The running cost of a household car can make or break savings plans and calculating your costs is the most important thing to think about being purchasing a new vehicle.
Research by Uswitch has revealed the UK's cheapest and most expensive cars to drive, breaking down the annual running costs of the country's most popular motors.
At the high end of the list, it can cost £4,902.46 for a gas guzzler compared to just £1,372.63 for something more economical.
Knowing how much it's going cost to run a car each year is an important part of any purchase decision, and Uswitch analyzed the costs of running the UK's 100 most popular cars, calculating the cost per mile (CPM) and annual running cost against the UK's average (7,400 miles).
CPM takes into account cost factors associated with running a car and can determine how much each car costs to drive per mile, as well as the total average annual cost of running a vehicle.
Joel Kempson, car insurance expert at Uswitch.com comments: “When buying a new car there are many factors that have to be taken into account before making a final decision on which make and model to purchase.
However, undoubtedly the most important factor is the costs that come with purchasing a vehicle, not only the cost of the car itself but also the extra cash needed to run it day to day.
“According to our cost per mile (CPM) calculation, the Kia Picanto is the most affordable car to run per mile, making the vehicle a great choice for drivers wanting to save money over the long term. Whereas, Land Rover Range Rover owners will see the highest costs per mile, spending almost £3600 more than Kia Picanto drivers annually.”
The figures show that those with cars that run on less than 20p per average mile save thousands of pounds a year.
Those driving a Toyota Aygo spend on average 19p per mile and it cost about £1,418.58 per year making it a much more cost-effective car choice than a BMW 5 Series that runs at 31p per average mile.
The difference is only 12p but the annual cost jumps to £2.298.51 for the BMW but the difference is over £1,300 per year.
Another cheap car to run is the Citroen C1 that costs £1,383.50 per year and runs on 19p per average mile.
The difference between that and a car that runs on 21p per year can be up to £140 a year.
The Porsche 911 makes second from the top on the list of most expensive cars at 58p per mile and a yearly cost of £4,303.62.
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