Britain’s least economical cars

Conventional non-hybrid cars are getting achingly closer to triple-figure combined mpgs – Peugeot’s 208 1.6 diesel is the closest at time of writing with 94.2 – while introducing a battery pack that catapults fuel economy into the clouds.

But what about those at the opposite end of the scale? Those most extreme gas-guzzlers that would rather start a bonfire on a polar icecap than temporarily deactivate its monstrous V12 engine when faced with a red light.

Here, we look at the least economical cars you can buy right now, in descending order:

Bentley Flying Spur – 19.8mpg

The first of three Bentleys on this list and confirmation that you’ll be seeing nothing above 20mpg here. The Flying Spur’s 6.0-litre W12 engine cares not for your silly global warming.

Bentley Mulsanne – 19.3mpg

Bigger and heavier than the Flying Spur, the £229,360 Mulsanne uses a 6.75-litre V8 but considering it weighs more than 2.7 tonnes, we won’t be too harsh. One peculiar side point though, the extended wheelbase Mulsanne – which is 50mm longer, 45kg heavier and £46,000 more expensive – uses just as much fuel. Must be that Bentley witchcraft…

Aston Martin V12 Vantage – 19.2mpg

You may have spotted the theme now: all the least economical cars are made by uber premium high-end manufacturers, and the types of people that can afford to buy them probably don’t spare a second’s thought for how much fuel it uses. Spoiler alert: the next car isn’t a Dacia…

Aston Martin DB9 – 19.0mpg

We’re showing you the Bond Edition DB9 here, limited to just 150 units and created to celebrate the release of the James Bond’s 24th theatrical outing Spectre in 2015. Why? Because Bond reasons, that’s why.

Ironically, the DB9 has never appeared in any 007 movies, yet with a six-litre V12 633bhp engine hurtling it to 62mph in 4.1 seconds, we can’t think why.

Bentley Continental GT Speed Convertible – 19.0mpg

Oh god, more Bentleys? ‘Fraid so but this is the last one, promise. This one only weighs 2.5 tonnes though.

Rolls-Royce Phantom extended wheelbase – 19.0mpg

The ultimate in luxury motoring. One of these is probably double what your house is worth. Coincidentally, this stretched-out Phantom – which costs £378,824 – is actually about as easy to drive as a bungalow.

Ferrari GTC4Lusso – 18.8mpg

We had plenty of nice things to say about the GTC4Lusso in a recent feature but it’s hard to be kind about its pocket-crippling fuel economy. Still, nought to 62mph in 3.4 seconds justifies every penny of its £230k asking price.

Ferrari F12 TDF – 18.3mpg

This limited-run Ferrari is sold-out and it’s just as well because it’ll probably kill you before you come close to running out of fuel. Point and laugh as you watch Top Gear’s Chris Harris try to tame this 6.2-litre monster.

Maserati GranTurismo S – 18.2mpg

It’s crazy to think that this two-door four-seat grand tourer coupe glugs more petrol than any Ferrari but it actually incorporates elements of Ferrari’s 599 GTB.

Vauxhall VXR8 GTS – 18.0mpg

The cheapest car on our list is the second thirstiest, and again, it’s slightly bewildering that a Vauxhall is more expensive to run than an Aston or Bentley. For the price of one extended Rolls-Royce Phantom, you could have six of these.

Lamborghini Aventador – 16.4mpg

Of course, Britain’s biggest gas-guzzler had to be a Lambo! To be honest, this 6.5-litre V12 750-4 Superveloce Roadster was the first car we thought of when compiling this list and evidently, no car could out-glug it.

Hitting 62mph in under three seconds sounds amazing but with a 90-litre fuel tank, you won’t get very far. Even if you achieved the official 16.4mpg, it wouldn’t be able to complete a London to Manchester round trip without at least one fuel stop.