What Car? Q&A - What is the most fuel-efficient car?

Q: With fuel prices rising, what is the most fuel-efficient car to have?
Jan Lowes

A: The combined fuel consumption of every model on sale is listed in the back of What Car? each month. These figures can also be found in the car reviews section online at whatcar.com.

If outright economy is your goal, then small diesel engines or petrol-electric hybrids are the way to go.

Diesel cars are nowadays capable of nearly 70mpg on the combined cycle if you get a small model. The 1.4-litre Citroen C1 and C2 manage 68.9mpg, for instance, while plenty of others achieve better than 65mpg, including city cars such as the Fiat Panda or superminis such as the Ford Fiesta.

The petrol-electric Toyota Prius provides similar consumption but in a bigger small-family-car package. It might be the same size as a Ford Mondeo but the Toyota can manage 65.7mpg.

Slightly cheaper than the Prius, the new Honda Civic IMA, which goes on sale in January 2006, has an average economy of 61.4mpg.

The two-seat, petrol-electric Honda Insight coupe still has the best fuel consumption of any car at a staggering 83.1mpg.

Remember that, while these official fuel consumption figures are useful for comparison, you're unlikely to achieve them in practice. Assume you'll manage between 10% and 15% less than they suggest, depending on how you drive and the routes you use.

See our fuel-saving tips in the Q&A from August 28 to cut back on your bills (click on the link to the right).