Cheapest
to the more expensive
We outline the cheapest and expensive cars
to run.
The cheapest supermini to run: MINI One
Search: MINI One
List price: £13,230
Total running cost: £10,732
The supermini winner, the MINI One, costs just £9.80 to run per day. It's nice to drive, and Electronic Stability control is standard. Watch out for long waiting lists, though, and be wary of picking too many options.
The most expensive supermini to run: Citroen C3 1.6 Exclusive Sensodrive
Search: Citroen C3
List price: £13,095
Total running cost: £12,196
The most costly supermini, the Citroen C3, costs £11.13 to run per day. That's £1.33 more than the MINI a day or, over a year, enough for a washing machine. It's cheaper to buy, but build quality and relaibility lag behind the MINI.
The cheapest family car to run: Kia C'eed 1.6 CRDi GS
Search: Kia C'eed
List price: £13,045
Total running cost: £12,699
The winner here is the humble C'eed, thanks to its low list price, cheap fuel costs (courtesy of its diesel engine) and affordable insurance. It's a fine drive, too, and has good euipment and a seven-year warranty.
The most expensive family car to run: Chevrolet Lacetti 1.8 Sport
Search: Chevrolet Lacetti
List price: £12,495
Total running cost: £15,939
The Chevrolet costs most to run despite having the lowest list price. After three-years and 36,000 miles, the Chevrolet will have lost £7,916 (two-thirds of its list price) in depreciation.
The cheapest executive car to run: Mercedes E280 CDI Sport auto
Search: Mercedes E-Class
List price: £37,020
Total running cost: £24,827
No surprise to find that executive cars are not cheap to run, but the Mercedes is at the top. However, there's not a great deal of difference between this and rivals from Audi and BMW.
The most expensive executive car to run: Citroen C6 2.7 Executive Auto
Search: Citroen C6
List price: £38,195
Total running cost: £32,187
The Citroen is a uniquely stylish car that harks back to classic DS. It's just that the Used market doesn't rate them as highly as the other cars in this segment, making the C6 worse for depreciation.
The cheapest sport car: Mazda MX-5 1.8 (option pack)
Search: Mazda MX-5
List price: £16,530
Total running cost: £15,681
Although it's not a direct competitor, the smaller, lighter, Mazda MX-5 can arguably provide just as many 'smiles per mile'as the worst performer the Nissan 350Z.
The most expensive sports car: Nissan 350Z 3.5 Convertible
Search: Nissan 350Z
List price: £28,295
Total running cost: £24,755
The most expensive model in the calculations is the brawny Nissan 350Z V6 roadster capable of 0-60mph in just 5.9 seconds. However, it's a thirsty beast, averageing just 23.5mpg.
Which also compared two of the mos popular hybrid cars, the Toyota Prius and the Honda Civic IMA. The biggest difference between the two is the cost of depreciation. After three-years and 36,00 miles, the Toyota could be sold for £9,777, representing a loss of £6,490 on the discounted list price. However the Honda Loses £1,000 more in value over the same period.
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