Try, Buy, Dream - August 2023

Each month, we pick the very best cars out there to try, buy or dream about.

Published on 8 August 2023 | 0 min read

Trying a car has never been easier - lots of car brands now offer subscription services that allow you to drive a car on a monthly basis, with no down-payment or exit fee, swapping in and out of different models with three months’ 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 three-year 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 bonus is. Enjoy our first month’s offerings.

Try

Volvo C40 Recharge

Understated, Scandi-chic electric car with a sleek, curving roofline and chunky front end. If you’re not sure whether electric is for you, a three-month subscription for this rare beauty in Fjord Blue paintwork will give you a good taste of living a lower carbon lifestyle. It’s half small SUV, half luxe living. You can choose a bike rack or roof box from the options list if you want to bolt on a spirit of adventure. Try it all, why not? If you opt for the more expensive version, you’ll get 300 miles of driving between charges. Volvo’s subscription service is called Care By Volvo. Monthly payments are a couple hundred pounds more than a three-year finance deal, but lots is included, from roadside assistance to home delivery and the first week’s insurance. Find out more: Volvo C40 Review

Buy

Honda e:NY1

Yes, it’s the Honda “anyone”. Don’t be put off by the bonkers name badge: this pert electric car is an intelligent buy, packed with reliability and safety, so it’s a good family wagon for the long haul. Plus you won’t see many on the roads, which is always satisfying. We like the sharp front and rear styling, and the super-large touchscreen inside. Like all Hondas, it’s not cheap, but you’re paying for peace of mind because Honda takes a lot of care in building and engineering its cars to the highest standards. And still you get a five-year warranty and free roadside assistance. Plus 250 miles between charges. Find out more: Honda e:NY1 Review

Dream

Mercedes SL-Class

As Annie Lennox sang so succinctly: sweet dreams are made of this. A powerful, comfortable, spacious, high-tech convertible, with bags of kerb status and the ability to leave every other car eating dust? Sign me up, baby. From Grace Kelly in the Fifties to you today, style icons everywhere have driven an SL and looked magnificent. You can have it with an old-school mega V8 engine or the more carbon-reduced smaller SL43 version, and four-wheel drive if you fancy extra grip. Take me to Antibes, maintenant. Find out more: Mercedes-Benz SL Class Review