Polo: yearly fuel cost
The 2024 Volkswagen Polo pairs supermini economy with a touch of class, and its fuel bill reflects that balance: roughly £995 a year for 8,000 miles at £1.45 per litre — about £83 a month, or £19.10 a week. With 53 mpg combined on the WLTP cycle, it sits almost exactly on the hatchback segment average of 53.9 mpg in our 20-car dataset — neither a leader nor a laggard, just honest efficiency from its 95 hp petrol engine and 10.8-second 0–62 pace. Five years of fuel totals around £4,975, which keeps the Polo's running costs firmly in sensible territory. It is the kind of car whose fuel spending you will barely notice month to month. It is a car that rewards long-term ownership with consistently modest bills.
Owners generally report 49–51 mpg in mixed driving against the 53 mpg WLTP figure — a small, honest gap. The Polo's best economy comes on flowing rural roads at moderate speeds; its worst comes from repeated short town trips from cold. To nudge your figure toward the claim, accelerate gently, coast up to red lights rather than braking late, and keep the air-con off on mild days — it saps a small engine noticeably. Monthly tyre checks round out the routine. Verdict: the Polo delivers exactly the economy it promises for calm drivers, making it one of the most predictable fuel bills in the supermini class. Where you buy fuel matters too: motorway service stations routinely charge 8–10p more per litre than supermarkets, so planning fill-ups around your regular routes trims the annual bill further.