The Jaecoo 7 is the UK’s surprise best-seller – but how much does it really cost to run?

The latest industry figures show a surprise entry has knocked the UK favourite, the Ford Puma, off the top of the car sales charts in September. The Jaecoo 7, a Chinese SUV, now reigns as Britain’s best-selling car and has risen to become the second most-popular car of 2026 so far.

With so many drivers choosing the Jaecoo 7 – attracted by its generous equipment levels and upmarket looks – I started wondering what it would actually cost to own one.

After all, the price you pay for a car is only part of the story. Things such as fuel and tax can all add significantly to the cost over the time you own it.

So I crunched the numbers for a new Jaecoo 7 over three years and 30,000 miles, adding up the main costs you can expect to face as an owner. I also looked at whether leasing could work out cheaper than buying.

That’s what I mean by total cost of ownership (TCO): the overall cost of buying and running the car over the period you own it.

If you just want the final figure, click below. Otherwise, here’s how I worked it out.

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Remember, you can buy a brand new or used car right here on Carwow. And you can sell your car, too. We’re here to help you through every step of your car-changing journey.

Starting price

First, let’s look at how much it would cost to buy the Jaecoo 7.

For my calculations, I used PCP finance as this is still one of the most affordable ways to buy a car. Here, the monthly payments of this flexible car finance option cover much of the car’s expected depreciation, rather than the full purchase price.

These were some of the parameters I used for this:

• A £5,000 deposit
• Three-year term
• 10,000 miles per year
• Returned the car after the term

For these calculations, I’ve used the entry-level Pure version which comes with a 224hp 1.5-litre hybrid engine. This version has a starting price of £29,210.

Here’s a breakdown of all the costs you can expect. Note that at the time of writing, this Jaecoo 7 deal had a 2.9% APR and fixed annual interest rate, so I’ve included the total amount payable for reference.

Car’s list price	£29,210
Initial deposit	£5,000
Regular monthly payments	£374.53
Total cost to PCP if you return the car	£18,108.55
Optional final payment	£12,691
Total amount payable if you buy the car	£30,799.55

Road tax

Road tax is another thing you need to take into account in your running costs.

If your car was first registered on or after 1 April 2017, the amount you pay in the first year is based on its CO2 emissions. You can check the relevant first-year rate in the official GOV.UK vehicle tax tables, and it may also be listed on manufacturer or dealer websites. After the first year, most drivers pay a standard annual rate of £200.

This applies to the Jaecoo 7, which has a 1.5-litre hybrid engine emitting 125g/km of CO2. That puts its first-year tax cost at £455.

With the standard annual rate applying thereafter, you’d pay £855 in road tax over three years.

Fuel costs

Fuel costs are a little more complicated, as petrol prices are constantly changing. For this analysis, I’ve used the national average petrol price of 175p per litre, based on RAC Fuel Watch data at the time of writing.

It’s worth bearing in mind that fuel costs can vary depending on where you live and the type of station you use, whether that’s a motorway service station, supermarket or independent forecourt. The RAC Fuel Watch site provides a useful overview of current prices, while Carwow’s own fuel prices tool is another handy resource.

We averaged around 47mpg when we spent some time with the Jaecoo 7, so I’ve used this figure for my calculations. Based on driving 10,000 miles per year, achieving 47mpg and paying the national average petrol price, the Jaecoo 7 would cost around £5,078 in fuel over three years.

How much will it cost you overall?

Here’s how much it could cost you to own a Jaecoo 7 over three years with the PCP deal, road tax and fuel, assuming that you return it once the term ends:

Total cost to PCP if you return the car	£18,108.55
Road tax	£855
Fuel costs	£5,078
Total cost	£24,041.55

But is it cheaper to lease a Jaecoo 7?

You now know roughly how much it would cost to run this car if you bought it using PCP finance, but could leasing work out cheaper?

Leasing can be a good choice if you like driving a new car every few years and want fixed, often lower monthly payments without the long-term commitment of ownership.

I’ve calculated the costs for a new Jaecoo 7 to see whether leasing works out cheaper than buying. The comparison assumes a three-year lease term and 10,000 miles per year, while using the same Pure model and fuel costs as in the buying analysis.

Here’s a breakdown of costs for a lease deal found on Carwow for the Jaecoo 7, at the time of writing:

Monthly payments	£334.86
Initial payment	£4,368.31
Total cost of lease	£16,088.41
Total cost with fuel	£21,166.41

Once you add fuel costs to the total cost of leasing, the figures suggest you could save more than £2,800 over three years compared with taking the same car on a PCP deal.

It’s also worth noting that road tax is included in the monthly lease payments, so you don’t need to add this separately to your running costs.

Overall, leasing comes out as the more affordable choice in this comparison, offering the best value based on the costs we’ve considered.

Keep in mind, though, that you’ll still need to factor in costs such as insurance and maintenance. These can vary depending on your age, where you live and how well you look after the car.

Car change? Carwow!

Looking for a new set of wheels? With Carwow you can sell your car quickly and for a fair price – as well as find great offers on your next one. Whether you’re looking to buy a car brand new, are after something used or you want to explore car leasing options, Carwow is your one stop shop for new car deals.

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