Real MPG: most economical used cars

Official MPG 62.7mpg | Real MPG Average 60.1mpg | Town 103.3mpg | Motorway 45.5mpg | Rural 70.5mpg

Small SUVs are exceedingly popular among car buyers at the moment thanks to their high driving positions and go-anywhere looks. And if you’re in search of low running costs, then look no further than the Toyota Yaris Cross. It returned the best results that we’ve seen from any car that has gone through our tests, particularly around town, where it scored a hugely impressive 103.3mpg.

Not only is it cheap to run, it also offers a comfortable interior, with a clean and tidy dashboard with easy controls, and an adjustable driving position which offers good visibility over the road ahead.

There are rivals that are smoother to drive and more spacious, such as the Skoda Kamiq or VW T-Roc, but nothing beats the Yaris Cross when it comes to sheer efficiency.

Despite Toyota’s excellent reputation for reliability, the Yaris Cross didn’t do very well in the small SUV section of our most recent Reliability Survey. It finished in 17th place out of 23 cars, finishing above the Ford Puma but below the Audi Q2 and Volkswagen T-Roc. It did, however, record a good score of 93.1%, which provides some reassurance.

Prices for a used Yaris Cross start from £15,000, which gets you into a 2021 or 2022 car. If you up your budget to around £17,000, you’ll pick up a 2023 car in Icon or Design trim. Newer 2024 cars start from around £19,000, while 2025 cars cost upwards of £22,000.

Read our full used Toyota Yaris Cross review

Search for a used Toyota Yaris Cross for sale

Official MPG 68.8mpg | Real MPG Average 59.93mpg | Town 80.0mpg | Motorway 46.7mpg | Rural 74.1mpg

It’s not surprising that the Toyota Yaris Cross is followed in efficiency by its smaller sibling, the Toyota Yaris. Its strengths lie in perky performance and great fuel economy which, combined with Toyota’s excellent reliability record, means you won’t have to spend too much to keep it running. Like the Yaris Cross, it performed particularly well in the town portion of our tests, returning an impressive 80mpg.

While it’s not as fun to drive as a Renault Clio or Seat Ibiza, the Yaris has more grip through corners compared to the VW Polo, and offers nifty handling around tight corners. Other rivals are more spacious and the interior could be more plush, but it makes up for its compact size with lots of standard kit.

The Toyota Yaris is a reliable car. In our latest 2025 What Car? Reliability Survey, it ranked 20th of 28 in the small car class. It has a strong reliability score of 92.5%, which makes it more reliable than the Ford Fiesta and only slightly less reliable than the Suzuki Swift and Honda Jazz.

Prices for 2020/'21 cars in Icon trim start at £10,000. Spend between £11,000 and £14,000 on 2022 and 2023 cars. Expect to spend at least £15,000 on a 2024 or 2025 model.

Read our full used Toyota Yaris review

Search for a used Toyota Yaris for sale

Official MPG 55.7mpg | Real MPG Average 59.9mpg | Town 51.3mpg | Motorway 53.3mpg | Rural 74.8mpg

Although it was taken off sale earlier this year, the mild hybrid version of the Suzuki Ignis – which uses a small motor to assist the 1.2-litre petrol engine – can seriously cut your fuel bills. 

It is pricier to buy an Ignis outright compared with other similarly-sized cars, such as the Hyundai i10 and VW Up, but it does come with the option of four-wheel-drive, which only slightly lowers the Real MPG to 53.3mpg. When it comes to other small SUVs, such as the Ford Puma and Nissan Juke, the Ignis is significantly cheaper, but these rivals offer much more space inside.

The Ignis didn't get enough responses to feature in the 2025 or 2024 What Car? Reliability Survey. However, it has historically done very well, finishing in first place out of 22 cars in the small SUV category in 2023.

Prices start at around £5000 for the earliest cars. Spend between £7000 and £10,000 to secure a good 2018 or 2019 model, possibly an early 2021 car, and between £10,000 and £12,000 should net you a 2022 or 2023 model. You won't spend much more than that on a 2024 or 2025 car.

Read our full used Suzuki Ignis review

Search for a used Suzuki Ignis for sale

Official MPG 64.8mpg | Real MPG Average 57.9mpg | Town 50.5mpg | Motorway 52.1mpg | Rural 72.6mpg

With a 2.0-litre diesel engine, the Skoda Octavia is a solid choice if you cover a lot of annual miles, and it doesn’t cost a fortune to run, either. It makes for a fantastic family car thanks to its roomy interior and affordability in comparison with its rivals.

This version is no longer available to buy new, but you can get a used Octavia from around £10,000, which is pretty good when you take into account all the kit you get as standard — and the massive boot that dwarfs competitors even from the class above.

In our latest What Car? Reliability Survey, the Octavia finished in a disappointing 24th place out of 26 cars in the family car class. By contrast, the previous-generation 2013-2020 Octavia finished in first place.

As mentioned, Octavia prices now start at £10,000. Spend between £11,000 and £14,000 on a 2021 model, depending on trim, and between £14,000 and £18,000 on 2022 and some 2023 cars. You'll need upwards of £19,000 for a 2024 or 2025 car.

Read our full used Skoda Octavia review

Search for a used Skoda Octavia for sale

Real MPG Average 57.8mpg | Town 47.0mpg | Motorway 53.3mpg | Rural 73.5mpg

Before it was taken off sale in 2019, the Suzuki Celerio was one of the cheapest new cars you could buy – and has the most frugal engine we’ve tested that isn’t helped by hybrid power. Combined with Suzuki’s solid reliability record, the Celerio makes for a great low-cost option that shouldn’t cause you too many problems down the line.

For a city car, it’s pretty roomy and offers good boot space, beating the similarly-sized Skoda Citigo. Mid-range SZ3 models come nicely kitted out with air conditioning, DAB radio and Bluetooth connectivity. However, the interior could be better quality.

Although it didn't feature in our most recent reliability survey, the Celerio was the most reliable entry in the small and city car class in the last one it featured in.

You can pick up a Celerio for around £2000, but look to spend £3000 to get one with a sub-100k mileage. Spend £4500 to £6000 to find a 2017 or 2018 car, while around £7000 should secure you a 2019 example.

Read our full used Suzuki Celerio review

Search for a used Suzuki Celerio for sale

Real MPG Average 56.3mpg | Town 46.4mpg | Motorway 50.7mpg | Rural 73.7mpg

This particular generation of the Vauxhall Astra was a vast improvement on the versions which came before. Its lightweight construction boosted efficiency, and despite being smaller than the previous Astra outside, it was roomier inside, providing more space for people and luggage. The interior was more upmarket than before, with some innovative technology.

You’re spoilt for choice with trims, but even the entry-level version comes with lots of kit. Buyers can also choose from three engine options. The most efficient is the 1.6-litre diesel. 

However, the Astra isn’t well-renowned for its reliability. According to our most recent What Car? Reliability Survey the Astra (in petrol form) finished in 23rd place out of 29 cars in the class of family cars, with an overall score of 83.5%. This placed it above the latest Audi A3, Skoda Octavia and Volkswagen Golf, but below the BMW 1 Series, the Ford Focus and the Seat Leon.

It's possible to pick up a good version of this generation of Astra for around £5000. Spend between £7000 and £9000 on 2017 cars, with some 2018 ones sneaking in there too. Spend between £10,000 and £12,000 on 2019 and 2020 models, the last cars of this generation.

Read our full used Vauxhall Astra review

Search for a used Vauxhall Astra for sale

Official MPG 61.4mpg | Real MPG Average 56.0mpg | Town 68.8mpg | Motorway 43.4mpg | Rural 73.0mpg

It’s no secret that we’re huge fans of the Honda Jazz. It’s exceedingly versatile, with enough space for rear passengers to get comfortable and, when those seats aren’t in use, they can be flipped up to increase space.

It’s cheap to run, too, thanks to its hybrid engine. Like other hybrids, it’s particularly efficient around town, where it scored an impressive 68.8mpg in our tests.

The Jazz’s light steering makes navigating tight urban roads a breeze, and it’s largely comfortable to drive, despite not having a huge amount of grip. While the Jazz comes with a nice quality interior and plenty of standard equipment, there are cheaper small cars out there.

In our latest WhatCar? Reliability Survey, the Jazz scored an impressive 96.9%. It came 11th out of 28 cars in the small car class.

Honda scored 96.6% overall and finished in first place out of 30 brands, a tremendous achievement. Honda dealers always get excellent reports, and Honda as a brand is consistently at or near the top of most reliability surveys.

For a 2020 or early 2021 SE car expect to pay around £11,000. If you'd like a 2022 Jazz or an SR car, you'll currently need upwards of £13,000, while 2023 and 2024 models demand upwards of £18,000. Spend over £20,000 on a 2025 model.

Read our full used Honda Jazz review

Search for a used Honda Jazz for sale

Real MPG Average 56.0mpg | Town 46.3mpg | Motorway 50.9mpg | Rural 71.7mpg

If you asked someone to name a family car, the Seat Leon probably wouldn’t be at the front of their mind – but it should be. This particular Leon is a previous-generation version, and it’s not only cheap to run, it also offers sporty handling, but the ride is firmer than rivals such as the Ford Focus, which is a more enjoyable drive.

The Leon makes for a great family car thanks to an abundance of space in both the front and rear, as well as a sizeable boot. On top of that, it comes equipped with a long list of standard kit, all for a price that substantially undercuts rivals such as the equivalent Focus or VW Golf.

Our data suggests the Seat Leon is a reliable car. In our What Car? Reliability Survey, the Leon placed seventh out of 29 cars in the family car class. Its reliability score of 95.9% makes it more reliable than the Ford Focus and Kia Ceed, but less reliable than the Toyota Corolla.

You can pick up a good Leon from as little as £4000. This will net you a 2013 or 2014 car, spend between £5000 and £8000 on a good Leon from 2016, 2017 or 2018, while you'll spend around £10,000 on the last of the Leons of this generation, the 2020 models. 

Read our full used Seat Leon review

Search for a used Seat Leon for sale

Official MPG 50.7mpg | Real MPG Average 56.0mpg | Town 44.3mpg | Motorway 51.9mpg | Rural 72.2mpg

If you’re in search of a small car that feels and drives like a big car, then the VW Up is a fantastic option. With a spacious, upmarket interior and peppy engine designed for city streets, the Up was a huge sales success for Volkswagen until it came off the market in 2023.

Now, it makes for a great used buy, with prices for a well-equipped mid-range model starting from just £3000. Basic Take Up models from 2012 can be found for even less, but these have usually had a hard life. Better-equipped Move Ups are £3000, rising to £4000 for the poshest High Up variants from 2013 or 2014. Spend between £4000 and £5000 on clean 2015 cars; hunt around, and you should find similar 2016 cars for the same money. Spend between £5000 and £9000 on cars from 2017 and onwards. 

While the 59bhp offered by this 1.0-litre engine can feel pretty sluggish on the motorway, it’s plenty for pootling around town. The Up is, of course, cheap to run, but the entry-level Take trim doesn’t impress with standard kit, so we’d recommend spending a little more on the higher spec models.

The Up has always performed well in our reliability surveys, and although it didn't feature in our latest 2025 reliability survey, our latest data from the last survey it appeared in showed no deviance. Its score of 96.9% in our 2023 survey means it was the fifth most reliable small used car, and ahead of its sibling, the Skoda Citigo.

Read our full Volkswagen Up review

Search for a used Volkswagen Up for sale

Real MPG Average 55.2mpg | Town 46.6mpg | Motorway 49.9mpg | Rural 70.4mpg

Despite not being the most exciting drive, the Suzuki Baleno is a practical option that won’t break the bank to buy or run. It’s comfortable to drive, though, with competent handling, but not particularly involving, and it is easily outdone by the rival Ford Fiesta if you’re looking for driving fun.

The Baleno comes with an impressive amount of space, with an unusually large boot which can carry more luggage than rivals. It also has a touchscreen infotainment system that’s easy to see even on the move, although the interior quality isn’t anything to write home about.

There are two engine options on offer: the 1.0-litre petrol tested here, and a 1.2-litre mild hybrid, which is similar to the Ignis.

For an early car with a highish mileage, expect to pay around £3000. Around £5000 will get you a later example with a lower mileage, and £8000 will get you a later 2019 car.

Read our full used Suzuki Baleno review

Search for a used Suzuki Baleno for sale

---

For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? newsletter here

Find out your car's Real MPG >>