The most fuel-efficient cars to buy in 2025
Modern cars are more economical and fuel-efficient than they have ever been. Petrol, diesel and hybrid powertrains can offer decent performance while returning low CO2 emissions and good fuel economy.
The Cazoo editorial team
Published on 08 May 2025 | 1 min read
Modern cars are more economical and fuel-efficient than they have ever been.
Petrol, diesel and hybrid powertrains can offer decent performance while returning low CO2 emissions and good fuel economy.
So, if you’re looking after a fuel-sipping used car, which model should you choose?
Here is our guide to the top 10 most fuel-efficient cars you can buy via Cazoo today.
Toyota Yaris 60mpg – 69mpg
The Toyota Yaris is one of the best superminis on the market.
Now in its fourth generation, the Yaris can only be chosen with a hybrid powertrain, but that means that it can return a claimed 69mpg – according to the manufacturer.
In the real world, you can easily manage 60mpg, which for a small hatchback makes it one of the class leaders when it comes to fuel efficiency.
The Yaris is good to drive, has smart looks, and comes with Toyota’s solid and dependable reputation for being a reliable and cheap-to-run car.
Second-hand prices stand at around £18,000 to £20,000 for a 2023 example in Design trim with less than 15,000 miles on the clock.
Honda Jazz 56mpg – 62mpg
The Honda Jazz is another hybrid-only supermini that is one of the most economical cars on the market.
Honda claims the car can return up to 63mpg on the combined cycle, however, in the real world, the Jazz will achieve around 56mpg – making it very economical.
The Jazz is a sensible choice for those looking for a practical and well-built supermini, with the car packing an impressive 304 litres or 1,205 litres of boot space with the rear seats folded. Also, the car features Honda’s well-known magic seats, which allow the rear seat bases to fold up, making it easier for taller items to be carried in the back.
Used prices of the Jazz vary, but if you want a clean and low mileage example, a 2022 car with under 20,000 miles on the clock can be picked up for £17,000.
Kia Picanto 42mpg – 54mpg
City cars are fading fast, but Kia still thinks there is life in the old dog yet with its Picanto.
It comes with a very small 1.0-litre three-cylinder naturally aspirated petrol engine or a larger 1.25-litre four-cylinder engine. However, if you go for the smaller power plant, Kia claims the car can achieve up to 54.3mpg – but expect to achieve around 50mpg on the motorway and the early 40s around town.
The Picanto is fun to drive, comes with lots of character and is very well equipped. Plus, it comes with Kia's seven-year or 100,000-mile warranty.
Second-hand cars will differ as the car has recently been given an extensive facelift, but that doesn’t mean that you can get behind the wheel of one at an affordable price. A six-month-old example in sporty ‘GT-Line’ specification will set you back £14,995 with 5,000 miles on the clock.
Suzuki Swift 55mpg – 64mpg
Suzuki’s Swift is great fun to drive, comes with plenty of standard equipment and comes with mild-hybrid technology.
There is just one engine being a 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine that is frugal, peppy and relatively brisk.
Suzuki claims the car can achieve up to 64mpg, but 55mpg is more realistic in the real world, which is still impressive for a car with a mild-hybrid setup.
The latest model has only been on sale for one year, but used examples can be picked up for £15,500 with less than 10,000 miles on the clock, making the Swift represent excellent value for money.
Renault Clio 59mpg – 67mpg
The Renault Clio is one of the benchmarks in the supermini segment if you want a small car that looks good and is fun to drive.
The latest model can be equipped with an efficient hybrid powertrain that the firm calls ‘E-Tech’. The engine is a 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol unit that comes fitted with an electric motor to produce a healthy 147bhp.
Renault claims this setup can achieve up to 67mpg, but realistically, expect to return around 58mpg – which still makes this little Renault one of the most frugal cars on the market.
The latest iteration has been on sale since 2022, and there are plenty of affordable second-hand examples to choose from with 20,000 miles cars up for £14,500.
Volkswagen Golf 60mpg – 64mpg
The Volkswagen Golf is one of the most sensible and practical small family hatchbacks on the market.
The diesel variant is one of the best cars if you’re looking for something that is frugal, cheap to run and offers decent performance.
The Golf can be equipped with a 2.0-litre turbocharged unit with two power outputs of 112bhp or 148bhp – the former can do a claimed 64mpg and the latter up to 60mpg.
However, both engines perform well in the real world with them achieving closer to 50mpg to 55mpg.
Volkswagen Golfs tend to have good resale values, with second-hand examples still rather expensive. A 2023 example with the more powerful 148bhp engine in ‘R-Line’ trim, comes in at £25,000 with less than 10,000 miles on the odometer.
Skoda Octavia 62mpg – 65mpg
The Octavia shares its chassis and underpinnings with the Golf, but comes with more interior space.
The latest model is better looking, packed full of technology and features the same fuel-efficient diesel engines as the Volkswagen.
A 2.0-litre turbocharged unit with 114bhp or 148bhp is available, both offering decent fuel economy. The lesser powered model can achieve a claimed combined 65mpg and the more powerful model can do 62mpg.
Expect to see around 53mpg to 57mpg for both engines, making the Octavia a very frugal car, despite its larger dimensions and heavier weight.
Used examples hold their value well, with a 2023 model featuring the more powerful engine priced between £22,000 with an automatic gearbox – making it better value than its Volkswagen sibling.
Seat Leon 58mpg - 62mpg
A car with lots of Spanish flair is the Seat Leon – which shares its chassis with the Skoda Octavia and Volkswagen Golf.
The Leon looks good, has a sporty feeling interior, and has lots of interior space.
It’s available with two efficient diesel engines that are found in the Skoda and Volkswagen, which is a 2.0-litre turbocharged unit with either 114bhp or 148bhp. Their claimed fuel economy figures stand at 58mpg and 62mpg.
However, both engines driven normally can expect to achieve between 50mpg to 55mpg – falling not far short of the manufacturer’s claim.
Second-hand examples are cheaper than you might think with a desirable ‘SE Dynamic’ trim with delivery miles on the clock for less than £21,500.
BMW 330e 148mpg
Plug-in hybrids are seen as the stepping stone when it comes to electric vehicles.
They offer the ease and convenience of running an internal-combustion engine car, with the low running costs of a hybrid and EV.
BMW’s plug-in hybrid option is the popular 330e, which comes equipped with a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine mated to an electric motor and 19.5kWh battery pack. BMW claims the car can run up to 63 miles on electric power, but one big plus point is that fuel economy is dramatically increased.
The German firm claims the car can achieve 148mpg on the combined cycle – however, these figures are optimistic, with real world economy figures being between 50mpg to 60mpg. Way off the manufacturer’s claim, but still impressive for a sports executive saloon.
One of the most popular trim levels in the 3 Series line-up is the ‘M Sport’. There are plenty of second-hand examples on the market that will suit all kinds of buyers. A 2023 car with less than 20,000 miles on the clock can be yours for £31,000.
Mercedes E300e 176mpg
The most premium car on this list is the Mercedes E300e executive saloon.
It offers good looks, lots of standard equipment and the option of a plug-in hybrid powertrain.
Under the bonnet, there is a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine mated to an electric motor and 25.4kWh battery pack.
Mercedes claims that the car can travel up to 70 miles on electric power alone and can achieve an impressive 176mpg.
However, real-world figures suggest that the E300e will achieve around 40mpg to 50mpg – but that still makes the E300e a frugal contender.
Second-hand examples are still holding good money with a two-year-old example with less than 25,000 miles on the clock for sale at £62,000.
Older examples with higher mileage can be purchased for around £31,000 to £33,000.