Skip advert
Advertisement

Best cars for £30,000 or less

Got a budget of £30,000 to spend on a new car? You may want to check out these excellent used buys first

Car prices may be continuing to venture upwards, but a budget of £30,000 will still give you the pick of some excellent used cars. With everything from sensible family motors to opulent luxury cars, the variety on offer can almost prove overwhelming. But we’re here to help, and our expert road testers have rounded up the very best cars for £30,000 or less.

Advertisement - Article continues below

With this kind of cash it’s fair to expect a car to be in very good mechanical and cosmetic condition. Ideally, it’ll also be a low-mileage example that’s being supplied by a reputable dealer. Whatever the case, be sure to take a test drive and seek out a full service history. Even if a car fetched serious money when it was new, this doesn’t guarantee that it’s been looked after by the previous owner, so due diligence is as important as always.

The best cars for £30,000 or less

Bentley Continental Flying Spur Mk1

  • Best luxury car for under £30,000
  • We found: 6.0 auto, 2012, 38k miles for £29,995
  • Years produced: 2005-2012
  • Engines available: 4.0T, 6.0 petrol

Get behind the wheel of a Bentley and pretty much anything else will seem very ordinary in comparison. Then you drive one and quickly realise how the huge initial cost is justified; a 6.0-litre W12 engine is very special indeed. 

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement - Article continues below

For £30k you’ll be looking at a Mk1 Flying Spur, which was launched in 2005. While purchase costs aren’t that high, running costs are, so try to pin down how much you’ll have to spend, and keep a decent maintenance fund handy.

ProsCons
Brand kudosAwkward design
Cabin ambienceHuge running costs

BMW 3 Series Mk7

  • Best estate for under £30,000
  • We found: 320i M Sport, 2020, 18k miles for £24,3000
  • Years produced: 2019 to date
  • Engines available: 2.0, 3.0 petrol, 2.0, 3.0 diesel, 2.0 PHEV
Advertisement - Article continues below

The BMW 3 Series costs a bit less to buy and run than the larger 5 Series, but you get the same fabulous ergonomics and cabin quality, easy cruising abilities and driving enjoyment. 

BMW knows that it sets the class benchmark and it charges accordingly, but buy well and a 3 Series will hold its value. You’ll enjoy your driving whichever powertrain you go for, because the diesel, petrol and plug-in hybrid options are all brilliant.

ProsCons
Great to driveCostly to buy
Impressive infotainmentPHEV loses boot space

Cupra Formentor Mk1

  • Best SUV for under £30,000
  • We found:1.5 TSI V2 auto, 2021, 24k miles for £23,650
  • Years produced: 2020 to date
  • Engines available: 1.5T, 2.0T, 1.4T PHEV

It’s easy to think that the Cupra Formentor is just a SEAT in sporty disguise, but is that really such a bad thing? Not only do you get tried-and-trusted Volkswagen Group running gear and build quality, but you also get a car that’s a lot more eye-catching than anything with a SEAT badge. 

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement - Article continues below

Under that shapely body is a SEAT Ateca, which provides a great starting point for a family-friendly SUV, in terms of practicality and user-friendliness. As a semi-premium product, the Formentor is nicely finished, too. All of the engines are worth a look, although most of the cars in this price bracket have the 148bhp 1.5-litre TSI petrol motor.

 ProsCons
Lovely interiorFirm ride
Handles wellFiddly heater controls

Toyota C-HR Mk1

  • Best crossover for under £30,000
  • We found: 1.8 hybrid Excel, 2022, 8k miles for £24,850
  • Years produced: 2016-2023
  • Engines available: 1.2T petrol, 1.8 hybrid
Advertisement - Article continues below

It’s amazing how much progress Toyota has made in recent years, in terms of producing smart-looking cars that are also good to drive. No longer do you have to settle for uninspiring design and dynamics, and even better still, the Japanese brand hasn’t lost its touch when it comes to reliability. 

The Toyota C-HR loses out to some of its key rivals in terms of practicality and refinement, though, and values are a little on the high side. But if you want a compact petrol or hybrid car that’s as easy to own as it is to drive, the C-HR could be just the thing. 

ProsCons
Very dependableNoisy engines
Well equippedDisappointing infotainment

Volkswagen Arteon Mk1

  • Best family car for under £30,000
  • We found: 2.0 TSI R-Line auto, 2021, 15k miles for £24,750
  • Years produced: 2017 to 2024
  • Engines available: 1.5T, 2.0T petrol, 2.0 diesel, 1.4T PHEV
Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement - Article continues below

If you like the idea of a Volkswagen Passat, but want more practicality than the saloon can offer, and don’t fancy an estate, then the Arteon will be right up your street. It offers hatchback practicality, but basically remains a posh Passat, so you get extra standard kit and a more premium cabin. Better still, it has all of the typical user-friendliness that you’d expect from a Volkswagen

There’s a fairly even split between petrols and diesels in the used market, all of which are easy to recommend. There’s also the odd plug-in hybrid within budget, although these are few and far between.

ProsCons
Good enginesAverage to drive
Supremely practicalTight rear headroom

Best cars for £30,000 or less

Buying Advice

“Here, we’re getting into the premium categories, where you’ll be able to bag a bargain luxury car for a fraction of what it cost new. Beware, however, pricey new cars often cost a lot to run, so be sure to budget for this.” - senior staff writer Jordan Katsianis.

Now take a look at the rest of our used car superstars… 

Skip advert
Advertisement
Senior staff writer

Senior staff writer at Auto Express, Jordan joined the team after six years at evo magazine where he specialised in news and reviews of cars at the high performance end of the car market. 

Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

Cupra Formentor SUV to go electric in its next generation
Cupra Formentor - front cornering
News

Cupra Formentor SUV to go electric in its next generation

Cupra’s CEO Wayne Griffiths has confirmed that the Formentor’s future will be electric
21 Mar 2024
Best cars for £15,000 or less
Best cars for £15,000 - header
Best cars & vans

Best cars for £15,000 or less

Spending around £15,000 doesn’t get you much in the new car market these days, but it can land you a brilliant used model
18 Mar 2024
Best rear-wheel drive cars 2024
Best rear-wheel drive cars - header image
Best cars & vans

Best rear-wheel drive cars 2024

Rear-wheel drive is often praised as the drivetrain that delivers the most fun. Here are 10 cars that do exactly that
15 Mar 2024
Car Deal of the Day: new razor-sharp Toyota C-HR hybrid SUV for £257 a month
Toyota C-HR 2.0 Hybrid GR Sport front corner static shot
News

Car Deal of the Day: new razor-sharp Toyota C-HR hybrid SUV for £257 a month

The recently-launched second generation of Toyota’s funky hybrid SUV is our Deal of the Day for 29th February
29 Feb 2024

Most Popular

Huge Audi new car blitz to bring us 9 models in 2 years
Upcoming Audi models - four-way image
News

Huge Audi new car blitz to bring us 9 models in 2 years

After a quiet few years, the German giant is gearing up for its biggest product onslaught to date
25 Mar 2024
Posh new trim level for Dacia Sandero while the Sandero Stepway gets more power
Dacia Sandero - front
News

Posh new trim level for Dacia Sandero while the Sandero Stepway gets more power

Both the Sandero and Sandero Stepway ranges have been tweaked, gaining more safety features to meet the latest regulations
26 Mar 2024
Road tax set to rise in April: here’s how much more you’ll pay
Road tax documentation
News

Road tax set to rise in April: here’s how much more you’ll pay

Drivers with newer cars can expect to be paying roughly £10 more per year, a although the biggest gas guzzlers will fare the worst
26 Mar 2024