BMW 1-SERIES
89g/km
For quite a while, beating the taxman used to mean running around in a feeble supermini, or something a little hair-shirt with a word like “blue” or “eco” in its name. In the late-2000s though BMW started selling its compact 1-Series with diesel engines that snuck under the 100g/km mark, resulting in zero-rate tax. Several models are available that fit the bill, including some of the older E87-generation diesels, but our £10k budget is also enough for a much later 2015-on 116d, which got a 114bhp, 1.5-litre ‘B37’ inline three-cylinder turbodiesel and an 89g/km rating for free tax – at least for those registered prior to the VED changes in April 2017.
At this point the 1-Series was still a ‘proper’ rear-wheel-drive BMW, so it’s instantly more appealing than later front-drive models, and while a 114bhp diesel doesn’t quite make it a baby M2, you still get balanced handling, a 10-second 0-60mph time, and impressive economy. Even if you don’t match the official figure of over 80mpg, real-world economy in the mid-50s (closer to the later 53.3mpg WLTP figure) means 600 miles or more between fills.
Other 116d highlights include tight build quality, and a cabin layout and infotainment system that hadn’t yet succumbed to unfathomable screens and disappearing switches.
Owners can overlook tyres, springs, dampers, and bushes replacement so a used 116d might feel baggy despite being fundamentally sound. Clogged drain holes can lead to damp cabins, causing electrical gremlins if it’s at the front and a damp boot floor at the back. You’ll need to check you get on with that three-cylinder diesel too – it isn’t quite as refined as BMW’s four-cylinders and doesn’t quite have their low-end pull either.
CITROËN PICASSO
99g/km
MPVs aren’t known for their sex appeal (though requiring one probably means you’re doing just fine in that regard already…) but the seven-seat Citroën C4 Grand Picasso is, like the works of its namesake, more visually intriguing than most. It’s full of neat and aesthetically pleasing details, from a split A-pillar with its metallic rail that runs around the top of the car to the back, to its slim bi-level headlights and its stocky proportions.
It’s similarly striking inside, bringing a dose of appeal and intrigue to a class not known for making you want to get behind the wheel. The split pillars mean visibility is fantastic, the central speedometer display looks high-tech (even if, like many central displays, it takes a little adjusting to at first) and the materials look and feel goo
