Best economical commuting car

[HurryUpPlease1234]

I’m about to start commuting about 60 miles a day for work and need a new car. I have a budget of about £6K and so am after recommendations of cheap to run/economical cars that I can look out for second hand versions of them. Any top tips?

We get good mileage from a bluemotion BW golf - can get 70+ MPG on longer commutes.

That sounds good. Anyone else commute?!

I assume you mean 30 miles each way, so over a year that's about 14,500. This kind of puts you on the cusp of diesel mileage, although it's not mega miles so petrol wouldn't be the wrong choice either.

That said, do you need to consider the ULEZ? If so, I wouldn't bother looking at diesels; you'd struggle to find one that's ULEZ-compliant for 6k.

For commuting I'd be prioritising refinement so here are my recommendations... assuming you want something medium-sized and 4/5 doors but if that's not what you're after I've got other suggestions.

Honda Civic. Both the petrol and diesel engines are very good, and it's a comfy place to sit on longer journeys. Very reliable, too.

Volvo S40. Small saloon, kind of based on the Ford Focus. Extremely comfortable inside, decent engine range. Volvo seats are terrific

Mazda 3. Mazda's engines have always been very good. The 3 is refined and nice to drive. Also reliable. Even the non-sporty ones look quite sort of swishy (personal opinion there!)

Thank you that’s really helpful.

I've got a similar commute and have recently gone for a 66 plate Toyota Yaris hybrid . Very comfy on the motorway, quiet when in EV mode and has been economical so far getting around 70 mpg.
I had £6k cash but had to essentially double my budget (hire purchase for the remainder). Have bought cars for cash in the past but reasoned that when you spend 2-3h commuting a day you need a comfortable and reliable car.
I'd agree with a PP that a Honda Civic is a reliable choice. Have been happy with our Jazz but it's noisy at high speeds, I think the Civic is more refined .

A secondhand electric car would be much cheaper for that kind of distance in the long run. A bit more expensive to buy, but the electricity cost is 2p to 3p per mile compared to 10p to 15p per mile for fuel for petrol and diesel cars.

The maintenance will also be much cheaper - fewer moving parts.

Finally, if your employer has somewhere you can plug in, there is no tax in the electricity he gives you.

I have a Citroen C1. Very fuel efficient. You can get low mileage 15/16 plates for less than £6k. And it’s a lovely little car!