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Buying vs leasing: what could you lease for the price of Britain’s cheapest car?

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Author: | Updated: 17 Nov 2015 16:10

The cheapest car on sale in the UK today is the £5,995 Dacia Sandero. No, that isn’t a typo – it really is that cheap.

Okay, for that money you won’t get alloy wheels, electric windows, satellite navigation, heated seats, air conditioning, electrically adjustable mirrors or even colour-coded bumpers, but you do get a brand new car with a warranty and space for five. You can understand why people might be tempted.

Here at ContractHireAndLeasing.com, though, the Sandero got us thinking. What if you want some goodies, or something a little more desirable than a Romanian hatchback, but only have £6,000 to spend?

Dacia Sandero Access 2013 White Front Static

All our Dacia Sandero leasing deals are right this way: Business / Personal

We’ve rounded up some of the best new cars you can put on your drive for £6,000 if you’re prepared to take the plunge and get leasing. And there’s no cheating going on here – all these cars are available on three-year personal leases, with deposits and fees included, for a total outlay of £5,995 or less.

Ford Fiesta

Ford Fiesta 15 Plate

Follow the crowd and love it… Lease a Fiesta here: Business / Personal

If you want something of similar size to the Sandero, you’ve got a wealth of choice, but the Fiesta is the pick of the bunch.

Whatever you do, don’t be put off by the fact that the Fiesta is Britain’s best-selling car at the minute. All those people aren’t wrong, and this is the UK’s favourite new car is because it’s one of the best new cars on sale in this country.

Pin-sharp handling, a good ride, smart styling, fuel-efficient engines and decent cabin quality are all available to you not only within our £5,995 budget, but also within one car.

Skoda Fabia 2015 Silver Front DynamicIf you don’t like the Fiesta for some reason (we can’t think why), rest assured there’s bags of choice from other manufacturers.

If a tad more room is the order of the day, the Skoda Fabia [right] will be right up your street. That 330-litre boot is huge for the class, yet the lease rates, which can come in below £100 a month, are tiny.

The VW Group offers yet more rivals, too, like the rather smart Seat Ibiza and the classy-yet-classless VW Polo, both of which can be had well within budget.

Other options include the excellent Mazda2, the much-improved Vauxhall Corsa and the flawed (but occasionally endearing) Peugeot 208.

Nissan Pulsar

Nissan Pulsar 2015 Red Front Dynamic

If you’re after a Pulsar you’ll want to look at these deals: Business / Personal

The Pulsar has never been the most exciting car on Earth, but that doesn’t mean it’s devoid of qualities. Not everyone wants excitement from a family car, and if it’s comfort and rear-seat space you’re after, look no further than Nissan’s new VW Golf rival.

A choice of frugal petrol or very frugal diesel will be tempting to the masses, but the clincher is the wide availability of leasing deals at less than £130 a month.

If you’re after something in this class, however, the Pulsar is not the only option for less than £6,000. Hyundai’s i30 hatchback has been updated for 2015 and it now adds a fresh look to its commendable, if ultimately unexciting, list of talents.

DS 3

DS 3 Red Front Static

Take a peek at all our DS 3 leasing deals here: Business / Personal

If you’re looking for something a bit more stylish than the Dacia, the DS 3 will appeal. Rivalled only by the Fiat 500 and the Mini Hatch in terms of sheer chic, the French hatchback is as cool as they come. It isn’t a bad drive either, thanks to punchy diesel engines, a stiff chassis and sharp steering.

You’ll be pushing our £5,995 limit with the DS, but you ought to be able to get yourself one of the frugal diesels within budget. We found one for £133 a month and six months’ deposit, leading to a total cost of £5,600 over the three years. Not a bad deal.

If the DS doesn’t float your boat, however, you can get the slightly smaller Fiat 500 in budget too. Recently facelifted, the 500 is an icon, and there’s a lot for the fashion-conscious to like, especially for as little as £94 a month.

Nissan Juke

Nissan Juke 2015 Blue Front Dynamic

Fancy a Juke? Leasing deals this way… Business / Personal

For those that like a high driving position, even £6,000 is enough to see you behind the wheel of an SUV. Granted, the Juke isn’t as manly or as luxurious as a Range Rover, but it’s far cheaper and almost as desirable.

The looks aren’t to everyone’s taste, but impressive sales figures are testament to the fact that Nissan’s kooky crossover has gained itself plenty of fans. Of course, its popularity may have more than a little to do with leasing deals starting from £114 a month.

If the Juke’s looks don’t do it for you, you can also get yourself a Ford EcoSport within budget. It isn’t as strong an all-rounder, but the Fiesta-based crossover is a little better to drive and comes with Ford’s likeable 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine.

Skoda Citigo

Skoda Citigo 2015 Green Front Dynamic

Our Skoda Citigo leasing deals can be found here: Business / Personal

That you can get a three-year lease of a tiny city car for less than the list price of a brand new Dacia is perhaps unsurprising, but if you don’t need the Sandero’s space you can get some cracking deals on little runabouts.

Skoda’s Citigo is one of the best out there, sharing pretty much everything bar a price tag with the class-leading (but more expensive) VW Up!. It’s a great drive, it’s deceptively roomy, it’s efficient and you can have one for £4,262 over three years – almost £1,750 under budget.

You can have the Up! within budget, too, along with the Citigo’s other sister, the Seat Mii.

Special mention should also go to the Citroen C1, which is yours for three years for as little as £2,622. You can even have it as a convertible without breaking the bank.

Dacia Sandero

In case you were wondering, we’ve run the numbers on the Dacia we started with, too. You can have one on a three-year personal lease from £4,902.

 

NOTE: All costs calculated from ContractHireAndLeasing.com data and correct at time of writing.

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