Fuel cost comparison: which car is cheaper to run?

How we compare the fuel cost

For each car, litres per year = distance per year × l/100 km ÷ 100. The yearly fuel bill is litres × the price of that car's fuel; the bill over the years you keep the car is the yearly bill × years. The difference between the two cars is the saving — or the extra cost — of choosing one over the other.

When you pick a car from our catalog we use its official combined consumption from the version's spec sheet (the source is shown on the version page). Official figures come from a laboratory cycle, so real-world consumption is usually higher; the gap between two cars, however, tends to be similar. Where our catalog does not record the fuel type, check that the right fuel is selected.

What is not included

This is a fuel-only comparison. Purchase price, depreciation, insurance, tax and servicing differ between cars too — use the cost of ownership calculator for the full picture.