adds open-top thrills to urban quadricycle
Best of
Best seven-seat SUVs 2026 tried & tested – plus the one to avoid
News
Deal of the Day: Lease a Volkswagen T-Cross from £176 per month
Best of
The 10 slowest-depreciating cars in 2026
Sponsored
What Car? Reliability Survey: Most and least reliable small cars
Feature
