Best cars for less than £250 per month

These days, most new car purchases are made using a finance deal, and the most popular way of financing a car is through a personal contract purchase (PCP) deal.

PCP deals are easy to find, and because you're only financing part of the car's value, you can drive away in a model that might otherwise be beyond your budget. Indeed, for £250 a month, you can choose from small cars, family hatchbacks and even some small SUVs.

Here, we count down the top 10 deals from our Target Price research, which reveals the most you should pay for a new car. You'll see the terms of each deal, including the mileage limit, interest rate and any dealer finance contribution listed next to each car.

If you find one you like, simply click on the relevant links to read more or see how much we can save you on a new example that's in stock now.

Model 1.0 EcoBoost Titanium | Target PCP £216 | Target Price (on the road) £18,306 | The deal Three years' PCP finance with 4.90% APR and £1250 finance deposit contribution. Limit of 9000 miles per year

The Ford Fiesta is one of the best small cars around. It's superb to drive, smart inside and very well equipped. Plus, there are plenty of versions to choose from. The Titanium model quoted here is our favourite, bringing automatic wipers, ambient interior lighting and rear parking sensors as standard.

See our latest Ford Fiesta deals or read our full review >>

Model 30 TFSI Sport | Target PCP £231 | Target Price (on the road) £21,750 | The deal Four years' PCP finance with 6.70% APR. Limit of 8000 miles per year

The Audi A1 is a fine small car: it's great to drive, comfortable to sit in and available with lots of big-car options. It's also brilliant value on PCP finance. The Sport trim quoted here is our pick, bringing bigger 16in alloy wheels (which don’t ruin ride comfort), cruise control and rear parking sensors.

See our latest Audi A1 deals or read our full review >>

Model Up GTI | Target PCP £222 | Target Price (on the road) £17,254 | The deal Four years' PCP finance with 5.60% APR and £500 finance deposit contribution. Limit of 10,000 miles per year

The Volkswagen Up GTI is a very entertaining little hot hatch. Its chirpy little three-cylinder engine serves up plenty of performance, and the slick gearbox and precise steering allow you to make the most of its grippy chassis. It's also brilliant value at £222 per month.

See our latest Volkswagen Up GTI deals or read our full review >>

Model 1.0 TSI 95 SE | Target PCP £216 | Target Price (on the road) £17,254 | The deal Four years' PCP finance with 5.90% APR and £1000 finance deposit contribution. Limit of 10,000 miles per year

The Skoda Kamiq is one of the best small SUVs out there. It’s bigger, classier inside and more comfortable than the rival Seat Arona and Volkswagen T-Cross and has some really clever features to help take the stresses out of modern family life. The SE version here comes with lots of kit, including automatic lights, cruise control and an 8.0in infotainment screen.

See our latest Skoda Kamiq deals or read our full review >>

Model 2.0 e-Skyactiv G MHEV SE-L Lux | Target PCP £245 | Target Price (on the road) £21,982 | The deal Four years' PCP finance with 5.40% APR and £1000 finance deposit contribution. Limit of 8000 miles per year

The Mazda 3 has plenty of strengths up its sleeve: it's very well equipped, the infotainment system is great and the interior quality is top-notch. Plus, it's competitively priced and the fuel-efficient e-Skyactiv G engine should be cheap to run.

See our latest Mazda 3 deals or read our full review >>

Model 1.0 TSI 110 Life | Target PCP £241 | Target Price (on the road) £22,657 | The deal Four years' PCP finance with 5.60% APR and £500 finance deposit contribution. Limit of 10,000 miles per year

If you’re looking for a stylish, comfortable and practical SUV, the Volkswagen Taigo could be a great option. It's not as capable or fun as the Ford Puma, but it does give you a superb ride, generous rear passenger space and plenty of toys as standard, especially if you go for the Life trim listed here.

See our latest Volkswagen Taigo deals or read our full review >>

Model 1.5 i-MMD Hybrid SR | Target PCP £225 | Target Price (on the road) £22,657 | The deal Four years' PCP finance with 5.00% APR. Limit of 10,000 miles per year

The Honda Jazz is the small car to beat for passenger space, and has a clever and very flexible rear seating system that adds another layer of practicality. All models come well equipped, but the SR trim quoted here is our favourite, adding front and rear parking sensors, a better infotainment system (than the SE) and part-leather seats.

See our latest Honda Jazz deals or read our full review >>

Model 1.8 VVT-i Hybrid Icon Tech | Target PCP £240 | Target Price (on the road) £24,680 | The deal Three and a half years' PCP finance with 1.90% APR and £1250 finance deposit contribution. Limit of 8000 miles per year

The Corolla is a brilliant hybrid car. It offers everything buyers wanting a frugal family hatchback could want (including significantly reduced running costs compared with a conventional car), while also having a comfortable ride and coming with lots of standard kit. Icon Tech models are our favourites, and get you sat-nav, parking sensors and more.

See our latest Toyota Corolla deals or read our full review >>

Model 1.8 VVT-i Hybrid Icon Tech | Target PCP £245 | Target Price (on the road) £25,880 | The deal Three and a half years' PCP finance with 1.90% APR and £1250 finance deposit contribution. Limit of 8000 miles per year

The Toyota Corolla Touring Sports is a unique and rather convincing proposition in the estate car category, offering exceptionally low running costs (being a hybrid), great residual values and plenty of standard equipment. At only £5 more than the Corolla hatchback per month, it's also brilliant value considering the extra passenger and boot space it gives you.

See our latest Toyota Corolla Touring Sports deals or read our full review >>

Model 1.0 TSI 110 SE | Target PCP £229 | Target Price (on the road) £18,312 | The deal Four years' PCP finance with 5.90% APR and £1500 finance deposit contribution. Limit of 10,000 miles per year

Think of the Skoda Scala as a cheaper version of the Volkswagen Golf and you won't be far wrong. In this case, cheap can make you cheerful, because the Scala offers a comfortable ride, is spacious inside and it comes with a decent infotainment system. Even better, our recommended SE version gives you a front centre armrest, cruise control, automatic lights and wipers, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror and rear parking sensors as standard.

See our latest Skoda Scala deals or read our full review >>

For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? newsletter here

Next: Find a great deal with What Car? New Car Buying >>