Best cars for less than £300 per month

The most common way to buy a new car in the UK is through a PCP finance deal. This type of finance arrangement allows you to buy a car for about the same price as a three-year-old one, because you're financing only a fraction of its total price.

If you have a monthly budget of £300 or so for your next car, you have plenty of choice in the market. Cars available at this price point include premium hatchbacks, family SUVs, large SUVs – and even some 2022 What Car? Award winners.

Here, we count down the top 10 deals from our Target Price research, which reveals the most you should pay for a new car. Each deal is based on a deposit of 15% of the price of the car, combined with the manufacturer's finance discount allowance (if applicable).

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 1.5 Hybrid Design | Target PCP £276 per month | Target Price £25,475 | The deal 42 months PCP finance with 3.9% APR. Limit of 8000 miles per year

The Toyota Yaris Cross makes a strong case for itself in the crowd of small SUVs. In our True MPG fuel economy tests, the front-wheel-drive Yaris Cross turned in a real-world average of 60.1mpg, making it one of the most economical cars we’ve tested. Toyota placed an impressive joint fifth place in our 2021 What Car? Reliability Survey, so if fuel economy and reliability are high on your priority list, the Yaris Cross could be an excellent choice.

Read our full Toyota Yaris Cross review, or see our latest Yaris Cross deals >>

Model 35 TFSI Sport | Target PCP £299 per month | Target Price £28,323 | The deal 48 months PCP finance with 7.7% APR and a finance contribution of £1600. Limit of 8000 miles per year

The Q2 is Audi's smallest SUV, but as you would expect from an Audi, it has an impressive high-quality interior. It also has one of the best infotainment systems in the class. Yes, there are cheaper alternatives, but the Q2 justifies its cost will its superb all-round ability.

Read our full Audi Q2 review, or see our latest Q2 deals >>

Model 1.5 TSI Life | Target PCP £299 per month | Target Price £28,262 | The deal 48 months PCP finance with 6.6% APR and a finance contribution of £500. Limit of 10,000 miles per year

The Volkswagen Tiguan is a fine family SUV with pleasant driving manners, generous space for occupants and a big boot. The closely related Skoda Karoq is better value for money, though, and the Volvo XC40 has a more upmarket interior.

Read our full Volkswagen Tiguan review, or see our latest Tiguan deals >>

Model 1.5 TSI EVO Life | Target PCP £283 per month | Target Price £26,494 | The deal 48 months PCP finance with 6.6% APR and a finance contribution of £1000. Limit of 10,000 miles per year

The Volkswagen T-Roc is one of the best small SUVs money can buy. It has a cosseting ride, superb refinement and a practical boot, plus it has one of the best driving positions of any car in its class. The engine and trim quoted here is our favourite combination. The 1.5-litre petrol engine offers effortless performance, plus Life trim comes with plenty of goodies including two-zone climate control, adaptive cruise control, digital dials and adjustable lumbar support.

Read our full Volkswagen T-Roc review, or see our latest T-Roc deals >>

Model 1.34 DiG-T MH N-Connecta | Target PCP £284 per month | Target Price £27,906 | The deal 48 months PCP finance with 5.99% APR and a finance contribution of £1000. Limit of 8000 miles per year

The latest Nissan Qashqai has a smart interior with a great driving position, as well as lots of standard safety kit. This version gets you a 1.3-litre petrol engine with mild hybrid technology to help keep your fuel bills down. Our recommended N-Connecta trim level comes with an upgraded infotainment system, as well as 18in alloy wheels and dual-zone climate control.

Read our full Nissan Qashqai review, or see our latest Qashqai deals >>

Model 1.6 TGDi 48V MHD SE Connect 2WD | Target PCP £296 per month | Target Price £28,093 | The deal 48 months PCP finance with 5.9% APR and a finance contribution of £1000. Limit of 8000 miles per year

If you have a family of six-footers, the Hyundai Tucson should be on your family SUV shortlist. It's one of the most spacious cars in its class with plenty of room for four passengers, and it also has a cavernous boot. Interior quality impresses, too, but there are more comfortable and better handling SUVs.

Read our full Hyundai Tucson review, or see our latest Tucson deals >>

Model 1.5 TSI SE L | Target PCP £280 per month | Target Price £23,040 | The deal 48 months PCP finance with 2.9% APR and a finance contribution of £1500. Limit of 10,000 miles per year

The Skoda Scala ticks many of the boxes that some more expensive family cars fail to, with its supple ride, decent handling, good infotainment system, amazing rear seat space and vast boot. While the engine and trim quoted here isn't our recommended version, the 1.5-litre engine is a great engine that has a lot of zip. Plus, SE L adds privacy glass, climate control and keyless entry/start on top of an already generous standard kit list.

Read our full Skoda Scala review, or see our latest Scala deals >>

Model 1.8 VVT-i Hybrid Icon Tech | Target PCP £265 per month | Target Price £26,644 | The deal 42 months PCP finance with 1.9% APR and a finance contribution of £1250. Limit of 8000 miles per year

The Toyota Corolla is a brilliant family car. It's comfortable, well made and remarkably frugal in real-world driving, thanks to its hybrid engine set-up. In fact, during our time with one, we managed more than 60mpg in the 1.8 on a mix of town, country and motorway driving. What's more, the Corolla also has lots of standard kit – Icon Tech comes with dual-zone climate control, adaptive cruise control, heated front seats and parking sensors.

Read our full Toyota Corolla review, or see our latest Corolla deals >>

Model 1.5 TSI EVO SE | Target PCP £286 per month | Target Price £22,647 | The deal 48 months PCP finance with 5.9% APR and a finance contribution of £1000. Limit of 10,000 miles per year

The latest Seat Leon is the best family hatchback you can buy. It's great to drive, has loads of space in the back and is well-equipped – in fact, even the entry-level SE version you get here comes with air-conditioning, keyless start and cruise control. This 1.5-litre petrol engine is a peach, too, endowing the Leon with acceleration that's close to what some hot hatchbacks can manage.

Read our full Seat Leon review, or see our latest Leon deals >>

Model 1.0 Ecoboost Hybrid mHEV 155 ST-Line | Target PCP £289 per month | Target Price £24,448 | The deal 36 months PCP finance with 4.9% APR. Limit of 9000 miles per year

The Ford Puma is a former What Car? Car of the Year and it remains one of the best cars in the small SUV class. Not only is it enjoyable to drive and every bit as practical as a growing family could want, but because this version is a mild hybrid, it also has the capacity to lower your running costs. ST-Line trim is our top pick and gets you sportier styling, a 12.3in digital driver's display and more supportive seats.

Read our full Ford Puma review, or see our latest Puma deals >>

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

Next: Save money on your next car with What Car? >>