Try, Buy, Dream – May 2026

This month’s selection of vehicles to try out, buy or simply dream about

Published on 15 May 2026 | 0 min read

It has never been easier to try a car, van or bike – some brands 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 vehicle back at the end of the deal. Additionally, some brands provide 24-hour test drives for a chance to get to know the vehicle before you commit. Then there’s the Buy choice, whether it’s paying in one hit or signing up to a fixed term finance deal with the option to buy at the end. These are vehicles 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!

Try

BYD Seal

The BYD Seal is sleek, spacious and well-equipped with a range of over 300 miles. As an overall package, it has to be one of BYD’s best models yet with its winning blend of comfort and performance. The Seal is more distinctive than a Tesla Model 3 and considerably cheaper to buy than a BMW i4. Plus, owners clearly enjoy their Seals as they voted the model runner up for Most fun car to drive at our Drivers’ Choice Awards in 2025 and it narrowly missed out to the Porsche Macan. If you are thinking about going electric the BYD Seal is certainly worth a look and, if you aren’t quite ready to commit to buying, you could always try leasing one for around £300 per month.

Check out the latest lease deals here!

Buy

Fiat Grande Panda

Of all the cars we’ve driven recently Fiat’s funky Grande Panda definitely put the biggest smile on our face and apparently it has been making other drivers smile too. A new study commissioned by Fiat tried to quantify this phenomenon using Google AI facial recognition to measure the emotional responses of 30 participants during test drives. Cognitive scientist, Dr Duncan Williams, then used the data to calculate a ‘Smiles Per Hour’ (SPH) score of 258.1 SPH compared to an average UK adult’s daily hourly rate of 0.88 SPH. The results suggested the plucky Fiat made female participants smile more than the males taking part, but there was minimal difference in response between the hybrid and electric model. Interesting. We would like to see this SPH measure applied to a wider range of cars before drawing too many conclusions. But, then again, we did give Fiat’s pixel covered, colour-popping hatchback glowing reviews, so maybe there is something in it after all. Even without the extra scientific backing, the Grande Panda would have been our pick to buy this month anyway.

Find out more about the Fiat Grande Panda here

Dream

Renault 4 JP4x4 Concept

We loved retro-inspired Renault 5 for bringing some French chic to British roads and were equally impressed by the Renault 4. We can’t wait to try the version with the ‘plein sud’ canvas roof, which makes the Reanult the only electric crossover offering open-top thrills for the whole family. Yet, Renault hasn’t stopped there and it has been busy adapting the Renault 4 for a variety of different lifestyles. First there was the 70s-inspired, free-spirited FL4WER POWER Concept, then came the rugged Savane 4x4 Concept to tease us with the possibility of an all-wheel drive production model. But this new JP4x4 Concept could be the most fun version yet and, just like Ken, its job is beach. The open-air JP4x4 Concept takes inspiration from the original Renault 4 beach buggy and conjures up the true spirit of “journée à la plage” (a day at the beach) with its barely-there doors and completely open tailgate. It even completes the look with a surfboard strapped to the roof. With its bright teal paintwork and contrasting orange interior, it really makes a strong statement. If only we could actually buy one. We would be first in line to take it on a coastal adventure, chasing sunshine until the light fades before huddling around a campfire and listening to the waves breaking against the shore. Oh, what a dreamy existence that would be.

Find out more about the Renault 4 money can buy here!