Skip advert
Advertisement

How To Look Good For Less!

You don’t have to break the bank on a car to turn heads – as we line up a great-value fashion parade.

Getting designer looks for high street prices is the ultimate consumer achievement, but can you really pull it off with your next car? It’s time to find out!

We’ve raided the price lists to test our purchasing power to the max, and come up with four very different models that allow you to turn heads without hitting your credit limit. Representing the feisty city slickers, the Abarth 500 Esseesse is put to the test as a cut-price alternative to the mighty MINI JCW. Will the shrunken hot hatch be able to fill the tracks of the ultra-cool Brit?

Advertisement - Article continues below

Next up is the Nissan Qashqai. Its shape, concept and line-up are very similar to Ford’s Kuga, yet it’s available for less. If you’re after a coupé, style couldn’t be more important. That’s why Mercedes’ classy CLC is a big hit, despite its dated underpinnings. However, is Volkswagen’s Scirocco better value? We put it under the spotlight.

Given that this road test special is all about saving money, why have we included an Aston Martin in our line-up? It’s not a mistake – whether or not the famous British model is a bargain depends on whether you compare it to a Porsche 911 or a Bentley Continental GT. We put ourselves in the position of a lottery winner, and see whether the Aston V8 Vantage is a more sensible alternative to Bentley’s model.

Skip advert
Advertisement

New & used car deals

MG MG4

MG MG4

RRP £27,005Avg. savings £10,288 off RRP*Used from £10,200
Volkswagen Golf

Volkswagen Golf

RRP £25,235Avg. savings £2,502 off RRP*Used from £11,295
Skoda Kodiaq

Skoda Kodiaq

RRP £39,025Avg. savings £3,224 off RRP*Used from £13,495
Nissan Juke

Nissan Juke

RRP £19,785Avg. savings £6,761 off RRP*Used from £10,277
* Average savings are calculated daily based on the best dealer prices on Auto Express vs manufacturer RRP
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Make motorists pay-per-mile if you must, but at least use the cash to fix the roads!
Road repairs - opinion

Make motorists pay-per-mile if you must, but at least use the cash to fix the roads!

Dean Gibson wants more money from car taxation to go specifically on road maintenance
Opinion
25 Dec 2025
The Multi-Purpose Vehicle must return to save car buyers from their SUVs
Opinion - MPVs, header image

The Multi-Purpose Vehicle must return to save car buyers from their SUVs

Steve Walker thinks that MPVs would bring some much-needed choice back to a family car market fixated by SUVs
Opinion
26 Dec 2025
Cars that will die in 2026: get 'em before they're gone
Auto Express team members standing with their favourite outgoing cars

Cars that will die in 2026: get 'em before they're gone

In 2026 we'll wave goodbye to some big names from the automotive world. We drive the best of these death row models one last time...
Features
27 Dec 2025