Best new cars for under £300 per month
Got £300 per month to spend on a new car? We've found some excellent deals for you to sink you teeth into
If you're in the market for a brand new car, £300 per month can get you something pretty exciting. It's at this kind of price range that you'll begin to see the more upmarket brands beginning to appear, as well as cars with increasingly impressive levels of tech and performance.
Car finance deals, particularly PCP (Personal Contract Purchase), have made the idea of paying for a brand new car much less daunting than it would've been 10 years ago thanks to more affordable payments being spread out over an extended period - typically four years.
The cars still cost the same, but finance options allow you to stretch the cost much thinner to make the monetary impact far less noticeable. We've got all the details on car finance set out in our handy explainers.
If you like your creature comforts, this price range is going to do you just fine. There's plenty here for those after a touch of exhilaration, too. If you have £300 per month to spend, you're in for a treat.
That treat gets even sweeter if you instead opt to go for a used car. With hundreds of excellent value finance deals available right here on BuyaCar, you could find yourself holding the keys to an Alfa Romeo Giulia or a Range Rover Evoque.
If the idea of making your money go further sounds like a good one, check out all of the used car deals available on Buyacar and get your next car adventure off and running. Or, if a brand new car is still the way you want to go, read on for our list of nine excellent new cars for under £300 per month.
Best new cars for under £300 per month
- Audi A3
- Ford Puma
- Hyundai Ioniq
- Kia Stonic
- Mini Convertible
- Nissan Leaf
- Nissan Qashqai
- Skoda Octavia Estate
- Vauxhall Corsa-e
- Volkswagen Polo GTI
1. Audi A3
Our pick Audi A3 Sportback 30 TFSI Technik
List price £24,370
Annual mileage limit 8,000
| Monthly payments | Number of payments | Deposit | Representative APR | Optional final payment | Total cost of finance |
| £292 | 47 | £2,500 | 6.1% | £10,983 | £27,702 |
The Audi A3 is one of the more expensive family hatchbacks that you can buy, but for the money you do get heaps of equipment, solid build quality, and the posh badge to match.
Technik models are the cheapest form of the A3 you can buy - they come with alloy wheels, LED headlights, a 10.1-inch touchscreen media display and another 10.3-inch screen behind the steering wheel in place of conventional dials.
The least powerful engine is the 30 TFSI; it's a 110hp 1.0-litre petrol engine that is quick enough for most circumstances, but can still return up to 50mpg.
2. Ford Puma
Our pick Ford Puma 1.0 EcoBoost MHEV 125 Titanium
List price £22,045
Annual mileage limit 9,000
| Monthly payments | Number of payments | Deposit | Representative APR | Optional final payment | Total cost of finance |
| £291 | 36 | £3,000 | 2.40% | £9,606 | £23,088 |
Many drivers may recognise the Puma from its 1990s form as a small sports car. Today, it's one of Ford's smaller crossovers, smaller than the Kuga.
Titanium is usually reserved for Ford's more expensive versions, but here, it's the starting point. That means that, even at entry level, standard kit is good. Expect 17-inch alloy wheels, an eight-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, automatic lights and wipers and rear parking sensors.
The 125hp petrol engine uses mild hybrid technology to add a small amount of power, and improve fuel economy. Expect around 50mpg, which is around 5mpg more than the same engine without mild hybrid technology.
3. Hyundai Ioniq
Our pick Hyundai Ioniq 1.6 Hybrid Premium
List price £25,945
Annual mileage limit 8,000
| Monthly payments | Number of payments | Deposit | Representative APR | Optional final payment | Total cost of finance |
| £290 | 48 | £3,000 | 4.80% | £9,105 | £27,784 |
If a mild hybrid isn't quite enough for you, but you don't have access to a home charger for a plug-in hybrid, then the Ioniq Hybrid makes perfect sense. It's a direct rival to the Toyota Prius, and also comes in plug-in hybrid and electric forms.
Unlike the Prius, which uses a noisy CVT transmission, Hyundai uses a more conventional dual-clutch automatic gearbox which is both smooth and efficient. The fuel efficiency of hybrid cars is dependant on how you drive them, but you should be able to expect around 60mpg under most driving conditions.
Premium is the most basic Ioniq, but it's not basic. You get luxuries like a heated steering wheel, wireless phone charging and keyless entry, as well as high beam assist. There's little point opting for the more expensive Premium SE.
4. Kia Stonic
Our pick Kia Stonic 1.0 MHEV GT-Line
List price £21,200
Annual mileage limit 8,000
| Monthly payments | Number of payments | Deposit | Representative APR | Optional final payment | Total cost of finance |
| £280 | 36 | £2,500 | 4.9% | £8,793 | £23,114 |
The Stonic is Kia's smallest crossover - it's more of a high-riding hatchback with the added benefits of more interior space and improved visibility.
Mild hybrid options were added in 2020 which, unlike a hybrid of plug-in hybrid, cannot travel on electric power alone. The benefit is some additional power to help reduce pressure on the engine, resulting in improved fuel efficiency.
GT-Line is somewhere in the middle of the range, and comes with 17-inch alloy wheels, an eight-inch touchscreen, air-conditioning, LED headlights and a reversing camera.
5. Mini Convertible
Our pick Mini Convertible Cooper Sport
List price £24,605
Annual mileage limit 8,000
| Monthly payments | Number of payments | Deposit | Representative APR | Optional final payment | Total cost of finance |
| £292 | 47 | £3,000 | 3.9% | £9,181 | £26,907 |
Fun to drive, and with a quick-operating fabric roof. Be aware, though, the Mini convertible, which you can afford for less than £300 per month, only has space for four, and boot space takes a hit in this convertible model. Similarly stylish hatchback-based models include the DS 3 Cabriolet and Fiat 500C, but you can also consider coupe-based models like the BMW 2 Series Convertible, and Audi TT Roadster.
Mini calls its most powerful 1.5-litre three-cylinder engine 'Cooper.' You can expect around 45mpg from the 136hp engine, but you won't be able to keep up with the 178hp Cooper S, nor the 231hp John Cooper Works models, which both use 2.0-litre engines.
You can still look the part, though. Skip entry-level Classic, and choose Sport with 17-inch alloy wheels, cruise control and adaptive suspension. You also get things like rear parking sensors, an 8.8-inch touchscreen and LED headlights, sporty body styling and sports seats.
MINI CONVERTIBLE BUYERS' GUIDE
6. Nissan Leaf
Our pick Nissan Leaf 40kWh Acenta
List price £28,495
Annual mileage limit 8,000
| Monthly payments | Number of payments | Deposit | Representative APR | Optional final payment | Total cost of finance |
| £294 | 36 | £2,500 | 2.99% | £13,561 | £27,639 |
Think of an electric car, and you're likely to think of the Nissan Leaf. This second generation launched in 2018, and is a far cry from earlier models. The change in design is clear, but what you might not notice are far larger batteries. Nissan claims a 168-mile range with the smaller 40kWh battery pack, or 239 miles with the 62kWh e+ version.
If you're happy with a smaller range, you can afford one of Britain's most popular electric cars for less than £300 per month. Be aware that Nissan uses the less common CHAdeMO connector which only supports 50kW rapid charging; rivals generally offer 100kW rapid charging at minimum.
Equipment on the entry-level Acenta model includes an eight-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and a reversing camera, alloy wheels, automatic lights and wipers and cruise control.
7. Nissan Qashqai
Our pick Nissan Qashqai DIG-T 140 Acenta Premium
List price £23,555
Annual mileage limit 8,000
| Monthly payments | Number of payments | Deposit | Representative APR | Optional final payment | Total cost of finance |
| £262 | 48 | £2,500 | 3.99% | £9,294 | £25,882 |
If you want a larger SUV with room to carry the children and their kit, the Qashqai makes for an appealing option, and comes in well within budget. A new model is on the horizon, so getting a good deal shouldn't be too difficult.
Base-spec Acenta Premium includes 17-inch alloy wheels, dual-zone air-conditioning, automatic lights and wipers and a reversing camera. The seven-inch touchscreen works with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Despite its rugged looks, the you can only have two-wheel drive versions of the Qashqai, so no off-roading here. The 1.3-litre DIG-T petrol engine produces 140hp and is strong enough for most applications.
8. Skoda Octavia Estate
Our pick Skoda Octavia Estate 1.5 TSI 150 SE
List price £23,640
Annual mileage limit 10,000
| Monthly payments | Number of payments | Deposit | Representative APR | Optional final payment | Total cost of finance |
| £279 | 47 | £2,500 | 4.1% | £8,204 | £25,842 |
An SUV might have enough room for the family, but you might be lacking on boot space. If you find yourself lugging around lots of equipment on a regular basis, a Skoda Octavia Estate offers one of the best boots in its class.
Skip the 110hp 1.0-litre petrol engine and opt for the larger and more powerful 150hp 1.5-litre petrol engine. You can have this either in petrol form, as we recommend, or mild hybrid form, which is more expensive to buy. The 116hp and 150hp 2.0-litre diesel engines' torque might be more suited to a car of this size, but with the recent shift away from diesel, the 1.5-litre petrol is the best all-rounder.
Even entry-level SE models come with alloy wheels, a 10-inch touchscreen, rear parking sensors, cruise control and LED headlights.
9. Vauxhall Corsa-e
Our pick Vauxhall Corsa-e SRi Nav Premium
List price £24,390
Annual mileage limit 8,000
| Monthly payments | Number of payments | Deposit | Representative APR | Optional final payment | Total cost of finance |
| £273 | 47 | £2,439 | 3.9% | £11,731 | £26,986 |
The Nissan Leaf is a great electric car, but it has faced tougher competition lately from the likes of this Vauxhall Corsa-e and its sibling, the Peugeot e-208. These are based on their petrol and diesel counterparts, and blend in to the traffic a bit better if that's what you prefer.
A 50kWh battery promises 209 miles of range, while 100kW rapid charging supports a 0-80% charge in 30 minutes. Unlike the Nissan Leaf, the Corsa-e uses a CCS connector which is more widely available at public charging stations. Expect range to drop if you abuse its 0-62mph time of 7.6 seconds.
SRi Nav Premium is the middle of the range - it gets 17-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, rear parking sensors, and a seven-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
10. Volkswagen Polo GTI
Our pick Volkswagen Polo GTI 2.0 TSI 207
List price £24,005
Annual mileage limit 10,000
| Monthly payments | Number of payments | Deposit | Representative APR | Optional final payment | Total cost of finance |
| £282 | 47 | £2,500 | 4.6% | £9,383 | £26,657 |
Electric cars are at the forefront of discussions at the moment, but what if you still want an old-school hot hatch? For well within budget, you can afford this Volkswagen Polo GTI, a miniature version of the Golf GTI.
The 2.0-litre petrol engine produces 207hp which is good for 0-62mph in 6.5 seconds. You're stuck to an automatic gearbox, which is no bad thing; the 7-speed dual-clutch transmission is smooth and efficient. Even in this performance model, you can expect around 41mpg.
GTI models feature air-conditioning, front and rear parking sensors, 17-inch alloy wheels, sportier body styling and sports seats. If you're the sort of person who needs the best, GTI Plus sits at the top of the range. It's no faster, though.
