The car you drive makes a big difference to your costs. When buying a car you should think about:

• Your Lifestyle. What size and type of vehicle do you really need? Consider the distances you will typically be driving, numbers of passengers/luggage you will carry etc. A smaller, more fuel efficient model can save money on fuel bills, tax and insurance – and reduce emissions. Try to buy a vehicle with a 1.4 litre engine or less.
• Fuel economy. The fuel economy of similar sized cars using the same type of fuel can vary by as much as 45%. Websites such as www.eta.co.uk or www.vcacarfueldata.org.uk give fuel consumption figures for new cars. Or look in your newsagent for Parkers Guides or similar, that give fuel and insurance information for new and second-hand cars.
• The age of the car. Cars older than J Reg do not have catalytic converters and can pollute more than 10 times as much as a newer car. Many, but not all, newer cars have better fuel consumption.
• If you’re buying a new car, look for the Efficiency label like the ones also used for electrical appliances. Use it to help you buy a more efficient car – if you can’t see the label then ask the car dealer.

Buying an environmentally friendly vehicle
If the time has come to get a new car, the top ten most environmentally friendly cars, as listed by the Environmental Transport Association (April 2005), are:

• Honda Civic 1.4 IMA Executive
• Toyota Prius 1.5 VVT-i Hybrid
• Citroen C1 1.0i
• Toyota Yaris 1.0 VVT-i
• Daihatsu New Sirion M300 1.0L EFi
• Suzuki Swift 1.3 GLZ 3 door DDiS
• Vauxhall Corsa 1.3CDTi 16v SXI 5 Door
• Peugeot 107 1.0 (65bhp)
• Toyota Aygo 1.0 VVT-i 3 & 5 Door
• Ford Fiesta 1.4 Duratorq TDCi

For more information about how these vehicles compare, visit the Environmental Transport Association website at www.eta.co.uk