FUEL price increases are hitting drivers hard. With the cost of a full tank still rising, many drivers will be considering whether their current vehicle is efficient enough for their needs.
Making a switch to a more cost-effective vehicle could make sense for many motorists but that doesn't have to mean a brand-new car. In fact, there are a lot of options on the used market to consider.
Unsure where to start? We've taken a look at some of the best options for a variety of budgets...
1. £2,500 – Ford Fiesta TDCI (2010)
Unsurprisingly, it's small cars which are some of the most economical options on the used market, with many examples of Ford's popular Fiesta appearing within the classifieds. If you're a high mileage driver, then a diesel-powered example could be a great idea – these 1.4-litre-powered cars can return close to 70mpg combined on a long run. They're also good to drive and come with plenty of standard equipment too.
2. £5,000 – Toyota IQ (2010)
Toyota's dinky IQ is a really appealing option, particularly for those living in the city. It's powered by a 1.0-litre engine too, which as well as making the IQ cheap to tax – £20 a year – will return up to 60mpg as well. Sure, it may not be the most spacious car here, but it's a solid choice for those looking to reduce their running costs.
3. £8,000 – Fiat 500 1.2 (2016)
Step up to £8,000 and some more stylish options come into play. Take the Fiat 500, which has been a consistent presence in the city car market thanks to its retro-inspired looks and neat handling. With a 1.2-litre engine, it's a very economical choice too, and can return up to 65mpg combined. Plus, it's often emission zone exempt.
4. £15,000 – Seat Ateca 1.6 TDI (2017)
Move up to a £15,000 budget and we've got some newer, more spacious options. The Ateca was Seat's first SUV and a great success at that, combining the Spanish firm's stylish design with solid Volkswagen Group-backed build quality. The 1.6-litre diesel Ateca will be the best pick for fuel-sipping abilities, thanks to its combined fuel consumption figure of just over 62mpg.
5. £20,000 – Audi A4 2.0 TDI (2018)
Push that budget up to £20,000 and you get a few premium brands appearing. The Audi A4 is a great choice for those after a comfortable, refined and spacious car, while its well-judged ride really helps to take the backache out of longer journeys. The 2.0-litre diesel-powered model is great in terms of efficiency too, returning just shy of 70mpg combined.
6. £35,000 – BMW 330e plug-in hybrid (2020)
Now, as with all plug-in hybrids, the 330e's claimed consumption figure must be taken with a pinch of salt, as it relies on the batteries being kept fully topped up at all times. BMW claims that it'll do over 200mpg which looks excellent on paper but is quite hard to achieve during daily driving on tarmac. Mind you, even over mixed driving, it'll still be a very economical choice, while an excellent steering setup makes this car a lot of fun to drive too.
7. £40,000+ – Mercedes-Benz E300de (2019)
Step up over the £40,000 bracket and you'll notice that it's plug-in hybrids that dominate the market. However, one of the most interesting is the E300de from Mercedes, as it's one of the very few plug-in hybrid diesel models around. It means that even when the batteries are depleted, you're still left with an efficient 2.0-litre turbocharged diesel to fall back on.
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here