Most frugal diesel car – here is the top list

Determining which is the most frugal diesel car shouldn’t really be more difficult than looking at the official consumption figures from the manufacturer.

However, it is rare that the official figures match the real consumption when the car is used.

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Database shows actual consumption

On the German database Sprint engine instead there is data that car owners themselves report in, which We Car Owners have reported on.

There you can thus see how much petrol or diesel different car models draw in reality.

Here are the 10 most frugal diesel cars you can buy.

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Thriftiest diesel car: A 20-year-old Audi

Considering that technological development is constantly moving forward, one could easily have thought that the most frugal diesel car would be a modern wagon with the latest technology.

Audi A2 3L is the most frugal diesel car you can buy – Photo: Audi

In fact, however, first place is occupied by an Audi that is just over 20 years old, in the form of the model A2 3L. The model was already launched in 2001 and the name reflects the official fuel consumption of under 3 liters per 100 kilometers. In reality, the car draws 3.6 l/100km.

In second place on the list we find the Volkswagen Lupo 3L, which uses the same powertrain as the Audi but in a more traditional body, with a consumption of 3.7 l/100km.

That’s why the Audi A2 3L is economical

The reason why an over 20-year-old Audi is still the most frugal diesel car is that it is purpose-built to run frugally.

The body is optimized for low air resistance and built entirely in aluminum to be as light as possible. The small diesel engine is paired with a robot-controlled gearbox that is optimized for best fuel economy.

The kroner you saved at the pump, however, you had to spend at the car dealer. The new price was sky high for a small car and the result was that the car was sold in small volumes.

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The most frugal diesel cars are old

Something that is striking when looking at the list of the 10 most frugal diesel cars is that it is almost entirely made up of older car models.

Below the more than 20-year-old sibling cars Audi A2 3L and Volkswagen Lupo 3L in the list, we find the 90s cars Citroën AX and Smart Fortwo.

After that come the three sister cars Peugeot 107, Citroën C1 and Toyota Aygo, which were launched in the mid-00s.

This can probably be explained by the fact that modern diesel cars tend to be both larger and above all heavier, which makes them thirstier.

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