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Congestion charge-beating cars under £10k
 The 1.2 petrol Fiat 500 will average 55.4mpg, while the 1.3 diesel engine will do an excellent 67.3mpg 13 February 2008 Adrian Hearn rounds up the best congestion charge-bashing motors for less than £10,000**. Launch our slide show of the cars which will be exempt from the congestion charge
For £7,000 the Citroen C1 is a great deal for the environmentally conscious driver looking for a safe vehicle on a budget. It was awarded four stars out of a maximum of five in the EuroNCAP crash test. Both models are cheap to run, with the petrol model averaging 61.4mph and the more expensive diesel boasting an excellent 68.9mpg. Auto Trader’s Citroen C1 car review
The Citroen C2 is bulkier than the C1 city car and on top of its congestion charge exemption averages 65.7mpg. The diesel engine produces 70bhp and a more-than-adequate 118lb/ft of pulling power, which makes it great for city driving. For less than £10k, you’ll get the entry-level ‘L’ trim which means there are no luxuries like air-conditioning but you do get anti-lock brakes and two airbags. Auto Trader’s Citroen C2 car review
The 1-litre entry-level Daihatsu Sirion is the only engine in the range which is eligible for congestion charge exemption. But the five-door hatch is pretty well equipped featuring a CD player and air-conditioning so you can listen to your favourite music in a chilled environment while stuck in London’s traffic jams. What Car? Daihatsu Sirion car review
The 2007 European Car of the Year has just gone on sale in the UK and is one of the coolest new cars on the market. The 1.2 petrol model will average 55.4mpg, while the 1.3 diesel engine will do an excellent 67.3mpg. And the diesel produces a brilliant 140lb/ft of pulling power. For less than £10k, you’ll only get the entry-level diesel which isn’t too well equipped but it was awarded the full five stars in the EuroNCAP crash test programme. Auto Trader’s Fiat 500 car review
Re-launched in 2003, the Fiat Panda is one of the reasons behind Fiat’s resurgence in the car market. It’s cute, practical and more than one million have rolled of the production line with Top Gear’s James May among the happy owners. It shares the same platform and diesel engine as the Fiat 500 and is almost £1,000 cheaper than the new kid on the block – but it does only have three EuroNCAP stars. Auto Trader’s Fiat Panda car review
The Fiat Grande Punto is larger than the average supermini and has the full five EuroNCAP stars. You’ll get an average 62.8mpg, but – due to its larger size – underwhelming performance with the Grande Punto accelerating from 0-60mph in 13.6 seconds and on to a top speed of 103mph. Auto Trader’s Fiat Grande Punto car review Search for a new Fiat Grande Punto Launch our slide show of the cars which will be exempt from the congestion charge
The entry-level Ford Fiesta diesel just scrapes into the £10,000 budget. With 67bhp and 118lb/ft of pulling power the Fiesta 1.4TDCi will accelerate to 60mph in 14.4 seconds. But while performance may not be fantastic you do get 62.8mpg. Auto Trader’s Ford Fiesta car review
The electric G-Wiz produces zero emissions, when being driven and has a range of up to 48 miles between charges. But it’s charged up with electricity from a power station so it’s not completely emission free. And it’s classed as a quadracycle and therefore not subject to the more stringent crash testing normal cars are undertake.
Only the entry-level 1-litre petrol engine-powered Kia Picanto will be exempt from the congestion charge. For £6,000, you shouldn’t expect any performance (0-60mph takes 16.4 seconds) but the Picanto will average 57.6mpg and offers five-door practicality. And it's cute Auto Trader’s Kia Picanto car review
The Mitsubishi i is one of the most eye-catching cars on the road and has proved a huge success in Japan. Thanks to some clever engineering, the rear-engined city car can comfortably seat four adults. The 660cc turbocharged engine isn’t rapid, but it does have a great burst to 20mph – making it ideal for city driving. Auto Trader’s Mitsubishi i car review Search for a new Mitsubishi i With chic styling, good levels of safety and low running costs the Peugeot 107 is a popular choice for budget driving. There’s very little luxury, but buyers get four airbags as standard, while the ‘Sport’ trim, which costs £8,500 has a set of 14-inch alloys wheels. What Car? Peugeot 107 car review
With five EuroNCAP stars, great looks and a fuel efficient engine, the Peugeot 207 is one of the best sub-£10,000 congestion charge exempt cars. As the entry-level trim, luxuries are few and far between (there’s a trip computer) but you do get 62.7mpg and four airbags. Auto Trader’s Peugeot 207 car review
The Renault Clio Campus is based on the previous model but still provides great fuel economy, averaging 64mpg. Performance isn’t breathtaking with the Clio’s 65bhp engine accelerating the supermini from 0-62mph in 14.9 seconds and on to a top speed of 103mph. Being the old shape means you can get a great new deal with models going for almost £2,000 less than the RRP with Auto Trader’s new car search. Search for a new Renault Clio Campus Launch our slide show of the cars which will be exempt from the congestion charge
The entry-level Smart Fortwo is one of the UK’s slowest accelerating cars (0-60mph in 16.7 seconds) but who cares when you’re driving in one of the world’s most congested cities? The Smart Fortwo started the city car craze ten years ago and is one of the best cars for parking. It’s only a two-seater but you can get the top trim Passion model a shade over £8,500. For the price, you get electric windows, a trip computer, anti-lock brakes and hill start assist. Auto Trader’s Smart Fortwo car review
The Skoda Fabia is one of the market’s prettiest hatchbacks with its elliptical headlights. It features six airbags, and the punchy diesel engine will average 58.9mpg. It’s only the entry-level model which costs less than £10,000 so you’ll only get an immobiliser, electric front windows and a CD player for your money. Auto Trader’s Skoda Fabia car review Search for a new Skoda Fabia Only available as a 1-litre model, the Subaru Justy will average 56.5mpg and has a top speed of 99mph. It’s well equipped boasting air-conditioning, trip computer, four airbags and 14-inch alloys wheels. Subarus are reliable cars and if anything does go wrong on the Justy it’s covered by a five-year warranty. What Car? Subaru Justy car review
The Toyota Aygo is one of the cutest and best superminis on the UK market. It received four stars in the EuroNCAP crash test programme and averages 61.4mpg. The ‘Blue’ trim is most expensive model in the range costing £8,245 and it features four airbags and a CD player. What Car? Toyota Aygo car review
The Vauxhall Corsa 1.3CDTi is refined, practical and has a five star EuroNCAP crash test rating. For a 1.3-litre diesel engine, the Corsa is surprisingly punchy and pulls well through the gears. But for less than £10,000 you’ll be getting the entry-level ‘Life’ model which has an immobiliser and little else in terms of luxury. Auto Trader’s Vauxhall Corsa car review Search for a new Vauxhall Corsa
The Korean-built Hyundai i10 gets air-conditioning, four airbags, electric windows and power steering for the bargain price of £6,495 on the road in Classic trim. On sale in April, the Hyundai i10 also features the car maker’s brilliant five year warranty. Launch our slide show of the cars which will be exempt from the congestion charge
*Talks on the October 27 price changes are still ongoing between the Mayor and Transport For London. **You must register your car for exemption first. Call TFL on 0845 900 1234 or visit Transport for London’s registry page. |
Citroen C1 1.0 and 1.4HDi
Citroen C2 1.4HDi
Daihatsu Sirion 1.0 SE.jpg)
Fiat 500 1.2 and 1.3 Multijet
Fiat Panda 1.3 Multijet
Fiat Grande Punto 1.3 Multijet
Ford Fiesta 1.4TDCi 
G-Wiz electric car
Kia Picanto 1.0
Mitsubishi i 
Peugeot 107 1.0
Peugeot 207 1.4HDi 
Renault Clio Campus 1.5DCi
Smart Fortwo
Skoda Fabia 1.4TDI
Subaru Justy 1.0 R
Toyota Aygo 1.0
Vauxhall Corsa 1.3 CDTi.jpg)
Hyundai i10Page 1
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