Fuel Prices- PetrolPrices Pro

iPod car apps tested

We test the iPhone apps aiming to put an end to expensive fuel.

Auto Express Car Reviews

Text: Kim Adams Date: February 2010

Rating:

WINNER - PetrolPrices Pro
Price: £2.99
Rating: 5/5

BEST BUY: Comprehensive is the best word to sum up this clever app from the people behind the petrolprices.com website. As with the AA program (below), the figures were spot-on at the dozen or so stations we checked. But unlike the recovery firm’s app, you get prices rather than colour coding, and the data is for all of your nearby stations, not only the cheapest. You will recoup your £3 investment in no time.

The other contenders:

AA Fuel Prices
Price: £4.99

As you would expect from one of the UK’s top fuel price monitors, the data was up-to-date. The AA kept it simple by checking the nearest 10 sites and giving you the cheapest five. But some were several miles away when we knew there were alternatives closer. Plus, it doesn’t give prices, just colour coding.

Rating:3/5

Fuel Smart UK
Price: £0.59

Tempting, at only 59p – yet we’d save our money, as the figures couldn’t be relied on. While some stations were accurate, others could be up to eight pence per litre out. The interface has its problems, too, as there are adverts and a limit to the number of stations the app covers.

Rating: 2/5

MyGas
Price: Free

The name is Americanised, but this covers the UK, and it proved to be similar to Fuel Smart. As with that app, it relies on users to update the data, so the figures were all over the place. You can see when prices were last refreshed, yet that’s of little use if you are looking to stop soon. There are better apps to fill your phone’s memory with.

Ratiing: 2/5