Best of the eco warrior choice
- Warranty Direct names economical used cars with proven reliability;
- Ford Fiesta ECOnetic boasts winning dependability and economy;
- Top ten dominated by eco-tech diesel models.
LATEST economy and reliability research places Ford’s Fiesta 1.6 TDCi ECOnetic II top of the list of the best ten vehicles a business car manager could be choosing.
Research by Warranty Direct showed that with a claimed 85mpg economy and a reliability score of just 24, the Fiesta 1.6 TDCi was the best performer among a study of cars more than three years old.
Manufacturers are continually developing new technology which delivers better fuel consumption and lower emissions but, says Warranty Direct, some more complex machines are still prone to going wrong, forcing owners to foot expensive repair bills.
The aftermarket warranty provider analysed its 50,000 live policies, using the company’s Reliability Index to measure overall reliability by combining rate of failure, average mileage, age and repair cost, ranking cars best with the lowest numerical rating.
Ranking cars based on fuel economy in this instance, Warranty Direct used its Reliability Index to name the top ten reliable makes and models of three years or more, as well as the optimal engine and trim combination for the best return at the pumps.
The top ten performers are:
Make and model | Year | Most economical derivative | Combined MPG | VED band | Reliability Index Score | Largest claim |
Ford Fiesta | (08 – ) | 1.6 TDCi (95bhp) Edge ECOnetic II | 85 | A | 24 | 1,698.85 |
Smart Fortwo | (07 – ) | CDI Pure 2d Auto | 85 | A | 50 | 918.89 |
Skoda Fabia | (07 – ) | 1.2 TDI CR Greenline II | 83 | A | 32 | 1,043.15 |
Peugeot 3008 | (09 – ) | 2.0 e-HDi Allure Hybrid4 | 74 | A | 29 | 801.20 |
SEAT Ibiza | (06 – 09) | 1.4 TDi Ecomotive | 74 | A | 30 | 628.00 |
Volkswagen Polo | (05 – ) | 1.4 BlueMotion TDI (80ps) | 74 | A | 50 | 2,615.23 |
Toyota Auris | (07 – ) | 1.8 VVTi Hybrid T Spirit 5d CVT Auto | 70 | A | 39 | 1,509.56 |
Citroen C3 Picasso | (09 – ) | 1.6 Hdi 8v 90 VTR+ | 68 | B | 40 | 732.00 |
Toyota Yaris | (06 – ) | 1.4 D-4D TR | 67 | B | 32 | 1,646.49 |
Nissan Note | (06 – ) | 1.5 (90bhp) dCi Visia | 67 | B | 34 | 2,019.70 |