Want to save fuel and cut down your CO2 emissions? The DTI has just unveiled the “Act On CO2” initiative to encourage car buyers to purchase more fuel efficient motors. Auto Express has conducted its own research to find Britain’s 100 most economical motors.
The tests were conducted on public roads and take into account traffic conditions, weather, types of road and all the other variables that influence your mpg. Ten classes of cars were tested, from city cars to SUVs and family saloons to MPVs.
No-one expects sports cars to be economical, but all of our ten managed to better 25mpg. Three diesels also made it on to our list, the best of them being the 282bhp BMW 335d with 32.2mpg. However, that failed to match the class champion, the turbocharged MINI Cooper S which in our hands managed 33.5mpg. Three of our ten: the VW Golf GTI, Audi TT and Skoda Octavia vRS all use the same 2.0-litre FSI turbo engine.
| Make/Model | Tested MPG | CO2 | |
| 1. MINI Cooper S | 33.5 | 164 | |
| 2. BMW 335d SE Coupé | 32.2 | 200 | |
| 3. Peugeot 407 V6 HDi | 32.0 | 226 | |
| 4. Vauxhall Corsa VXR | 31.2 | 190 | |
| 5. Mercedes CLK 320 CDI | 30.9 | 193 | |
| 6. Volkswagen Golf GTI | 29.1 | 192 | |
| 7. Audi TT 2.0 T FSI | 27.8 | 183 | |
| 8. Skoda Octavia vRS | 27.7 | 187 | |
| 9. Ford Focus ST-2 | 26.9 | 224 | |
| 10. BMW 630i | 25.7 | 216 |
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