Best cars 2026: the very best cars to buy in the UK reviewed and rated
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.
If you've visited Whatcar.com before, you'll already have seen that we regularly run you through the best and worst options in a given car class, from sports cars to SUVs, and from hatchbacks to hybrids. In this story, though, we're looking at the best cars across all types, regardless of what class they compete in. And while the majority of the cars here are new, this list also includes models launched a few years ago, because they remain the best at what they do.
As well as telling you about each model in detail, we'll also show you how you can get the best PCP and leasing deals on them. Just follow the links to find out more, or read more about how we test cars in our dedicated feature.
Best cars to buy now – and how to get the best deal
| Make and model | List price from | Rating | PCP deals | Leasing deals |
| BMW iX3 | £58,755 | 5 | Best PCP deals | Best leasing deals |
| Kia Sportage | £31,395 | 5 | Best PCP deals | Best leasing deals |
| Renault 5 | £22,995 | 5 | Best PCP deals | Best leasing deals |
| Tesla Model 3 | £37,990 | 5 | Best PCP deals | Best leasing deals |
| Volkswagen T-Roc | £31,635 | 5 | Best PCP deals | Best leasing deals |
The best cars for you
The BMW iX3 is our reigning What Car? Car of the Year, and combines premium SUV luxury with electric car running costs. Its headline-grabbing official range of 500 miles means that longer journeys can be tackled just as easily as shorter ones, while its comfortable ride makes it an excellent mile-muncher. And that's backed up by an interior that's spacious, comfortable and loaded with technology. In short, it's the best new car you can buy.
Want something a little cheaper? The Kia Sportage undercuts many of its family SUV rivals, but don't think of it as any kind of bargain basement. Instead, it's a comfortable and practical car that's loaded with kit, and it can be had with petrol, regular hybrid and plug-in hybrid power.
Few cars will turn heads quite like the retro-styled Renault 5. Another former What Car? Car of the Year winner, the R5's cheeky style is backed up by real substance, thanks to a very usable electric range, a fun driving style, and an interior that's both high in quality and easy to get along with. And while you might think all of that would make it an expensive prospect, it's actually very well priced, and even qualifies for the Government's electric car grant.
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
The What Car? Reliability Survey is live, tell us about your car now
Strengths
- Fast charging and a very long official range
- Relatively comfortable ride and handles well
- Lots of passenger space and a good boot
Weaknesses
- There are cheaper alternatives
- Not as well equipped as some rivals
With an official range of up to 500 miles, the BMW iX3's battery could conceivably last you a whole week before needing to be topped up, depending on how far you usually travel. And it's that kind of anxiety-ending engineering which makes this electric SUV now just the best car of its kind, but in our opinion, the best new car on sale right now.
Don't think that the iX3 is a one-trick pony, because it's also brilliant to drive. The ride is comfortable around town and at motorway speeds, even on standard suspension and riding on huge 22in alloy wheels. At the same time, the iX3 controls its body movements very well, meaning your passengers aren't bounced around like they would be in a Ford Mustang Mach-E.
Speaking of passengers, they'll have more room to stretch out than they would in the rival Audi Q6 e-tron and Tesla Model Y. The boot is about the same size as the Q6 e-tron's, too, meaning you can carry eight suitcases with you. And although the Model Y can carry one more, the iX3 is better to drive.
You might think that owning an iX3 would be an incredibly expensive proposition, but the truth is that in entry-level form it'll cost you less than a Q6 e-tron. And because of all of those talents, the iX3 is our reigning What Car? Car of the Year.
“The iX3 is the first BMW to get its new ‘soft stop’ feature, which uses the motors to remove that fore and aft rock you often feel as you come to a halt.” – Dan Jones, Senior reviewer
Read our in-depth BMW iX3 review
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: £50,338
RRP from: £53,250
About our price indicator
What Car? indicative Personal lease example (subject to status)
50 108.7kWh SUV 5dr Electric Auto xDrive (469 ps)
| Expected annual mileage | 6000 |
| Term months | 48 |
| Deposit months | 12 |
| Monthly payment | £757.90 |
| Initial payment | £9,094.80 |
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
- No admin fees
- Free returns within 30 days*
- Lower total monthly cost than PCP/HP
- No balloon payments
- Road tax included
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
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
About our price indicator
What Car? indicative Personal lease example (subject to status)
1.6 h T-GDi Pure SUV 5dr Petrol Hybrid Auto Euro 6 (s/s) (235 bhp)
| Expected annual mileage | 5000 |
| Term months | 48 |
| Deposit months | 12 |
| Monthly payment | £302.34 |
| Initial payment | £3,628.08 |
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
- No admin fees
- Free returns within 30 days*
- Lower total monthly cost than PCP/HP
- No balloon payments
- Road tax included
Our pick: comfort range 52kWh techno+ Auto 5dr
Strengths
- Grown-up driving manners
- Great infotainment system
- Aggressive pricing
Weaknesses
- Rear leg room is tight
- MG4 Urban has a much bigger boot
- There are cheaper alternatives
Its looks might remind you of cars from the 1970s, but there's nothing retro under the skin of this small electric car.
The cheapest versions of the Renault 5 get a 121bhp electric motor which offers pretty nippy acceleration, with the 0-62mph sprint taking 9.0sec. The more powerful 148bhp versions cut that time considerably, and is our recommended choice, not only for its increased performance, but also because it comes with a larger 52kWh battery, giving an official range of 253 miles between charges.
On city streets, the R5's tight turning circle makes navigating city traffic easy, but this is also a car which offers pleasant and confidence-inspiring handling when you move on to faster roads. The brakes deserve a special mention, too, because it's easier to slow down smoothly in the Renault 5 than it is in rivals, and indeed compared with other electric Renault models, such as the Megane and Scenic.
If you like to stand out from the crowd, then there are myriad ways you can make your R5 your own, from various paint and decal options for the outside, to a 3D-printed baguette holder for the inside. Speaking of the inside, we've been impressed both with the quality of materials used for the R5, but also the ease of use of its Google-based infotainment system.
“It shows the sheer value of the Renault 5 that even the most expensive version still qualifies for the Government's electric car grant.” – Will Nightingale, Reviews Editor
Read our in-depth Renault 5 review
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: £20,995
RRP from: £22,995
About our price indicator
What Car? indicative Personal lease example (subject to status)
comfort range 52kWh techno+ Hatchback 5dr Electric Auto (150 ps)
| Expected annual mileage | 5000 |
| Term months | 48 |
| Deposit months | 12 |
| Monthly payment | £249.73 |
| Initial payment | £2,996.76 |
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
- No admin fees
- Free returns within 30 days*
- Lower total monthly cost than PCP/HP
- No balloon payments
- Road tax included
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, electric car and company car.
Winning three 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.
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
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: £37,990
RRP from: £37,990
About our price indicator
What Car? indicative Personal lease example (subject to status)
62.5kWh Standard Saloon 4dr Electric Auto RWD (208 ps)
| Expected annual mileage | 5000 |
| Term months | 48 |
| Deposit months | 12 |
| Monthly payment | £338.58 |
| Initial payment | £4,062.96 |
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
- No admin fees
- Free returns within 30 days*
- Lower total monthly cost than PCP/HP
- No balloon payments
- Road tax included
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 sharp 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.
This latest version is 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
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: £26,954
RRP from: £31,635
About our price indicator
What Car? indicative Personal lease example (subject to status)
1.5 eTSI MHEV Life SUV 5dr Petrol Hybrid DSG Euro 6 (s/s) (116 ps)
| Expected annual mileage | 5000 |
| Term months | 36 |
| Deposit months | 12 |
| Monthly payment | £307.05 |
| Initial payment | £3,684.60 |
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
- No admin fees
- Free returns within 30 days*
- Lower total monthly cost than PCP/HP
- No balloon payments
- Road tax included
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 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, Used Cars Writer
Read our in-depth Kia EV3 review
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: £30,495
RRP from: £33,055
About our price indicator
What Car? indicative Personal lease example (subject to status)
Standard Range 58.3kWh Air SUV 5dr Electric Auto (201 bhp)
| Expected annual mileage | 5000 |
| Term months | 48 |
| Deposit months | 12 |
| Monthly payment | £308.06 |
| Initial payment | £3,696.72 |
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
- No admin fees
- Free returns within 30 days*
- Lower total monthly cost than PCP/HP
- No balloon payments
- Road tax included
Our pick: 3.0 40i MHT M Sport Auto xDrive Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr
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
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: £77,490
RRP from: £93,280
About our price indicator
What Car? indicative Personal lease example (subject to status)
3.0 40d MHT Excellence SUV 5dr Diesel Hybrid Auto xDrive Euro 6 (s/s) (352 ps)
| Expected annual mileage | 5000 |
| Term months | 48 |
| Deposit months | 12 |
| Monthly payment | £1,118.30 |
| Initial payment | £13,419.60 |
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
- No admin fees
- Free returns within 30 days*
- Lower total monthly cost than PCP/HP
- No balloon payments
- Road tax included
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
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: £42,890
RRP from: £49,140
About our price indicator
What Car? indicative Personal lease example (subject to status)
1.6 T-GDi 13.8kWh Ultimate SUV 5dr Petrol Plug-in Hybrid Auto 4WD Euro 6 (s/s) (7Seat) (288 ps)
| Expected annual mileage | 5000 |
| Term months | 36 |
| Deposit months | 12 |
| Monthly payment | £376.31 |
| Initial payment | £4,515.72 |
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
- No admin fees
- Free returns within 30 days*
- Lower total monthly cost than PCP/HP
- No balloon payments
- Road tax included
Strengths
- Very economical to run
- Well equipped and good to drive
- Warranty lasts for up to 10 years
Weaknesses
- Cramped in the back
- Smaller boot than rivals
- Top-spec trims are considerably costlier
The original Toyota Aygo X showed that even the smallest of cars could adopt the rufty tufty nature of an SUV, but despite its go-anywhere looks, it simply wasn't powerful enough to conquer much beyond a slight hill. That's not something you could say about the latest car, which now gets the same fuel-sipping hybrid setup as the larger Toyota Yaris.
That means dollops more of power, with the 0-62mph sprint completed in 9.2 seconds, rather than the 14.9 seconds the old car took. The new model is also vastly more efficient, being officially able to return up to 76.3mpg, thanks largely to its ability to run on electric power alone over short distances.
Thanks to its extra power, the Aygo X feels pleasantly agile, but it's worth noting that the Seat Ibiza is still the small car to turn to for the best driving experience. That's because it has sharper steering and better body control through corners, which in turn makes it feel more engaging on a country road.
Given its size, you won't be surprised to learn that space is a precious commodity on board the Aygo X, especially in the rear seats, where six-footers will need to cower to stop their heads from brushing the ceiling. And even by small car standards, the Aygo X's boot is pretty small. At least it shouldn't go wrong, because Toyota regularly performs well in our annual Reliability Survey.
"You won't be buying the Aygo X for acres of interior space, but there's plenty of room up front. I've found that younger friends and family members are quite happy in the back seats for shorter journeys." - Darren Moss, Deputy Editor
Read our in-depth Toyota Aygo X review
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: £20,235
RRP from: £21,645
About our price indicator
What Car? indicative Personal lease example (subject to status)
1.5h Icon Hatchback 5dr Petrol Hybrid CVT Euro 6 (s/s) (116 ps)
| Expected annual mileage | 5000 |
| Term months | 48 |
| Deposit months | 12 |
| Monthly payment | £198.35 |
| Initial payment | £2,380.20 |
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
- No admin fees
- Free returns within 30 days*
- Lower total monthly cost than PCP/HP
- No balloon payments
- Road tax included
Strengths
- Comfortable and quiet
- Very roomy interior and a big boot
- High-quality fit and finish
Weaknesses
- No physical controls on the dash
- Pricer than some rivals
- Efficiency isn’t great
We've so far been impressed by the offerings from the re-launched Smart brand, and that meant that our expectations for the brand's largest and most expensive model, the #5, were high indeed. Fortunately, then, it's impressed us.
The cheapest #5 models, dubbed Pro, come with a single 355bhp motor and can complete the 0-62mph sprint in 6.9 seconds – roughly on par with a Tesla Model Y. Going for the Pro+ model upgrades that power figure to 358bhp, and knocks the sprint time down to 6.5 seconds, which makes this heavy SUV feel pleasantly quick. Going for the Pro+ also gets you a larger 94kWh battery, resulting in an official range of 366 miles, which should be enough for the needs of most drivers.
Inside, the #5's interior feels really well put together, with finish that's over and above what you might expect at this price point. and speaking of price, the #5 works out to be very competitive on a PCP finance deal, especially when compared with rivals including the Citroën ë-C5 Aircross and MG S6.
"There are cheaper electric SUVs, but I’ve found that not all of them are as well-kitted out as the #5." – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer
Read our in-depth Smart #5 review
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: £37,800
RRP from: £39,800
About our price indicator
What Car? indicative Personal lease example (subject to status)
100kWh Pro+ SUV 5dr Electric Auto (363 ps)
| Expected annual mileage | 5000 |
| Term months | 48 |
| Deposit months | 12 |
| Monthly payment | £491.60 |
| Initial payment | £5,899.20 |
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
- No admin fees
- Free returns within 30 days*
- Lower total monthly cost than PCP/HP
- No balloon payments
- Road tax included
