Most Economical Cars Over a Long Distance Road Trip

Have you ever thought about what the most economical car is? I've considered some of the best cars for miles per gallon here. So read on to find out what I think are the best fuel efficient cars today.

Off on a road trip? Great, me too – so let's consider which cars are among the most economical over a long distance. New model fuel consumption is calculated by placing a test vehicle, which has covered 1,800 miles, onto a rolling road. Clever-clogs scientists then calculate its urban fuel consumption (town), extra-urban consumption (longer run), and finally its average combined fuel usage. This is achieved by completing a couple of simulated trips.

Urban fuel consumption is calculated over a short, 2.5 mile, run. During this process the test vehicle accelerates and decelerates on several occasions, cruises at a steady speed, and idols to simulate a short delay. During this test the vehicle averages 12mph and reaches a maximum speed of 31mph. By contrast, the extra-urban test covers 4.3 miles at an average 39mph, and hits 75mph. This run includes 50% steady cruising and a further series of throttle variations.


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On this basis, vehicles that are economical over a long distance must perform well during the extra-urban test. Guess what? The Volkswagen Polo BlueMotion 1.2 TDI immediately springs to mind. This robustly constructed supermini manages a staggering 91.1mpg on the extra- urban cycle. It also returns 67.3mpg in town, which means this popular run-around averages a mighty 80.7mpg overall. Driving the Polo BlueMotion may actually be cheaper than walking.

The latest BMW 3 Series is another economical masterpiece. In 320d EfficientDynamics guise, this executive mile-muncher returns 78.5mpg on the extra-urban cycle. This is remarkable for a large vehicle that charges to 62mph in only eight seconds. This fashionable fuel saver also manages 56.5mpg in town and averages a highly desirable 68.9mpg. The larger 5 Series can be surprisingly economical too, as the 520d returns 65.7mpg over a long, reasonably fast, run. Very impressive, at this rate cars will soon make it to the moon on a single tank of gas.

Whatever you want from your car you have to admit that more and more people will now be considering fuel efficiency when it comes to buying your next or new car. With fuel prices having increased by a staggering 40 per cent or so over the last 12 months many people are simply finding that they cannot afford to run a car. Unfortunately many, many people need a car to commute, I cannot think of one person I know who cannot not drive a car and who does not drive to work. Buying a new car with great fuel economy statistics and getting the best mileage out of every tank of fuel is getting more important every year.

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