Most economical diesel cars 2025
High-quality economical diesel cars from rated and reviewed dealers
Most economical diesel cars of 2025
Diesel cars have waned in popularity over recent years, but the best economical diesel cars still provide near-unmatched fuel efficiency on the motorway, making them the perfect choice if you take frequent road trips or long-distance commutes.
You’ll typically find a diesel engine in a sensible, family-friendly saloon car or liftback such as the Skoda Octavia, Mercedes C-Class or Audi A5. Your choice of hatchbacks is more limited, but the Mercedes A-Class and Volkswagen Golf are still around.
Our expert reviews team has tested every diesel car on sale in the UK, putting in the miles through extensive testing to find out which models are the most fuel efficient. Here are the ten most economical examples on sale:
1. Skoda Octavia
Skoda Octavia review
Battery range up to 49 miles
Best for: Pretty much everything
Fuel economy: 65.7mpg
Remember all those years, when the England cricket team was desperately searching for a true all-rounder? Someone who could bat and bowl with equal vim, a true successor to the multi-talented likes of Ian Botham? Turns out they should have been looking at the Skoda Octavia, as it’s one of the best all-rounders of the lot. OK, so it’s Czech, but there’s got to be an English grandad in there somewhere…
In diesel form, the one to go for to maximise economy is the most basic 116hp 2.0-litre TDI, with a manual gearbox. Yes, full-on minicab spec, and you’ll have to forego the nicer 150hp version of the same engine, and the smooth DSG automatic gearbox. You can live without them, in fairness, but the Octavia becomes a little less nice in this most basic spec.
It’s still good — nice and easy-going to drive, well-sorted around corners, easy to park in town in spite of the extra length compared to the related Volkswagen Golf hatchback. You’ll love the massive boot (600 litres) and the legroom in the back, but you’ll be less keen with this engine’s faint reluctance when it comes to a long motorway incline, and the tyre noise that almost drowns out the radio on rough surfaces.
However, that 66.2mpg figure really is achievable in the real world, and you won’t even have to hypermile to get there. As a thing in which to cross the country from one corner to the other, the Octavia really is quite hard to beat, especially in terms of value for money.
The big new screen on the dashboard can be a bit fiddly at times, which is annoying, and if you want some actual entertainment around corners, then go for the Golf instead. Still, the Octavia’s well-made interior, comfort, and that handy umbrella in the door go a long way to making your life just that little bit nicer.
Fuel economy: 65.7mpg
Remember all those years, when the England cricket team was desperately searching for a true all-rounder? Someone who could bat and bowl with equal vim, a true successor to the multi-talented likes of Ian Botham? Turns out they should have been looking at the Skoda Octavia, as it’s one of the best all-rounders of the lot. OK, so it’s Czech, but there’s got to be an English grandad in there somewhere…
In diesel form, the one to go for to maximise economy is the most basic 116hp 2.0-litre TDI, with a manual gearbox. Yes, full-on minicab spec, and you’ll have to forego the nicer 150hp version of the same engine, and the smooth DSG automatic gearbox. You can live without them, in fairness, but the Octavia becomes a little less nice in this most basic spec.
It’s still good — nice and easy-going to drive, well-sorted around corners, easy to park in town in spite of the extra length compared to the related Volkswagen Golf hatchback. You’ll love the massive boot (600 litres) and the legroom in the back, but you’ll be less keen with this engine’s faint reluctance when it comes to a long motorway incline, and the tyre noise that almost drowns out the radio on rough surfaces.
However, that 66.2mpg figure really is achievable in the real world, and you won’t even have to hypermile to get there. As a thing in which to cross the country from one corner to the other, the Octavia really is quite hard to beat, especially in terms of value for money.
The big new screen on the dashboard can be a bit fiddly at times, which is annoying, and if you want some actual entertainment around corners, then go for the Golf instead. Still, the Octavia’s well-made interior, comfort, and that handy umbrella in the door go a long way to making your life just that little bit nicer.
2. Volkswagen Golf
Volkswagen Golf review
Best for: A classy all-rounder
Fuel economy: 64.2mpg
We thought that Volkswagen had well and truly dropped the ball with the Mk8 version of the evergreen Golf, which hit the market back in 2019. Less fun to drive, and with a significantly cheaper interior than the Mk7 that preceded it, it seemed as if Volkswagen had turned its head entirely to electric cars and kinda forgotten about the Golf.
Thankfully, that wasn’t the case, and the updates granted to the Golf to turn it into this latest Mk8.5 version restore much of its natural Golfiness. The styling at the front looks less droopy than before, for a start.
Inside, the dreadful cheap-plastic surround for the original touchscreen has been banished, and in its place comes a much-improved 12.9-inch screen that sits up, proud of the dashboard. It’s a bit of a big screen for a compact car, and the menu layout can still be bewildering, but at least now there are handy customisable shortcut sections which speed things up rather a lot. You do still have to contend with the dreadful ‘slider’ touch sensitive buttons for cabin heat and stereo volume, but at long last these are now backlit at night.
In spite of being fitted with the same engine as the Skoda Octavia, the Golf 2.0 TDI diesel is, oddly, a couple of mpg worse off — we put that down to the longer Skoda’s superior aerodynamics, but to be honest in real world driving, there’s little enough to choose between them. You’ll still get around 60mpg if you’re driving fairly carefully.
Thankfully, you can bin the driving carefully bit some of the time and actually have some fun in this Golf. The inert steering and chassis of the Mk8 have gone, and been replaced by something that’s still not quite as much fun as some older Golfs, but which is certainly more engaging, more entertaining, and more enjoyable around corners. The rest of the car is as it has always been — roomy enough for family life, well-made, and quietly classy.
Fuel economy: 64.2mpg
We thought that Volkswagen had well and truly dropped the ball with the Mk8 version of the evergreen Golf, which hit the market back in 2019. Less fun to drive, and with a significantly cheaper interior than the Mk7 that preceded it, it seemed as if Volkswagen had turned its head entirely to electric cars and kinda forgotten about the Golf.
Thankfully, that wasn’t the case, and the updates granted to the Golf to turn it into this latest Mk8.5 version restore much of its natural Golfiness. The styling at the front looks less droopy than before, for a start.
Inside, the dreadful cheap-plastic surround for the original touchscreen has been banished, and in its place comes a much-improved 12.9-inch screen that sits up, proud of the dashboard. It’s a bit of a big screen for a compact car, and the menu layout can still be bewildering, but at least now there are handy customisable shortcut sections which speed things up rather a lot. You do still have to contend with the dreadful ‘slider’ touch sensitive buttons for cabin heat and stereo volume, but at long last these are now backlit at night.
In spite of being fitted with the same engine as the Skoda Octavia, the Golf 2.0 TDI diesel is, oddly, a couple of mpg worse off — we put that down to the longer Skoda’s superior aerodynamics, but to be honest in real world driving, there’s little enough to choose between them. You’ll still get around 60mpg if you’re driving fairly carefully.
Thankfully, you can bin the driving carefully bit some of the time and actually have some fun in this Golf. The inert steering and chassis of the Mk8 have gone, and been replaced by something that’s still not quite as much fun as some older Golfs, but which is certainly more engaging, more entertaining, and more enjoyable around corners. The rest of the car is as it has always been — roomy enough for family life, well-made, and quietly classy.
3. Mercedes-Benz C-Class
Mercedes-Benz C-Class Saloon review
Battery range up to 30 miles
Best for: being posh
Fuel economy: 62.8mpg
In theory, if you’re spending as much money as you need to to get this C-Class, you’re probably not all that bothered about how much fuel you’re using and should really just get one of the petrol models. Of course, the likelihood is that you’re getting this as a company car, and the accountant is keeping a beady eye on fuel receipts, so maybe you’re better off with this diesel after all.
At 62.8mpg, you’ll certainly not be having to turn in too many fuel receipts in an average week with a C220d. This generation of Mercedes 2.0-litre diesel engine is getting a little old now (no-one’s really investing in new diesel engines anymore) but for a four-cylinder diesel, it’s actually quite refined and smooth, and it works well with the automatic gearbox with its column-mounted shifter.
Set the C-Class up for a long cruise up an endless motorway, and you’ll wonder if any other car could really match it. The cabin is super-classy, and the big, reclining screen in the centre of the dash is one of the easier to find your way around. A shame that the few physical controls — the little short-cut bar at the base of the screen — feel so cheap. Still, the front seats are gloriously comfortable and there’s decent space in the back. The boot of the C-Class saloon is somewhat small though, so you might want to cost yourself one or two mpg and trade up to the handsome, and usefully roomy, estate version instead.
While cruising along, the C-Class feels aloof and disconnected from the world around you, but find a twisty back road and start to ask the chassis and steering some serious questions, and the Mercedes really responds with some proper vim and vigour. It’s not quite as sharp to drive as a BMW 3 Series, but it’s still satisfying enough for most.
Fuel economy: 62.8mpg
In theory, if you’re spending as much money as you need to to get this C-Class, you’re probably not all that bothered about how much fuel you’re using and should really just get one of the petrol models. Of course, the likelihood is that you’re getting this as a company car, and the accountant is keeping a beady eye on fuel receipts, so maybe you’re better off with this diesel after all.
At 62.8mpg, you’ll certainly not be having to turn in too many fuel receipts in an average week with a C220d. This generation of Mercedes 2.0-litre diesel engine is getting a little old now (no-one’s really investing in new diesel engines anymore) but for a four-cylinder diesel, it’s actually quite refined and smooth, and it works well with the automatic gearbox with its column-mounted shifter.
Set the C-Class up for a long cruise up an endless motorway, and you’ll wonder if any other car could really match it. The cabin is super-classy, and the big, reclining screen in the centre of the dash is one of the easier to find your way around. A shame that the few physical controls — the little short-cut bar at the base of the screen — feel so cheap. Still, the front seats are gloriously comfortable and there’s decent space in the back. The boot of the C-Class saloon is somewhat small though, so you might want to cost yourself one or two mpg and trade up to the handsome, and usefully roomy, estate version instead.
While cruising along, the C-Class feels aloof and disconnected from the world around you, but find a twisty back road and start to ask the chassis and steering some serious questions, and the Mercedes really responds with some proper vim and vigour. It’s not quite as sharp to drive as a BMW 3 Series, but it’s still satisfying enough for most.
Sell your car for what it's really worth
The free, easy way to get 5,500+ dealers all over the UK bidding on your car
Learn how to
sell your car
with Carwow
4. SEAT Leon
SEAT Leon review
Battery range up to 510 miles
Best for: solid value
Fuel economy: 62.4mpg
Why, when you already have the choice of a Volkswagen Golf or a Skoda Octavia with the same engine, would you breeze past those dealerships and instead head for SEAT, and pick this Leon?
Well, possibly because it’s really quite stylish. Now, that comes with a couple of caveats. To ensure that the Leon displays a suitable level of Spanish style (it is made in Barcelona, after all) you need to pick a strong colour — red is good — and you need to pick the sporty FR spec with its nice alloy wheels and slimline body kit. Thus arranged, the Leon looks really quite sharp — slightly more stylish than the over-familiar Golf, and definitely more sporty than the slightly frumpy Skoda.
Is that reflected in how the SEAT Leon TDI drives? Not really. If you want a sporty Leon, you have to get a CUPRA model, and none of those come in diesel form. Equally, if you want a genuinely sporty hatchback to drive, get a Ford Focus before they’re all gone.
The Leon has light steering, which means it’s easy to flick around town, but on the open road and on twisty bits, it’s fine but nothing more than fine. It, like the Skoda, also really suffers from tyre noise on coarse motorway sections.
Fuel economy: 62.4mpg
Why, when you already have the choice of a Volkswagen Golf or a Skoda Octavia with the same engine, would you breeze past those dealerships and instead head for SEAT, and pick this Leon?
Well, possibly because it’s really quite stylish. Now, that comes with a couple of caveats. To ensure that the Leon displays a suitable level of Spanish style (it is made in Barcelona, after all) you need to pick a strong colour — red is good — and you need to pick the sporty FR spec with its nice alloy wheels and slimline body kit. Thus arranged, the Leon looks really quite sharp — slightly more stylish than the over-familiar Golf, and definitely more sporty than the slightly frumpy Skoda.
Is that reflected in how the SEAT Leon TDI drives? Not really. If you want a sporty Leon, you have to get a CUPRA model, and none of those come in diesel form. Equally, if you want a genuinely sporty hatchback to drive, get a Ford Focus before they’re all gone.
The Leon has light steering, which means it’s easy to flick around town, but on the open road and on twisty bits, it’s fine but nothing more than fine. It, like the Skoda, also really suffers from tyre noise on coarse motorway sections.
5. Audi A3 Saloon
Audi A3 Saloon review
Best for: a choice of bodystyles
Fuel economy: 59.4mpg
You can have this Audi A3 diesel in either five-door hatchback form (which Audi calls ‘Sportback’) or as a four-door saloon (which Audi calls, er, ‘saloon’) and the two are really quite different in their characters. You'll see few more miles per gallon in the Saloon, that being said.
The Sportback feels like it has a slight edge on sportiness, and has — for want of a better word — a more ‘urban’ look and feel about it. The saloon, by contrast, feels a touch more small-c conservative, as if it’s happier cruising quietly up a motorway, or fooling your neighbours into thinking you’ve spent the extra on a posher model.
With the 150hp version of the Volkswagen Group 2.0-litre TDI engine, the A3 diesel, in either form, has a decent turn of speed, and yet has seriously impressive economy, especially if you are cruising gently on the motorway. That’s a better use case than driving one town actually, as the seven-speed S-Tronic automatic gearbox can be annoyingly slow-witted; enough so to make you panic a bit when trying to join a fast-flowing roundabout.
The A3 is ageing a bit now, and the cabin looks a touch old-hat compared to newer Audis, although it’s also easier to live with thanks to more physical buttons and feels far more solidly put together. The handling remains decent, if not the most thrilling. Is it really worth spending more than on a Golf, though?
Fuel economy: 59.4mpg
You can have this Audi A3 diesel in either five-door hatchback form (which Audi calls ‘Sportback’) or as a four-door saloon (which Audi calls, er, ‘saloon’) and the two are really quite different in their characters. You'll see few more miles per gallon in the Saloon, that being said.
The Sportback feels like it has a slight edge on sportiness, and has — for want of a better word — a more ‘urban’ look and feel about it. The saloon, by contrast, feels a touch more small-c conservative, as if it’s happier cruising quietly up a motorway, or fooling your neighbours into thinking you’ve spent the extra on a posher model.
With the 150hp version of the Volkswagen Group 2.0-litre TDI engine, the A3 diesel, in either form, has a decent turn of speed, and yet has seriously impressive economy, especially if you are cruising gently on the motorway. That’s a better use case than driving one town actually, as the seven-speed S-Tronic automatic gearbox can be annoyingly slow-witted; enough so to make you panic a bit when trying to join a fast-flowing roundabout.
The A3 is ageing a bit now, and the cabin looks a touch old-hat compared to newer Audis, although it’s also easier to live with thanks to more physical buttons and feels far more solidly put together. The handling remains decent, if not the most thrilling. Is it really worth spending more than on a Golf, though?
6. Mercedes E-Class
Mercedes-Benz E-Class review
Best for: exceptional comfort
Fuel economy: 58.9mpg
When you sit into the latest Mercedes E-Class, you immediately know that you’re sitting into something special. While Mercedes certainly went through an era, in the early 2000s, of making cars that were too cheap and unreliable for a brand such as this, the new E-Class wipes away all those horrid memories, and confronts you with… class.
The big digital screens are high-tech, but they don’t quite dominate the cabin as they do in other cars (unless you get the distracting ‘Superscreen’ option). The front seats are as comfy and welcoming as your old sofa. There’s ample space in the back, and this diesel-engined version doesn’t lose boot space like the plug-in hybrid models do. There’s always the handsome estate version if you want a truly cavernous load space.
The 2.0-litre diesel found in the E 220 d doesn’t offer anything ground breaking in terms of tech, bar a touch of mild-hybrid electrical assistance, but it’s hugely, genuinely economical in the real world, and it’s nice and quiet too.
So you swish along in refined silence in your big, comfy Mercedes. As sharp to drive as a BMW 5 Series? Nope, but it has a surprising sense of alertness and deportment when the going gets twisty. Just a shame that there are too many irritating cheap bits and pieces in the cabin.
If anyone points out that the plug-in hybrid E 300 de diesel has an official MPG figure of more than 700mpg, just remind them that’s well and truly filed under ‘fiction.’
Fuel economy: 58.9mpg
When you sit into the latest Mercedes E-Class, you immediately know that you’re sitting into something special. While Mercedes certainly went through an era, in the early 2000s, of making cars that were too cheap and unreliable for a brand such as this, the new E-Class wipes away all those horrid memories, and confronts you with… class.
The big digital screens are high-tech, but they don’t quite dominate the cabin as they do in other cars (unless you get the distracting ‘Superscreen’ option). The front seats are as comfy and welcoming as your old sofa. There’s ample space in the back, and this diesel-engined version doesn’t lose boot space like the plug-in hybrid models do. There’s always the handsome estate version if you want a truly cavernous load space.
The 2.0-litre diesel found in the E 220 d doesn’t offer anything ground breaking in terms of tech, bar a touch of mild-hybrid electrical assistance, but it’s hugely, genuinely economical in the real world, and it’s nice and quiet too.
So you swish along in refined silence in your big, comfy Mercedes. As sharp to drive as a BMW 5 Series? Nope, but it has a surprising sense of alertness and deportment when the going gets twisty. Just a shame that there are too many irritating cheap bits and pieces in the cabin.
If anyone points out that the plug-in hybrid E 300 de diesel has an official MPG figure of more than 700mpg, just remind them that’s well and truly filed under ‘fiction.’
7. Skoda Superb
Skoda Superb review
Best for: massive interior space
Fuel economy: 58.9mpg
The Skoda Superb is one of our favourite cars on sale because it’s just so good at almost everything. It’s hugely spacious, great to drive, not too expensive and it looks quite sharp.
It also shares its 2.0-litre diesel engine with the smaller Octavia, Audi A3 and Volkswagen Golf, but the Superb’s extra weight means it isn’t quite as efficient as its mechanically-similar alternatives.
Nonetheless, you’ll still see almost 60mpg on the move and you’ll achieve that in comfort, with a hugely refined cabin keeping wind and road noise at bay. The diesel motor can be a little grumbly when you put your foot down and the suspension can jiggle you around a little on bumpy roads around town, but it’s far from uncomfortable and the Superb can even hold its own on a twisty, winding road.
It’s rather handsome, too, if in a sensible, understated way. Crisp lines, a broad grille and LED lights at both ends mean the Superb has some sharp looking details, while its silhouette is more elegant than you’d expect from a car of this price.
The Superb is as close to a Tardis as you’ll get these days, because it has buckets and buckets of interior space both front and back. The dashboard is handsome - if unexciting - but material quality is high and it’s easy on the eye. Best of all, there’s a whopping 645-litre boot.
Fuel economy: 58.9mpg
The Skoda Superb is one of our favourite cars on sale because it’s just so good at almost everything. It’s hugely spacious, great to drive, not too expensive and it looks quite sharp.
It also shares its 2.0-litre diesel engine with the smaller Octavia, Audi A3 and Volkswagen Golf, but the Superb’s extra weight means it isn’t quite as efficient as its mechanically-similar alternatives.
Nonetheless, you’ll still see almost 60mpg on the move and you’ll achieve that in comfort, with a hugely refined cabin keeping wind and road noise at bay. The diesel motor can be a little grumbly when you put your foot down and the suspension can jiggle you around a little on bumpy roads around town, but it’s far from uncomfortable and the Superb can even hold its own on a twisty, winding road.
It’s rather handsome, too, if in a sensible, understated way. Crisp lines, a broad grille and LED lights at both ends mean the Superb has some sharp looking details, while its silhouette is more elegant than you’d expect from a car of this price.
The Superb is as close to a Tardis as you’ll get these days, because it has buckets and buckets of interior space both front and back. The dashboard is handsome - if unexciting - but material quality is high and it’s easy on the eye. Best of all, there’s a whopping 645-litre boot.
8. Audi A5
Audi A5 review
Best for: tech enthusiasts
Fuel economy: 58.6mpg
The Audi A5 is yet another Volkswagen-adjacent car which uses an excellent 2.0-litre diesel engine, though it’s ever so slightly different from the Audi A3 saloon and SEAT Leon. It’s larger and heavier than the A3 and even the similarly-sized Skoda Octavia, so it only manages 58.0mpg - but that’s still a mighty figure.
It looks great, too, far sleeker than the Audi A4 which it replaces. The big, hexagonal grille, elongated headlights and curvaceous flanks stand out from the rest of the cars on this list, even the smaller A3 which looks a little old-hat by comparison. You get a posh OLED rear light bar on fancier models, too.
The interior looks great, but be careful when ticking boxes on the options list because while the two-in-one driver display and infotainment screen are super swish, the third display for your passenger feels like overkill in what isn’t a huge cabin. Material quality isn’t as high as in older Audis, but everything feels solidly screwed together, nonetheless.
There’s plenty of room for four adults to get comfortable in the A5, though six-footers and above might feel a bit tight for headspace thanks to that sleek roofline. The 445-litre boot is smaller than in alternatives, that being said.
Around town the A5 is a breeze to manoeuvre, but while economical, the 2.0-litre diesel is a bit grumbly when compared to posh saloon alternatives. It’s super comfortable on the motorway, but a little dull to drive on a fun road.
Fuel economy: 58.6mpg
The Audi A5 is yet another Volkswagen-adjacent car which uses an excellent 2.0-litre diesel engine, though it’s ever so slightly different from the Audi A3 saloon and SEAT Leon. It’s larger and heavier than the A3 and even the similarly-sized Skoda Octavia, so it only manages 58.0mpg - but that’s still a mighty figure.
It looks great, too, far sleeker than the Audi A4 which it replaces. The big, hexagonal grille, elongated headlights and curvaceous flanks stand out from the rest of the cars on this list, even the smaller A3 which looks a little old-hat by comparison. You get a posh OLED rear light bar on fancier models, too.
The interior looks great, but be careful when ticking boxes on the options list because while the two-in-one driver display and infotainment screen are super swish, the third display for your passenger feels like overkill in what isn’t a huge cabin. Material quality isn’t as high as in older Audis, but everything feels solidly screwed together, nonetheless.
There’s plenty of room for four adults to get comfortable in the A5, though six-footers and above might feel a bit tight for headspace thanks to that sleek roofline. The 445-litre boot is smaller than in alternatives, that being said.
Around town the A5 is a breeze to manoeuvre, but while economical, the 2.0-litre diesel is a bit grumbly when compared to posh saloon alternatives. It’s super comfortable on the motorway, but a little dull to drive on a fun road.
8. Mercedes A-Class
Mercedes-Benz A-Class review
Best for: cool cabin design
Fuel economy: 57.7mpg
This A-Class won’t be around for much longer, and Mercedes has actually confirmed that — like the B-Class MPV and the GLA compact SUV — there won’t be a new one. The big-star brand will have a new, electric and hybrid, CLA model, but there won’t be space in a more luxurious lineup for a compact hatchback.
Which is a bit of a shame, as the A-Class might not be perfect — there are too many cheap bits inside, and it’s far from being as much fun to drive as small hatchback should be — it’s still a good car with a lot to offer. Look past the cheap bits, and the dash design is much cooler than what you get in an Audi A3 or BMW 1 Series, with that slim MBUX touchscreen stretching out across the dashboard. The physical air conditioning controls are good, too and much better than on-screen controls. The back seat and the boot aren’t the biggest but they’re usefully roomy.
The A 200 d model is also genuinely very efficient, and given its small size, if you drive it gently, you might get slightly better than the official 57.7mpg figure. What really lets the A-Class down, though, is its build quality and reliability, both of which scored very poorly in the most recent Driver Power customer survey.
Fuel economy: 57.7mpg
This A-Class won’t be around for much longer, and Mercedes has actually confirmed that — like the B-Class MPV and the GLA compact SUV — there won’t be a new one. The big-star brand will have a new, electric and hybrid, CLA model, but there won’t be space in a more luxurious lineup for a compact hatchback.
Which is a bit of a shame, as the A-Class might not be perfect — there are too many cheap bits inside, and it’s far from being as much fun to drive as small hatchback should be — it’s still a good car with a lot to offer. Look past the cheap bits, and the dash design is much cooler than what you get in an Audi A3 or BMW 1 Series, with that slim MBUX touchscreen stretching out across the dashboard. The physical air conditioning controls are good, too and much better than on-screen controls. The back seat and the boot aren’t the biggest but they’re usefully roomy.
The A 200 d model is also genuinely very efficient, and given its small size, if you drive it gently, you might get slightly better than the official 57.7mpg figure. What really lets the A-Class down, though, is its build quality and reliability, both of which scored very poorly in the most recent Driver Power customer survey.
9. BMW X1
BMW X1 review
Best for: SUV style
Fuel economy: 56.5mpg
And so we come to our first SUV on this list, which (a) tells you everything you need to know about how much having an SUV can hurt your fuel economy, and (b) just how frugal BMW’s diesel engines are.
It’s only just engines, plural, though as BMW has excised most of its diesel models from the UK market. You can’t buy a diesel 3 Series nor 5 Series here anymore, and so only the big SUVs — the X5, X6, and X7 — and this dinky X1 remain on sale with diesel power.
In spite of the 18d sDrive badge, it’s actually a 2.0-litre engine, the same one as you used to find in the long-serving 320d saloon, but down-tuned to 150hp. It’s still pretty peppy to drive, though, helped by the X1’s fairly compact shape, and although it’s front-wheel drive, it’s still a BMW so it’s pretty sharp through the corners.
The cabin is more stylish than you might expect, although the big, sweeping touchscreens are pretty fiddly to use at times. There’s decent, if not exceptional, space in the back seats, and overall quality is very good. The rear seats can be a bit fiddly to fold, and the X1 isn’t exactly affordable if you’re shopping for a family car, but no other SUV will go as far on one gallon of diesel as this.
Fuel economy: 56.5mpg
And so we come to our first SUV on this list, which (a) tells you everything you need to know about how much having an SUV can hurt your fuel economy, and (b) just how frugal BMW’s diesel engines are.
It’s only just engines, plural, though as BMW has excised most of its diesel models from the UK market. You can’t buy a diesel 3 Series nor 5 Series here anymore, and so only the big SUVs — the X5, X6, and X7 — and this dinky X1 remain on sale with diesel power.
In spite of the 18d sDrive badge, it’s actually a 2.0-litre engine, the same one as you used to find in the long-serving 320d saloon, but down-tuned to 150hp. It’s still pretty peppy to drive, though, helped by the X1’s fairly compact shape, and although it’s front-wheel drive, it’s still a BMW so it’s pretty sharp through the corners.
The cabin is more stylish than you might expect, although the big, sweeping touchscreens are pretty fiddly to use at times. There’s decent, if not exceptional, space in the back seats, and overall quality is very good. The rear seats can be a bit fiddly to fold, and the X1 isn’t exactly affordable if you’re shopping for a family car, but no other SUV will go as far on one gallon of diesel as this.
Factors to consider when choosing an economical diesel car
Body style
While there aren’t any more diesel city cars on sale, you can still get behind the wheel of a diesel hatchback in the Mercedes A-Class and Audi A3 - handy for city driving. There are plenty of saloon cars, but the BMW X1 is the only diesel SUV which comes close to matching its smaller diesel alternatives.
Poshness
All of the cars on this list are European, which means there are just as many premium brands to choose from as there are budget-friendly options. If you really want to turn heads, the Mercedes E-Class is the fanciest choice, while the Skoda Octavia will do almost everything the Mercedes can at a fraction of the cost.
Engine size
Though every single car mentioned above has a 2.0-litre engine (yes, really), there are still some options on sale with silky-smooth, 3,0-litre diesel powerhouses to choose from. You can opt for a Mercedes E-Class in full-fat E450d trim, as well as a BMW X5 30d, but they aren’t as efficient as these cars with their smaller engines.
Advertisement
Browse all economical diesel cars
How to choose the best diesel car for you
Diesel cars are genuinely becoming thinner on the ground now, and many car makers have either dropped diesel power entirely from their passenger car lineups, or have reduced their diesel offering down to just a handful of models.
Given the controversy that has swirled around diesel power since the emissions scandal that exploded in 2015, and changes in company car tax rules that push user-choosers away from diesel power and towards hybrid and electric power, you can see why. Equally, some hybrid-engined cars — notably the Toyota Corolla — can offer genuinely diesel-like fuel economy on long journeys now.
So, if you want a diesel-engined car, be prepared to shop around a good bit to find one that suits, and make sure you ask the question of whether you’d be better off in a reasonably frugal petrol car, or a fuel-sipping hybrid. Or even a fully-electric car.
If you’re someone who is constantly making long runs up and down the motorway, and racking up at least 25,000 miles per year, then diesel still makes sense for you. If not, perhaps consider something else.
