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most-efficient-cars-for-town-driving-in-the-real-world

Fortunately, What Car?'s True MPG tests reveal what sort of fuel economy you can expect in the real world.

To ensure accuracy and repeatability, we use strictly controlled laboratory conditions, but the tests are based on a real-world route that takes in town, rural and motorway driving.

The official MPG figures published in sales brochures can tempt you into buying a particular car, but those results are often misleading.

The results reflect what's achievable if you’re driving gently and sticking to speed limits but aren’t resorting to any unrealistically slow acceleration or special 'hypermiling' techniques.

If you live in the city and mainly drive in town, you'll want a car that's highly efficient on tight urban streets. In the following slides, we'll tell you which cars scored highest for these type of roads.

The top 10 includes a hybrid, petrol cars and even models powered by diesel.

No 'hypermiling' required

Nissan turned up early to the SUV party, with its Qashqai paving the way for the countless models we see today. The Qashqai continues to sell in big numbers in the UK, too, and was also our overall Car of the Year in 2014.

Don’t think Nissan is just about SUVs, though. As well as the Qashqai, the smaller Juke and the larger X-Trail, the Japanese brand has the Micra hatchback, GT-R sports car and Navara pick-up truck.

Nissan was also one of the first big car makers to launch a fully electric car, with its latest Leaf being one of the best on the market.

Despite being based in Japan, Nissan has long committed to building cars in the UK, making several of its best-selling models at a huge factory in Sunderland.

NISSAN

QASHQAI

10: Nissan Qashqai 1.5 dCi 110

Town True MPG: 47.2mpg

Overall True MPG: 51.9mpg

You can't go far wrong with a Nissan Qashqai; indeed, it's consistently one of the best-selling family SUVs in the UK.

There's a range of efficient engines on offer, and the ride is comfortable if you stick with smaller wheels. You miss out on some of our recommended safety kit on lower trim levels, though.

The 10 most efficient cars for driving in towns or cities

Today, the resurgent Seat brand is selling better cars than at any time in its history.

In large part, that’s because it is one of the brands owned by the VW Group. Underneath, all of the cars it sells are strongly related to similar models sold by Volkswagen itself, or the likes of Skoda and even Audi. If you are buying a Leon, for example, the hardware will be similar to that of the Golf, Octavia and A3.

But while Seat makes the most of this tie-up to offer everything from city, small and family cars, including estates, through to a full range of SUVs, it also adds in its own slice of character, both with its distinctive styling approach and because its engineers generally tune the cars to deliver sportier handling.

While all of its cars are decent, it is the SUVs that stand out. The Arona and Ateca are among the class leaders and have enjoyed triumphs at the What Car? Awards.

SEAT

ATECA

Town True MPG: 47.3mpg

Overall True MPG:&nbsp;50.2mpg

The Ateca may be Seat's first SUV, but it's also one of the best family SUVs around.

It's spacious inside, offers class-leading handling and is keenly priced – and that's before you factor generous discounts into the equation. All in all, it's a very impressive package.

9: Seat Ateca 1.6 TDI 115

Ford builds some of the most popular cars in the UK, including the Fiesta and Focus hatchbacks.

This success is partly down to longevity and the fact that there’s a Ford dealer around every corner. However, it’s also because Fords tend to offer good value and be among the best cars in their respective classes to drive.

The company’s huge range also helps; it offers everything from the small – but surprisingly practical – Ka+ to the large and lavishly equipped Edge SUV.

Meanwhile, other highlights of the range include the S-Max and Galaxy people carriers, the Mondeo executive car and the Ranger pick-up.

FORD

MONDEO

Town True MPG: 47.7mpg

Overall True MPG:&nbsp;53.7mpg

The Mondeo is spacious and good to drive, offering agile handling and a comfortable ride.

And because it doesn't wear a premium badge, big discounts are available to tempt buyers.

8: Ford Mondeo 1.5 TDCi

The VW Group famously spends more money on research and development than any rival – and as a result, perhaps it should be no surprise that our testers rate its cars so consistently highly.

The fact that many of those cars use the same underpinnings also helps, because it means that if they get it right once, they have the foundations to keep on getting it right.

However, the Volkswagen brand faces plenty of tough competition, often from within, because the rapidly rising Seat and Skoda brands that are also part of the group have access to the same technology.

VOLKSWAGEN

Town True MPG:&nbsp;47.9mpg

Overall True MPG: 55.9mpg

The Up is fundamentally the same car underneath as the Seat Mii and Skoda Citigo but adds an extra dash of luxury inside.

It's good to drive, especially in town, and has an economical range of three-cylinder petrol engines.

7: Volkswagen Up 1.0 75

Buyers seeking value for money should have Kia towards the top of their shopping list.

Although once a niche brand in the UK, today Kia outsells many more established brands, helped by its market-leading seven-year warranty and a strong reputation for reliability; in fact, Kia regularly finishes towards the top of our reliability surveys.

There are plenty of models to choose from, too, ranging from the small Picanto city car to the Ceed family hatchback and the Sorento large SUV. The Picanto was the first Kia to win its class at the What Car? Car of the Year awards.

NIRO

Town True MPG:&nbsp;49mpg

Overall True MPG:&nbsp;50.1mpg

The electric Kia e-Niro is our 2019 Car of the Year, but this hybrid model mixes petrol and electric power, so it's ideal if you can't rely solely on electricity.

The engine and motor work together seamlessly, switching power sources so smoothly that it's almost imperceptible. The Niro also has a spacious interior and Kia's market-leading seven-year warranty.

6: Kia Niro Hybrid

Hatchbacks, SUVs, fast cars, electric cars: Renault makes them all, in a variety of shapes and sizes, so it has a line-up designed to tempt pretty much everyone.

From the roadside, the standout feature of them all is the design, with its cars now having a distinctive look that has won the firm a legion of fans for its flair and charm.

To drive and to own, the line-up is typically decent rather than outstanding. Best of the cars when they are rated against rivals are the Kadjar SUV, the fast RS models and the electric Zoe.

With new and used pricing also keen – and Target Price discounts through our New Car Buying marketplace usually more generous than most – there is the opportunity to negotiate an appealing price.

RENAULT

KADJAR

Town True MPG: 50mpg

Overall True MPG: 55.2mpg

Renault's family SUV is spacious, generously equipped and cheap to buy – as well as run, thanks to excellent fuel economy from its 1.5-litre diesel engine.

5: Renault Kadjar 1.5 dCi 110

Suzuki is well known as a motorcycle manufacturer, but the car brand has been enjoying decent success in recent years, thanks to a line-up of neat, well-equipped and keenly priced models.

Its expertise focuses on smaller cars, although its high-riding SUV range is also hugely credible, especially the Ignis and Vitara, which are both rated highly by What Car?’s testers and which have enjoyed success at the What Car? Awards as a result.

Well priced, decent to drive and full of useful tech, Suzuki’s cars also generally stand out for delivering good fuel economy. The Ignis, Celerio and Baleno have all stood head and shoulders above the competition during our True MPG testing.

SUZUKI

IGNIS

Town True MPG: 50.6mpg

Overall True MPG: 59.6mpg

Don't be fooled by the Ignis's small size, because it's one seriously impressive SUV. It's deceptively spacious, offers a generous amount of equipment and is very cheap to buy and run.

In fact, as well as having a great score for town driving, the Ignis is the most frugal car we've ever put through our True MPG test overall.

4: Suzuki Ignis 1.2 SHVS

Toyota is a company undergoing a quiet revolution, as it works hard to replace its sensible but somewhat bland reputation with one for being a bit more daring, in areas such as the styling of its cars and its enthusiastic leadership of cutting-edge technology, such as hybrid systems.

That process seems to be working for buyers, with the hugely popular and striking-looking C-HR SUV in particular attracting a great deal of interest. The latest version of the hybrid Prius is also rated highly by What Car?; it’s the first Prius to go on sale that our testers have felt can truly compete all round with existing petrol or diesel rivals.

However, it’s worth noting that this period of transition is also a work in progress, and that many of the firm’s cars are still rated as being no more than average among class rivals by our testers.

TOYOTA

RAV4

Town True MPG: 53.3mpg

Overall True MPG: 37.1mpg

The RAV4 may have just been replaced, but the previous model is wonderfully efficient for town driving.

The 2.5-litre petrol-electric set-up switches between petrol and electric power smoothly, while there's plenty of space inside for both passengers and luggage. It should be a reliable choice, too.

3: Toyota RAV4 2.5

PRIUS

Town True MPG: 60.3mpg

Overall True MPG: 50.5mpg

The Prius is one of the founding fathers of hybrid motoring, so it should come as no surprise to see it towards the top end of this list.

Driving primarily in town will allow you to make the most of its limited electric-only range, too. And the good news is that even when you're on the motorway, you'll still get very impressive fuel economy.

2: Toyota Prius 1.9 VVTi

YARIS

Town True MPG: 80mpg

Overall True MPG: 49.2mpg

There must be something in the water at Toyota, because the company has built three of the top 10 best-performing cars for driving in town. And heading our list is the Yaris, Toyota's Ford Fiesta and Vauxhall Corsa rival.

It's well equipped and offers a comfortable ride, and it won its price point in the hybrid cars category at this year's What Car? Car of the Year Awards.

If you're mainly going to be driving on urban roads and fuel economy is your top priority, this is the car to get.

1: Toyota Yaris 1.5 Hybrid

Most efficient cars for town-driving in the real world

What Car?'s True MPG tests show what you can really expect from a car, and here we reveal those that score best for town driving. If you live in the city, these should be on your shopping list...

Most efficient cars for town-driving in the real world        

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