Revealed: the most expensive car to run in the UK

BMW cars are the most expensive to run in the UK, despite being used the least, research shows.

Drivers of the German-engineered car spend £2,411 on running costs every year – 29% more than the average four-wheeler, which is £1,688 to run, according to a study.

This includes annual spend on fuel, insurance, car cleaning, tax/MOT and extra costs such as parking tickets.

Separate to the study though BMW cars remain ever popular with a loyal customer base and a deserved reputation of being among the most sought after cars, known for engineering prowess, luxury and reliability.

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Despite this, BMW drivers use their cars the fewest times over the course of a year, making just 292 journeys on average. This equates to £8.26 being spent every single time a BMW is driven – 59% more than the £5.18 cost-per-use for a Citroen, the study by MoneySuperMarket reveals.

Toyotas are almost as expensive to run, costing owners about £2,085 a year. With 333 journeys being made annually, this equates to about £6.26 per use.

Volkswagens take the third spot, costing about £1,900. Making about 321 journeys a year, this breaks down to £5.92 per use.

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And Peugeot comes fourth, at an annual cost of £1,785 over about 374 journeys. This equates to £4.77 per drive.

Meanwhile, Citroen (£1,647), Ford (£1,756) and Vauxhall (£1,770) owners have the lowest running costs.

Fuel makes up the bulk of the annual outlay, putting drivers back an average £1,124 a year. Insurance (£374), road tax (£170), routine maintenance (£138) and cleaning (£60) account for the rest of the expenditure.

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The research also found Londoners spend the most on their cars annually, at about £2,771 – over £1,000 more than those in Scotland, at £1,526 per year.