What are the best cheap Chinese cars?

March 27, 2026 by Jamie Edkins

If you were after a cheap and cheerful car around 10 years ago, the go-to option would be something like a Dacia Sandero. While the Sandero is still a fantastic small car, these days there are a lot of Chinese brands entering the budget-friendly market.

But what are the best cheap Chinese cars? We’ve picked 10 of our favourites for you to choose from. They all come in at under £30,000, and we’ll go in order of least to most expensive.

1. MG3 – Starts from £17,245

The MG3 is our favourite cheap Chinese car, because it offers so much standard equipment at a price which undercuts all of its key competitors. It costs almost £2,500 less than a Vauxhall Corsa and a few hundred pounds less than a Renault Clio, but you get luxuries like cruise control, a digital driver’s display and sat nav.

Save over £3,000 on a new MG3*

It’s also good fun to drive, and for an extra couple of grand you can get the powerful hybrid engine, which can drive at low speeds using only electric power. The interior does feel cheap in places though, and the rear seats are a tad cramped.

2. MG ZS – Starts from £20,245

If you’re after something a bit bigger than the MG3, you can get the MG ZS SUV for just £3,000 more. It’s available with the same punchy hybrid engine as its smaller stablemate, and it offers loads of rear seat space.

Save almost £4,000 on a new MG ZS*

The jacked-up ride height does mean the ZS doesn’t handle as neatly as the MG3, and it has a similarly budget-feeling interior, but when you consider that this car costs the same as a mid-spec Dacia Duster, and comes with more standard equipment, it’s easy to forgive.

3. MG4 Urban – Starts from £23,495

This is the MG4 Urban, an all-new model which replaces the cheapest version of the MG4. We like how much space is on offer here for the money, with roomy rear seats and a massive boot.

Save an average of over £6,000 on a new MG4 Urban*

It also has quite a nice interior for the price. There are some hard plastics, but the addition of physical switchgear makes it really easy to use. It’s just a shame that it’s not as much fun to drive as the MG4.

4. Chery Tiggo 7 – Starts from £24,995

The Chery Tiggo 7 epitomises the appeal of Chinese cars. Here you have a spacious family SUV for the same price as a small hatchback, and you get things like adaptive cruise control LED headlights, wireless phone mirroring and a reversing camera as standard.

Save more than £2,000 on a Chery Tiggo 7*

It may not be as nice to drive as something like an MG HS thanks to the wobbly suspension, and the thirsty petrol engine is best avoided in favour of the smoother plug-in hybrid. The interior is really nice though, with plush materials and an upmarket design.

5. MG HS – Starts from £26,245

We’re back to MG now, because the HS is one of our favourite family SUVs. It’s decent to drive, spacious inside and the plug-in hybrid has up to 75 miles of range. The rear seats are massive as well, as is the boot.

Save almost £7,000 on a new MG HS*

We lived with an HS for a few months, and found the infotainment system to be a bit fiddly to use. The adaptive cruise control was nice to have though, and it comes as standard as long as you go for an automatic gearbox.

6. Jaecoo E5 – Starts from £27,505

The Jaecoo E5 is a great electric SUV. The Range Rover-esque styling makes it look premium, and it feels posh inside as well thanks to the plush materials and large, responsive touchscreen.

Save over £4,000 on a Jaecoo E5*

It’s a shame that the charging is so slow, topping out at 80kW and going from 30-80% in around half an hour, while a Kia EV3 is more comfortable to drive. The Jaecoo is practical though thanks to the roomy rear seats.

7. Chery Tiggo 8 – Starts from £28,545

The Chery Tiggo 8 is our reigning Car Of The Year, and for good reason. Here you have a large seven-seat SUV with a surround-view camera, adaptive cruise control, wireless phone mirroring and LED headlights for less than a nicely-specced Volkswagen Golf.

Save more than £3,000 on a Chery Tiggo 8*

The interior feels posh as well, and some of the switchgear feels more solid than it does on a BMW. It may not be the best SUV to drive, with wallowy suspension and vague steering making it feel pretty numb, but at this price it’s easy to overlook this.

8. Geely Starray – Starts from £29,990

You might have noticed a common complaint with these cars is lacklustre driving dynamics, but the Geely Starray is one of the best-driving Chinese cars out there. It won’t thrill you through the bends, but it feels much more composed and surefooted than a Chery Tiggo 7, for example.

Latest Geely Starray deals

It also has a lovely interior and loads of interior space, although the central touchscreen is a pain to use and the plain exterior styling won’t appeal to everyone. It looks smart enough, but a Peugeot 3008 will turn more heads.

9. Leapmotor B10 – Starts from £29,995

The Leapmotor B10 is a bit of a bargain at £29,995, but it’s the leasing deals which really make it stand out. You can get behind the wheel of this spacious electric car for just £170 per month with an upfront payment of £2,322.

Lease a Leapmotor B10

The interior feels plush and you get loads of standard kit, but the touchscreen is a confusing mess of menus and the 261-mile range is so-so these days. Still, you can lease one for less than a Vauxhall Corsa so it’s still great-value.

10. BYD Dolphin – Starts from £30,290

Okay so we’ve gone a couple of hundred pounds over budget here, but the BYD Dolphin is such a good electric car that we’ve made an exception. It’s roomy inside, generously equipped and decent to drive, and the 265-mile range is pretty good for a car of this size.

Save over £3,000 on a BYD Dolphin

The interior quality isn’t the best, and rear visibility is limited as well thanks to the thick rear pillars. You can save an average of £3,300 on a Dolphin through Carwow, which makes these foibles easier to overlook.

Car change? Carwow!

Looking for a new set of wheels? With Carwow you can sell your car quickly and for a fair price – as well as find great offers on your next one. Whether you’re looking to buy a car brand new, are after something used or you want to explore car leasing options, Carwow is your one stop shop for new car deals.

Change your car the easy way

Click here to follow us on Reddit, where you can keep up-to-date with all the latest news, reviews, advice guides and videos. You can also subscribe to our WhatsApp channel to get the latest news sent straight to your phone.

*Savings are made up of the maximum dealer discount off RRP – subject to dealership, location and trim. Prices correct at the time of writing.