OUR BEST EVs TO LEASE

We choose the top electric cars to lease for three years, via Auto Express's Buy a Car service

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BYD DOLPHIN SURF Boost Monthly cost: £181 Initial payment: £895 Final price: £7,213

THERE'S a lot to be said for simple, no-nonsense small cars. Yet in recent years, choice has dwindled; the city-car segment is a shadow of its former self and superminis such as the Ford Fiesta have fallen by the wayside.

But as we've come to expect, big-hitter BYD doesn't hang about when it comes to filling gaps in an increasingly competitive market - and that's exactly what it's done with the lovable Dolphin Surf. It's a fantastically usable and fun-to-drive electric supermini.

The mid-spec Boost model is our top pick, adding alloy wheels, electric front seats and rain-sensing wipers to the base car's 10.1-inch touchscreen, sat-nav and phone connectivity.

Better still, you'll get the bigger battery for up to 200 miles of range - all for less than £1k up front and under £200 per month. Bargain! RICHARD INGRAM

RENAULT 4 Techno Monthly cost: £308 Initial payment: £1,092 Final price: £10,389

YOU can think of the Renault 4 as the Roy to the Renault 5's Walt Disney: the older, more practical sibling to the more well known artistic visionary and trailblazer. Much like the 5, the R4's design pays homage to the sixties original, but is much more spacious; adults in the rear sit in relative comfort and the boot is large enough for a full-size suitcase or the weekly shop - a rarity for a car of this size.

Sweetening the deal further is the fact that you can currently lease the larger R4 for just over £300 per month with less than £1,100 down; this will net you the mid-spec Techno model, complete with retro-style denim seats (trust me, the trim is nicer than it sounds), adaptive cruise control and a reversing camera.