THE Fiat Cinquecento S 3-door, Ford Ka 1.3i 3-door and Rover 1.1 Knightsbridge 3-door share the top slot as the cheapest cars to run in the UK, according to CAP Motor Research. CAP's UK Value for Money Top 40 puts the three cars in joint first place, each costing 13.7 pence per mile to run over three years/ 60,000 miles.

Mark Cowling, CAP chief economist, said the top 40 table would be a valuable tool for any fleet manager looking at vehicle choices. He said: 'For the cost-conscious fleets it's important that they have a basis for calculating how much vehicles cost to run so that they can make a decision based on cost, as well as other factors.'

CAP calculates running costs based on a vehicle being used for three years and 60,000 miles. It uses national average fuel prices and bases depreciation cost on manufacturer's list price minus expected residual value.