Axon's Automotive Anorak: What's the most expensive new car to run?

As an incurable petrol head, L’Argus is usually a little ‘dry’ for my tastes, but the latest issue caught my eye as its cover declared the results of its annual survey of the least, and most, expensive new cars to run in everyday real-world conditions.

Inevitably the results of the extensive L’Argus survey for the cheapest new cars to run, plus the most expensive to use, reveal few huge surprises. The findings still make for interesting reading, however, with the logical conclusion that the smaller, more affordable, fuel-efficient, low-emission, lighter and more ‘sober’ the new car, the lower its everyday running costs are. 

The magazine’s detailed PRK (price per kilometre) findings are calculated around a ratio based on the new car list price cost (not allowing for any discounts or bonus incentives), plus its running costs for one year and 15,000 kilometres (c.9,325 miles), including fuel, Co2-based road tax, insurance and depreciation, which in a few cases might vary marginally in France against the UK. 

For this in-depth annual survey, the realistic running costs of more than a thousand new car model and trim/engine derivative were examined. The findings are not just based on the cheapest or most economical new cars, but use a flexible ratio, according to the number of kilometers a driver intends to cover over the next five years (35,000 km, 25,000 km, 15,000 km or 10,000 km), to enable the new car buyer to calculate the total estimated cost of the new model he or she wants.

To say that the most fuel-efficient cars are those that make the cost per kilometer the lowest would be almost too obvious if there were no other parameters to take into account, other than mass and power. This is what the L'Argus magazine’s PRK has conceived as a tool to help new car buying decision-making much easier. 

The official pre-discount RRP purchase price of a car, (which vary hugely from one vehicle to the next), plus the additional costs of first registration, licence plates, and so on, are factored in to the equation, along with each car’s estimated residual values after five years of use, taking into account the cost of scheduled maintenance (wearing parts and fluids), as well as the insurance cover and fuel budget.

The final results of the 2018 L’Argus PRK, highlighting the Top Ten least new car models to run in real-world conditions (Dacia Sandero 1.0 SCe the lowest cost per kilometre) and most expensive (Range Rover Velar 3.0 V6), are as follows:

2018 Ten least expensive new cars to run: (pence per kilometre)

1      - 0.290p – Dacia Sandero 1.0 SCe

2      - 0.308p –Suzuki Celerio 1.0

3 – 0.326p – Citroen C1 1.0 VTi / Dacia Duster 1.5 dCI 90 4x2

5 – 0.343p – Skoda CitiGo 1.0 MPi Active / Toyota Aygo VVT-I X 3dr

7 – 0.361p – Ford Ka+ 1.2 Ti-VCT / Peugeot 108 1.0 Active

9 – 0.370p – Hyundai i10 1.0

10 – 0.378p – Seat Mii, Vauxhall Viva 1.0, VW Up! 1.0

2018 Ten most expensive new cars to run:

1      – 3.326p – Land Rover Range Rover Velar 3.0 V6 AWD

2      – 2.675p – Mercedes-Benz GLE 400 Sportline 4Matic

3      – 2.649p – Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Summit

4      – 2.605p – Land Rover Range Rover 2.0 SCV6

4      – 2.579p – Infiniti QX70 3.7 S AWD

5      – 2.570p -Infiniti Q50 3.0 Sport Tech

6      – 2.527p – BMW X5 xDrive MSport / BMW 640i Gran Turismo

8      – 2.464p – Maserati Lavante Q4 3.0 V6

9      – 2.428p BMW X6 3.0dA xDrive

10    – 2.420p Porsche Cayenne 3.0 340