Top 10 cars for beating ULEZ charge revealed – here’s how to cut costs and avoid a pesky fee

Ultra-Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) can be very costly to motorists, especially those who own older cars and travel into the capital regularly.

The Zone requires cars to meet the EU's Euro 6 standards for diesel engines or Euro 4 standards for petrol engines.

Those which don't are charged £12.50 for each entry to the Zone, which covers all areas within the North and South circular roads and operates every day of the year except for Christmas Day.

Thankfully for drivers, the have listed the best ULEZ-compliant cars to buy in 2023.

The first entry is the Peugeot 108 1.2 litre Allure, a neat little city car ideal for quick trips.

It costs just £3,500 and is also road tax exempt if you find a model from between 2015 and February 2017.

For those seeking a more spacious option, there's the Nissan Qashqai 1.3 DIG-T.

The stocky 4x4 makes a perfect family car and models from 2019/20 sell for less than half the newer version's £27,000 starting price.

Beyond that, there's a range of nifty hot hatchbacks, including the Honda Jazz i-VTEC ES and Ford Focus Zetec.

Electric vehicles and most hybrids are also ULEZ-exempt, while the BMW i3 REx offers a useful halfway house.

The small but stylish car is powered by an electric motor, usually lasting for about 110 miles, but also features a 'range extender' in the form of a small two-cylinder petrol engine which it can rely on if you run out of juice while away from a charging point.

Other hybrid choices include the Toyota Prius VVT-h and the Hyundai IONIQ.

Meanwhile, back in the realm of more traditional engines, the Mazda MX-5 1.8i and Audi A3 TFSI Sport, provide sleeker, sportier alternatives to the more commuter or family-friendly entries on the list.