Using the words of Bob Dylan, "Times, they are a changing" and this is certainly true when we look at the habits of the new car buyer. Successive governments have failed to curb our excessive fuel demands, indeed, for many years cars just seemed to get bigger and bigger, with fuel consumption figures dropping, sometimes barely hitting double figures. Then came the troubles in the oil producing regions of the world, swiftly followed by the credit crunch and all of a sudden attitudes have changed. Market forces have influenced the new car buyer and as a result, the car manufacturers have moved swiftly to fill the chasm that is opening in the marketplace, the need for comfortable, but fuel efficient new cars. Listed below are ten economical new cars, not in any particular order, or indeed, not even market leaders, what they do have in common though is their ability to travel over fifty miles per gallon on the combined cycle. They may not be the answer to all our problems, buy they are certainly a step in the right direction.

MINI Cooper 1.6 D

The 1.6 diesel MINI Cooper has had the EfficientDynamics treatment by BMW, low rolling resistance tyres, electric power steering, an intelligent alternator control / brake energy regeneration system, an automatic stop-start function and a high precision Direct Injection system are amongst the advances that have been applied to the new diesel Cooper and as a result it achieves a staggering 72.4 miles per gallon on the combined cycle.

Volkswagen Polo Bluemotion

Powered by a 1.4 litre, three cylinder, diesel engine that is fitted with a with a variable-geometry turbocharger that gives maximum assistance at low speeds, the Polo Bluemotion is one of the leaders in its class. Volkswagen have used a few tricks to get the Polo Bluemotion to perform as frugally as it does, the obligatory low-rolling-resistance tyres, lightweight alloy wheels and improved aerodynamics all contribute to the Bluemotion achieving 74.3 miles per gallon on the combined cycle. Exhaust gas recirculation and a particulate filter give the Polo another advantage over most cars in the UK market, Co2 emissions of only 99g/km, resulting in zero road tax. Low cost motoring at its best.

Audi A3 1.9 TDIe

Audi may not be the first manufacturer that comes to mind when it comes to economical cars, but this just goes to show how serious manufacturers are now taking the situation we find ourselves in. The A3 1.9 TDIe is powered by a reworked diesel unit and this combined with aerodynamic tweaks, low-resistance tyres and a ‘recommended gear’ display mean the Audi will travel 62.8 miles for every gallon on the combined cycle. So, if you you’re looking for a car with green credentials, but don’t want to compromise on quality, the A3 1.9 TDIe may tick all the boxes you require.

Citroen C1 1.0i Vibe 3 door

The Citroen C1 could just as easily be substituted with the Peugeot 107 or the Toyota Aygo as they all share the same platforms and the same engines, that said the C1 was chosen for one thing and one thing alone, price. Designed in collaboration between the three manufacturers, all are extremely capable city cars with low road fund bandings and good mpg figures, slight cosmetic differences are really the only things that set the models apart, that and the fact that Citroen run slightly better offers making them the lowest priced model. Powered by a one litre petrol engine the C1 will return 61.8 miles per gallon on the combined cycle and has Co2 emissions of 108 g/km.

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