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I am looking to buy a second-hand car for my daily commute to work, which is around 60 miles per day of almost all motorway and A road driving. I have around £6-£7k to spend and was looking at something up to 3 years old. Obviously the most fuel-efficient cars are superminis and I was wondering if these are still as efficient at motorway speeds due to their smaller engines or whether something like a Ford Focus would be a better purchase? I am also plagued by the diesel v/s petrol question. Any ideas on a good purchase?

Asked on 1 August 2009 by

Answered by Honest John
I did 350 miles mostly on motorway yesterday, some in torrential rain, in my FIAT 500. No power on inclines, but at 22.5mph per 1,000rpm it cruises well at 70 and has so far averaged me 50.8mpg. The Hyundai i10 1.2 is similarly geared and a bit more powerful. More relaxed than some bigger cars geared at 20mph per 1,000rpm. A FIAT 500 diesel I recently drove, geared at 25mph per 1,000rpm, did 64.6mpg.
Dear Honest John,

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