Skip advert
Advertisement

Top 10 best cars for MPG and running costs

Driver Power asked UK new car buyers about their cars' MPG and running costs. These are the top ten highest rated

  • Covering: Fuel economy, servicing costs and other expenses, such as road tax and insurance
  • Winner: Polestar 2
  • Score: 94.54%

There’s another feather in the cap of the Polestar 2, with owners voting it the most satisfying car to own for running costs, a category it wins by a decent margin. It’s electric of course, which, even with soaring electricity bills, means it has an intrinsic advantage over internal-combustion rivals. 

Advertisement - Article continues below

But while the Polestar gets a pass in the MPG column, two second places for servicing costs and insurance ensure the car earns victory. Runner-up in the category is the MG5, another EV, which tops the insurance cost table and comes sixth for servicing costs.

Taking third is Hyundai’s Ioniq, which comes top of the table for economy, with respondents split 50:50 between hybrid and full-EV versions. A third place for insurance costs is another Ioniq positive, but the car can only manage 22nd for servicing costs, which prevents it from capitalising on other good scores. 

Last year’s running costs winner, the Tesla Model 3, is still in the running too, with an excellent fifth place behind the overall survey-winning Citroen C4.

Your view

“It’s the cheapest car I’ve ever had to insure, which helps to offset its price. Other costs are minimal because the servicing is included for three years.”

MPG and running costs top 10

ModelClassOverall PositionOverall Score

Category Score

1. Polestar 2Premium Mid to Large SUV17th90.94%94.54%
2. MG5Compact Family Car66th87.66%93.24%
3. Hyundai IoniqCompact Family Car11th91.19%93.09%
4. Citroen C4 Mk3Compact Family Car1st93.39%92.78%
5. Tesla Model 3Executive22nd90.71%91.95%
6. Kia Soul Mk3Small SUV18th90.80%91.09%
7. Dacia Duster Mk2Small SUV4th91.75%90.92%
8. Honda Jazz Mk3Supermini32nd90.02%90.43%
9. Citroen C5 AircrossMid to Large SUV56th88.46%89.77%
10. Toyota Prius Mk4Compact Family Car8th91.45%89.50%
Driver Power car ownership

Now tell us about your car in the Driver Power survey...

Skip advert
Advertisement
Current affairs and features editor

Chris covers all aspects of motoring life for Auto Express. Over a long career he has contributed news and car reviews to brands such as Autocar, WhatCar?, PistonHeads, Goodwood and The Motor Trader.

Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

Best low tax cars: New EVs and used ICE cars with cheap VED road tax
Best low tax cars - header image

Best low tax cars: New EVs and used ICE cars with cheap VED road tax

Want to minimise your VED road tax expense? We’ve rounded up some of the best cars which are cheap to tax
Best cars & vans
3 Feb 2026
Best electric cars to lease 2026
Best electric cars to lease Feb 2026

Best electric cars to lease 2026

We choose the top electric cars to lease for three years, via Auto Express’s Buy a Car service
Best cars & vans
2 Feb 2026
Dacia Bigster vs Citroen C5 Aircross: low prices and plenty of space, but which SUV does it best?
Dacia Bigster vs Citroen C5 Aircross - front tracking

Dacia Bigster vs Citroen C5 Aircross: low prices and plenty of space, but which SUV does it best?

Citroen’s latest C5 Aircross hybrid is aiming to woo budget family SUV buyers, but standing in its way is the wallet-friendly Dacia Bigster hybrid
Car group tests
31 Jan 2026
Honda Jazz review
Honda Jazz - front tracking

Honda Jazz review

Practical, efficient and highly specced, the hybrid Honda Jazz supermini is an attractive if relatively pricey package
In-depth reviews
30 Jan 2026

Most Popular

Some Chinese car brands are doomed to disappear, warns Skoda boss
Skoda Kodiaq - front cornering

Some Chinese car brands are doomed to disappear, warns Skoda boss

Skoda’s sales and marketing boss warns “there will be a consolidation” of the number of Chinese car brands around
News
3 Feb 2026
Dacia Bigster vs Citroen C5 Aircross: low prices and plenty of space, but which SUV does it best?
Dacia Bigster vs Citroen C5 Aircross - front tracking

Dacia Bigster vs Citroen C5 Aircross: low prices and plenty of space, but which SUV does it best?

Citroen’s latest C5 Aircross hybrid is aiming to woo budget family SUV buyers, but standing in its way is the wallet-friendly Dacia Bigster hybrid
Car group tests
31 Jan 2026
New Kia EV1 electric city car on the way to rival the Renault Twingo
Kia EV1 - front (watermarked)

New Kia EV1 electric city car on the way to rival the Renault Twingo

Kia's design boss lifts the lid on plans for a Renault Twingo and Volkswagen ID. Lupo rival, and our exclusive images preview how the EV1 could look
News
2 Feb 2026