Economical Cars Being Sought By Consumers

Cars with the lowest running costs are most sought after by consumers, according to search statistics from the Auto Trader website.

Rises in fuel duty and the VAT increase to 20% are forcing consumers to carefully consider running costs when looking for a car.

The BMW 3 Series, which has the lowest running costs compared to its rivals was the most searched for range on the Auto Trader website in 2010.

The estimated running costs during 2011 for a BMW 3 series is £3,150, according to Auto Trader, whereas the Volkswagen Golf, which was the next most searched for car, has projected annual running costs of £5,138. A Ford Focus will cost £4,168 to run per year, but generally costs less to buy than a BMW 3 Series.

“The BMW 3 Series has always been a favourite with UK motorists and deserves to be recognised as Auto Trader’s most popular car of the year. With comparatively low running costs compared to cars in a similar bracket, I’m sure it will be a strong contender in 2011 as well.”, comments Matt Thompson, Marketing Director at Auto Trader.

With Diesel now costing £1.30 per litre and petrol costing only slightly less, in many filling stations, motorists are increasingly placing fuel economy at the top of their lists when buying a car.

Drivers are also finding other ways to reduce running costs such as paying for car insurance by monthly instalments, and using price comparison websites to find the best deals.