HONDA is claiming that the new Accord will be the 'most affordable car in its class to run'. The new figures from vehicle wholelife cost consultant Emmox show that the new Accord saloon 1.8i S and 2.0i S will cost less to run over three years/60,000 miles than rival saloon models from Ford, Vauxhall, Peugeot, Toyota, Volkswagen and Nissan.

However, in publishing the data the manufacturer ignored the claims of the Mitsubishi Carisma, powered by its revolutionary fuel efficient GDI petrol engine, of being Britain's most economical upper medium sector car.

Accord figures for the 1.8i S over three years/60,000 miles show it will cost 31.7p a mile to run - up to 3ppm better than five quoted rivals. Meanwhile, the 2.0i LS at 34.36ppm is also almost 3ppm more efficient than the worst performing of its quoted rivals. Similar pence per mile figures from Emmox for the Carisma issued by Mitsubishi in July reveal the 1.8 GDI GLX five-door to cost 24.71ppm to run over three years/60,000 miles. While that was a hatchback version pence per mile figures for the saloon will be little different.

A Honda spokesman said: 'We didn't leave Mitsubishi off deliberately and it is possible that the Carisma's figures would come below that of the Accord. But we looked at comparing the Accord with the fairly large volume European contenders.'