Category:
Family hatchback
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PCPs have hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons of late, with some dealers in hot water for upping customers’ APR interest to earn more commission.
However, nearly 90% of new cars are bought on finance and, if you go in with your eyes open, you can get behind the wheel of some cracking machines for less than you’d think.
Here we’ve lined up 20 cars that major on fun and and are guaranteed to put a smile on your face every time you go for a drive. More importantly, they will also leave you laughing all the way to the bank. From supercars to superminis and everything in between there’s something for every taste and budget:
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Renault Megane RS
Model: RS 280
Monthly cost: £229
Customer deposit: £6955
Optional final payment: £13,136
Term: 49 months
APR: 4.9%
The latest Megane RS hasn’t been given the rapturous welcome normally reserved for racy Renaults – but, in 280 guise with the less abrasive Sport chassis, it’s a quick and capable hot hatch.
Trick four-wheel steering delivers uncanny agility, while the turbocharged 1.8-litre motor punches above its weight. Crucially, the softer springs and dampers deliver a welcome dose of everyday civility. It’s not quite as rounded as Volkwagen Golf GTI but it looks great and, at £229 a month on 4.9% interest it’s arguably the finance steal of the year.
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Caterham 270S
Monthly cost: £300
Customer deposit: £6554
Optional final payment: £14,943
Term: 49 months
APR: 7.9%
Caterham is relatively new to the finance game, but its PCP offers open up the opportunity for more drivers than ever to experience one of its brilliant Sevens. The company’s small size means the interest rate isn’t the most competitive here, but the monthly figure of just £300 is extremely enticing.
For that you get a factory-built 270 complete with S Pack and 135bhp 1.6-litre Ford engine. It’s quick enough for 0-60mph in 5.0 seconds, while the acrobatic handling and near-telepathic connection between car and driver continue to make the Caterham a touchstone for on road excitement.
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Alfa Romeo Giulia
Model: Veloce
Monthly cost: £375
Deposit contribution: £1250
Customer deposit: £8250
Optional final payment: £14,075
Term: 37 months
APR: 0%
While the Ferrari-infused 503bhp Quadrifoglio grabs all the Giulia headlines, the cheaper and more restrained Veloce remains something of a hidden gem. Sure, it’s not as quick as its more muscular brother, but its smooth and responsive 296bhp 2.0-litre four packs a surprising punch, while its rear-wheel drive chassis has a rare combination of incisiveness and suppleness, allowing it to dispatch corners with poise and fluency.
It also looks fantastic and benefits from not being one of the usual suspects. An APR of 0% doesn’t do it any harm, either.
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Aston Martin Vantage
Model: Vantage
Monthly cost: £795
Deposit contribution: £4000
Customer deposit: £24,303
Optional final payment: £88,886
Term: 24 months
APR: 6.5%
With its 503bhp twin-turbo V8, entertaining rear-wheel drive handling and traffic-stopping looks, the Vantage is arguably Aston Martin’s best effort for years. Early cars were a little undercooked, but subtle revisions have helped unlock the muscular coupe’s potential, turning it into an engaging, rapid and extremely desirable driver’s machine.
At £795 a month, it’s not much more than more mainstream models such as the BMW M4, while a £4000 contribution from Aston sweetens the deal.
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Jeep Wrangler
Model: Sahara GME 2.0 272 PS 2-Door
Monthly cost: £399
Deposit contribution: £3000
Customer deposit: £5999
Optional final payment: £21,592
Term: 37 months
APR: 0%
Having fun behind the wheel isn’t all about wrist-flick agility and sub-six-second 0-62mph times - just take a look at the Jeep Wrangler for proof. The most recent version has been thoroughly overhauled for decent on-road composure and comfort, yet it retains the old car’s classic looks and unstoppable abilities in the rough.
Eighty years in the making, the Wrangler has lost none of its charm and character, while 0% finance and a chunky upfront contribution from Jeep means you shouldn’t lose the shirt off your back.
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Kia Stinger
Model: GTS
Monthly cost: £450
Deposit contribution: £2500
Customer deposit: £8000
Optional final payment: £18,153
Term: 37 months
APR: 5.9%
Think of Kia and usually the phrases that spring to mind aren’t ones along the lines of ‘muscular V6 engine’ or ‘engaging rear-wheel drive handling’. Yet with the Stinger GT-S, these descriptions are spot on, the Korean firm having delivered one of the most surprising cars of the past few years.
Great to look at and genuinely good to drive, the flagship Stinger is also spacious, lavishly equipped and blessed with adaptive dampers that deliver a supple ride. Developed by former BMW M chief Albert Biermann, it’s also a bit of a PCP steal, despite being supplied in limited numbers. The APR is average, but a chunky deposit promotion means it’ll cost only a little more than BMW 520d on similar terms.
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Porsche Cayman
Model: 718 Cayman PDK
Monthly cost: £350
Deposit contribution: £2000
Customer deposit: £10,400
Optional final payment: £29,218
Term: 36 months
APR: 6.6%
Controversy has dogged the Cayman ever since Porsche decided to switch from six cylinders to four, so it’s hardly surprising the firm has rolled out some tempting deals.
Thanks to a decent £2000 incentive and a reasonable APR, you can have a Cayman on the drive for as little as £350 a month. The turbocharged 2.0-litre four is quick once you’ve got some revs wound on, but the biddable handling is simply sublime - few chassis have such deep reserves of talent. If you want more grunt an S is £421 a month.
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Mazda MX-5
Model: 1.5 SE+
Monthly cost: £229
Deposit contribution: £2000
Customer deposit: £3143
Optional final payment: £7059
Term: 42 months
APR: 3.9%
Winter always makes convertibles a tough sell, but this deal from Mazda is a little ray of sunshine. In its most basic 1.5-litre form, the MX-5 is one of the purest and most involving machines out there, and for just £229 a month it also represents something of a steal.
If you can stretch to £325 a month, then Mazda will offer a two-year deal at 0%.
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Jaguar I-Pace
Model: EV400 SE
Monthly cost: £599
Customer deposit: £12,801
Optional final payment: £40,489
Term: 37 months
APR: 5.9%
Until the Porsche Taycan hits showrooms, the Jaguar i-Pace is the best bet for mixing eco-friendliness and entertainment - or ‘ecotainment’, if you will. Strong demand means Jag isn’t exactly bending over backwards to tempt buyers, but £599 a month for an EV400 SE isn’t a bad deal at all, especially when you factor in the fuel savings.
Fast, agile and with an impressive range, the I-Pace proves there’s little to fear from an electrified future.
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Abarth 595
Monthly cost: £169
Deposit contribution: £1000
Customer deposit: £3750
Optional final payment: £6470
Term: 48 months
APR: 6.9%
It’s not the most sophisticated or accomplished of tiny tearaways, but this Abarth brims with uncomplicated charm. In standard 595 guise you get the torquey 143bhp turbocharged 1.4-litre complete with rasping exhaust note.
The ride is bouncy and the driving position defies any anatomical logic, but on twisty roads the Abarth snaps at the heels of far faster cars like a demented terrier. All this fun for just £169 a month – or, for £20 more, you can have the Pista with an additional 20bhp and its gurgling and popping Monza exhaust.
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Subaru BRZ
Monthly cost: £299
Deposit contribution: £1000
Customer deposit: £4600
Optional final payment: £11,692
Term: 49 months
APR: 6.9%
Despite being identical bar a few badges, the Subaru BRZ has been thoroughly overshadowed by the Toyota GT86 - both in sales and column inches. As a result getting a deal on one is easier than you’d think, with Subaru happy to let you have one for just £299 a month - and they’ll even throw in £1,000 towards your deposit.
For that you get a car that puts a premium on real-world fun and engagement, its biddable rear-wheel drive handling and modest grip delivering a laugh-out-loud cornering attitude.
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Ford Fiesta ST-2
Monthly cost: £245
Deposit contribution: £1000
Customer deposit: £3609
Optional final payment: £9148
Term: 36 months
APR: 2.9%
The Blue Oval appears to have hit a bit of a hot hatch purple patch - and the Fiesta ST might be the best of the bunch. It’s the sparkling chassis that shines brightest, its winning blend of gymnastic agility and cast-iron control making it as fast across typical B-roads as almost anything out there.
The ride can get a bit jarring, but it’s easily forgiven when the road twists off into the distance and you can wring out the characterful turbocharged triple. Like all the best fast Fords, it’s more blue collar than blue blood when it comes to affordability.
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Lotus Elise
Model: Sport 220
Monthly cost: £369
Customer deposit: £10,790
Optional final payment: £17,965
Term: 60 months
APR: 4.9%
Alpine is offering its lithe and luscious A110 for just £399 a month over five years. On the same terms, APR and a similar deposit, you could have a Lotus Elise Sport 220 for £30 a month less.
This has been doing the lightweight compact sportscar thing for over 20 years and is as good to drive now as it has ever been, arguably even trumping the Alpine when it comes to damping control. Plus you can change gears yourself and take the roof off when the sun shines.
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Hyundai i30N 250
Monthly cost: £260
Deposit contribution: £1750 (£750 plus £1000 test drive voucher)
Customer deposit: £6300
Optional final payment: £10,688
Term: 37 months
APR: 4.9%
The 272bhp Performance-fettled i30N has grabbed all the headlines, yet in many respects it’s the standard 247bhp model that’s the more rounded proposition. It doesn’t get the trick diff or big wheels, but it rides more fluidly and, on most give and take roads, it’s pretty much as fast.
Better still, it’ll leave less of a hole in your wallet, especially if you plump for a PCP. Hyundai is currently sweetening the deal further by adding a grand to your deposit just for taking a test drive.
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Fiat Panda
Model: Waze 4x4 TwinAir
Monthly cost: £219
Deposit contribution: £500
Customer deposit: £2415
Optional final payment: £4891
Term: 40 months
APR: 0%
Small, funkily styled and with mountain-goat agility, the Panda 4x4 is one of those cars whose very existence makes you smile. It’s seriously capable in the rough and a skinny-tyred hoot on sealed surfaces, while the thrummy two-cylinder turbo makes up for its lack of frugality with enthusiasm and character.
This version features unique styling and the Waze online route finder, but it’s 0% APR and no monthly payments until 2020 that’ll have you plotting a route to a showroom.
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VW Golf R
Model: Estate
Monthly cost: £404
Deposit contribution: £1500
Customer deposit: £7000
Optional final payment: £13,679
Term: 48 months
APR: 3.9%
It’s a universal truth that there’s nothing cooler than a quick estate car. Probably. Either way, when it comes to go-faster family transport, the VW Golf R Estate is still one of the best there is, despite being on the verge of retirement.
The combination of 296bhp, a secure yet engaging four-wheel drive chassis and very useful 605-litre boot allow the Golf to effortlessly blend poise, pace and practicality. A decent APR and a deposit contribution bung from VW make it an even more tantalising prospect.
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Skoda Citigo
Model: Monte Carlo
Monthly cost: £140
Deposit contribution: £1500
Customer deposit: £1016
Optional final payment: £3651
Term: 48 months
APR: 4.9%
Young drivers shouldn’t miss out here, and the good news is that it doesn’t come much more affordable than the Skoda Citigo, which at just £140 a month with little more than a grand down is startling value.
Yet low bills don’t mean no thrills because, with its wheel-at-each-corner stance and lively 59bhp three-pot motor, the small Skoda serves up more entertainment than you’d expect. Better still, it’s impressively refined and comfortable on trips, too. Buy on finance and Skoda will chuck in three years’ servicing for just £99.
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Maserati Ghibli
Model: V6
Monthly cost: £640
Deposit contribution: £2250
Customer deposit: £12,327
Optional final payment: £21,721
Term: 48 months
APR: 5.9%
Okay, so the Ghibli isn’t the most talented sports saloon out there, but it is a Maserati. Not only does the name sound good when you say it, for a four-door three-box the Ghibli looks great. It goes well too – the howling turbocharged V6 serving up 345bhp and 0-62mph in just 5.5 seconds.
And while you’ll have to ignore some of the cheap switchgear, the interior is sumptuously appointed in soft leather, plus there’s that clock. Maserati will chuck £2250 at the deal, while the APR of 5.9% is reasonable.
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Suzuki Jimny
Model: SZ4
Monthly cost: £237
Customer deposit: £0
Optional final payment: £9060
Term: 43 months
APR: 6.9%
Yes, there’s a lengthy waiting list for the joyful Jimny, but such is the miniature mud-plugger’s infectious appeal, you’ll be happy to hang on for delivery - especially as used examples are currently going for more than the new price.
Better still, thanks to Suzuki’s PCP deal, you will eventually be able to get your hands on an SZ4 (the best spec thanks to its utilitarian steel wheels) with no deposit for just £237 a month. It’s not much for one of the must-have motors of 2019.
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MINI One
Monthly cost: £199
Deposit contribution: £500
Customer deposit: £2000
Optional final payment: £6211
Term: 48 months
APR: 3.9%
Minis often make the most sense the more basic they are. With skinny tyres and revvy engines, these machines are often far sweeter to drive, better balancing handling elan and comfort than more powerful versions.
That’s certainly true of the One, which with just 101bhp requires a similarly committed and momentum chasing driving technique as the 1960s original. Yet unlike its iconic ancestor, the One gets all the mod cons, including LED headlights and an all-singing, all-dancing infotainment system.
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