Auto Express has named the Citroen Ami the cheapest car to run in the UK, with running costs of 22.17p per mile. The quadricycle, which is not technically a conventional car, beat its sister model, the Fiat Topolino, to the top spot in the publication's rankings.
The findings come as the cost of living crisis deepens during the coldest months of the year, compounded significantly by Donald Trump's conflict with Iran. With fuel costs soaring and the prices of everyday essentials climbing sharply, British households are increasingly feeling the financial strain.
Total Cost of Ownership calculations
The publication calculated a Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) across 36 months or 30,000 miles, alongside a pence-per-mile rating. According to Auto Express, the Citroen Ami costs just 22.17p per mile to run, with a total expenditure across 36 months or 30,000 miles of approximately £6,649.88, or £2,500 for every 10,000 miles.
Despite topping the rankings, the journalists attached two qualifications to their findings. They said: "Very few Ami owners will end up doing as many as 10,000 miles a year. This is because the French quadricycle is a vehicle that has been built specifically for those who clock up lower mileages in built-up urban environments."
Compromises and the first conventional car
The Ami saw a mid-life facelift at the end of 2025 but with a lack of creature comforts, a range of just over 46 miles and a top speed of 28mph, it wouldn't really be suitable for longer trips and those cost savings demand real compromises.
The first conventionally classified car on the list was the Hyundai i10, costing 43.86p per mile with a total running cost of £13,157.45.
Having personally driven the vehicle that claimed top spot in Auto Express' rankings — both the doored and doorless variants of the diminutive French runabout — once in Central London in 2023 and again in September 2026, it proved to be an entertaining drive in both configurations, guaranteed to raise a smile purely through its extraordinarily unique character.
