Try, Buy, Dream – February 2024

Trying a car has never been easier - lots of car brands now offer subscription services on a monthly basis, with no down payment or exit fee so you can swap in and out of different models with minimal notice. Or you can lock in for longer, on a leasing deal, which still means you just pay a monthly amount and hand the car back at the end of the deal.
Then there’s the buy choice, whether it’s paying for the car with cash or signing up to a fixed term finance deal with the option to buy the car at the end. These are cars that make good long-term sense. And finally our fave section, for dreamers everywhere. The new luxe stuff, the wishlist option or the treat-yourself splurge, depending on how big that imagined windfall might be. Enjoy this month’s offerings!

Renault Austral

Renault is among the growing list of manufacturers offering flexible subscription models with all-inclusive insurance, maintenance, and roadside assistance packages, so you can have a new Austral SUV delivered straight to your door. As a self-charging hybrid with a small petrol engine, it has a surprising amount of oomph and allows for a good amount of electric driving without the need to plug in. We’ve recently been living with an Austral of our own and particularly like the four-wheel steering that makes negotiating tight spaces a breeze. The head-up display and Google powered satnav with voice control are also winning features in our book. Read our full expert review here

Seat Ateca

Whilst there’s plenty of family sized crossover SUVs all vying for your attention, the SEAT Ateca has an understated charm. It doesn’t shout at you with bold and angular styling like the Toyota C-HR, nor does it offer a clever hybrid option like the Nissan Qashqai. What is does do is take efficient petrol and diesel engines and package them into something smart and practical. It does it well, which is precisely why it’s our choice to buy this month. If you like the sound of the Ateca but are after something with a sportier edge then there’s a Cupra version to consider too. Read our full expert review here

Dream

 

Bentley Extraordinary Journey

Bentley is offering the ultimate staycation this year, which really is the stuff dreams are made of. For five days you can live the highlife as you journey around the UK, staying in the most elegant places, eating the most exquisite food, and pretending the Bentley you’re driving is yours. The Continental GT, the Flying Spur and the Bentayga will be on offer to whisk you through the British countryside as you travel from Cheshire to Scotland. All this for a mere £14,950 per person. Bentley will only be running this excursion twice with each trip limited to five couples so, if you’ve got some cash going spare, you’d better be quick! Read our full expert review of the Bentley Bentayga here

Try, Buy, Dream – January 2024
Try, Buy, Dream – December 2023 Try, Buy, Dream – November 2023