Fuel consumption rate stickers on new cars can be very misleading. Use the Petrol Cost Calculator instead.

When looking at fuel consumption stickers on cars keep in mind the tests are performed in a laboratory and may not match your real world fuel consumption and expectations.

Fuel miser on sticker, a guzzler in real life... Read More

As mentioned in the article, some manufacturers even remove the spare wheel to reduce weight and less weight means better fuel economy. I even wonder if there is weight added to the car to simulate a driver. If you add a driver and passenger (as well as the spare tyre) then all of a sudden you end up reducing your fuel economy.

If you look at the testing methodology there are a series of tests but these don’t reflect your real world driving experience. In the real world according to the article you can expect your fuel consumption to be 20%-40% greater than the stickers.

To use the stickers keep in mind you are comparing the laboratory tests for one car against another car. Not how one car performs in the real world against another.

To get a good idea of your fuel consumption and cost to drive a given distance, use the Petrol Cost Calculator and determine your own litres per 100 kilometres based on your own tests.

- Kelvin Eldridge
www.OnlineConnections.com.au
Call 0415 910 703 for help with your computer problem.
Servicing Templestowe, Doncaster, Eltham and the surrounding area.