Most fuel efficient cars in the UK
High-quality economical cars from rated and reviewed dealers
Last updated June 19, 2025 by
Neil Briscoe
What are the most economical cars you can buy in the UK in 2025?
We may be entering the age of the electric car but you might be one of the many drivers in the UK who still needs a car with a combustion engine for convenience and ease of use (or maybe you just can’t easily charge up an EV or a plug-in hybrid). If that’s what you need, then you probably need one of the best economical cars to help keep those fuel bills down as low as they’ll go.
The ten cars listed here are the best non-electric cars currently on sale in the UK that are the cheapest to run, at least from a fuel-burning point of view. Two of these cars actually manage to breach the 70mpg barrier, on the official WLTP fuel economy test.
Of course, it’s worth remembering that the WLTP figure is worked out in a laboratory, not in the real world, so not with the air conditioning going, or the cruise control turned on, or accounting for your particular driving style. Even taking all of that into account, these are still ten spectacularly economical cars which should save you plenty of pounds at the pumps.
Carwow intensively tests every new car on sale, whether they’re powered by diesel, petrol, electricity, or any combination thereof, so that we can give our expert recommendations. Although this is a list of the most economical cars, you can also find our expert reviews team’s opinion on which of these cars are worth your hard-earned cash.
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really need to know is that this Mazda 2 Hybrid is basically a Toyota Yaris with Mazda badges. Aside from some small differences around the headlights and the grille, the 2 is basically identical to the Yaris on the outside.
And on the inside, too, where you’ll find the same instruments, the same touchscreen (albeit with some Mazda skins for the software) and the same generally high-quality (but still slightly cheap feeling) plastics. It’s not the roomiest car either, with small back seats.
The Mazda is really good to drive, though, and comfy on a motorway run, but the reason you’re here is that it’s the most economical petrol car you can currently buy, with a WLTP figure of 74.3mpg.
That figure is actually kinda realistic — drive gently on a long run and you might just match it — and you’ll definitely get between 55-65mpg in daily driving as long as you’re not a total lead-foot.
The hybrid system is based around a compact 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine, and it’ll spend a surprising amount of time around town — as much as 70% of your journey — running on just electric power. With only 115hp to call on, it’s no ball of fire in terms of acceleration, and the CVT gearbox lets the engine hum and drone a bit, but to be honest, you’d be hard-pressed to call the Mazda 2 Hybrid anything other than a very well-thought-out little car.
One problem, though; Mazda offers only a three-year warranty, whereas Toyota offers as much as ten years…
And on the inside, too, where you’ll find the same instruments, the same touchscreen (albeit with some Mazda skins for the software) and the same generally high-quality (but still slightly cheap feeling) plastics. It’s not the roomiest car either, with small back seats.
The Mazda is really good to drive, though, and comfy on a motorway run, but the reason you’re here is that it’s the most economical petrol car you can currently buy, with a WLTP figure of 74.3mpg.
That figure is actually kinda realistic — drive gently on a long run and you might just match it — and you’ll definitely get between 55-65mpg in daily driving as long as you’re not a total lead-foot.
The hybrid system is based around a compact 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine, and it’ll spend a surprising amount of time around town — as much as 70% of your journey — running on just electric power. With only 115hp to call on, it’s no ball of fire in terms of acceleration, and the CVT gearbox lets the engine hum and drone a bit, but to be honest, you’d be hard-pressed to call the Mazda 2 Hybrid anything other than a very well-thought-out little car.
One problem, though; Mazda offers only a three-year warranty, whereas Toyota offers as much as ten years…
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This is the Toyota Yaris Hybrid, and if you’ve read the entry above you’ll already know that Mazda borrows this entire car, and rebadges it as a Mazda 2 Hybrid thanks to an agreement between these two Japanese giants to share technology.
This Yaris is, of course, the original and indeed it’s also the original small hybrid hatch, with Toyota having launched a Yaris hybrid way back when most car makers were only thinking of batteries as things that start the engine.
Here in the Yaris, the battery can drive the car, and do so for quite a lot of the time. A hybrid isn’t an electric car, by any stretch, but you’ll definitely notice, especially around town, how often the little 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine switches off and the Yaris rolls noiselessly forward on battery power.
That helps to save fuel in circumstances — town traffic — where most other petrol-powered cars are at their least economical, and it gives the Yaris a considerable advantage.
However, it’s worth noting that, officially at least, the Yaris is slightly worse off, according to the WLTP fuel economy test, when compared to the Mazda 2 Hybrid. Given how entirely identical these two cars are, that must surely mean that the Mazda badge is way more aerodynamic than the Toyota one?
To be honest, it doesn’t really matter in real-world driving. When you’re on the road, as opposed to in the economy test laboratory, there won’t be anything to choose between the Toyota and the Mazda when it comes to fuel efficiency, so you can expect to get the same 55-65mpg in mixed day-to-day driving, and potentially breaching that 70mpg barrier on a long, gentle run (but stay away from motorways, where small hybrids like this tend to struggle to deliver their best figures).
One major advantage for Toyota is its lengthy warranty which, if you keep your car serviced with a Toyota main dealer, will automatically be extended each year up to ten years or 100,000 miles.
This Yaris is, of course, the original and indeed it’s also the original small hybrid hatch, with Toyota having launched a Yaris hybrid way back when most car makers were only thinking of batteries as things that start the engine.
Here in the Yaris, the battery can drive the car, and do so for quite a lot of the time. A hybrid isn’t an electric car, by any stretch, but you’ll definitely notice, especially around town, how often the little 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine switches off and the Yaris rolls noiselessly forward on battery power.
That helps to save fuel in circumstances — town traffic — where most other petrol-powered cars are at their least economical, and it gives the Yaris a considerable advantage.
However, it’s worth noting that, officially at least, the Yaris is slightly worse off, according to the WLTP fuel economy test, when compared to the Mazda 2 Hybrid. Given how entirely identical these two cars are, that must surely mean that the Mazda badge is way more aerodynamic than the Toyota one?
To be honest, it doesn’t really matter in real-world driving. When you’re on the road, as opposed to in the economy test laboratory, there won’t be anything to choose between the Toyota and the Mazda when it comes to fuel efficiency, so you can expect to get the same 55-65mpg in mixed day-to-day driving, and potentially breaching that 70mpg barrier on a long, gentle run (but stay away from motorways, where small hybrids like this tend to struggle to deliver their best figures).
One major advantage for Toyota is its lengthy warranty which, if you keep your car serviced with a Toyota main dealer, will automatically be extended each year up to ten years or 100,000 miles.
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If the Toyota Yaris Hybrid and the Mazda 2 Hybrid make you pay for your small hybrid choice with slightly small, slightly cheap-feeling cabins and a faint lack of style to the exterior, then the Renault Clio goes straight in the other direction.
This is a seriously stylish car, with a strong whiff of French chic about it, and the cabin looks and feels much more welcoming than either of the Japanese cars. It’s not perfect in terms of quality — probe a little more deeply in the Clio’s cabin and you’ll find some cheap plastics, while the centre console between the seats can be a bit wobbly — but it’s certainly comfortable and it feels like a step up from most other small car interiors.
The back seats are a touch small, but the boot is nice and big, so the Clio’s a practical choice.
The 1.6-litre petrol engine is backed up by an electric motor and a battery, and these all drive the front wheels through the most wildly complicated automatic gearbox, which you’d need a PHD in engineering to fully understand. It makes the Clio efficient, but it also sometimes allows the engine to rev and strain a bit out of sync with what you’re doing, and that can make this small French car feel a bit odd.
Still, it’s economical, and while it can’t quite hit the efficiency heights of the Japanese cars, a realistic 50-60mpg is still easily achieved. Plus, the Clio is really nice to drive, with sharp steering and a mostly comfortable ride over bumps, even if it’s not quite as comfy as a VW Polo.
It also feels like a very grown up car, with good refinement, so it’s a good choice if you want something compact and economical, but which can also tackle long cross-country runs in comfort.
This is a seriously stylish car, with a strong whiff of French chic about it, and the cabin looks and feels much more welcoming than either of the Japanese cars. It’s not perfect in terms of quality — probe a little more deeply in the Clio’s cabin and you’ll find some cheap plastics, while the centre console between the seats can be a bit wobbly — but it’s certainly comfortable and it feels like a step up from most other small car interiors.
The back seats are a touch small, but the boot is nice and big, so the Clio’s a practical choice.
The 1.6-litre petrol engine is backed up by an electric motor and a battery, and these all drive the front wheels through the most wildly complicated automatic gearbox, which you’d need a PHD in engineering to fully understand. It makes the Clio efficient, but it also sometimes allows the engine to rev and strain a bit out of sync with what you’re doing, and that can make this small French car feel a bit odd.
Still, it’s economical, and while it can’t quite hit the efficiency heights of the Japanese cars, a realistic 50-60mpg is still easily achieved. Plus, the Clio is really nice to drive, with sharp steering and a mostly comfortable ride over bumps, even if it’s not quite as comfy as a VW Polo.
It also feels like a very grown up car, with good refinement, so it’s a good choice if you want something compact and economical, but which can also tackle long cross-country runs in comfort.
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If, 20 years ago, you’d have placed a bet that the Toyota Prius would one day be one of the most stylish cars on the road… well, you’d have been labelled as a lunatic, and also someone who’d just lost £5.
Well, it’s time to collect on that bet. This generation of Prius was originally not going to come to the UK, but Toyota changed its mind, and that’s a good thing. This is a seriously striking car, one that seems to take some inspiration from the 1970s with its wedge shape.
Practicality has been suborned to aerodynamics, though, so that low roofline means that there’s not a lot of space in the back seats, and the boot is pretty tiny too. Don’t worry, though, because the Prius’ plug-in hybrid system means that you can do lots of miles — more than 40 miles in fact — on battery power, and that 67.3mpg figure is for when you’re doing a longer journey with the main battery run flat.
Okay, so you might struggle to match that number, but as long as you’re making regular use of the Prius’ plug-in abilities, you should be scoring some very impressive all-round economy numbers. Almost as surprising as its style is the fact that this Prius is quite good to drive, although the cabin is a bit disappointingly plastic-y and cheap-feeling.
Well, it’s time to collect on that bet. This generation of Prius was originally not going to come to the UK, but Toyota changed its mind, and that’s a good thing. This is a seriously striking car, one that seems to take some inspiration from the 1970s with its wedge shape.
Practicality has been suborned to aerodynamics, though, so that low roofline means that there’s not a lot of space in the back seats, and the boot is pretty tiny too. Don’t worry, though, because the Prius’ plug-in hybrid system means that you can do lots of miles — more than 40 miles in fact — on battery power, and that 67.3mpg figure is for when you’re doing a longer journey with the main battery run flat.
Okay, so you might struggle to match that number, but as long as you’re making regular use of the Prius’ plug-in abilities, you should be scoring some very impressive all-round economy numbers. Almost as surprising as its style is the fact that this Prius is quite good to drive, although the cabin is a bit disappointingly plastic-y and cheap-feeling.
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Peugeot’s little 1.2-litre turbo petrol engine has been around for an age now, but the addition of hybrid power has given it something of a new lease on life, and this is a hybrid engine that actually adds a bit of extra punch to the 208’s performance, making it feel more lively and enjoyable to drive.
It’s actually something of a pity that you can’t have a manual gearbox with it. While you’re enjoying the sweet handling and direct steering (assuming you can get on with Peugeot’s tiny hexagonal steering wheel) the 208 hybrid gets on with being solidly economical, even if it’s half-a-step behind French and Japanese alternatives in this regard.
The official 65.9mpg figure can be matched in real world conditions, but you have to be gentle to do that; you’ll probably get closer to 50mpg in real-life driving.
The 208’s cabin looks smart, even if it’s a bit over-done in places, but the touchscreen is fiddly and annoying to use. If you’ve got growing teenagers, they’re not likely to be too happy in the back, where legroom is quite tight, although there’s a very practical boot further back. Avoid the larger alloy wheel options if you want to keep the 208 smooth over bumps.
It’s actually something of a pity that you can’t have a manual gearbox with it. While you’re enjoying the sweet handling and direct steering (assuming you can get on with Peugeot’s tiny hexagonal steering wheel) the 208 hybrid gets on with being solidly economical, even if it’s half-a-step behind French and Japanese alternatives in this regard.
The official 65.9mpg figure can be matched in real world conditions, but you have to be gentle to do that; you’ll probably get closer to 50mpg in real-life driving.
The 208’s cabin looks smart, even if it’s a bit over-done in places, but the touchscreen is fiddly and annoying to use. If you’ve got growing teenagers, they’re not likely to be too happy in the back, where legroom is quite tight, although there’s a very practical boot further back. Avoid the larger alloy wheel options if you want to keep the 208 smooth over bumps.
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Under the skin, the Vauxhall Corsa is identical to the Peugeot 208, so you’re getting the same 1.2-litre turbo hybrid engine and the same claimed fuel economy figure of 65.9mpg, which is not entirely unrealistic even if you’ll have to drive carefully to match it in the real world.
The Corsa also shares many of the 208’s strong points, as well as its foibles. The rear seats are a bit tight, but the boot’s a good size. The Corsa is sweet to drive, although you’ll have to avoid the bigger alloy wheels if you want it to be smooth as well. The cabin is well made, but the touchscreen infotainment system is pretty fiddly. Both cars get the same three-year, or 60,000-mile warranty too.
It’s just that the Vauxhall lacks a bit of pizzaz compared to the much more stylish Peugeot. The 208 is interesting to look at, both inside and out while the Corsa just… isn’t. Its dashboard is as plain as its exterior, which is a shame as it’s a decent car underneath.
It’s also become quite expensive, although the Corsa does make up for that in part with good standard equipment, and there are some high-tech options such as super-bright intelligent LED headlights.
The Corsa also shares many of the 208’s strong points, as well as its foibles. The rear seats are a bit tight, but the boot’s a good size. The Corsa is sweet to drive, although you’ll have to avoid the bigger alloy wheels if you want it to be smooth as well. The cabin is well made, but the touchscreen infotainment system is pretty fiddly. Both cars get the same three-year, or 60,000-mile warranty too.
It’s just that the Vauxhall lacks a bit of pizzaz compared to the much more stylish Peugeot. The 208 is interesting to look at, both inside and out while the Corsa just… isn’t. Its dashboard is as plain as its exterior, which is a shame as it’s a decent car underneath.
It’s also become quite expensive, although the Corsa does make up for that in part with good standard equipment, and there are some high-tech options such as super-bright intelligent LED headlights.
Battery range up to 40 miles
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The Kia Niro has really pleasantly chunky looks, with those slim LED running lights at the front mirrored by the wrap-over rear roof pillar which can optionally be picked out in a contrasting colour just like the side blades on an Audi R8 supercar. It’s certainly a bit different to the rest of the herd of small-ish SUVs.
That chunky shape is backed up with a roomy interior which is also very high on quality, lifting lots of bits and pieces from Kia’s bigger and more luxurious models, such as the EV6 and EV9.
The big touchscreen is much less fiddly to use than those of alternatives, mostly because Kia has remembered to include some proper physical controls too.
The 1.6-litre hybrid engine is impressively frugal, hitting almost 65mpg on the official test, which is even better when you remember how much bigger and more practical the Niro is compared to most of the other cars on this list. The boot is also decent, although you do lose 24 litres of space compared to the all-electric Niro.
The only downside, really, is that the Niro’s not much fun to drive. It’s fine, and blameless, but a bit of a snooze-fest.
That chunky shape is backed up with a roomy interior which is also very high on quality, lifting lots of bits and pieces from Kia’s bigger and more luxurious models, such as the EV6 and EV9.
The big touchscreen is much less fiddly to use than those of alternatives, mostly because Kia has remembered to include some proper physical controls too.
The 1.6-litre hybrid engine is impressively frugal, hitting almost 65mpg on the official test, which is even better when you remember how much bigger and more practical the Niro is compared to most of the other cars on this list. The boot is also decent, although you do lose 24 litres of space compared to the all-electric Niro.
The only downside, really, is that the Niro’s not much fun to drive. It’s fine, and blameless, but a bit of a snooze-fest.
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You can think of the Suzuki Swift as being something of a wildcard entry in this list. For a start, it’s not even a proper hybrid. Instead, the Swift’s 1.2-litre petrol engine is backed up by a 48-volt mild hybrid system, which is really just a glorified stop-start, and the Swift can’t be driven on just electric power, not even for short bursts.
However, that doesn’t stop the little Suzuki from being hugely economical, easily able to hit 60mpg in real-world conditions.
It’s also kind of adorable with those cute looks, and has a manual gearbox that makes it feel way more fun to drive than any of its automatic opposition.
It’s true that the cabin looks and feels pretty cheap, there’s not much in the way of refinement, and the infotainment screen is absolutely hopeless, but you won’t mind so much when you’re enjoying that responsive steering and realising how long it’s been since you had to put any fuel in the tank.
Of all the cars on this list, the Swift is clearly the one that comes from the old school, and achieves its fuel economy more by being simple and light than by adding batteries and complication. And that’s exactly why we love it so much.
However, that doesn’t stop the little Suzuki from being hugely economical, easily able to hit 60mpg in real-world conditions.
It’s also kind of adorable with those cute looks, and has a manual gearbox that makes it feel way more fun to drive than any of its automatic opposition.
It’s true that the cabin looks and feels pretty cheap, there’s not much in the way of refinement, and the infotainment screen is absolutely hopeless, but you won’t mind so much when you’re enjoying that responsive steering and realising how long it’s been since you had to put any fuel in the tank.
Of all the cars on this list, the Swift is clearly the one that comes from the old school, and achieves its fuel economy more by being simple and light than by adding batteries and complication. And that’s exactly why we love it so much.
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Ah, the Golf. The answer to 99% of questions about which car to buy is ‘get a Golf,’ and that holds up here, because the answer to the question of ‘can I still get a really economical diesel-engined car?’ is, yes — get a Golf.
The VW Golf is one of the last cars standing that comes with the option of a simple turbo diesel engine, and there’s no hybrid complication nor any need to be plugging in at night to be able to leap over the 60mpg barrier.
You’ll probably see more like 53mpg in real-world driving, but take your Golf diesel for a gentle spin and you might just match the official figure. The 2.0-litre TDI, with only 115bhp, is hardly the most energetic engine in the world, but it’s fine for cruising around in a relaxed way.
There’s no automatic option for this lowliest engine, but that’s actually a good thing as the auto is sluggish around town, so the manual gearbox is a better choice anyway.
The rest of the Golf is as Golf-y as ever — a high-quality cabin (much higher quality since the Mk8.5 update in 2024, actually), decent space, a good boot, and it’s good to drive and comfortable and quiet on a long journey. There’s a reason that the Golf is the answer to most motoring questions…
The VW Golf is one of the last cars standing that comes with the option of a simple turbo diesel engine, and there’s no hybrid complication nor any need to be plugging in at night to be able to leap over the 60mpg barrier.
You’ll probably see more like 53mpg in real-world driving, but take your Golf diesel for a gentle spin and you might just match the official figure. The 2.0-litre TDI, with only 115bhp, is hardly the most energetic engine in the world, but it’s fine for cruising around in a relaxed way.
There’s no automatic option for this lowliest engine, but that’s actually a good thing as the auto is sluggish around town, so the manual gearbox is a better choice anyway.
The rest of the Golf is as Golf-y as ever — a high-quality cabin (much higher quality since the Mk8.5 update in 2024, actually), decent space, a good boot, and it’s good to drive and comfortable and quiet on a long journey. There’s a reason that the Golf is the answer to most motoring questions…
Battery range up to 510 miles
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So, what do you do when you want a Golf but you don’t want an actual Golf because everyone else on your street has one? Well, you get this — the SEAT Leon, which is basically the same as a Golf under the skin, but which has a more stylish Spanish body on top.
Quite a lot more stylish, actually, and if you go for one of the FR-spec models, you get a car that has genuinely sporty looks for what is really a humble family hatch. Get one in bright red and all those Golf drivers on your street will be very jealous.
The Leon performs just like the Golf too, which is hardly surprisingly given their commonality. You should be able to see 60mpg in real-world conditions, and the Leon is nice to drive, if nowhere near as sporty as the styling would have you believe.
Overall space and practicality are good, but the cabin looks and feels a bit cheap compared to the VW, and the touchscreen is a mess. Just remember that the FR models, as well as their sporty looks, also get slightly sportier suspension which makes the Leon a little less comfortable, especially at low speeds and around town.
Quite a lot more stylish, actually, and if you go for one of the FR-spec models, you get a car that has genuinely sporty looks for what is really a humble family hatch. Get one in bright red and all those Golf drivers on your street will be very jealous.
The Leon performs just like the Golf too, which is hardly surprisingly given their commonality. You should be able to see 60mpg in real-world conditions, and the Leon is nice to drive, if nowhere near as sporty as the styling would have you believe.
Overall space and practicality are good, but the cabin looks and feels a bit cheap compared to the VW, and the touchscreen is a mess. Just remember that the FR models, as well as their sporty looks, also get slightly sportier suspension which makes the Leon a little less comfortable, especially at low speeds and around town.
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How to choose the best economical car for you
The first thing you need to do, when choosing the best economical car for you, is to get the calculator and your laptop or tablet out. Next, you need to start doing some research, looking at not only the official WLTP fuel economy numbers — those are the headline figures we’ve used above — but also reading Carwow’s in-depth road tests of each car to see what kind of real-world economy figures we were able to get from each car.
The WLTP test, which is the official test from which fuel economy figures are taken, as well as CO2 emissions, is done in a lab, to a strict set of criteria which, while it’s not bad at replicating the real world, isn't totally accurate and certainly not able to reflect your own driving style.
So, take the WLTP figures with a pinch of salt, and the best rule of thumb is to subtract about 10mpg from each figure to get the rough real-world number.
Then work out if that’s economical enough for you, by working out how much mileage you do, where that mileage is done (slow town driving is usually worse for fuel consumption than motorway or country road driving), and what fuel costs you get at your local filling station.
After this you can work out, roughly, how much each car is going to cost you in fuel each year, and there can potentially be hundreds of pounds in the difference.
Want to work out, ahead of time, how much difference your own driving style will make to the fuel economy you’re getting? Simple — just check the trip computer of your current car and compare that to the official WLTP figure, and you’ll have a good idea of how close you’re able to get to repeating the lab-test numbers on the road. If your number is way off the official one, then it’s time to start practicing some good habits, such as being gentler with your acceleration and braking, anticipating what traffic ahead of you is going to do, and gaining some simple wins such as taking excess weight out of the car by emptying the boot of stuff you don’t really need.
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