Volkswagen’s Polo and Touran models have claimed top honours in the Parkers Cost of Motoring New Car Awards 2012, being judged the cars in their respective classes which make motorists’ cash go the furthest.
The Polo Match 1.2-litre TDI three-door won the Small Hatchback category – no mean feat in a market sector which is so price-sensitive – while the Touran S 1.6-litre TDI BlueMotion Technology went on to victory in the hotly contested People Carrier category.
Now in their second year, the Parkers New Car Awards were designed by the experts at the car-buying website to help purchasers identify ‘the cars that make your cash go further’. The winners, rather than being based solely on the opinions of a panel of judges, are determined through the data produced by Parkers’ ‘cost of motoring’ tool – car-costs.parkers.co.uk. This uses objective data to identify all the different elements involved in keeping a car on the road for three years and covering 30,000 miles, including depreciation, taxes, service, maintenance and repair, fuel consumption and breakdown cover.
Commenting on the awards, Kieren Puffett, editor of Parkers says: ‘With the cost of motoring continuing to rise, customers are keener than ever to secure the best deal when buying a new car; yet motorists are often unaware of the unseen and long-term costs involved. Last year’s awards revealed a huge disparity in what motorists pay over the first three years of owning a new car and many people were surprised by the results.’
He added: ‘To win one Parkers Cost of Motoring New Car Award is a real achievement, but to win two is outstanding. These awards are a clear demonstration that the Volkswagen Polo and Touran provide car buyers with exceptionally competitive running costs, strong residual values and fuel efficient engines.’
