What 10 family cars really cost over 3 years in the UK
We took 10 popular family cars, priced a 2–4-year-old example of each from real Autotrader listings, and added up what it costs to own for 3 years on finance: deposit, payments, fuel, insurance, road tax and servicing, minus what the car is worth at the end. The cheapest and the dearest are £8,720 apart.
What we found
- The Renault Captur is the cheapest of the 10 to own: £12,653 over 3 years after resale, about £473 a month while you pay it off. The Toyota RAV4 costs £21,374 — £8,720 more.
- Fuel is a small part of the bill. Across the 10 cars it averages 14% of the monthly cost. What you pay for the car, and what it loses in value, matters far more than miles per gallon.
- A used electric car is not the expensive option. A 2–4-year-old Hyundai Ioniq 5 costs £15,506 over 3 years — number 5 of 10. It costs £45 a month to charge at home, against £78–£114 in fuel for the others.
- Leasing new can look cheaper per month, but costs more over 3 years. For all 10 cars, leasing a new one costs more over 3 years than buying a 2–4-year-old one, because at the end of a lease you have nothing to sell. Compare the 3-year totals, not the monthly figures.
The 10 cars, cheapest to own first
| # | Car | Price 2–4 yrs old | Per month | Fuel share | 3 years, after resale | Lease new, 3 years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Renault Captur | £12,500 | £473 | 18% | £12,653 | £19,752 |
| 2 | Nissan Qashqai | £14,500 | £538 | 17% | £14,275 | £18,143 |
| 3 | Peugeot 3008 | £15,500 | £569 | 16% | £15,071 | £20,557 |
| 4 | Skoda Octavia | £15,500 | £572 | 17% | £15,164 | £20,186 |
| 5 | Hyundai Ioniq 5 | £18,500 | £611 | 7% | £15,506 | £25,140 |
| 6 | Kia Sportage | £16,500 | £595 | 15% | £15,649 | £22,105 |
| 7 | Hyundai Tucson | £17,000 | £607 | 14% | £15,907 | £21,641 |
| 8 | Volkswagen Tiguan | £20,500 | £733 | 15% | £19,203 | £25,573 |
| 9 | Skoda Kodiaq | £22,500 | £798 | 14% | £20,856 | £23,251 |
| 10 | Toyota RAV4 | £25,000 | £837 | 9% | £21,374 | £28,421 |
Based on 1,000 km (about 621 miles) a month on mixed roads. All assumptions →
The same cars cost more in Estonia
We price the same cars for Estonia from auto24.ee. A 2–4-year-old Hyundai Ioniq 5 is asked about 58% more there than in the UK; the Skoda Octavia only 8% more. The Estonian version of this article →
How we worked it out
Each car is a 2–4-year-old example at its typical asking price (Autotrader, October 2026), first engine listed on its page. Finance: 20% deposit, the rest over 3 years at 5% APR. Resale after 3 years: about 55% of the price. Driving: 1,000 km (about 621 miles) a month on mixed roads. Fuel at October 2026 UK averages; electric cars charged at home at the Ofgem price cap. Insurance is a rough average (3.5% of value, minimum £430 a year). Road tax at the £200/yr standard rate. Lease figures are real leasing.com deals, 36 months, 10,000 miles a year. These are estimates, not quotes — every assumption is listed here.
Using these figures
Journalists and creators are welcome to use these figures with a link to this page. For a cut for a different car, mileage or region, email hello@usecarai.co.
Is it the right car for you?
CarAI asks 11 questions about how you actually live — commute, passengers, luggage, budget — and recommends specific cars with their running costs for the UK. Free, about 2 minutes.
Find the right family car for you →