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Best for running costs

Our guide to the real cost of motoring names the cheapest, and most expensive cars in the UK.

Category: Running Costs

Counting the cost of running your car can be a depressing exercise. As well as the initial purchase outlay, there’s depreciation to think about, along with servicing, maintenance, tyres, road tax, insurance, and - perhaps most topical of all - fuel.

Getting the most miles out of every pound you spend on your car is important to any driver, particularly if you are trying to reduce your monthly motoring outgoings. If it’s more cost effective transport you’re after, consider swapping into a model at the top of this chart.

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Fiat’s Panda has proved to be the least costly of the lot over the last 12 months. With low prices, decent second hand demand and fuel sipping engines the Italian city car can help you to spend less without too many compromises.

Fiat is celebrating a double victory, with its 500 city car arriving in second place in the penny-pinching category. Despite being more costly to buy than many of its rivals, Honda’s Jazz proves that you can’t fixate only on the list price by grabbing a coveted bronze medal.

At the bottom of the running costs rank is a model that doesn’t fit in with today’s low cost living mentality. By using a unique rotary engine, Mazda’s RX-8 provides a thrilling driving experience, but you will need deep pockets to enjoy its performance.

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What you said: "Good space, reasonable equipment, impressive economy and £30 per year tax without too many small-car compromises. Love it!" - Fiat Panda 1.2 Driver

"Quality feel and great looks. A relatively cheap car that that can hold it's own in any company." - Fiat 500 Owner

1

FIATPANDA89.25%

2

FIAT50089.14%

3

HONDAJAZZ NEW88.82%

4

SKODASUPERB NEW88.05%

5

TOYOTAYARIS NEW87.95%

6

SKODAOCTAVIA NEW86.80%

7

VAUXHALLASTRA MKVI85.16%

8

NISSANNOTE84.86%

9

NISSANMICRA MKIII84.52%

10

KIACEE'D84.49%

11

HYUNDAII30 (clean)84.00%

12

MINIONE/COOPER/COOPER S NEW83.36%

13

SEATIBIZA MKIV83.33%

14

NISSANQASHQAI82.99%

15

HONDAJAZZ OLD82.78%

16

VOLKSWAGENPOLO MKIV82.78%

17

CITROENC4 PICASSO82.75%

18

SKODAFABIA NEW82.54%

19

VauxhallINSIGNIA82.50%

20

VAUXHALLCORSA NEW82.11%

21

SEATLEON MKII81.85%

22

VOLKSWAGENGOLF MKVI81.84%

23

RENAULTMEGANE MKIII81.69%

24

RENAULTLAGUNA MKIII81.43%

25

SKODAYETI81.14%

26

FORDFIESTA MKVI80.92%

27

MAZDAMX-5/RC MKIII80.82%

28

TOYOTAAURIS80.82%

29

PEUGEOT20780.49%

30

MAZDA2 NEW80.38%

31

VOLKSWAGENPASSAT OLD80.38%

32

TOYOTAAVENSIS OLD80.00%

33

VOLKSWAGENTOURAN80.00%

34

CITROENC5 NEW80.00%

35

VOLKSWAGENSCIROCCO79.72%

36

FIATBRAVO79.69%

37

TOYOTACOROLLA79.67%

38

VAUXHALLCORSA OLD79.60%

39

RENAULTCLIO MKII79.29%

40

SEATALTEA79.05%

41

FIATPUNTO79.02%

42

FORDMONDEO MKIV78.97%

43

FORDC-MAX OLD78.92%

44

FORDFIESTA MKV78.78%

45

ROVER7578.18%

46

HONDACIVIC MKVIII78.01%

47

MERCEDESE-CLASS MKIV77.78%

48

FORDS-MAX77.70%

49

HONDAACCORD MKVII77.67%

50

VOLVOV5077.54%
 

51

AUDIA377.49%

52

CITROENXSARA PICASSO77.42%

53

BMW3-SERIES MKIV77.02%

54

HONDACIVIC MKVII76.94%

55

BMW1-SERIES76.62%

56

VOLKSWAGENPASSAT 2000-200576.58%

57

RENAULTCLIO MKIII76.54%

58

VAUXHALLZAFIRA NEW76.49%

59

FORDKA OLD76.36%

60

FORDFOCUS 1998-200476.05%

61

VOLKSWAGENGOLF MKV75.90%

62

AUDIA6 MKIII75.82%

63

VAUXHALLVECTRA MKIII75.80%

64

JAGUARXF75.73%

65

MERCEDESC-CLASS MKIII75.50%

66

FORDMONDEO MKIII75.50%

67

HONDACR-V MKIII75.29%

68

RENAULTMEGANE MKII75.08%

69

AUDIA4 MKIV74.89%

70

AUDITT/ROADSTER NEW74.82%

71

CITROENC4 OLD74.77%

72

VAUXHALLASTRA MKV74.65%

73

FIATGRANDE PUNTO74.63%

74

JAGUARX-TYPE74.37%

75

AUDIA574.24%

76

MERCEDESA-CLASS NEW74.00%

77

HYUNDAICOUPE73.94%

78

MAZDA6 NEW73.70%

79

FORDFOCUS OLD73.22%

80

LEXUSIS NEW72.98%

81

VAUXHALLMERIVA OLD72.79%

82

SAAB 9-372.76%

83

PEUGEOT30772.29%

84

BMW5-SERIES MKV71.58%

85

MERCEDESE-CLASS MKIII70.93%

86

RENAULTSCENIC/GRAND SCENIC MKII70.89%

87

AUDIA4 MKIII70.11%

88

LAND ROVERFREELANDER NEW70.07%

89

VOLVOS4070.00%

90

MAZDA6 OLD69.66%

91

VOLVOS6069.66%

92

MERCEDESC-CLASS MKII69.37%

93

JAGUARS-TYPE68.74%

94

ALFA ROMEO15668.73%

95

BMW3-SERIES MKIII68.37%

96

SAAB9-5 OLD68.22%

97

MINIONE/COOPER/COOPER S OLD66.36%

98

ALFA ROMEO15965.54%

99

LAND ROVERFREELANDER OLD63.03%

100

MAZDARX-844.42%
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