Cars

It's a well-known fact that diesels offer better fuel economy, meaning high-mileage motorists might still be better off with an oil burner. However, these frugal petrol models might change their mind. While most would expect the list to be dominated by super-efficient tiny city cars, the top 10 economical petrols What Car? has tested as part of its Real MPG measurements includes some family models and even an SUV. They include (from top left to right) the Skoda Citigo, Suzuki Ignis, Kia Picanto, Dacia Sandero, Seat Leon and VW Up.

After crunching the numbers, Volkswagen said that, when you take into account the entire lifespan of a car, electric vehicles produce less CO2 than petrol or diesel-engined rivals. The company pitted the stats for a pure electric e-Golf against a diesel-powered Golf TDI to illustrate the differences in carbon footprint for electric and diesel when comparing manufacturing, energy-supply and exhaust outputs.

On average, the warning light will illuminate on the dashboard when the there's less than 10% of fuel remaining in the tank. Using miles per gallon and fuel tank capacities, Compare the Market estimated how far 96 popular model can keep going with the fuel warning light on. We reveal which cars can keep going the longest - including (clockwise from top left) the VW Passat, Volvo V40, Ford Mondeo and BMW 5 Series - and which will run out quickest.

Costing from £247,500, the sumptuous drop-top super grand tourer - which bosses say blends both both beauty and beast - is powered by a mighty 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12 engine delivering 715bhp - equivalent to seven Ford Fiestas. This propels the svelte soft-top from rest to 62mph in just 3.6 seconds and up to 100mph in 6.7 seconds – only fractions of a second slower than the ferociously quick hard-top coupe (3.4 and 6.4 seconds respectively) whose 211mph top speed it actually matches. But there's a price to pay for the wind-in-the-hair experience - the Volante is a £22,500 mark up on the coupe. Take a closer look at Aston's fastest ever convertible model.

The Toyota Prius is a firm favourite among eco-conscious celebrities and cabbies - but a new report suggests more of us should be considering the hybrid-powered Japanese model. That's because it has been voted the most satisfying new vehicle to own in an industry-leading survey of 30,000 UK car drivers. Prius drivers gave the motor a 93.22 per cent rating in the latest edition of Auto Express' Driver Power study - more than any other new car reported on. Vauxhall's Astra had the lowest rating of all new models

When Claire Totman was woken at 3am by the sound of thieves starting the engine of her £74,000 Mercedes GLS in her driveway she did not hesitate to act. Within moments the car had disappeared. She immediately phoned the tracking firm which had installed a high-tech device in her vehicle and then the police.

Some of Britain's biggest depreciating cars lose up to three quarters of their value in just three years, shock research from WhatCar? shows. Fiat's Doblo XL Combi SX 1.6 Multijet 120 was named biggest depreciator, retaining just 26.1% of its value over three years - from its price new at £26,183 to just £6,825 - a fall of £19,358.

London's Ultra Low Emission Zone comes into force from Monday 8 April 2019. Motorists driving into the congestion charge zone in an older vehicle will have to pay an extra £12.50 to enter. The ULEZ is operational at all hours on all days. That means anyone who drives into the CCZ on a weekday during peak hours will have to pay both charges, amounting to a daily cost of £24. Here's everything you need to know about London's new driving tax.

Highways England insist that smart motorways are safer because they have emergency lay-bys. Motoring groups fear having no hard shoulder is risky because vehicles have to stop in 'live' lanes. In 2017, there were 16 crashes on smart motorways involving stationary vehicles according to figures from Highways England. By contrast, there were 29 such crashes on the hard shoulder across the rest of England’s motorways, stretching roughly 1,800 miles.

Lister's giant-beating cars were legendary in the 1950s, taking on the might of Ferrari, Mercedes and Maserati, and raced by the famous Archie Scott Brown and Sir Stirling Moss. It later made 1980s Jaguar-based road cars and Le Mans racers, but then fell dormant. In 2012, a chance discovery of a crate of old spare parts by businessmen Lawrence and Andrew Whittaker led to the decision to buy Lister and bring it back to life. We find out the story.

A blanket ban on the pavement parking across England would bring the country in line with the capital, which has prohibited car drives from parking up kerbs since 1974. The Transport Committee has called for written evidence from the public regarding the impact of vehicles partially parking on pavements, which can force those with disabilities and children to walk on the road. Councils also argue they have to pay additional costs to repair kerbs that are not designed to take the weight of vehicles.

Clips of crashes caused by dangerous driving are becoming more commonplace than ever. But do insurers pay out on when a motorist's careless antics have gone viral? Rob Hull asked providers about the likelihood of this Lamborghini owner's claim being honoured and whether if you were filmed crashing you would get a pay out too.

In December, this 60s Mini Countryman was a rotting shell. Fast forward to April and it's a full-blooded classic competition car thanks for the efforts of racer Mark Burnett (pictured top left with the car in a dilapidated state). Stripped out to make it ultra lightweight, it tips the scales at just 630kg and has an upgraded engine to 130bhp. That means it develops 206bhp of power per tonne, which is more than a Volkswagen Golf GTI you can buy today.

Buying a car on price alone can be risky. While bargain-basement models might be affordable to buy, they tend not to be cheap to run, especially if they're unreliable. These models buck the trend, promising low-cost motoring. Featuring in the order is the (clockwise from top left) Toyota iQ, Honda Jazz, Hyundai Getz and Vauxhall Agila.

The Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) black boxes will use GPS to work out what the speed limit is and will then ensure the car doesn't break (as shown on the graphic, top). The driver can override the system by pushing harder on the accelerator, but if speeding continues an alarm will then sound. Also pictured: A graphic showing how cars will sense the approach of a speed sign (bottom left) and the dashboard of a car fitted with the system (bottom right).

For buyers of new cars this could mean an increase in first year VED rates of up to £65. And many drivers with older cars could also be stung, with some having to fork out an extra £15 a year. To make life easier, we have created a selection of handy tools so you can you work out exactly how much your car tax costs will jump - if at all - from April 1.

We've compiled a list of model that - we think - fit the bill as the worst looking motors to be sold in the UK in the last 50 years, and discovered how many are still in ownership today, including these cars pictured. The Ssangyong Rodius (top left) has all the aerodynamic performance of a coffin on wheels while Chrysler's attempts to make the PT Cruiser (top right) look like a modern-day hot rod resulted in something that's about as appealing as a dropped hot dog. Kids of the '80s and '90s will have fond memories of jokes shared about Ladas, especially the punchline Riva (bottom left). And Suzuki's X-90 (bottom right) was so far ahead of the curve - offering a convertible compact SUV to the market in the '90s - that people hadn't realised they wanted one yet, meaning they barely sold any. Find out which other 16 models make our list.

Do you know your Gatso from your HADECS? Can you tell which are fixed smart motorways cameras and average speed monitors? Take our quiz and find out which UK cameras you need to look out for on the road. Pictured right to left, TOP: Digital Gatso, HADECS3, Siemens SafeZone, SPECS. BOTTOM: SpeedSpike, Truvelo D-Cam, Truvelo Combi, VECTOR.

Worryingly, almost one in five motorists believe a glowing icon on the dashboard is a good thing. Take the quiz to see if you know what these nine common icons are trying to tell a driver.

Bugatti has taken the wraps off its latest stealth-like creation - a one-of-a-kind hypercar that will cost the owner a whopping €11 million before tax, so around £11.4 million when you factor in VAT. The all-black La Voiture Noire combines the thunderous performance of the existing Chiron hypercar with the styling of the brand's legendary 1936 Type 57 AC Atlantic. The result is one of the most jaw-dropping creations on four wheels ever seen. Pictured, a graphic explaining the features of Bugatti's new supercar.

Motoring title What Car? has listed the 10 most and least frugal mainstream models you can buy today using its own True MPG tests that are based on real-world driving on town roads, rural routes and motorways. As you might imagine, large SUVs and sports cars dominate the list of vehicles with the lowest miles per gallon (mpg) figures, though it isn't just teeny city cars that have the most efficient at sipping petrol and diesel. Among the most efficient models is the Suzuki Baleno (top left) and Skoda Citigo (bottom left), while guzzlers include the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio (top right) and Mercedes-AMG GLC43 (bottom right).

Partly as a result of Brexit, Nissan, JLR, Ford and Mini have all outlined plans to reduce outputs in the UK and ultimately cut their workforce in the country. But some British brands are blooming despite the turbulent climate. This tight band of car makers is still proudly flying the flag for Britain, producing everything from exotic supercars to off-road weapons. Here are eight motor companies currently enjoying a spell of success...

Are you running an early 2000s-registered motor into the ground without realising it soon could be worth far more than you think? It could be a mistake made by plenty of Britons, according to new research, which has claimed that once a car is more than 18-years-old there is a nostalgia effect caused by owners who search for models they had in their past to collect and cherish. Honest John Classics has named 10 unlikely goldmine motors of the 21st Century, including (clockwise from top left) the Mini hatchback, Ford Focus, BMW 5 Series and MG TF.

One in three motorists pay over the odds for their car insurance - and the worst thing you can do is simply renew. We reveal ten tips to get the cheapest car insurance deal and show you the places to go to compare car cover and potentially save hundreds of pounds.