The days of a PCP deal that required £99 or less per month for a brand-new car are sadly receding in the rear-view mirror. However, there are still great, affordable PCP deals on new cars out there, often with other incentives like 0% APR or a deposit contribution thrown in to encourage you to sign up.
These deals take a little more effort to find, and can require a little compromise with the type of car you end up driving away with than they used to, but they are out there. What's more, this page is here to help. Updated regularly, this is where you'll find the best value new-car PCP deals we've found online.
We're including some great used-car PCP deals here, too. We'll aim to highlight some of the more affordable models on the heycar website, all backed by a warranty and money back guarantee should your choice of car not quite be the fit you thought it might.
It's still worth remembering that whether you opt for a PCP car finance deal on a new car or a used one, it represents a significant long-term financial commitment because you pay for the car over monthly instalments, so it might not be for everyone. Make sure you budget for the length of the agreement, not just the deposit and first month's payment.
A Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) is a financial agreement that usually takes the form of a lump sum deposit followed by smaller monthly payments. This covers the cost of the car's depreciation as well as paying the lender a small premium on the loan. At the end of the agreement, a PCP gives you the option to return the car, trade and upgrade to a new PCP deal, or buy the car by settling a final balloon payment.
The FCA (Financial Conduct Authority) requires that everything is clearly broken down when looking at a PCP car deal. So, as well as knowing your initial deposit, monthly payments and balloon sum final payment, the length of the agreement will also be clearly labelled, as will the interest you're paying on the finance, the agreed annual mileage and the cost per mile if you exceed it. Take your time to read this information carefully to make sure your PCP payments remain within your budget from beginning to end of the deal.
The latest Dacia Duster is better to drive, more efficient and better looking than its predecessors, yet remains impressive value-for-money. This deal on the hybrid version of the new Duster requires quite a large deposit and is based on just 6000 miles a year, but has a reasonably low 4.9% APR, and there's no doubting the affordability of the monthly payments.
The Suzuki Swift comes packed with equipment, it's fun to drive and features a low purchase price with even lower running costs. You could drive either a manual or CVT auto Swift for just £139 a month, provided you can stretch to the 20% deposit, while this 25-month deal also has the added benefit of 0% APR, so you're not paying anything extra for the finance.
The Kia Picanto is a compact city car with space for five, recently facelifted to freshen-up its looks inside and out. For this deal we've opted for the feature-packed GT-Line trim. We've also added a £4000 customer deposit to the £500 deposit contribution from Kia, but you can get a Picanto with £0 down, which takes the monthly payment up to £346.
The Peugeot 208 is one of the best-looking small cars on sale, plus it features an infotainment-heavy interior, a comfortable drive and excellent petrol engines. This deal includes a generous £3050 deposit contribution, plus you can get an additional £2750 part exchange boost on top of your car's value if you're trading an old car in. Downsides? This deal is limited to 6000 miles a year and there's 10.9% APR.
Cheap to run, good to drive and with a quality interior, the Skoda Fabia is one of the best small hatchbacks around. And you have the choice of two PCP deals. There's a 48-month offer with 6.9% APR and a £1750 deposit contribution, which means monthly payments of £204, or the 24-month deal at 0% APR that's a slightly higher £263 a month we've chosen below. Both require a £3653 customer deposit.
The Fiat 500 is a stylish city car that uses its classic heritage to pull at your heartstrings. It's been doing so since 2008, too, which explains why, while chic and retro, it does feel a little dated in some areas. That said, it also means there's plenty around and thus plenty to save. This mid-range Dolcevita model comes with a decent amount of equipment and costs under £160 a month.
The Kia Picanto is one of the best small city cars money can buy. Its compact dimensions mean it's easy to manoeuvre and stress-free to drive smoothly in the city. It has a reasonable amount of equipment as standard, although mid-range models do come with quite a few more features than this entry-level Picanto 1. However, the fact it costs under £160 a month is a winner.
The Hyundai i10 has a neat party trick. Not only does it offer more space than most of its city-car rivals, it also just feels like a larger car than it is. Drive one and the level of comfort you experience is on a par with a car from the class above, while equipment levels are strong, too. Despite the big-car ride, the i10 remains a bargain, available from under £160 a month.
If you're looking for value for money, the MG3 is well worth a look. Not only is it cheap to buy, but the MG3 is well equipped, genuinely good to drive and has a decent amount of space for a small hatchback. The engine's not the most sophisticated, but it's hard to argue when you're getting this much car for under £170 a month.
If you're after space for your money, the Dacia Sandero simply gives you more car for your cash than any of its value-conscious rivals. Unlike tiny city cars, the Sandero is a proper small hatchback that's big enough for four adults and luggage. It may not be as well equipped as its rivals, and its interior feels pretty industrial, but the Sandero is good to drive and comfortable, too. Bag one from around £180 a month.
If you're looking for the cheapest new-car PCP deals, it's worth avoiding March and September, which is when the registrations come in, and dealers will have no problems meeting sales targets. However, if you try February - traditionally the quietest sales month of the year - or August, there's a better chance of a deal in case sales targets haven't quite been achieved.
The UK seems to be following the US with deals targeted around major holidays, so Easter, Black Friday, and Christmas are good times to get a deal, with the latter one of the quietest times for dealers as customers are generally out buying gifts instead.
If you're looking for a specific type of car, it's worth nothing when popular models are due to be replaced or given a facelift - usually around three years after launch. If you're not bothered about driving the absolute latest model, there's always a deal to be done to shift old stock to make way for new inventory.
Once you've put down your deposit, the number of monthly payments depends on your agreement. The deals we've selected on new cars tend to range from two years, which is popular for those offering 0% APR, up to four years. Two, three or four-year deals are common, while some firms like Vauxhall offer five-year PCP on its electric vehicles. What's most important is you remember to account for your deposit and the amount you'll need to pay each and every month of your PCP agreement before you sign up, in order to avoid financial headaches down the line.
As part of the PCP agreement process, you'll lock in an annual mileage figure. This is crucial as it helps to determine the vehicle's value at the contract's end, and thus has an impact on how much your monthly payments will be.
It's best to figure out a realistic mileage limit when arranging your agreement, so you're not hit with a charge for exceeding the agreed mileage when your PCP deal comes to an end. In most PCP car deals, annual mileage is capped at 10,000 miles, but check the terms to ensure this is not less, as the small print on some deals caps the number of miles to just 6000 in order to give an appealingly low monthly payment to generate attention.
One of the reasons that PCP is so popular is that it is very flexible. Not only can you opt for a new PCP or simply hand back the car at the end of the agreement, it also gives you the option of buying the car outright at the end of the deal. If you like the car and can afford the final balloon payment, you pay up and the car's logbook will reflect that you're the one and only owner of the car. Once it's yours, monthly payments and agreed annual mileage limits are a thing of the past. If you lease a car rather than doing a PCP, you're still paying for the car's depreciation, but you won't have any option to buy the car at the end of the agreement.
Alongside the fact that you get charged for driving more than the agreed miles in your PCP deal, you're also obliged to look after the car as though it were yours. That means you'll need to service the car on time, as recommended by the manufacturer, and often at a main dealer. You'll need your own insurance, and if the car gets damaged, you'll need to arrange to have it fixed at an approved workshop and pay for the repairs before the end of the deal, too.
It's also a good idea to think about getting Guaranteed Asset Protection (GAP) insurance. This insurance helps cover the cost if your car is written off and it's worth less than what you still owe on the PCP agreement.
Keep me updated by email with the latest advice, news and offers from heycar.
By submitting you agree to our privacy policy