I've been looking at contract hire... Good idea?

[Piepiepie]

I've got about £18k as a budget at the moment, but to blow all (or even half) on a car would hurt a lot.

I've been looking at contract hire, mainly on sporty repmobiles such as the new c class estate, 330 touring, A5 etc.

Is contract hire viable or not? It would be a short contract term, as it's rare for me to keep a car for several years at a time. I'd guess 24 months would be enough.

Also, where is best to find the cheapest deals? I suppose i could always go to the bank for a loan, but im just looking at other options.