Top Ten Cheapest Hatchbacks to Maintain

Ellie Dyer-Brown, 1 month ago

5 min read

  • Cost
A red 2023 Renault Clio.

WhoCanFixMyCar reveals the top ten cheapest hatchbacks to maintain.

These days, hatchbacks are often overshadowed - quite literally - by SUVs, which come with the promise of more space, practicality and a better image. But should we all be so quick to jump ship? Hatchbacks are better than ever and very much worth considering.

One thing that could help you decide which type of car to buy is the annual cost of maintenance - this guide reveals the ten cheapest hatchbacks.

Contents

Methodology

Cheapest hatchbacks to maintain

The cheapest model

The most expensive model

Data insights


Methodology

All prices in this guide are averages based on quotes from the WhoCanFixMyCar platform in 2023. 

To calculate the top ten, we looked at a range of hatchbacks and compared them based on their price in four maintenance categories:

We added the prices from these categories to create a total maintenance cost for each model, which you can see in the table below. Models that were included in our data analysis but didn't make it into the top ten include the Honda Civic, Mazda 3, Skoda Scala, Toyota Corolla, Volkswagen Golf, Suzuki Swift and Skoda Octavia.


Cheapest hatchbacks to maintain

Below are the hatchbacks with the lowest average maintenance prices.

Hatchback ModelAnnual Maintenance Cost
Hyundai i10£428.05
Renault Clio£429.19
Vauxhall Corsa£429.97
Ford Focus£430.77
Peugeot 208£431.02
Kia Ceed£431.43
Volkswagen Polo£433.04
Dacia Sandero£434.32
Vauxhall Astra£437.58
Ford Fiesta£441.22

The cheapest model

Hyundai i10

The cheapest hatchback to maintain is the Hyundai i10, a spacious and quiet car with a four-star review from WhatCar?. It comes with a stylish interior and a decent amount of kit as standard, though it only manages a three-star Euro NCAP safety rating.

Hyundai i10Average Price
Full service£185.16
Interim service£129.89
MOT£43.91
Aircon regas£69.09
TOTAL£428.05

Despite being the cheapest model overall, the i10 is beaten in the full service category by the Renault Clio (£184.93) and the Dacia Sandero (£181.57). The Clio is also cheaper for an interim service (£127.30) and an MOT (£43.47).

Find out about about common problems with the Renault Clio.


The most expensive model

Ford Fiesta

The final model that made it into our top ten is the classic Ford Fiesta. As its name suggests, the Fiesta is brilliant fun to drive, with good fuel economy and equipment levels making it an excellent all-rounder.

Find out about common problems with the Ford Fiesta.

Ford FiestaAverage Price
Full service£186.05
Interim service£136.47
MOT£43.53
Aircon regas£75.17
TOTAL£441.22

Overall, the Fiesta is more expensive than the cheapest model, the i10, by just £13.17 - there really is very little in it.

In the full service category, it's cheaper than the Vauxhall Astra, which has an average price of £191.76, and the Ford Focus, which costs £190.06.

Learn about common problems with the Vauxhall Astra.


Data insights

The cheapest hatchback for a full service is the Dacia Sandero, with an average price of £181.57; the most expensive model is the Vauxhall Astra.

Dacia Sandero

In the interim service category, the most expensive model is the Ford Fiesta, and the cheapest is the Dacia Sandero, which costs £124.62.

A red Ford Fiesta

The cheapest model for an MOT is the Ford Focus, with an average price of £43.44; the Kia Ceed is the most expensive, costing £45.49 on average.

A white Kia Ceed

Finally, the hatchback that will cost you the most for an aircon regas is, surprisingly, the Dacia Sandero, which costs £84.64. The most affordable car in this category is the Kia Ceed, with an average price of £66.70.


Looking for affordable repairs and maintenance? You're in the right place.

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