CAR running costs have marginally decreased - despite Government efforts to tax motorists out of them - according to the latest Top 40 Value for Money Cars compiled by CAP Motor Research. The cheapest car in Britain to run remains the Perodua Nippa EX five-door hatchback at 13.1ppm on a three-year/60,000-mile operating cycle,

It is followed by the SEAT Arosa 1.0 MPi three-door on 13.5ppm and Arosa 1.7 SDi three-door at 13.8ppm. Featuring high up the new chart are Peugeot's three Zest variants - part of a revised 106 range introduced to make way for the new 206 later this year - in seventh, 14th and 17th positions. The 1.1 Zest three-door returns 14.6ppm, the 1.5D Zest2 three-door comes in at 15ppm and the 1.1 Zest2 three-door achieves 15.3ppm.

Mazda also makes a good showing with the 121 GXi three-door shooting up 23 places in the new chart - due to a £1,000 price reduction - and a new entry at 32 for the 121 1.25 GSi five-door at 14.9ppm and 16.4ppm respectively.