Top 10: Cars that get closest to matching their official MPG
One of things our readers complain to us most about is fuel economy. And in particular when the economy they're seeing falls far short of what the manufacturer claims. Some cars come much closer to the claimed figures than others, so we've analysed the figures from Real MPG to give you those cars which get closest to the official figures.
These are based on models currently on sale and we have used models that have at least 50 submissions. As Real MPG is a live database, these figures are likely to change.
Toyota GT86 2.0 manual - 35.3mpg = 99% of its claimed economy
We're not surprised to see a Toyota here - the manufacturer has always performed well in Real MPG, but we didn't expect the GT86 to be the best performer overall. Despite its sports car credentials, the GT86 is proving impressive in terms of getting close to its official 36.2mpg. A very impressive feat for a car with 200PS.
Toyota Verso 1.8 Automatic - 41.6mpg = 98%
Japanese makes dominate Real MPG when it comes to owners actually getting close to the MPG figures manufacturers claim, with Toyota leading the way. The Verso is a dependable family car there are in fact two versions here. As alongside the 1.8 Automatic, the 2.2 D-4D diesel also achieves 98% of its claimed fuel economy.
Honda Jazz 1.3 i-VTEC - 53.1mpg = 97%
The Honda Jazz is a small car we find ourselves repeatedly recommended to people who want a practical, well-built and cheap to run car. It's also proving to be realistically economical with a Real MPG figure of more than 53mpg. Honda, like Toyota, is a manufacturer that has always performed well in Real MPG.
Suzuki Celerio 1.0 - 61.9mpg = 94%
While it may not be a bundle of fun to drive (and it's not what you'd call a looker either), the little Celerio is an ideal cheap runabout that's cheap to insure and is very easy on fuel too. In fact, in this top 10 it has the best outright fuel economy figure with owners seeing close to 62mpg.
Suzuki Vitara 1.6 - 46.7mpg = 91%
While you may imagine this list would be populated by small hatchbacks, there are in fact several crossovers, the first of which is the Suzuki Vitara. We think it's a much underrated car but we know that owners tend to love them, judging by the positive feedback we get. It's clearly proving economical too with the 1.6 not far short of its claimed 53.3mpg.
Honda CR-V 1.6 i-DTEC 2WD - 54.6mpg = 90%
The CR-V has the accolade of being not only the largest car here, but also the only diesel. With the manual gearbox - and fitted with two-wheel drive - owners of the 1.6 i-DTEC, one of the best small diesels around - are seeing close to 55mpg. The older 2.2 i-DTEC, which is no longer sold, is another strong performer.
Volkswagen Golf 1.4 TSI 122 - 48.1mpg = 89%
Volkswagen may not be getting much in the way of good press when it comes to emissions right now. But the petrol-powered Golf, in particular the 1.4 TSI 122PS engine, performs well here with owners seeing around 48mpg. This engine has since been replaced by a 125PS version, as Volkswagen's ever-evolving engine line-up continues to keeps us somewhat confused...
Fiat Panda 1.2 - 49.3mpg = 89%
You may be forgiven for forgetting that the little Fiat Panda is still on sale, but despite being first launched in the UK in 2012, Fiat continues to offers the not-so-cute-but-a-bit-more-practical alternative to the 500. But while the TwinAir engines fall considerably short of what they claim, the 1.2-litre petrol does a sterling job, falling not too short of its claimed 55.4mpg.
Skoda Citigo 1.0 Greentech - 60.3mpg = 88%
Of the three city cars from the Volkswagen Group (alongside the Up and the Mii), the Citigo has always performed better in Real MPG. All versions of the 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine perform admirably, but it's the Greentech model specifically which gets closest to its official MPG figure of 68.9mpg.
Nissan Qashqai 1.6 DIG-T - 41.9mpg = 87%
One of the most popular crossovers on the market, the Qashqai was the model that started the craze for pseudo-SUVs. Overall, it doesn't perform especially well in Real MPG, but one model - the 1.6 DIG-T 163PS - comes closer than the rest for hitting its claimed MPG.
