Fiat Panda rated cheapest car to run
YOU can’t beat real-world feedback from owners who drive their cars day in, day out and whose opinions are normally trustworthy.
So it is telling that from a survey of more than 23,000 readers of Auto Express magazine, the car they picked as the cheapest to run is the Fiat Panda. The pence per mile cost includes depreciation and finance, insurance, fuel consumption, road tax servicing costs etc.
And the Panda, another little Fiat with a big heart, is the one that hurts their wallets least of all. As a matter of fact, Fiat did pretty well in the study of 100 different make and models because its 500 hatchback was voted sixth.
This is an important result for motorists who want a reliable, practical little car that is as cost-effective as possible. For those with an eye to budget, Fiat seems a good manufacturer to start with.
Later this year Fiat will introduce a radical two-cylinder, sub-one litre engine which will be even cheaper to run than the current range – watch this space!
The Auto Express study threw up some fascinating results. The Land Rover Discovery kept cropping up at the top end of various tables (best for ride quality, third for comfort, second for ease of driving, top again for practicality, best off-roader) and was voted the sixth best car overall to own. True, it is not the cheapest car to buy or run but in terms of owner satisfaction, it seems to tick all the boxes.
By the smallest of margins the Jaguar XF was pipped to second place overall but that’s still an impressive result out of 100 different cars.
In fact, the brands represented by Perrys did rather well. Looking at the top 15 cars – chosen by their owners, remember – the latest Renault Megane (fifth) has proven to be much more popular than its predecessor, the Discovery came sixth, the Jaguar S-TYPE may no longer be in production but its enduring appeal saw it voted tenth, just two places ahead of the new Mazda6 with another Land Rover product, the Freelander, in 13th.
As I said, you can’t beat real-world feedback from unbiased owners!Low running costs are good for the environment - see more green cars at Perrys