Range Rover Sport 

Lexus RX

Audi Q8 e-tron

Audi A3 Saloon

Peugeot 5008

Mercedes GLC

Lexus NX

Dacia Jogger

10-best-cars-for-less-than-pound350-per-month

This type of financing is great, because it allows you to buy a new car that you might otherwise have been unable to afford.

A monthly budget of £350 for a new car is achievable for many of us, and the good news is that, you can end up driving some of the best new cars on the market for that sort of money.

This list of our top buys has been compiled using our Target Price research, which shows you the most you should pay for a new car. Each of these deals is based on a deposit of 15% of the value of the car, combined with the manufacturer's finance discount contribution (if there is one). All deals are for four years (unless otherwise stated), with a limit of 10,000 miles per year.

Editor's note: Images are purely illustrative and may not reflect specified trim levels

Slideshow story - please click right-hand arrow above to continue

These days, the majority of new car purchases are made on personal contract purchase (PCP) deals. 

One of the greatest success stories in the car world of recent decades is Skoda’s rise to become a hugely credible mainstream maker of good-value, good-sense cars.

Central to that success has been its place within the VW Group, alongside the Volkswagen brand itself, plus the likes of Seat and Audi. That has given it access to exactly the same underpinnings for its cars as the other brands, and it has complemented this by adding its own developments, from the way the cars drive and ride through to the features they have and the pricing.

The result is a range that extends from a city car to a large executive saloon, with family and large seven-seat SUVs too. There’s a wide variety of petrol and diesel engines, all of which are competitive for the class.

As a result, Skoda has a range of cars that is almost entirely class-leading or among the class leaders, and it has enjoyed long-time success at the What Car? Awards as a result.

SKODA

KODIAQ

Target Price cost per month: £318

Target Price: £31,158

The deal: 4 years PCP finance with 3.9% APR and a finance contribution of £2750

The Kodiaq is proof that getting a large SUV with space for up to seven people need not cost the Earth. This is Skoda's largest SUV, and it's supremely practical inside while also offering excellent value for money.

10: Skoda Kodiaq 2.0 TDI SE L 4x4 5dr DSG [7 Seat]

The 2.0-litre diesel engine you get here has 148bhp on tap, and that's enough to haul you around with little drama, even if all seven seats are filled.

10: Skoda Kodiaq - interior

Nissan turned up early to the SUV party, with its Qashqai paving the way for the countless models we see today. The Qashqai continues to sell in big numbers in the UK, too, and was also our overall Car of the Year in 2014.

Don’t think Nissan is just about SUVs, though. As well as the Qashqai, the smaller Juke and the larger X-Trail, the Japanese brand has the Micra hatchback, GT-R sports car and Navara pick-up truck.

Nissan was also one of the first big car makers to launch a fully electric car, with its latest Leaf being one of the best on the market.

Despite being based in Japan, Nissan has long committed to building cars in the UK, making several of its best-selling models at a huge factory in Sunderland.

NISSAN

QASHQAI

Target Price cost per month: £314

Target Price: £27,664

The deal: 4 years PCP finance with 4.99% APR and a finance contribution of £2250

Arguably, the Qashqai is the car that started the family SUV revolution, and even though the Range Rover Evoque, Peugeot 3008 and Volvo XC40 are better all-rounders today, the Qashqai is still very recommendable.

9: Nissan Qashqai 1.3 DiG-T 160 Tekna+ 5dr DCT auto

This 1.3-litre petrol engine is gutsy and economical, making it the best bet for most buyers, and N-Connecta trim gets you part-leather trim, privacy glass and larger alloy wheels than Acenta Premium versions.

9: Nissan Qashqai - interior

The VW Group famously spends more money on research and development than any rival – and as a result, perhaps it should be no surprise that our testers rate its cars so consistently highly.

The fact that many of those cars use the same underpinnings also helps, because it means that if they get it right once, they have the foundations to keep on getting it right.

However, the Volkswagen brand faces plenty of tough competition, often from within, because the rapidly rising Seat and Skoda brands that are also part of the group have access to the same technology.

VOLKSWAGEN

TOURAN

Target Price cost per month: £300

Target Price: £28,155

The deal: 4 years PCP finance with 2.9% APR and a finance contribution of £1500

Until recently, the Touran was our favourite people carrier.

8: Volkswagen Touran 2.0 TDI SE Family 5dr DSG auto

And even though it loses out to the Citroën Berlingo these days, it remains one of the best on sale, with space for seven people and all of their luggage. This 2.0-litre diesel engine pulls strongly even when the whole family is on board.

8: Volkswagen Touran - interior

Mercedes’ line-up is vast – ranging from the A-Class family hatchback through to staple saloons such as the C-Class and E-Class, and onwards towards multiple SUVs, luxury saloons and even sports cars. Coupés and convertibles are thrown into the mix as well.

As one of the ‘big three’ German brands, Mercedes most often finds itself competing with Audi and BMW but more recently has found itself fending off Jaguar and Volvo, too.

Mercedes models are known for comfort. One example of this is the E-Class, because while the Audi A6 has a plusher interior and the BMW 5 Series handles better, the E-Class is probably the most comfortable for a long motorway journey.

MERCEDES-BENZ

A CLASS

Target Price cost per month: £308

Target Price: £28,138

The deal: 4 years PCP finance with 5.5% APR and a finance contribution of £700

The A-Class is Mercedes' rival to premium hatchbacks including the Audi A3 and BMW 1 Series.

7: Mercedes A-Class A200d AMG Line Executive 5dr Auto

It offers a stunning interior that features a great infotainment system, and is good to drive. It's pricey, though, which is why this discounted deal is worth paying attention to.

7: Mercedes A-Class

Mazda can be summed up in a single word: bold. Not only do its cars generally look like nothing else on the market, but it’s also invested heavily in innovative engine technology.

So, while many car makers have moved to smaller turbocharged engines, Mazda instead offers larger motors that are still efficient. For example, the entry-level petrol option in the Mazda 3 is a 2.0-litre unit –&nbsp;far larger than what you’ll find in most rivals – but it remains very clean.

Highlights of Mazda’s line-up include the MX-5 sports car, which has won our Convertible of the Year Award multiple times, and the CX-5 large SUV, which was named as our inaugural best car for dog owners.

MAZDA

CX-5

Target Price cost per month: £301

Target Price: £27,374

The deal: 42 months PCP finance with 3.9% APR and a finance contribution of £1500

You might think that not having the option of seven seats would be a serious disadvantage for the CX-5 in the large SUV market, but if you don't need to carry seven people it's a fantastic family choice.

6: Mazda CX-5 2.2d Sport Nav+ 5dr [Safety Pack]

This diesel engine is a true workhorse, while SE-L Nav+ models come with every feature you're likely to need, despite being the cheapest option.

6: Mazda CX-5 - interior

Citroën is probably most famous for its quirky design, and the latest cars from the brand live up to this tradition, featuring paintwork-protecting ‘Airbumps’ and eschewing the sporty looks favoured by most rivals.

Indeed, Citroën tends to keep away from sportiness altogether and instead tries to put comfort first.

Value (but not cheapness) is also key to the appeal of most Citroëns. And the company’s range includes everything from small hatchbacks (such as the C1 and C3) to big, family-friendly seven-seaters (the Spacetourer and Grand C4 Spacetourer).

The C3 Aircross SUV is another of its popular models, while a larger C5 Aircross is planned.

CITROEN

BERLINGO

Target Price cost per month: £303

Target Price: £23,298

The deal: 4 years PCP finance with 4.9% APR and a finance contribution of £750

The Berlingo is our reigning champion in the MPV market, and if you need to carry seven passengers while also having space for all of their luggage, little else comes close.

5: Citroën Berlingo 1.5 BlueHDi 130 Flair M 5dr EAT8 auto

It's superbly practical, then, but add in excellent value for money and a gutsy and flexible 1.2-litre petrol engine and it's a truly great choice.

5: Citroën Berlingo - interior

Munich-based BMW is most famous for its sports saloons, in particular the 3 Series and 5 Series. However, it actually builds almost every type of car imaginable: everything from two-seat convertibles to seven-seat MPVs.

The cheapest model in the BMW range is the 1 Series hatchback, which is a rival to the Audi A3, Mercedes-Benz A-Class and Volkswagen Golf. Meanwhile, at the other extreme is the i8 plug-in hybrid sports car, which costs more than £100,000.

BMW was also quick to capitalise on the rise of the SUV and now has six in its range: the X1, X2, X3, X4, X5 and X6.

All of this makes it one of the big three German prestige brands, along with Audi and Mercedes-Benz.

5 SERIES

Target Price cost per month: £324

Target Price: £32,396

The deal: 4 years PCP finance with 3.9% APR and a finance contribution of £2250

When the 5 Series first appeared in 2017, it was so outstanding that it scooped the overall What Car? Car of the Year trophy. Fast forward to today, and it is still impressing us; particularly this 2.0-litre diesel because it's very refined, even under acceleration, and extremely economical.

4: BMW 5 Series 520d MHT SE auto

Even the entry-level SE version comes with plenty of kit with leather seats, LED headlights, and the brilliant iDrive infotainment system with standard sat nav.

4: BMW 5 Series - interior

1 SERIES

Target Price cost per month: £302

Target Price: £27,071

The deal: 4 years PCP finance with 4.9% APR

It may no longer have the unique selling point of being rear-wheel drive, but that doesn't stop the latest BMW 1 Series from still being great to drive.

Nor does it prevent it from having a great range of engines, with the 138bhp 1.5-litre petrol found in this 118i our recommended choice.

3: BMW 1 Series 118i M Sport 5dr [Tech pack 1]

The interior is its stand out feature, though, with plenty of plush materials used throughout and an easy to use infotainment system that's one of the best around.

3: BMW 1 Series - interior

Toyota is a company undergoing a quiet revolution, as it works hard to replace its sensible but somewhat bland reputation with one for being a bit more daring, in areas such as the styling of its cars and its enthusiastic leadership of cutting-edge technology, such as hybrid systems.

That process seems to be working for buyers, with the hugely popular and striking-looking C-HR SUV in particular attracting a great deal of interest. The latest version of the hybrid Prius is also rated highly by What Car?; it’s the first Prius to go on sale that our testers have felt can truly compete all round with existing petrol or diesel rivals.

However, it’s worth noting that this period of transition is also a work in progress, and that many of the firm’s cars are still rated as being no more than average among class rivals by our testers.

TOYOTA

Corolla

Target Price cost per month: £307

Target Price (on the road): £28,939

The deal: 42 months PCP finance with 0% APR

Toyota has just made the Corolla a hybrid-only choice, which is great news for buyers looking for a family car that offers seriously low CO2 emissions and impressive fuel economy.

2: Toyota Corolla 2.0 VVT-i Hybrid Excel 5dr CVT [JBL]

The Corolla also has a comfortable ride, and comes with loads of standard kit.

2: Toyota Corolla - interior

Peugeot has its strongest model line-up for some years, with some of its cars now rated by our testers as being among the very best available.

Highlights focus around the firm’s newest SUVs, the 3008 and 5008. The 5008 was named Large SUV of the Year at the 2018 What Car? Awards, thanks to its appealing blend of space, interior quality and low running costs.

That bodes well for future launches, too, because many of the learnings from these cars will be passed on as new versions of existing cars are launched – something that could take many years, because the Peugeot range is so big, ranging from an entry-level supermini with the 108 to an executive saloon with the 508, up into the SUV range and also vans.

Buyers should evaluate some of the lower-rated cars in the range more carefully, though. Some are now quite old, and are subsequently left behind in terms of quality when compared with the opposition, making them below-average buys, in our estimation.

PEUGEOT

5008

Target Price cost per month: £311

Target Price (on the road): £27,214

The deal: 4 years PCP finance with 5.9% APR

At first glance, a small 1.2-litre petrol engine in a large SUV like this would seem a poor choice, but this punchy petrol revs freely and is comfortably swift, even when all seven seats are filled.

1: Peugeot 5008 Puretech 1.2 Puretech 130 Allure

Allure is our favourite trim level, too. We like the 5008 so much, in fact, that we named it as our 2019 Large SUV of the Year.

We hope you enjoyed this story. To easily access more like it, why not sign up to receive our email newsletter?&nbsp;What Car?&nbsp;is the UK’s biggest car-buying brand and has been helping Britain’s car buyers make purchasing decisions for over 40 years, and the newsletter will keep you up to date with all our latest stories. And signing up takes less than 30 seconds.&nbsp;<a href="https://rebrand.ly/03wiu8">Click here to sign up</a>

1: Peugeot 5008 - interior

10 best cars for less than £350 per month

A new car doesn't have to break the bank, with these stylish SUVs, practical family cars and spacious people carriers all available for less than £350 per month...

10 best cars for less than £350 per month

A new car doesn't have to break the bank, with these stylish SUVs, practical family cars and spacious people carriers all available for less than £350 per month.....

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