How fuel efficient is your car

Getting stung at the pump seems to be the new normal these days. With petrol being one of the biggest ongoing costs associated with owning a car, the fuel efficiency of your vehicle has never been more important.

One of the more obvious indicators of a car’s petrol-guzzling potential is its size. We all know that a frugal little Swift burns far less than a grunty old UTE. So, if you’re not fussed about size, then a smaller, more compact car’s recommended and it may save you some money. It’ll also help the environment by not consuming as much fossil fuel. You could even consider switching to a greener car like a BEV, PHEV or Hybrid.

But how do you know how fuel-efficient different makes and models are? Well, New Zealand has a rating system that allows you to easily see how fuel-efficient a car is compared to others¹. The star rating system takes into account the consumption and the CO₂ output. The more stars, the more efficient and environmentally friendly the car is.

Once you’ve picked a fuel-efficient model, there are some things you can do to reduce your consumption:

• Keep your car in tip-top shape - keep the tyres inflated to the right level, plus get regular servicing and checks ups
• Drive safely - accelerating and decelerating use more fuel. If you keep a good following distance, maintain an even speed and drive carefully, you’ll use less fuel.
• If you can help it, don’t carry unnecessary loads - a heavier load increases fuel consumption
• Don’t leave your car idling - if you’re going to be stopped for more than a minute, then turn the engine off
• Don’t overuse the air-con - it uses fuel; only use your air-con when you absolutely need to.