7. Skoda Fabia GreenLine II

It’s one of the older cars on the supermini market, but the five-door-only Skoda Fabia is still among the most efficient.

You’ll need to go for diesel power to get the best fuel consumption, and the GreenLine II version uses a 1.2-litre three-cylinder TDI engine to return 83.1mpg. It also qualifies for free road tax, as it emits only 89g/km of CO2.

The Fabia isn’t as entertaining from behind the wheel as a Ford Fiesta, but buyers reap the rewards of the tall, rather awkward dimensions with more interior room and a slightly bigger boot – it offers 300 litres of space with the rear seats up and 1,163 litres when they’re folded.

The ride and refinement impress, too, and although it doesn’t have the safety credentials and hi-tech options of some rivals, ESP is still included as standard. Service intervals are every 10,000 miles and you get only a three-year, 60,000-mile warranty – not as good as rivals from Kia and Hyundai – plus some of the materials used inside feel a bit cheap. But the Fabia really scores with its great-value price.