If you’re looking to buy a new family car, then how efficient it is will likely be around the top of your priorities. While car needs to have a sizeable, practical cabin and be comfortable for all passengers, you’ll understandably also want to keep fuel bills at a low price.
Here we’ve compiled some of the most economical family cars you can buy new right now, and which are worth considering if practical and low-cost motoring is what you’re after. This list includes a mixture of family cars which use a conventional diesel engine and some hybrid alternatives. All entries perform strong in terms of practicality, comfort and running costs.
Peugeot 308 1.6 BlueHDi
The Peugeot 308 is a strong entry in today’s family car market featuring smart styling, a practical cabin, comfortable drive and certain engines stand out for efficiency too.
Included in the 308 model range is the 1.6-litre BlueHDi diesel engine available with two power outputs and a six-speed manual gearbox as standard. The 118bhp version of this engine in the 308 hatchback and SW estate is available for the Active, Allure and GT Line trims.
In manual guise it emits less than 100g/km and records up to a remarkable 88.3mpg for official combined fuel economy.
Not only impressively frugal, the 1.6-litre BlueHDi engine is also available for the Citroen C4 hatchback, where it records 85.6mpg combined, and the quirky Citroen C4 Cactus which returns 83.1mpg. These figures mean that the Peugeot 308 1.6 BlueHDi is one of the most economical family cars currently available to buy on the market.
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Vauxhall Astra 1.6 CDTi 16V ecoFLEX
The Vauxhall Astra, a popular family car last revamped in 2015, is a decent all-rounder as it performs well in terms of handling, comfort, luxury and equipment. There are some really frugal engines available too, particularly the 1.6-litre CDTi 16V ecoFLEX diesel unit which is known as a ‘Whisper Diesel’ and comes with several power outputs.
In its 109bhp guise, the Astra hatchback records a very impressive official fuel economy of 85.6mpg combined and CO2 emissions are below 100g/km. The Astra Sports Tourer estate with the same engine records a similarly impressive fuel economy of 83mpg.
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Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV
Want to get a big SUV for your family but concerned it will prove inefficient? Then consider the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle).
The Outlander PHEV carries a lot of presence on the road and its big cabin will swallow up a family of five with ease. There’s a decent amount of luxury kit included as standard such as cruise control, dual-zone climate control air-conditioning, Bluetooth connectivity and audio controls on the steering wheel.
However, the biggest party piece of the Outlander PHEV is its running costs. The powertrain, which combines a 2.0-litre petrol engine with front and rear electric motors, produces 200bhp and official average fuel economy is a brilliant 156mpg. Likewise, CO2 emissions are a mere 42g/km.
The PHEV also has an all-electric range of 32.5 miles, making it possible to get around a town without using up any fuel.
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Toyota Prius
The Toyota Prius still remains one of the most frugal choices when it comes to family hatchbacks. The latest-generation model has a futuristic-style cabin which stands out just as much as the exterior and is also very airy and comfortable.
As for the powertrain, the Prius mixes together a 97bhp 1.8-litre petrol engine and an electric motor for a combined output of 121bhp. Officially, this Toyota can return up to 94.1mpg combined in its most efficient state, but even when you push the car hard a figure of at least 50mpg is still realistic.
With the electric motor onboard, the Prius is ideal for clean, easy-going travel through a city with your family. It’s easy to see why the Toyota Prius has made it onto our list of the top most economical family cars.
