The best fuel-efficient cars on sale in 2026

There are loads of impressive fuel-efficient cars available these days, so which should you pick? We’re here to help with our favourite economical cars across a range of popular categories.

All are available as great-value nearly new and used cars from Motorpoint.

Family SUVs

Toyota RAV4 – up to 50.4mpg

• Excellent reliability and 10-year service-activated warranty
• Easy to drive and use
• Practical and economical

Toyota has earned a solid-gold reputation both for its robust build quality and its excellent hybrid engines. The RAV4 combines both strengths into a chunky SUV package, with plenty of passenger space making it easy to fit child seats on the back row, and a boot large enough to swallow pushchairs or suitcases with ease.

To hit those high economy figures, Toyota’s equipped the RAV4 with a petrol-hybrid engine that recharges the battery when slowing down, saving you having to mess with any charging cables. This setup is impressively smooth and includes an automatic gearbox as standard, making it fuss-free to scoot through city traffic.

Find a used Toyota RAV4 or read our Toyota RAV4 review

Citroen C5 Aircross – up to 60.8mpg

• Great practicality for the price
• Comfy suspension on petrol models
• Tough but quirky design

Citroen has never been afraid to do things a little differently, and the C5 Aircross SUV is another great example. This spacious five-seat SUV has a bold, eye-catching design inside and out, with an elegant dashboard dominated by modern-looking screens. Plus, with three individual rear seats, you can mount three child seats across the rear if needed – even if Isofix points are only fitted on the outer two seats.

The C5 Aircross’ 1.5-litre diesel engine can average north of 60mpg in the right conditions. Despite its modest capacity, this unit makes 130hp and has a decent helping of torque, so it doesn't feel underpowered at motorway speeds. Citroen’s petrol engines are still reasonably efficient and are a better choice if you cover a mix of urban and faster roads, with petrol C5 Aircross models achieving mpg figures in the high 40s. If you have the ability to charge your car at home, Citroen also offers a plug-in-hybrid option with mega mpg figures.

Search Citroen C5 Aircross cars or read our Citroen C5 Aircross review

Kia Sportage HEV – up to 51.4mpg

• Great all-round SUV
• Long seven-year warranty
• Choice of self-charging and plug-in hybrids

The Kia Sportage has quickly risen from being yet another SUV competitor to one of the best in class. It's spacious and practical inside, as well as easy and satisfying to drive on the open road. The dashboard design is modern with huge screens for infotainment and driver information, but with enough physical controls in the right places to make everything easy to use at a glance. You also have the reassurance of Kia's seven-year factory warranty and the brand's excellent reputation for reliability.

Search the used market for Sportage models and you'll find previous-generation cars with long-legged diesel engines – great if you want lots of range from a full tank. Stick with the newer model, however, and the most affordable versions will be petrol models that can manage more than 40mpg when driven carefully. Our pick is the petrol-hybrid, which is more powerful and can return more than 50mpg. There's also a plug-in-hybrid version with an astonishing 250mpg average if you keep the battery charged up.

Buy a used Kia Sportage or read our Kia Sportage review

Small SUVs

Ford Puma – up to 52.3mpg

• Fun handling
• Big boot for its size
• Decent performance from its small engines

Ford revived the Puma name for the latest addition to its SUV lineup. This compact model makes a great upgrade for buyers coming from a hatchback thanks to its larger cabin and boot space, which makes it easier if you need to use it for occasional family taxi duties. Other benefits include eye-catching styling and handling that cements Ford’s reputation for building composed cars that are also great fun to drive.

Despite the Puma’s commitment to putting the ‘sport’ into sports utility vehicle, it can achieve impressive fuel economy thanks to its fuel-sipping 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engine paired with a mild-hybrid system. The hybrid reduces strain when accelerating and recaptures energy when slowing down, helping the petrol-powered Puma achieve more than 52mpg.

Check out used Ford Puma cars or read our Ford Puma review

Toyota Yaris Cross – up to 62.8mpg

• Easygoing character
• Long warranty
• Good practicality in a small footprint

The Toyota Yaris Cross takes all the best parts of the Yaris hatchback – the efficient, responsive hybrid engine, the robust reliability, and the easy, simple controls – and translates them to a more practical family-friendly body style. Moving up to a larger body means there's just enough space for adults on the back row and a substantial increase in boot space – enough for a pushchair or a medium-sized dog.

It's not exactly exciting to drive with just 116hp, but the Yaris Cross is easy and responsive thanks to the instant reactions of its hybrid electric motor. This means you can tackle city streets with confidence and, even in stop-start traffic, the hybrid setup can average more than 60mpg. That's not quite the three-figure numbers plug-in hybrids can achieve, but it's easily among the most efficient cars in this class that doesn't need plugging in.

Search used Toyota Yaris Cross cars or read our Toyota Yaris Cross review

Skoda Kamiq – up to 53.2mpg

• One of the most practical cars in the class
• Smooth TSI engines and DSG gearboxes
• Intuitive dashboard

If your parking space will only fit a smaller car, but you still need something that majors on practicality, check out the Skoda Kamiq. This dinky SUV is only a foot longer than the Fabia hatchback, but squeezes an impressive amount of passenger space from such a small footprint, allowing adults to fit comfortably in both the front and rear. You also get the tough build quality Skodas have become known for and an ergonomic, easy-to-use dashboard.

While the Kamiq’s engine lineup is petrol only, its relatively small size and low weight means you can still achieve economy figures in excess of 50mpg in cars powered by the 1.0-litre TSI engine. Even when stepping up to the mid-range 110hp engine with Skoda’s smooth-shifting DSG automatic gearbox, economy only falls to around 49mpg, making the Kamiq a frugal and fuss-free way to navigate congested city centres.

Search all used Skoda Kamiq cars or read our Skoda Kamiq review

Family cars

Volkswagen Golf – up to 62.8mpg

• Good balance of practicality, size and price
• Easy to drive
• Economical diesel and PHEV models

The Volkswagen Golf is an icon among family cars and has, for decades, offered a compelling combination of decent practicality, premium features and a comfortable, fuss-free driving experience. Inside, you’ll find seating for five adults at a push, with a rear bench comfortably large enough to fit two child seats side-by-side. Hatchback Golfs have a useful square boot that can just about fit a folded pushchair, or go for the Golf Estate if you need even more space.

Like the rest of the Golf, its engine lineup is very sensible. Recent models offer a 2.0-litre diesel with a choice of 115 or 150hp outputs – both can return more than 60mpg with either the manual or automatic gearbox. Petrol Golfs are more common on the used market, however, and these are still decently frugal with most 1.0 and 1.5-litre models returning around 50mpg. You’ll also find super-economical plug-in hybrid options further up the range if you have easy access to a charger.

Find a used Volkswagen Golf cars for sale or read our Volkswagen Golf review

Honda Civic – up to 60.1mpg

• Excellent 2.0-litre hybrid engine
• Composed, confident handling
• Practical enough for family duties

You can think of the Honda Civic as a hatchback-plus. It's grown larger than traditional rivals like the VW Golf or Ford Focus, occupying a position somewhere between a hatchback and a longer saloon. As a result, interior room is excellent, with plenty of space for tall drivers up front and room for adults behind them without scraping knees on the seat backs.

More impressive than the practicality, though, is the Civic's 2.0-litre hybrid engine. The combined 181hp output whisks the car up to motorway speeds without strain, but better is the instant response of the hybrid electric motor, which does the lion's share of driving around town. With the electric system able taking the lead so often, fuel economy readily reaches 60mpg in mixed driving.

Check out used Honda Civic cars or read our Honda Civic review

Toyota Corolla Touring Sports – up to 62.7mpg

• Estate-car practicality
• Easy-driving hybrid engine
• Long 10-year service-activated warranty

Toyota scores another spot on our list once again thanks to its great selection of hybrid cars. The Corolla Touring Sports is the estate version of the Corolla hatchback and adds an even larger boot in exchange for a minimal fuel economy penalty. Inside, you’ll find a neat dashboard design with an easy-to-use layout, decent passenger space, and a sense of toughness you’d expect from a car wearing a Toyota badge.

The ace up the Corolla’s sleeve is its pair of petrol-hybrid engine options. These models only recharge their batteries as the car slows down, saving you the need to fiddle with charging cables. The smaller 1.8-litre hybrid can return more than 62mpg, while the larger and more powerful 2.0-litre version can still muster an impressive 56mpg.

Buy a used Toyota Corolla Touring Sports or read our Toyota Corolla review

Small cars

Suzuki Swift – up to 64.2mpg

• Well equipped
• Sensibly priced
• Long 10-year service-activated warranty

With big names like the Ford Fiesta and Kia Rio leaving the small hatchback segment, it falls to models like the Suzuki Swift to pick up the slack. Thankfully, the latest Swift has all the strengths of its predecessors – robust build quality, easy usability and affordable pricing – and adds more sophisticated styling inside and out. It's also good fun to drive, with agile handling and a well-judged ride quality.

In fact, the only area it falls short is in living up to its name – the 1.2-litre mild-hybrid petrol engine delivers just 82hp so you'll have to work it hard to keep up with fast traffic. At least you won't have to worry about running costs, however, since all versions claim to average more than 60mpg, and you should have no trouble returning more than 50mpg in the real world.

Find a used Suzuki Swift cars or read our Suzuki Swift review

Toyota Yaris – up to 68.9mpg

• Long warranty and great reliability
• Excellent economy in mixed motoring
• Easy to drive and use

Yet another Toyota makes our list, with the latest Yaris being a fine addition to the brand’s lineup. The most recent version adds some welcome funky styling that previous Yaris models lacked but retains the ultra-frugal hybrid-petrol engine. Unlike many ballooning rivals, the Yaris still measures under four metres long, making it easy to squeeze into tight city parking spots.

Thanks to Toyota’s hybrid know-how, the Yaris can average nearly 69mpg. As an added bonus, the hybrid system is even punchier than before and helps the automatic-only Yaris cover the 0-62mph dash in less than 10 seconds – that’s hardly sports-car-like pace, but it’s substantially faster than the wheezy hybrids of just a few years ago.

Search used Toyota Yaris cars or read our Toyota Yaris review

Honda Jazz – up to 62.8mpg

• Remarkably practical for its size
• Attractive cabin design
• Easy to drive

The Honda Jazz is a remarkable little car. Like its Civic sibling, the Jazz tends to cost a little more than most of its direct rivals in exchange for some super-smart engineering. For a start, there's an astonishing amount of passenger space in its four-metre-long body. The front seats are pushed right to the front of the car and the back seats are set way back, so you can easily fit full sized adults on both rows. However, the party piece are the 'Magic' rear seats, with theatre-style flip-up bases lifting out the way to reveal a huge midship cargo area.

Once you're done marvelling at how much the Jazz can fit in its cabin, you'll be equally impressed by its driving experience. The 1.5-litre self-charging-hybrid engine makes a combined 109hp, but most of the legwork at lower speeds is done by the electric motor, so you have rapid reactions at roundabouts and junctions, with the engine taking over as speeds increase. More than 60mpg is readily achievable with a light foot.

Buy a used Honda Jazz or read our Honda Jazz review

Premium cars

BMW 5 Series – up to 48.7mpg

• Impressive practicality considering its size and power
• Smooth driving experience
• Modern cabin and infotainment setup

BMW has ditched diesel engines for the latest 5 Series, leaving drivers the choice of mild-hybrid petrol, plug-in-hybrid or fully electric power. We're focusing on the former as it's the most economical version you can buy that doesn't need to be plugged in. All versions, however, get the same overhauled cabin with a much more modern design than its predecessor and vast screens controlling all major functions.

We're convinced BMW's pulled off some kind of witchcraft under the 5 Series' bonnet. This is a big, heavy luxury saloon and its 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine makes a respectable 208hp – enough to zip the big Beemer to 62mph in just 7.5 seconds. Against all odds, however, this combo still averages a claimed 48.7mpg, which is simply astonishing considering the mass the engine has to move.

Check out used BMW 5 Series cars or read our BMW 5 Series review

Mercedes CLA – 55.4mpg

• Eye-catching coupe styling
• Premium cabin design
• Long-legged diesel option

The Mercedes CLA is a tempting proposition within the three-pointed-star lineup. It's based on mechanicals from the A-Class hatch, making it a little more affordable than Mercedes' full-size four-door cars. Despite that, the dramatic, swoopy four-door coupe body still makes you feel like you're driving one of Stuttgart's finest motors. As you'd hope, material quality is high and there's a full suite of tech baked into the dashboard.

You can still spec your CLA with a diesel engine, which means superb long-distance economy north of 55mpg if you keep your speed under control. The CLA's petrol engines are smoother and more refined, however, and still return more than 40mpg, which might make them a better choice for mixed motoring. For ultimate efficiency, check out the CLA 250e plug-in hybrid, which can return more than 100mpg if you recharge regularly.

Find a used Mercedes CLA cars or read our Mercedes CLA review

Audi A3 – up to 58.3mpg

• Still has a frugal diesel engine option
• …or a PHEV with a long electric range
• Slick infotainment system

With the A1 supermini and Q2 SUV due to bow out of the Audi lineup, the A3 hatchback will soon return to being the smallest car the brand sells. Despite its dimensions, this is still a family hatchback that's big enough for adults in the back seat and most of their luggage in the boot. It's also easy and satisfying to drive, with well-judged ride and handling, and a more straightforward infotainment setup than its Mercedes and BMW rivals.

All versions are impressively efficient, with entry-level petrols claiming more than 50mpg. However, it's the diesel engine – yes, the A3 is still sold with a diesel engine! – that takes the honours here with average economy that's within touching distance of 60mpg. If you can charge your car at home the plug-in-hybrid A3 can return more than 200mpg in ideal circumstances, with more than 80 miles of pure-electric range.

Search used Audi A3 cars or read our Audi A3 review

Keep those fuel costs low

Cut your fuel costs by swapping to a more efficient car – find great-value nearly new and used cars at Motorpoint.

Once you've bought a great fuel-efficient car, you also need to know how to keep your consumption as low as possible to make the most of the savings – check out our top tips for improving your fuel economy.