No new car (especially a fast one) is cheap to buy these days. However, we might have found a way to work the system. If you lease your next car rather than buy it outright, you can access some incredible performance for a surprisingly affordable monthly outgoing.
For this list, we set ourselves a modest budget of £400 per month – and, incredibly, we found that was enough to get behind the wheel of some of the fastest hatchbacks and SUVs on the market. For context, the quickest car in this list will tear away from a Ferrari F40 in the 0–62mph sprint for a shade over £300 per month. That’s staggering value.
If you want the maximum bang for your buck, your best bet is to opt for an electric car. They’re far more power-dense than combustion engine cars. Plus, confidence in electric technology is down, which means performance EVs (such as the MG4 XPower and Cupra Born) are piling up on dealership forecourts – and dealers are flogging them at knockdown prices to clear space for newer metal.
Below, we’ve rounded up the 10 best cheap fast cars we could find. There’s something here to appeal to everyone, too, from dinky convertible sports cars to buzzy hot hatchbacks and sensible family wagons. Scroll down to learn more.
The best cheap fast cars on sale in 2024
The original (and best) cheap sports car
We’re kicking this list off with a real corker. The Mazda MX-5 is a brilliant little car – and anyone who tries to argue to the contrary is wrong. It’s everything you want from a sports car. It’s small, lightweight, engaging to drive (even at slow speeds) and incredibly chuckable. And the convertible roof is a bonus for the summer months.
What’s even better is that, for just over £300 per month, you can get behind the wheel of the most powerful 184hp 2.0-litre model, which is the one you want. It’s far more urgent than the entry-level 1.5-litre version – and the extra poke lets you further enjoy the MX-5’s exceptionally balanced chassis. And yes, that’s a euphemism for ‘it does good skids.’
To find out more, read our full Mazda MX-5 review
What’s even better is that, for just over £300 per month, you can get behind the wheel of the most powerful 184hp 2.0-litre model, which is the one you want. It’s far more urgent than the entry-level 1.5-litre version – and the extra poke lets you further enjoy the MX-5’s exceptionally balanced chassis. And yes, that’s a euphemism for ‘it does good skids.’
To find out more, read our full Mazda MX-5 review
Pros
- Hugely engaging
- Affordable fuel costs
- 2.0-litre is rapid
Cons
- Very small cabin
- Little in-car storage
| Best leasing deal (per month) | £327.37 |
You’ll struggle to go faster for less
The MG4 XPower is the electric hot hatch nobody really asked for – but we’re glad it exists (especially when you can get one for just £317 per month). Unlike the standard MG4 EV, which makes do with a single electric motor on the rear axle, the XPower has a motor on both axles to deliver a colossal combined output of 35hp and 600Nm of torque.
That’s enough for a 0–62mph time of 3.8 seconds which, to frame that another way, is around three tenths of a second faster than a Ferrari F40. It isn’t perfect, though. The extra power has ruined the 4’s excellent handling balance, changing it from a B-road barnstormer to a point and squirt dragster. But the XPower is only £20 per month more expensive than the next-cheapest 201hp rear-wheel drive version, so you’d mad to not opt for the extra power.
To find out more, read our full MG4 EV review
That’s enough for a 0–62mph time of 3.8 seconds which, to frame that another way, is around three tenths of a second faster than a Ferrari F40. It isn’t perfect, though. The extra power has ruined the 4’s excellent handling balance, changing it from a B-road barnstormer to a point and squirt dragster. But the XPower is only £20 per month more expensive than the next-cheapest 201hp rear-wheel drive version, so you’d mad to not opt for the extra power.
To find out more, read our full MG4 EV review
Pros
- Brutal acceleration
- Crushingly affordable
- As practical as standard car
Cons
- Less fun than the standard car
- Reduced driving range
| Best leasing deal (per month) | £317.21 |
It’s a Golf. It just has 320hp
The Volkswagen Golf R is, quite possibly, the ultimate all-rounder. You can ferry the kids to school in it in the morning, waft down the motorway in it around midday and then spend all afternoon setting blistering lap times at Castle Combe. And, because it’s about to be replaced by an updated model, the pre-facelift cars are ridiculously good value on finance.
The R does have a couple of faults we should make you aware of, though. Because you’ll be shopping for a pre-facelift car, you’ll have to persevere with Volkswagen’s fiddly touch-sensitive steering wheel controls and slightly outdated infotainment system (both of which we expect will be changed for the new car, like they were on the standard Golf).
To find out more, read our full Volkswagen Golf R review
The R does have a couple of faults we should make you aware of, though. Because you’ll be shopping for a pre-facelift car, you’ll have to persevere with Volkswagen’s fiddly touch-sensitive steering wheel controls and slightly outdated infotainment system (both of which we expect will be changed for the new car, like they were on the standard Golf).
To find out more, read our full Volkswagen Golf R review
Pros
- Effortlessly fast
- All-weather usability
- Long-distance comfort
Cons
- Engine sounds muted
- Poor infotainment
| Best leasing deal (per month) | £362.77 |
A true rocket-powered roller skate
The Abarth 595 and 695 are really starting to show their age. The hot Fiat 500 first launched back in 2008, but Abarth has given both cars a spate of updates over the past 16 years to try and keep them feeling fresh. They haven’t really made the cars feel any newer, but they have made them even more fun to drive – especially if you go for Abarth’s range-topping, rip-snorting 695 specification.
This model has an enormous 180hp, which is a preposterous amount of performance to shove into a 3,660mm-long hatchback. It’s a proper handful. The steering wheel will writhe around in your hands like it’s trying to escape, and its hard suspension means it skips around the road like an excited Collie dog. But it’s genuinely rapid if you can get its power to the road – and we can’t think of a more entertaining car for £300 per month.
To find our more, read our full Abarth 595 review
This model has an enormous 180hp, which is a preposterous amount of performance to shove into a 3,660mm-long hatchback. It’s a proper handful. The steering wheel will writhe around in your hands like it’s trying to escape, and its hard suspension means it skips around the road like an excited Collie dog. But it’s genuinely rapid if you can get its power to the road – and we can’t think of a more entertaining car for £300 per month.
To find our more, read our full Abarth 595 review
Pros
- Exhilarating power
- Cracking exhaust note
- Hooligan-like handling
Cons
- Naff driving position
- Small boot and rear seats
| Best leasing deal (per month) | £305.75 |
Old-school thrills at a palatable price
Hyundai stunned its competitors into silence when it launched the i30 N. The company had barely any motorsport pedigree or and even less experience in building fast cars but, somehow, the i30 N exploded onto the market and quickly started running rings around time-served hot hatchbacks like the Volkswagen Golf GTI and Ford Focus ST.
It’s a fabulous car. It’s 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine serves up its performance in huge, old-school boosty chunks – and it’s mated to a slick-shifting manual gearbox that constantly encourages you to hammer up and down the cogs. Plus, we think it has the most balanced chassis of any family sized hot hatchback available. It’s a shame Hyundai has killed the car off to chase its electrification strategy. Mercifully, there are still plenty of cars lying around in dealers’ stock reserves, just waiting to be snapped up.
To find out more, read our full Hyundai i30 N review
It’s a fabulous car. It’s 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine serves up its performance in huge, old-school boosty chunks – and it’s mated to a slick-shifting manual gearbox that constantly encourages you to hammer up and down the cogs. Plus, we think it has the most balanced chassis of any family sized hot hatchback available. It’s a shame Hyundai has killed the car off to chase its electrification strategy. Mercifully, there are still plenty of cars lying around in dealers’ stock reserves, just waiting to be snapped up.
To find out more, read our full Hyundai i30 N review
Pros
- Great fun to drive
- Loads of standard kit
- Sweet manual gearbox
Cons
- Firm ride
- Tight rear legroom
| Best leasing deal (per month) | £331.56 |
It’s like a Golf GTI Clubsport, only cheaper
Let us be abundantly clear. The entry is specifically for the range-topping Cupra Leon 300, which has the same 300hp 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and running gear as the Golf GTI Clubsport. However, because this is a Cupra and not a Volkswagen, it’s a lot cheaper. You can put one on your drive for less than £350 per month. That’s a steal. The deposit isn’t even that crippling either, at around £3,500.
You can get cheaper Cupra Leons powered by less powerful (and far less exciting) engines, but we really don’t think you should bother. The base-model 150hp 1.5-litre variant, for example, is around £200 per month. Avoid the plug-in hybrid at all costs, too – it’s even more expensive per month than the 300hp petrol and it’s utterly uninspiring to drive thanks to the added weight of the battery pack.
To find out more, read our full Cupra Leon review
You can get cheaper Cupra Leons powered by less powerful (and far less exciting) engines, but we really don’t think you should bother. The base-model 150hp 1.5-litre variant, for example, is around £200 per month. Avoid the plug-in hybrid at all costs, too – it’s even more expensive per month than the 300hp petrol and it’s utterly uninspiring to drive thanks to the added weight of the battery pack.
To find out more, read our full Cupra Leon review
Pros
- Huge thrills
- Sharp handling
- Good price
Cons
- eHybrid is dull
- Annoying touch controls
| Best leasing deal (per month) | £347.81 |
The best version of the 1 Series you can buy
The BMW 128ti sits between the standard 1 Series range and the full fat M135i. We reckon it’s the sweet spot in the car’s line-up, though – and the better of the two hot hatchbacks. It’s front-wheel drive, which means it’s a lot lighter than the M135i and therefore a lot more livelily in the corners.
Plus, it’s almost as fast in a straight line. It’s powered a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with 265hp. That’s enough for a 0–62mph time of 6.1 seconds, making it just over a second slower than the top-spec M135i.
To find out more, read our full BMW 1 Series review
Plus, it’s almost as fast in a straight line. It’s powered a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with 265hp. That’s enough for a 0–62mph time of 6.1 seconds, making it just over a second slower than the top-spec M135i.
To find out more, read our full BMW 1 Series review
Pros
- Lively handling
- Meaty power delivery
- Sharp steering
Cons
- Firm ride
- Lairy graphics
| Best leasing deal (per month) | £312.45 |
The car of choice for a family of speed freaks
The Skoda Octavia vRS is a collision of worlds. It blends the brand’s clever practical features with the Volkswagen Golf GTI’s pokey engine to create what we think is the ultimate fast family runabout. We’ll be honest, it isn’t the most exciting car to drive in this list by a considerable margin – it’s a lot softer than the Cupra Leon, for example – but it’s almost unbeatable as an all-rounder.
There are three versions to choose from – a 245hp plug-in hybrid, a 200hp diesel and a 245hp petrol. We recommend you steer clear of the PHEV unless you absolutely need to for tax purposes. The extra weight blunts the Octavia vRS’s handling and seems at odds with its sporty branding. For the best results, get the petrol.
To find out more, read our full Skoda Octavia vRS review
There are three versions to choose from – a 245hp plug-in hybrid, a 200hp diesel and a 245hp petrol. We recommend you steer clear of the PHEV unless you absolutely need to for tax purposes. The extra weight blunts the Octavia vRS’s handling and seems at odds with its sporty branding. For the best results, get the petrol.
To find out more, read our full Skoda Octavia vRS review
Pros
- Practical yet comfortable
- Fast yet efficient
- Available as an estate!
Cons
- Lacks excitement
- Some annoying switchgear
| Best leasing deal (per month) | £282.94 |
Effortlessly cool – and effortlessly quick
The Polestar 2 is an upmarket car at an affordable price. At our budget, you’ll be shopping for a single motor, rear-wheel drive model rather than the tyre-shredding 476hp dual motor Performance Pack variant – but even the baby of the range offers plenty of poke.
You get 299hp, which is more than enough to burn anything short of a rally car at a set of traffic lights. It doesn’t run out of steam once you’re out of town and on the open road, either – it pulls strongly right up to (and beyond) the national speed limit. It’s even good fun in the corners, although the harsh suspension Polestar fitted it with to achieve this has had an impact on the car’s ride quality. You can’t have it all, though.
To find out more, read our full Polestar 2 review
You get 299hp, which is more than enough to burn anything short of a rally car at a set of traffic lights. It doesn’t run out of steam once you’re out of town and on the open road, either – it pulls strongly right up to (and beyond) the national speed limit. It’s even good fun in the corners, although the harsh suspension Polestar fitted it with to achieve this has had an impact on the car’s ride quality. You can’t have it all, though.
To find out more, read our full Polestar 2 review
Pros
- Tidy handling
- Dual motor is rapid
- Classy interior
Cons
- Harsh ride quality
- Cabin is a little tight
| Best leasing deal (per month) | £336.44 |
The definitive city slicker, refined
This was a pleasant surprise. For around £280 per month, you can get behind the wheel of the brand-new MINI Cooper S. That’s a steal, considering the car has barely been on sale five minutes. It normally takes manufacturers months to slash the prices of their latest cars down to that level.
You should seriously consider the new MINI Cooper, too, because the new car is even better than the one it replaced. You get the same razor-sharp handling, a rorty 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with 204hp and one of the most daring (yet oddly user-friendly interiors) of any car on sale today. Our only complaint is that it isn’t available with a manual gearbox. Now, it’s automatic or nothing.
To find out more, read our full MINI Cooper review
You should seriously consider the new MINI Cooper, too, because the new car is even better than the one it replaced. You get the same razor-sharp handling, a rorty 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with 204hp and one of the most daring (yet oddly user-friendly interiors) of any car on sale today. Our only complaint is that it isn’t available with a manual gearbox. Now, it’s automatic or nothing.
To find out more, read our full MINI Cooper review
Pros
- Funky styling
- Punchy engine
- Tight handling
Cons
- No manual gearbox
- Limited space
| Best leasing deal (per month) | £277.26 |
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