What Car? Personal Shopper: best automatic saloon for less than £25,000
Want a new car but don't know where to start? Just send us your criteria and we'll give you our recommended choice, plus the best new and used alternatives, and tell you how much we can save you...
Buying new
- Our recommended choice: Skoda Superb 2.0 TDI SE DSG
- List price: £25,655
- What Car? Target Price: £23,299
If you want a car that's more spacious than most SUVs, among the most comfortable cars on sale and loaded with practical features, the Superb should be at the very top of your shortlist. In short, it offers much of the comfort and luxury that you'd normally expect to pay much more for.
The 2.0-litre diesel engine we recommend can sound a bit gruff when you accelerate hard, but its combination of strong performance and low CO2 emissions makes it a prime choice, especially for those who spend a lot of time on the motorway. Add in a smooth automatic gearbox and it's a potential winner.
SE models – again, our recommended choice – come with everything you're likely to need, including dual-zone climate control, front and rear parking sensors and an 8.0in touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring.
This version of the Superb would normally cost you £25,655, but, as always, What Car? New Car Buying can lower that price for you. Our latest Target Price deals bring it down to a far more palatable £23,299, and our approved dealers could save you even more. Alternatively, if you're buying on a PCP finance deal, expect to pay around £289 per month, based on a 15% deposit and an annual mileage limit of 10,000.
Find a great Skoda Superb deal
Read our full Skoda Superb review
- Also consider: Audi A3 Saloon 1.6 TDI SE
- List price: £25,800
- What Car? Target Price deal: £24,054
While your budget will only get you the entry-level Audi saloon, the A3 Saloon, it's still a worthy contender for your money. You get all the benefits of the regular A3 hatchback – a former What Car? Car of the Year – in a shape that will have other drivers mistaking it for an A4. The A3 Saloon is beautifully built inside, reasonably spacious and should be economical.
Find a great Audi A3 Saloon deal
Read our full Audi A3 Saloon review
- Also consider: Volkswagen Passat 2.0 TDI SE Business DSG
- List price: £28,725
- Best What Car? deal: £23,192
The Passat feels right at home on the motorway, combining quiet road manners with a punchy yet efficient 2.0-litre diesel engine. It also has a spacious and classy interior and comes with lots of equipment in this SE Business guise.
Best estate cars 2023
The best estate cars are spacious, great to drive and packed with tech. Here are the models we recommend – and the ones to steer clear of
