Eight best cars to lease for under £500 a month
If you’re looking to lease a car for under £500 a month, the good news is that this budget will open up a world of choice. From mainstream family cars to premium badge executive vehicles, there are some great deals available that’ll ensure you get the car that’s right for you. Here’s our list of eight best cars to lease for under £500 a month.
BMW 5 Series Touring
The BMW 5 Series is the car that other manufacturer’s use as a benchmark and one that sports practicality, panache and performance.
It’s not all talk either, it presents itself as an upmarket estate, because it’s an upmarket estate.
Beautifully finished inside and out, it’s excellently refined with a huge amount of space, making it versatile enough to be a great family car.
This M Sport trim is – as the name suggests – a bit sportier. Bigger alloys, sleeker styling, sports front and a slightly more menacing look all go towards making it look like it means business.
Using the 5 Series saloon as a foundation, it’s hugely spacious and very well equipped with BMW’s professional sat-nav, heated front seats, cruise control, front and rear parking sensors and a rearview camera.
One eye-catching model in particular is the 187bhp 520d. With a top speed of 147mph and a 0-62mph time in 7.9 seconds, it’s got everything you need for everyday driving.
Also impressive is its fuel economy, which records up to 68.9mpg.
Range Rover Evoque
If you’re in the market for a dashingly handsome SUV, the Range Rover Evoque is hard to beat. With its 20-inch chunky alloys, slim headlights and refined silhouette, it’s the perfectly proportioned SUV that still retains enough sturdiness to make it a serious contender in its class.
The mid-spec R-Dynamic model, which is one we’d recommend, also features a powered tailgate, automatic high beam assist, rain-sensing windscreen wipers, and blind-spot monitoring.
With a brisk petrol engine, it’s a well-controlled machine offering good handling around uneven roads and gracefully smooth on motorways.
Inside is just as comfortable with a substantial amount of space to uncurl in.
You’ll find the Range Rover Evoque’s infotainment system inside a 10-inch touchscreen, and there’s plenty of tech that you’d expect to find in a vehicle of this calibre; from Apple CarPlay/ Android Auto and 360-degree parking aid to lane keep assist and park assist.
Tesla Model 3
The Tesla Model 3 may have been around for a while now (in electric car terms anyway), but it’s still the one to beat.
If you somehow managed to miss the hype around the all-electric phenomenon, the Model 3 was Tesla’s first highly anticipated affordable car to come to market. Everyone wanted one at the time, and it’s still just as popular today.
It really ticks all the boxes. Aside from its ecological benefits and the fact it’s cost-effective to run, with five seats and a long range, it also makes for a great family car – quiet, smooth and very well equipped.
With adaptive cruise control, electrically operated front seats as well as heated front and rear seats, it’s a comfortable drive. And it’s fast. With a top speed of 145mph, it can hit 62mph from a standing start in an eye-watering four seconds.
The interior boasts the minimalist Tesla look and much focus lies with the 15-inch infotainment screen featuring Google Maps, Netflix and web browsing.
There’s also wireless charging, climate control, all-around parking sensors and a premium audio system.
Audi TT
If you’re in the market for something compact, that looks sharp and drives exceptionally well, you needn’t look further than the Audi TT.
This sports coupe is a quality car with a fantastic interior design. Its exterior is eye-catching too thanks to Audi’s characteristically-sleek exterior, large grille and angry headlights.
There are a whole host of driver convenience features too, from cruise control and adaptive steering, to a digital instrument cluster and keyless go.
In the 45 TFSI Black Edition, a personal favourite of ours, you get 20-inch black wheels, black styling details through the door mirror casings and front grille, and privacy glass.
The 45 TFSI engine is pretty agile too, managing 60mph in a more than reasonable six seconds. And the sports suspension lends to a firm, comfortable drive.
It’s pretty economical too, managing 43.5mpg.
Volkswagen T-Roc
Don’t let the compact size of the Volkswagen T-Roc fool you. This SUV is larger than life on the road.
Designed to be a spin-off of its best-selling sibling, the VW Golf, it’s how you’d expect – great to drive, great to look at and packed full of tech.
With its off-road chunky style design, if you like a good view of the road, the T-Roc places you higher than most in its class. There’s sterling visibility too, thanks to its expansive windows and slim pillars.
Much like the Golf, you’ll find the T-Roc equipped with a central touchscreen, intelligent navigation system and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity.
This diesel model has good fuel economy, too, averaging nearly 60mpg. And if you like your off-road adventures, it’s also ideal for towing.
Lexus NX
You could never accuse Lexus of being scared to stand out from the crowd. This is the brand that pioneered hybrid power. The brand that’s continually at the forefront of reliability. The company that went out to prove that luxury cars could be distinct.
Unsurprisingly, its approach to the Lexus NX was again unique. Starting from the outside, the NX has a completely unique look. Angular, aggressive and entirely arresting, it makes the other cars in its class look, well, a bit ordinary.
Step inside and it’s all modern comfort and luxury. With a 10.3 inch touchscreen, digital radio and Lexus Premium Navigation set up, it’s a refined cabin that’s perfect for both short and long journeys.
Thanks to its quality interior and hybrid drivetrain, the NX is also an exceptionally quiet drive.
It’s not the sportiest car you’ll find, so if you’re looking for something with oomph, it may not match some rivals. However, for luxurious, comfortable, hassle-free driving, the NX is in its element.
Jaguar F-Pace
The reasons that the Jaguar F-Pace has been the fastest-selling success story for Jaguar are pretty simple.
It’s everything that’s excellent about the illustrious company. Great to drive with impressive handling, sporting comfort, luxurious and tech-filled, and it’s big enough to lend itself as a family car too.
The R-Sport is the sportiest of them all, and is arguably the sleekest, with 19-inch alloy wheels, aggressive bumpers, black window surrounds and xenon lights featuring J-shaped LED running lights.
The interior is also adorned with the R-Sport features, such as leather sports seat, an R-Sport branded steering wheel and aluminium trim.
With its 2.0-litre Ingenium petrol engine, the F-Pace R-Sport comes with Jaguar’s impressive eight-speed auto and AWD.
It’s a refined drive. And it’s practical too. With a 650-litre boot and plenty of head and legroom, it’s a car that does it all.
Mercedes Benz E-Class
Mercedes-Benz tends to build their cars with two things in mind – comfort and luxury. The Mercedes-Benz E-Class sits right in the middle of the lineup and is a tidy, enjoyable drive.
The E200d saloon, which is where we’re focusing our attention, comes with a 191bhp, 2.0-litre diesel engine, offering great fuel economy as well as a nice sprint speed of 62mph in 7.3 seconds.
The interior is awash with kit too. Cruise control, climate control, ambient lighting and front-seat lumbar adjustment is all there to make your journey as comfortable as possible.
A large 12.3-inch digital instrument screen gives way to another 12.3-inch central infotainment screen which holds many niceties, including sat-nav, smartphone mirroring and a whole host of safety aids.
There’s plenty of legroom in the cabin, and if you have a need to carry anything, the boot is pretty clever too – with hooks to hang bags from and a hidden foldable crate under the floor for your shopping or travel essentials.
All in all, for under £500 a month, you’re going to struggle to find anything more luxurious or complete as the Mercedes-Benz E-Class.