The leanest & greenest?
There are so many advertisements these days promoting how far a car can travel on a single tank of fuel. Diesels, in particular, look an attractive proposition with possible ranges of more than 1200km. But are these claims realistic out in the real world?
Well, that depends on where you drive, the time of the day you drive, how you drive and what type of fuel your car uses. This is known as real-world fuel consumption – the consumption you actually achieve on the road.
A car’s official fuel consumption figure is calculated by a 20-minute controlled laboratory test that comprises four urban cycles and one extra-urban (highway) test. The car is allowed to “soak for at least six hours at a test temperature of 20-30°C" beforehand.
However, 65 per cent of NSW residents, for example, live in the city area so an average fuel consumption figure is not representative of most people’s daily commute.
So we decided to put seven alternative-fuel cars through an urban test route to find out which are the best for the hip pocket and for the urban jungle environment.
Under the microscope were three hybrids, a family car using LPG Autogas, another sipping E10, a diesel, and a frugal petrol car. Each was subjected to two city loops of approximately 125km (see testing sidebar opposite).
All the data was recorded and we calculated average fuel consumption, average carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and how much each one cost in terms of fuel over the distance travelled. We also worked out their total CO2 emissions and calculated the projected ranges of each car based on their real-world averages.
So which ones really live up to their claims?
TOYOTA PRIUS
The poster child for the environment was not only the overall winner but took line honours in each category as well. The Prius used the least fuel, was the cheapest to run (in terms of fuel cost) and spewed out the least amount of CO2 over the test distance. It could also travel further on one tank of fuel than the other six test cars. Over our urban loop the Prius swallowed 10.95L of premium unleaded – a litre less than Ford’s ECOnetic Fiesta – for an average of 4.6L/100km.
Based on our calculations, the Prius could travel 978km on one tank – 22km more than the second-placed Camry hybrid, and 118km more than the Honda Civic hybrid. It was also the most environmentally friendly on test (with an average CO2 output of 107g/100km) and it proved the cheapest to run at $14.70 – 15 cents less than the Fiesta ECOnetic.
Sipping the most expensive premium unleaded fuel (98RON) only added $1 to the fuel bill when compared with regular unleaded fuel. The two fuels were only separated by 10 cents per litre on the test day.
The Prius is a hybrid. It uses a 1.8-litre petrol engine assisted by an electric motor. The electric motor in the Prius can also operate on its own, which distinguishes it from other hybrids. For example, the Prius can run on electric power alone up to 35km/h and for about two kilometres for emissions-free driving.
Hybrids are typically more efficient around town than out on the open road. This is because the petrol engine turns off when idling. In the case of the Prius, the petrol engine also turns off when decelerating, which distinguishes it from the Honda Civic hybrid.
Hybrids can also harness the energy produced when braking and turn it back into electricity to use later. This is called regenerative braking.
The Prius is also a decent size. The tape measure revealed that front legroom in the Prius was just 15mm less than the Falcon, and 85mm less than the Toyota Camry. The Prius has 50mm more rear legroom than the Falcon and is equal to the Camry.
At 870mm, rear load length in the Prius is 330mm less than the Falcon and 280mm less than the regular Camry. It is, however, 185mm longer than the Camry Hybrid. The Prius’s batteries are located under the floor so, unlike the Camry and Civic hybrids, the rear seats can be folded flat.
On the road, the Prius doesn’t quite have the dynamic prowess of some of our other alternative fuel cars but it is competent. It’s no slouch either, covering the quarter mile in 17.8 seconds, 1.3 seconds slower than the Falcon.
The Prius comes with a five-star ANCAP safety rating with six airbags and stability control standard on all models.
The price tag is a bit steep, even though the Prius has a generous list of standard features.
At $39,900, it is the second most expensive car on this test.
FORD FIESTA ECONETIC
It may have the lowest fuel consumption figure in the country but when it comes to real-world consumption, the Fiesta was not the most frugal of our group of seven.
This is because diesel engines typically aren’t as frugal in city driving. They are better suited to highway driving where the high amount of torque means the engine doesn’t have to work as hard. The Fiesta doesn’t have stop/start technology either.
The Fiesta claimed second spot, 0.2L/100km behind the Prius. And the Ford’s test average of 4.8L/100km was 30 per cent more than the Fiesta’s official average figure of 3.7L/100km.
The fuel tank in the Fiesta holds 40 litres, so this relegates the Fiesta to fourth in terms of how far each car can travel based on its real-world average. The Fiesta would be able to travel about 824km on one tank.
With CO2 emissions from diesels higher than petrol engines, the Fiesta emitted 6.1kg more CO2 on test than the Prius.
Diesel prices can also fluctuate markedly. On the test day petrol and diesel cost the same, yet we have seen days where diesel can be up to 30 cents a litre more expensive.
Over the 250km the Fiesta’s fuel cost was $14.85 – 15 cents more than the Prius.
The Fiesta’s functional interior impressed, as did its confident dynamics. It can comfortably carry four adults and its hatchback body style is handy for moving bulky items.
HONDA CIVIC HYBRID
The Honda Civic hybrid goes about its business without the fanfare of the Prius, yet is still an economical and environmentally friendly option.
It drank 14 litres over the loop, for an average of 5.9L/100km, making it 28 per cent thirstier than its official average of 4.6L/100km.
With a 50-litre tank, the Civic sits in third spot for real-world range. Based on our calculations, the Civic will travel about 860km on one tank.
While it is a hybrid, it is not the same sort of hybrid as a Prius. The Civic’s electric motor assists the petrol engine but cannot run by itself. Both engines stop and restart virtually seamlessly. But the Prius’s engine shuts down when you are decelerating as well.
This difference was enough to see the Civic use three litres more fuel than the Prius. Its fuel cost was $2.65 greater and it emitted 7.5kg more CO2.
When we got the tape measure out, we realised how clever the Civic is. Inside, it has more load length and is wider than the Camry hybrid, and has just 30mm less rear legroom.
The Honda boasted the best interior quality presentation of our septuplet. Our gripe was the price. At $34,990, it is $9000 more expensive than the Civic VTi-L which has relatively similar equipment levels.
TOYOTA CAMRY HYBRID
As the new kid on the block, the Camry hybrid was the car everyone was most interested in. After all, it is Australia’s first locally-built hybrid and there has been considerable hype surrounding its release.
The hybrid version boasts more power, better fuel economy, better dynamics and lower CO2 emissions than a regular Camry. We were particularly interested in how it would fare in the real world and how it would compare with a regular Camry. So we brought along a regular Camry, too, and ran it on E10.
Over just 250km the two Camrys were worlds apart. The hybrid Camry thrived in the stop-start traffic. It consumed 16 litres of fuel – or five litres more than the Prius – for an average of 6.8L/100km. This is 13 per cent more than its claimed figure of 6.0L/100km.
With a tank capacity of 65 litres, the Camry hybrid had the second-best projected range of 956km, 22km less than the Prius.
It emitted 37 per cent less CO2 than the regular Camry. The Camry hybrid achieves the maximum five-star Green Vehicle Guide rating.
The Camry hybrid’s fuel cost was $20.30, or $5.60 more than the Prius but $12.30 less than the regular Camry.
SUZUKI ALTO
At $11,790 the Alto is a bargain. You could buy three Altos for the price of one of the hybrids on our test.
The Alto’s claimed consumption figure is 4.8L/100km but the pint-sized package didn’t get near that. Its test average of 7.0L/100km was 46 per cent more than its claimed figure.
It cost $23.05 to run over the test route.
The Alto has the smallest range in this group. Based on its real-world average of 7.0L/100km and a tank size of just 35 litres, it could only travel 500km before needing a top-up.
The 1.0-litre, three-cylinder engine had to be revved hard to keep the Alto moving, which hurt consumption. This in turn hurt CO2 emissions. The Alto emitted 40kg of CO2 in total.
Still, given the Alto’s paltry price tag, consumption of 7.0L/100km is good going – although it does drink the more expensive premium unleaded fuel. The Alto achieves the maximum five-star Green Vehicle Guide rating.
The Suzuki can comfortably seat four adults. Inside, the Alto is basic without being cheap and nasty. There are hard plastics about the cabin, as you’d expect from a car of this price, but they are not overbearing.
TOYOTA CAMRY ATEVA
A figure of 10.9L/100km might not seem all that good in this company but the purpose of bringing the Camry along was to test the benefits of E10, and to see how the hybrid version stacks up in the real world.
A vehicle’s fuel consumption generally increases when petrol is mixed with ethanol due to ethanol’s lower energy content.
So, while the Camry’s real-world consumption was 24 per cent greater than its official average figure of 8.8L/100km, some of that is due to the properties of E10.
So why use it? Generally speaking E10 is cheaper than regular petrol, so the extra fuel use is more or less offset by the cheaper price at the pump. On our day of testing, E10 was three cents cheaper than regular unleaded, which is the usual price difference between the two.
Also, blending petrol with ethanol is regarded as better for the environment as ethanol is a renewable resource. It is generally manufactured from grain or sugar. In Australia, the bulk of ethanol is produced from wheat starch. E10 means the fuel has 10 per cent ethanol and 90 per cent petrol.
The Camry was, however, the most expensive to run of the group with a total cost of $32.60 – $5.75 more than the Falcon. It was the second worst for the environment with a total CO2 output of 60.8kg.
And, despite it having the second-largest fuel tank here, the Camry came in fifth when it came to the total distance it could travel. The Camry’s tank size is 70 litres, giving it a theoretical real-world range of 642km.
Compared with the hybrid Camry, the regular Camry was 60 per cent thirstier, emitted 94g/km more CO2 and cost $12.30 more to fuel over the test route.
But in terms of practicality, the regular Camry has more load length and a wider boot.
The Camry Ateva comes with a four-star ANCAP crash rating with stability control and six airbags standard. It is, however, only $2000 less than the Camry hybrid.
FORD FALCON XR6 E-GAS
As the only big Aussie ‘six’ with a dedicated LPG system, the Falcon was the one chosen to fly the flag for the local car makers.
The Falcon proved the thirstiest and the worst for the environment but running on LPG – typically half the price of unleaded at the pump – meant it didn’t cost the most. At $26.85, it was $5.75 cheaper than the Camry Ateva.
Gulping 40.1 litres of LPG, the Falcon recorded an average of 17.0L/100km. Despite having a massive 93-litre tank, the Falcon’s projected range is just 558km.
And while LPG is ‘kinder’ to the environment than regular unleaded and diesel, the Falcon ended up as the worst for CO2 emissions. It emitted 66kg of carbon dioxide – more than two and a half times more than the Prius.
But the big Ford proved the quickest in performance testing and out-braked every car on test. It won over the majority of testers in terms of driveability.
However the LPG tank compromises space and the large spare wheel sits above the boot floor and takes up almost half the load space. Still, interior dimensions are the best here and the Falcon can easily seat five adults in comfort. It also comes with a maximum five-star ANCAP crash rating.
THE VERDICT
Over our 250km city loop not one car bettered, or was even able to match, its official claimed fuel consumption figure. This meant the real- world projected ranges – the distance each car could travel on a full tank – also came up short. It was an interesting exercise as the size of the tank has a considerable impact on how practical each of the cars really is in real-world driving.
For example, the Falcon may have the largest tank of the seven cars at 93 litres but it could only travel about 550km, or about 10 per cent further than the car with the smallest tank, the Suzuki Alto.
The Prius took the top prize when it came to the overall distance it could travel. Despite only having a 45-litre tank, the hybrid has a projected range of 978km. With a 65-litre tank, the Camry hybrid came in second with a range of 956km, while the Civic hybrid was third with 860km.
The Fiesta had the second best average overall, but its 40-litre tank meant it came fourth with a range of 824km.
Of the seven cars, the Camry Hybrid got the closest to its claimed average consumption and the Falcon also came within 15 per cent of its official numbers. The smallest car, the Alto, missed its claimed figures by the widest margin.
It is now a legal requirement that all new cars have a fuel consumption sticker that breaks down the official urban, extra urban and overall average figures. As our test shows it is important to consider all three figures when making your next purchase, not only for fuel use but also CO2 emissions.
When it comes to alternative fuels, our results showed hybrids are a great option if your daily commute involves city driving. Hybrid technology is well established and gives motorists a ‘green’ option that doesn’t require any changes to one’s regular driving routine. There are no messy, smelly pumps or strange-looking nozzles to contend with. You fill them up with petrol and away you go. And, while the hybrid drivetrains do compromise space, the trio tested can still comfortably lug a small family around.
So, before you make your next purchase, do your research and factor in your daily commute so you don’t get stung at the pump or end up doing worse for the environment than you originally intended.
Ford Falcon XR6 E-GAS
engine: 4.0-litre straight-six
power: 156kW@4750 rpm
torque: 371Nm@2750rpm
transmission: 6-speed auto
kerb weight: 1754kg
claimed economy: 14.9L/100km
real world economy: 17.0L/100km (+14%)
gvg rating: 3 stars
ancap crash rating: 5 stars
price: $44,890
Ford Fiesta Econetic
engine: 1.6-litre four-cyl turbo-diesel
power: 66kW@4000rpm
torque: 200Nm@1750rpm
transmission: Five-speed manual
kerb weight: 1088kg
claimed economy: 3.7L/100km
real world economy: 4.8L/100km (+30%)
gvg rating: 4 stars
ancap crash rating: 5 stars
price: $24,990
Honda Civic hybrid
engine: 1.3-litre four-cyl petrol-electric
power: 85kW@6000rpm
torque: 170Nm@2500rpm
transmission: CVT auto
kerb weight: 1265kg
claimed economy: 4.6L/100km
real world economy: 5.9L/100km (+28%)
gvg rating: 4.5 stars
ancap crash rating: 4 stars
price: $34,490
Suzuki Alto
engine: 1.0-litre three-cyl petrol
power: 50kW@6000rpm
torque: 90Nm@4600rpm
transmission: 5-speed manual
kerb weight: 880kg
claimed economy: 4.8L/100km
real world economy: 7.0L/100km (+46%)
gvg rating: 5 stars
ancap crash rating: 4 stars
price: $11,790
Toyota Camry Ateva
engine: 2.4-litre four-cyl petrol
power: 117kW@5700rpm
torque: 218Nm@4000rpm
transmission: 5-speed auto
kerb weight: 1530kg
claimed economy: 8.8L/100km
real world economy: 10.9L/100km (+24%)
gvg rating: 4 stars
ancap crash rating: 4 stars
price: $32,490
Toyota Camry hybrid
engine: 2.4-litre four-cyl petrol-electric
power: 110kW@6000rpm
torque: 187Nm@4400rpm
electric motor: 105kW – combined power 140kW
transmission: CVT auto
kerb weight: 1610kg
claimed economy: 6.0L/100km
real world economy: 6.8L/100km (+13%)
gvg rating: 5 stars
ancap crash rating: 4 stars
price: $36,990
Toyota Prius
engine: 1.8-litre four-cyl petrol-electric
power: 100kW@5200rpm (73kW electric motor)
torque: 142Nm@4000rpm
transmission: CVT auto
kerb weight: 1370kg
claimed economy: 3.9L/100km
real world economy: 4.6L/100km (+18%)
gvg rating: 5 stars
ancap crash rating: 5 stars
price: $39,900
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