Evans Halshaw – Used Cars

Diesel cars: saving you money in the long run

When people decide to browse Evans Halshaw, many find themselves haggling for a lower price on the initial purchase without considering the long-term cost ramifications of the car they invest in. Luckily, there are a huge number of cars available second-hand that will not only come cheap after bartering, but will deliver cost savings in fuel costs.

Most of these, naturally, are diesel. Here’s a list of the top five diesel cars as formed by online resource Motoring, which you can buy to start saving money every time you go to the petrol station.

The Ford Fiesta 1.4 TDCi Studio comes in at number five on journalist Stephen Turvil’s list, who described it as a “robustly constructed supermini” that gets to 62mph in 14.9 seconds. With good handling and averaging an impressive 68.9mpg, it’s well worth the investment.

Fourth in the top five was the Skoda Fabia 1.6 TDI CR. Costing less than the Fiesta in new and used markets, it is similarly easy to drive, uses Volkswagen parts and averages 67.3mpg. On top of this, emissions of 109g/km grant it road tax costs of just £20.

The Ford Ka 1.3 TDCi Zetec and the Peugeot 207 1.4 HDi Access are joint second on Mr Turvil’s list. Both cost £11,295 new, though the Peugeot 207 provides a larger boot and MP3 connectivity. With fuel efficiency of around 68mpg, it’s simply a case of choosing which one feels better.

Finally, for fans of cars that are a little bit different, there’s the Smart Fortwo CDi Pulse. While the compact and less traditionally-styled car may not be to everyone’s tastes, it is by far the cheapest when bought new and has an impressively low resale value. While this two-seater may not be particularly versatile or group-friendly, it is remarkably cheap when using diesel. With its tiny 0.8-litre engine, people can average a whopping 85.6mpg, reaching 62mph in 16.8 seconds.

Whatever you choose, never discount the savings that could be given to you by a diesel. You’ll never quite realise just how much money you can save until you try one!