Which small car offers better fuel economy than the 1.6-litre Golf?

My mother recently had her reliable old Ford Fiesta written off after a car hit her. She has replaced it with an S-reg 1.6 Volkswagen Golf, but is only getting 26mpg. She bought it from a recommended local dealer and is hoping he will find her a five-door car with good fuel economy for her budget of £1800, and part exchange it for the Volkswagen. What do you recommend?

Asked on 3 October 2012 by JH, Denvilles, Hants

Answered by Honest John
She really needs another Fiesta, the model with the 1.25-litre 16v engine. They are very reliable as well as easy on fuel.
Similar questions
I travel 130 miles per day, 5 days a week, and I'm currently in a Honda Jazz getting around 48mpg. I'm looking at getting a new car soon, and had considered getting a Ford Fiesta 1.6 TDCi ECOnetic for...
I'm very undecided about which car I should go for. I'm looking for a big family car (estates or SUV) for regular short motorway trips. I initially wanted a diesel but concerned about the various issues...
I'm looking at two estate options, both approximately £17,000. The choice is between a 2016 SEAT Leon ST FR 1.8 petrol, second a 2016 Volkswagen Golf TDI GT 2.0 diesel. Both cars have well under 10,000...
Related models
Good handling and comfortable ride. Tidy design. Reasonably spacious. Plenty of choice second-hand. Good reputation for reliability.
 

Value my car

Save £75 on Warranty using code HJ75

with MotorEasy

Get a warranty quote

Save 12% on GAP Insurance

Use HJ21 to save on an ALA policy

See offer