Buying a vehicle

While driving your car efficiently does help save on your fuel bill, you can make even bigger savings by buying a more efficient car in the first place.

Many people don't know that there can be big differences in fuel consumption between cars of a similar size. So work out what size car you need, and then shop around for the most efficient option on offer. All new and late model cars are required to carry a vehicle fuel economy label which tells you roughly how much the car will cost to run for a year and lets you compare between different models. Look for the label to help you make your choice. 

When you are buying a car, consider these things as you review your options:

Vehicle size 

Vehicle safety

Engine size 

Fuel use 

Look for the fuel economy label

Vehicle size

A good first step is to think about the size of vehicle you need. Many New Zealanders like to have big vehicles, but in general, bigger cars use more fuel than smaller ones.

Be practical with what you need. You may not actually need a large car. Smaller vehicles are more suited to driving around town, which is where most people do most of their driving.

Vehicle safety

As for safety, bigger is not always better. A number of smaller cars now out-perform their larger counterparts in crash test ratings, particularly when it comes to the safety of pedestrians involved in a crash.

Engine size

Engine size is one of the best indicators of vehicle size and fuel economy. Here is a guide to the best engine size for your needs, depending on the type of driving you do most often.

To use the table, decide on your usual number of passengers (or equivalent weight) in first column. Then look across the row to the column that best describes where you usually drive.

 If there are three people in your car and you drive in Dunedin, then your optimal car would be a 1.5-litre engine.

 If you are a two-car household, you have extra flexibility to choose vehicles.

Fuel use

The fuel economy of cars can differ significantly, even if they have the same engine size.

The range of fuel economy for different types of new car currently on the market in New Zealand is shown below (figures current as at October 2009).

As you can see, fuel economy can differ enormously between similar types of car - so the choices you make when buying a new car will have big impacts on your fuel use into the future. 

A New Zealand car uses on average 10 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres (km) travelled. However this figure is an average of all the cars on the road - including a lot of big, old, inefficient vehicles.

To see how your car measures up against others, visit Fuel$aver.

Look for the fuel economy label

How much fuel does a car use and how much does it cost to run? Look for the fuel economy label on new and late model used cars for sale by registered motor vehicle traders, and on internet listings.

The label shows:

• A star rating out of six - from six stars for the most efficient cars, to half a star for the worst
• An indicative cost of running the car for a year, to help you compare different cars
• The car's fuel economy (litres per 100km). You can also use this to compare different cars.

The label will be displayed on new cars and used Japanese cars manufactured since 2000 and imported since 2005, provided the information is available.

Read more about the fuel economy label on the Fuelsaver website.

More information

Vehicle size and safety

• Compare fuel economy, safety ratings for cars, and environmental impacts at the New Zealand Transport Agency website, rightcar.

Engine size and fuel use

• To compare how much fuel different cars use, visit the New Zealand Transport Agency website, Fuel$aver.

Emissions

• For more information about how a fuel-efficient car decreases carbon dioxide emissions, go to rightcar.
• To discover what comes out of your exhaust pipe, visit the Ministry of Transport website, Choke the Smoke.