Is the Ford Fiesta TDCi more economical than the Audi A1?

Which car is the most fuel efficient: the Audi A1 1.4 Sport petrol or the Ford Fiesta Zetec 1.6 TDCi?

Elizabeth Evans (Llanwrtyd Wells)

May 2015 Filed under: fuel economy and emissions

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Expert answer

Hi Elizabeth,

Ok, there's a simple answer and a not-so-simple answer. The simple answer is that the Fiesta is more economical. Going by the official figures, you'll get 78mpg on the combined cycle from the Fiesta (and that's for a model without the stop-start system fitted) and 57mpg from the Audi (that's the 125hp engine with a manual gearbox and 16-inch wheels).

Now, the not-so-simple bit. It depends on how and where you drive. If you drive mostly short journeys and mostly in town, then the diesel is not going to give its best, and that 78mpg figure is pure fiction anyway. I'd say in daily driving you'll probably get closer to 55mpg. The Audi, if driven with a bit of care and attention, should easily get 40mpg, even around town. So there's a gap, but it's not so big as you'd think.

The reverse is true if you're doing lots of long journeys at a steady motorway cruise. The Fiesta would come into its own and you''d probably squeeze 60mpg, maybe 65mpg from it. The Audi probably wouldn't get much above 45mpg, maybe a bit less, doing such journeys.

Shane O' Donoghue - Complete Car Adviser
@Shane_O_D