Eight used cars that *could* do over 50mpg for under £10k

It may be a divisive car, but there’s no doubting the Evoque has a bit of presence. It also opened up the Range Rover marque to a broader audience, and since there’s no petrol-slurping supercharged V8 offering, you may as well double down on efficiency and opt for a four-pot turbo-diesel like this. 

Estimated combined mpg: 58.9

An underrated gem, the 6er's sleek body has all the cues and dimensions of a proper sporting coupe, but beneath sits a diesel straight-six. It’s claimed to nudge just past 50mpg, provided you don’t keep using the entirety of its 309bhp. Here’s a red one for nine grand.

Estimated combined mpg: 50.4

Or, if you’d rather some red paint splashed over a four-door that’s even more economical, here’s a Lexus IS300h. The four-cylinder hybrid package puts out 220bhp and makes it the first entry this week to skip past the 60mpg threshold. Some serious bang for buck at £9.9k. 

Estimated combined mpg: 61.4

Is the A6 Allroad the only car you’ll ever need? Firstly, it’s a big Audi. Secondly, the 3.0-litre V6 scurries it along to 62mph in six seconds, and on to a familiar vmax of 155mph. Thirdly, there’s over 427lb ft of torque to go with the raised suspension and rugged styling, so it’ll go just about anywhere. Factor in the strong mpg, and we’d say the answer becomes quite obvious. 

Estimated combined mpg: 50.4

A handy, hardy, comfy little thing, replete with a cheerily flexible three-pot. This Active X is nicely kitted out, with a touch infotainment screen, privacy glass and built-in sat nav. Plus, it’s only clocked up 29,000 miles in six years.

Estimated combined mpg: 56.5

Nice, right? This one gets soft-grain leather trim, a 380-watt Meridian sound system and a reversing camera. And a 2.0-litre diesel four-cylinder with 178bhp. Nice, right? 

Estimated combined mpg: 60.4

This CLS gets black alloys, black accents and a matte grey paint for some added menace. Behind the facade, it’s fairly docile. Being a ‘220d’, it has a similar engine and output to the Jag, albeit with a slightly lower economy rating. The sunroof does compensate somewhat.

Estimated combined mpg: 57.5

The GTI is a double-edged sword: it can be efficient on motorways and long drives, but develop a serious drinking habit if you open it up. So the economy depends massively on how often you’re going to treat it like a GTI. You’ll get over 50mpg from the turbocharged four-pot when you don’t, and closer to 35mpg when you do. Still, great car. Here’s one by Peugeot Sport for under five grand. It does also have a stage two tune, mind.

Estimated combined mpg: 52.3