If you've had it with the mostly ups, and the occasional downs of gas prices, and have decided to buy a vehicle that is more fuel-efficient, this handy summary of the Natural Resources Canada's Office of Energy Efficiency's (OEE) guide on how to choose a fuel-efficient vehicle will aid you in buying a car that will help you save at the pump.
New or used?
As a general rule, newer vehicles tend to be more fuel-efficient than older models. So if a new car is in the cards, be sure to compare the fuel consumption ratings. These can be found on the EnerGuide labels. If you are unfamiliar with the EnerGuide label, it is usually stickered to the vehicle and shows the consumption ratings for city and highway driving and provides you with an estimate of that vehicle's yearly fuel cost.
Size matters
It likely comes as no surprise that in general the bigger the vehicle, the bigger the engine, the larger the fuel consumption. So if you don't need the cargo room, towing capacity, or extra passenger space on a regular basis, go with smaller vehicle; you'll save money in the long run on gas. It all comes down to buying what you need.
Manual or automatic: that is the question
A manual transmission with overdrive combined with a tachometer or shift indicator is generally more fuel efficient than an automatic. When used properly, a manual transmission can save you five to 10 per cent in fuel compared to the automatic counterpart.
If you don't know how to drive a manual, there are choices you can make with respect to your automatic transmission that will help you save. A:
- 4-speed overdrive transmission is 3 to 5 per cent more fuel-efficient than a 3-speed, and
- 5-speed automatic can improve fuel efficiency by another 3 per cent over a 4-speed
Front, rear, four or all-wheel drive?
If you have a choice between a two-wheel drive, four-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, choose the two-wheel drive; two-wheel drive vehicles are generally more fuel-efficient. Of your two-wheel drive options (front-wheel or rear-wheel) there's not much of a difference when it comes to fuel-efficiency, although at one time front-wheel drive would have been the way to go.
Four-wheel and all-wheel drive is less fuel efficient than a two-wheel drive vehicle. The additional parts needed, along with the extra power required from the engine to operate these types of vehicles can increase the fuel consumption up to 10% over what you would use with a two-wheel drive vehicle.
Weighing your options
Did you know that power seats add anywhere from 40 to 60 kilograms in weight to your vehicle? Add to this the extra weight of a sunroof, air conditioner or heated seats and options like these will increase your car's fuel consumption. They make your vehicle heavier which means that you need more fuel to operate it.
In the market to buy a car? Don't forget to:
Our articles and content cannot be reproduced or republished in any form whatsoever without prior written consent from Kanetix Ltd. Publication of our content is encouraged through our free: Content Publisher Programs. You are free to use our RSS feeds as long as the included links to our site remain active and the content is unaltered in any way. Click here to select the RSS feed(s) you wish to use.
to view saved quotes
Insurance Quotes
More
Print
