adminFact Jeke Behind the Wheel
IS fuel economy one of your key concern when shopping for a new car or even a used one?
It is for me, so much that I am prepared to forgo certain luxuries just to save on fuel. With rapid changes in technology and increases in fuel prices, car manufacturers are becoming more cognizant of the need to manufacture more fuel efficient cars.
Previously we had cars that could do 18km per litre but now there are 24 models that have a fuel economy of almost 20km per litre on the highway, and over 15 of them aren’t even hybrids.
Fuel economy is a factor that influences the purchasing decisions of many car shoppers. Knowing a vehicle’s fuel efficiency not only gives you a better idea of your monthly fuel expenditure, but it can also help you make informed decisions.
If you haven’t purchased a car in a while, you might not know exactly where to find this information. You can check on the dealerships official website or even contact someone like Richard Wiley who has a wealth of experience in writing reviews or me.
City vs Highway
A key element in assessing fuel usage rating for a vehicle is by checking the split between highway and city driving.
Almost all cars and trucks deliver better fuel economy while cruising at 80km per hour on the open highway than they do while stopping and starting at low speed on city streets.
The fuel usage rating for combined km per litre presumes that we drive 55 percent of the time in the city and 45 percent of the time on the highway.
Most people simply assume that is the case with their driving. But many motorists — especially those in urban regions where there is a lot of traffic congestion — spend far more time driving in city conditions than they do on the open road.
If you diligently keep track of the number of kilometres that you are really driving at highway speeds each day for a month or so, you might find that you really are doing most of your driving at less efficient city speeds.
If you have a newer vehicle with a trip-meter that displays your average speed, keeping track is easy. Just set it at zero each morning, and then check each evening for your actual average speed for the day.
At the top of the list is how much city driving the car does. It is estimated that the proportion of stop-and-go driving could reduce fuel usage combined city/highway fuel efficiency for a particular vehicle by as much as 27 percent.
Individual driving style can cause the second biggest variation, lowering fuel efficiency by up to 18 percent. “Calm” drivers, those motorists who don’t accelerate constantly and who avoid unnecessary lane changes, get 35 percent better fuel economy than other drivers.
Other factors in play are air-conditioner use (up to 14 percent reduction in fuel efficiency), vehicle size (up to 15 percent reduction) and the region in which the vehicle is primarily operated (up to 12 percent less fuel efficiency, because hot weather and mountainous conditions take a toll on fuel economy).
Fuel type also affects mileage. So be sure to stick to one brand, don’t mix the E10 one moment then use unleaded, stick to one.
Be honest about your driving
The point here is that the common advertising disclaimer of “your mileage will vary” is something every car shopper must take seriously.
Honestly assessing your specific situation is the only way to adjust fuel usage ratings down — or up — to more accurately reflect the fuel economy you can expect to see once the car is yours.
One way to do a reality check on a car’s fuel usage rating is to deduct 10 percent from it if you consider yourself an aggressive driver who routinely exceeds speed limits and hurries away from stop signs and red lights.
You can stick with the fuel usage rating if you consider yourself an efficient driver. You’d need to re-evaluate that self-description if you find that your car or truck is consistently failing to achieve the rated combined average, however.
Real-world fuel economy can also be diminished if you use the air-conditioning a lot, haul heavy loads of cargo or passengers, or even live at the top of a hill.
Having discussed about fuel efficiency in detail I would like to look at just two fuel efficient cars in brief, a budget petrol sedan and the more luxurious vehicle for executives.
The two cars that I will focus on are the new Mazda 3 and the Volkswagen Passat TDI. The Mazda 3 has several variations, including two body styles, four engines, five transmissions and multiple trim levels.
To get the 17km per litre rating, you must select 3i Touring or 3i Grand Touring trim, a sedan with six-speed automatic transmission.
Unfortunately the new Mazda 3 is not available in Zimbabwe unless you import from South Africa or Botswana.
The Volkswagen Passat TDI is available in an even more fuel-efficient version since it also comes with a manual transmission, but I expect that only a few buyers will go for it. It brings with it a 16km/litre highway rating.
The Passat also comes in less-efficient gasoline engines: a 2.5-liter five-cylinder and a 3.6-liter V6. So there you have it happy driving and good luck on saving fuel.
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