23 Feb 09
2. Fiat Bravo
Usually overlooked, the attractive Bravo has a couple of things in its favour: its 1.6-litre Multijet diesel engine, and its low price. In combination with the optional Eco pack, the Multijet 105 engine returns 62.8mpg and 119g/km of carbon dioxide, slipping into tax band B - and this model easily undercuts similarly-economical versions of the Volkswagen Golf , Ford Focus and Vauxhall Astra even before you start shopping around. Oh, and the Bravo merits a five-star score in the Euro NCAP crash tests, too.
Check out some of the deals: no-one ever pays full list price for a Bravo, and if a Fiat dealer won't give you a decent discount, there are loads of pre-registered, nearly-new and even brand-new Bravos around at the car supermarkets and independent retailers. Brokers are giving £3,500 off brand-new, unregistered examples. The best bargains are the 1.4 T-Jet (150bhp) petrol models, though: good fun, they'll still return over 40mpg, and you can get an as-new one for less than £9,000.
3. Ford Focus
It's not quite as good value for money as it used to be, but the Focus is still hard to fault. A best-seller and the class-leader for handling and sheer driveability, it has been recently updated, and the range includes a series of economical and low-emissions engines.
The Focus is also tough and generally very reliable, and it scored five stars in the Euro NCAP crash tests. Ford servicing and maintenance is relatively cheap, and it's an easy car to own.
The 1.6 TDi Econetic diesel - 65.6mpg, 114g/km and Band B tax - is the headline-grabber when it comes to economy, but it's expensive; the mainstream 1.6 TDCi 90 still does 62.7mpg and 118g/km. However, the entry-level 1.4 petrol - 42.8mpg, Band D tax - is £2000 cheaper to buy in the first place, so unless you're doing a huge annual mileage, it's a more cost-effective proposition. The petrol is comparatively cheaper yet when buying nearly-new or even pre-registered. Even brand-new, unregistered cars are coming up £4000 cheaper from brokers right now.
