Naturally your individual circumstances will determine which type of vehicle you need. You should also check the official fuel efficiency ratings of any car you’re considering buying. In the meantime, here are some of the things you might want to consider before you choose your next car.
Engine choice depends largely on your vehicle needs. However, it’s important to note that gasoline engines can use up to 25%* more fuel than diesel engines.
In general, the larger the engine (the greater the cylinder volume such as 2.4 litres) and the more cylinders it has, the greater its fuel consumption will be.
Also, under normal driving conditions smaller engines will generally deliver better fuel economy than larger engines.**
However, you do need an engine size that will meet your overall needs, so none of this means that a big engine is a bad choice. You may want to choose the smallest engine that meets your normal requirements, keeping in mind that a smaller engine will be 5% to 20% more fuel efficient.**
Newer car models with the latest engine technology generally use less fuel. Older cars will also generally be less efficient as a result of deposits in the engine from many years of use. In terms of engine efficiency, however, using a gasoline containing superior cleaning and detergency additives or increasing the octane level of your fuel can frequently provide significant performance improvements for older engines, but at increased cost for the higher grade of fuel.
The type of transmission also has a big influence on fuel consumption and therefore on operating costs. Manual gearboxes can offer up to 10%** better efficiency than the more convenient automatic alternative. However, the latest automatic transmissions are becoming more fuel efficient.
If you choose an automatic, the more gears it has, the more fuel efficient it will be. For instance, a four-speed automatic transmission will be about 3% more fuel efficient than a three-speed automatic, and a five-speed automatic will be another 3% more fuel efficient.**
The fuel cost difference between a vehicle that uses 10 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres driven, and another vehicle that uses 15 litres per 100 km, amounts to about $1,100 a year and 1,200 litres of fuel, assuming 24,000 kilometres of driving annually and a regular unleaded fuel cost (February 2006 average) of 92.6 cents per litre***.
That means you could save more than $4,000 over four years of driving if you choose the more efficient example.
Remember that while an all-wheel or four-wheel drive vehicle provides better traction and braking when it's slippery, the extra weight of its drive train cost 5% to 10% more fuel consumption.
A hybrid car combines a conventional gasoline engine with an electric motor and shiftless transmission to provide a vehicle that not only relies less on fossil fuel but also has the potential to deliver fuel economy when compared to standard gasoline vehicle.
By taking advantage of the electric motor at cruising speeds, the hybrid can help deliver fuel economy and reduce emissions.
Whenever possible, use public transit if it's an option for you. A single city bus can take up to 40 vehicles off the road (assuming only one commuter per vehicle). This will generally be less costly for you, and overall, the bus will save more than 10,000 litres of fuel and reduce annual greenhouse gas emissions by about 25 tonnes.
Alternatively, investigate car pooling, which results in a more efficient use of fuel because the vehicle is then carrying more than one person.
It sounds obvious, but smaller cars usually offer better fuel consumption. Large cars are normally heavier, taller and wider, which means more weight to carry round and more air resistance when you’re driving.
In general, don't buy a vehicle that's larger than what you need. Fuel efficiency can be a relative matter – if you frequently need to transport your family, for instance, a larger vehicle is sensible. But if you only drive yourself and perhaps one other person and you commute over a long distance, a smaller vehicle will be much more fuel efficient for you.
* Estimates for fuel savings from sensible driving are based
on studies and literature reviews performed by Energy and
Environmental Analysis, Inc., Washington, DC.
** Natural Resources Canada Office of Energy Efficiency
Auto$mart Thinking program
*** M.J. Ervin & Associates FuelFacts Price Monitor
