12 of the Most Economical Petrol Cars

As you’d expect, this list is going to be full of small, lightweight cars with modern and frugal engines. The Hyundai i10 may be 12th on the list but the 1.0 litre S model will still return up to 60.1 mpg. Which isn’t exactly something you would turn your nose up at, is it?

It’s also very cheap to buy an i10 with prices starting from just £8,995

Even smaller than the i10 is the new Twingo from Renault. It’s an interesting one this, as it is obviously a small city car but the engine is mounted at the rear of the car powering the rear wheels. This makes for a super small turning circle and gives the car a real personality out on the roads. In terms of economy, if you spec the 1.0 SCE engine in Expression trim then you can get about 62.8mpg in return… not bad!

The Twingo is on sale now from £10,000

A little spoiler alert, this is actually the biggest car on this list. The 308 rivals the likes of the VW Golf and Ford Focus in terms of size and weight, but thanks to the award-winning Peugeot engines, the 308 is leagues ahead of its competition in terms of economy. If you spec the 308 with the 1.2 litres PureTech 130 engine and the Active trim line then you’ll see a health 62.8mpg in return.

The 308 does start from £18,725 - so it is the most expensive car in this list but it is well priced for its market.

Skoda is usually famous for their ultra economical diesel engines in the Octavia and Superb models, but they’re doing a pretty good job with their petrol city car, the Citigo. Built on the same platform as the VW Up!, it offers a cost friendly but still playful package while returning a healthy 65.7mpg when spec’d with the 1.0 MPI engine and the SE trim level.

The Citigo is more affordable than the Up!, with prices starting from just £8,785 but this is reflected in the standard kit.

Who would have thought that Suzuki, who are really a niche-manufacturer in the UK, would be offering one of the most economical petrol cars on the market? Well, believe it because their new Celerio model is doing just that. Their 1.0-litre petrol engine will return a juicy 65.7 mpg when spec’d in the SZ3 level trim. Is this the most surprising car on this list? Let us know.

The Celerio is on sale right now with prices starting from just £7,499 - which is extremely affordable.

Now, how about this for a touch of class? The small-hatchback segment has really had to up its game since the introduction of the Audi A1. Previously, hatchbacks would have plastic-ridden interiors which weren’t given too much attention, but Audi doesn’t make cars like that. The A1 is certainly the most luxurious small hatch on the market and, thanks to the 1.0 TFSI petrol unit, it’s also pretty economical. Spec that model in the top of the range S Line Nav trim level and you will get 65.7 mpg out of the A1. Not bad at all…

The Audi A1 is on sale now from £15,565.

It was only a matter of time before the Fiesta came up on this list. The best-selling car in the UK just so happens to also be one of the most economical petrol cars on the market thanks to the new Ford EcoBoost engines. The 1.0 litre 3-cylinder unit in the Zetec model of the Fiesta will return a solid 65.7 mpg while also providing a joyous and high-revving driving experience. The Fiesta has also just been facelifted, so be quick to get inside the new model while they’re fresh.

You can buy a brand new Ford Fiesta from £13,695.

The 308 featured earlier in this list so, naturally, the smaller and more lightweight sibling is going to make an appearance also. Again, the Peugeot team have done a real job on their latest petrol engines. To get the most out of the 108 you’ll need to spec the 1.0-litre model in the Active trim level. Peugeot says that this will get you up to 67.3 mpg and, in fairness, they’re usually pretty honest with their stated figures. The 108 is an agreeable and characterful little thing which most city-dwellers would be able to get along with quite easily.

Prices start from just £9,125

The Skoda Citigo featured earlier on in this list so you’d have been correct to assume the VW Up!, it’s mechanical clone, would feature also. The VW Up! Manages to offer even more economy out of the same 1.0 75 PS than the Citigo managed, thanks to better aerodynamics and a lighter kerb weight. So you can actually get 67.3 mpg out of the UP which is marginally better than the Skoda. To achieve these figures in the up you’ll have to go for the 3dr model in the Beats trim level. You’ll be happy to know this trim level comes with an excellent speaker system among a load of other cool equipment.

The Up! Starts from just £9,325.

So now we’re into the top 3. The business end of this listicle. Coming in 3rd place is the Toyota Aygo. The Aygo has been around for ages now so it needs no real introduction, although it’s worth mentioning that this latest model is certainly the best looking and most youthful. You should also know that the onboard technology available in they Aygo really is from a class above. You can get 68.9 mpg from the little Aygo when you choose the X trim level and the 1.0 VVT-i petrol engine.

The on-the-road prices start from £8,995 which is pretty much slap-bang in the middle of the market.

And in second place, well actually joint second place, is the Citroen C1. I say ‘joint second’ because it offers the exact same mpg as the Toyota Aygo - 68.9 mpg. To achieve this in the Citroen you will need to spec the Touch model with the 1.0 VTi engine. It shouldn’t come as a surprise though, because the C1 and Aygo have been built on the same platform for 13 years now. Even though both models have been updated individually, they both share a lot of the same underpinnings.

The Citroen C1 starts from just £9,125 - which is only slightly more expensive than the Aygo.

And finally, the most economical petrol car on the market is the new Fiat 500. Who saw that coming? The 500 certainly deserves the praise it gets. The 0.9-litre TwinAir petrol engine boasts some really forward-thinking technology. Combine this engine with the Lounge trim level and you can expect 74.3 mpg in return. The Fiat 500 doesn’t just come first in this list, it leaves everyone else in the dust! Now, we’re not going to pretend that the Fiat 500 is for everyone. It is undeniably a feminine car but the stats speak for themselves and you can’t really question just how frugal and rewarding owning a Fiat 500 can be.

Prices start from £11,615