Fuel efficient cars

While it's rarely cited as a factor behind Australia's booming new car sales figures - 2005 saw the market come up just short of the magic million mark - the rising price of petrol has probably caused many people to get out of their thirsty old banger and into a new car that's smaller and more fuel efficient.

This is certainly evident in our changing tastes in cars.We're buying more four cylinder models, more diesels - especially diesel 4WDs - and more hybrids. We're buying far fewer Falcons and Commodores - which bodes ill for the future of the local car industry, but that's another story - fewer Toyota LandCruisers and Nissan Patrols.

See a pattern there?

If you're in the process of researching your next car purchase, the price of fuel is an important consideration. In the long term, it is not going to fall back to less than a dollar per litre on a sustained basis.

While high petrol prices hurt the wallet, they do also have their benefits. As individuals, we're now turning to more efficient cars because we can no longer afford to treat fuel consumption as irrelevant.

As a society, this has positive consequences. We-re making better use of a limited resource - oil - and we're pumping less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, an essential first step if global warming is to be ameliorated. 

If you have one or two kids and you're looking for family transport, don't assume that only the traditional big Australian six cylinder Falcon or Commodore sedan, or large 4WD wagon, can do the job.

It will, of course, but there are now many four cylinder models which can give you the features, safety and space you want, yet can also use up to 50 per cent less fuel in everyday suburban driving.

Small car design has in recent years focussed on maximising interior space within a relatively compact exterior, a trend which originated in Europe, where high petrol prices have for decades seen the majority of families purchase four cylinder cars.

Even in the tiddler class you'll find cars which have an amazing amount of interior space, sufficient for two adults up front and two younger kids in the back seat.

The Honda Jazz is the prime example. Its interior is exceptionally spacious and versatile. You can configure the back seat/load area in several different ways with an ingenious folding arrangement.

The Jazz is available with 1.3 and 1.5 litre engines. Around town, it will use only 6-7 litres/100 kilometres.

Other mini cars with space efficient interiors include the Suzuki Swift, Mazda2 and the VW Polo.

Moving up a size, today's Toyota Corolla offers comparable cabin space to the Camry of ten years ago.

As no frills, unbreakable, budget family transport, the Corolla still has the attraction of a blue chip Toyota badge, but Korean competitors like the Hyundai Elantra give you more for your money. 

The Elantra is very good value - not least because of its market leading five years/unlimited kilometre warranty - as is Holden's new Viva. The Holden is also from Korea; it's a rebadged Daewoo Lacetti.

When Daewoos were sold here wearing their own badge, their reliability record was patchy.    If you have $20,000-$30,000 to spend, you'll find some excellent cars in this class.

Holden's Astra is available as a spacious five door hatch, but as a kid carrier the Astra wagon is the one to have.

Ford's Focus is another five door hatch/ four door sedan that's similar in size and style, though there's no wagon variant. The Ford's performance is superior to the Astra. It's was the 2005 Australia's Best Cars titleholder in this class.

At the premium end, the VW Golf  offers a five star safety rating. However be aware that the 2.0 litre petrol models require 98 octane unleaded, which is expensive and can be difficult to find.

The Golf is also available with a choice of turbocharged diesel engines (1.9 and 2.0 litres).

The economics of diesel are irresistible when it comes to big 4WD wagons, but they are still somewhat problematic in smaller cars.

This is because our diesel costs about 10 cents per litre or more than regular unleaded. The cars themselves also carry a price premium over their petrol-powered counterparts, usually several thousand dollars.

Throw in the fact that small petrol engines, such as the ones we have been dealing with here, can come pretty close to matching the economy of a comparably-sized diesel engine in city driving, and the cost/benefit analysis of diesel vs petrol is one which needs careful consideration.

The more kilometres you drive, and the longer you intend keeping your car, the more the economics of diesel make sense, but both of these parameters need to be at the extreme and/or long term end of usage before, on a simple cost basis alone, the diesel deal delivers significant savings.

That said, the new diesels in the Golf and Peugeot's 307 (1.6 and 2.0 litre), also have a character that's unique. Their torque laden delivery is an attraction in its own right, especially if you cover a lot of highway kilometres.

Compact people movers have become family favourites in Europe; here, they have been ignored.

If you want to see a different, innovative approach to family car design, the Renault Scenic and Mercedes-Benz B Class are worth a look. Both will easily accommodate two tall teenagers in the back seat, with enough load capacity behind for their gear.

Like most European cars, however, they run best on 95 octane premium unleaded fuel.

The Scenic has a 2.0 litre engine. It scored five stars out of five in Euro NCAP crash tests.

The interior can be configured in a squillion different ways. Three individual back seats are each foldable and removable. The big cargo bay is easy to load, with a low floor. Oddment storage nooks and crannies are everywhere.

The new Mercedes-Benz B Class is of the same ilk as the Renault, but has that bank vault solidity of the three pointed star badge and is a more refined car to drive. It also has a 2.0 litre engine.

Finally, there is such a device as the economical, compact 4WD wagon

Our two recommendations are the Subaru Forester and the new Toyota RAV4.

The Subaru's interior is smaller than the Toyota's, but still adequate if you're carrying a couple of younger kids. A five star NCAP safety rating gives you additional peace of mind. The Subaru also has best-in-class dynamics and strong resale values. Its 2.5 litre engine goes well.

The new RAV4 is a much larger wagon than its predecessor. It has acres of back seat and load space; it's also a much more comfortable, refined drive. The Cruiser model  has side/curtain airbags and stability control.

All of the cars we've described here will use less fuel around town that a six cylinder Falcon or Commodore. An added bonus is that they will also return to you a greater percentage of their purchase price at trade in time. 

 
Article by Bill McKinnon, February 2006