While the appearance of style, performance and luxury is always at the top of the list of considerations when buying a new or used car, fuel efficiency is becoming increasingly important. With the advent of hybrid technology and better design and construction of petrol and diesel models, our cars and SUVs are going further on a gallon of fuel than ever before. But what is a fuel-efficient car? And can you do anything to make your car more fuel efficient? Here’s our top tips.
Good Maintenance Means Good Efficiency
The better your car is maintained, the more efficient it is. This includes everything from tyre pressure to making sure your car is fully serviced regularly. Fuel-efficient petrol cars burn the right mix of fuel and air to get the maximum power with every stroke of the engine. It is therefore very important to ensure that the vehicle is operating at optimum efficiency at all stages of the process, from the ignition to the exhaust system. Contact your service team if you notice that your car has excessive exhaust gases, as this could be a sign of an internal problem, meaning that fuel is being wasted or that the engine is not running efficiently.
Size Matters
Smaller cars are naturally more efficient than larger and heavier cars because the engine has less weight to carry on the road and does not have to work as hard. If fuel efficiency is at the top of your list, then a compact car is a better choice. Cars like the Kia Soul LX offer all the practicality and performance you need, but with better fuel efficiency than bigger, heavier cars. We also like the small Ford Figo and the ever-popular Mitsubishi Mirage Lowline, both of which are great city cars but have the power to take on the open road.
What About Hybrid Cars?
Hybrid cars like the Toyota Prius Iconic and its sister model, the Iconic, are incredibly efficient. But more customers are now looking for economical non-hybrid cars, so while the Toyota Prius range is one of our best-selling cars, many of our customers prefer petrol cars like the Nissan Sunny or the versatile Kia Rio EX.
Are Bigger Cars More Fuel Efficient?
The theory that all SUVs are “fuel guzzlers” is a bit of a fallacy. Manufacturers have gone to great lengths to make larger cars like the Toyota RAV-4 or Nissan Juke petrol guzzlers, and you’ll get amazing mpg returns with these larger cars. High-tech engine designs make these cars among the most fuel efficient in the UAE, and their go-anywhere, do-anything designs make them extremely popular too. Contrary to popular myths, today’s SUVs are no longer as bad for the planet as their predecessors!
What About Luxury Cars?
Luxury models like BMW and Audi have always been about power and performance. But today, some of the most fuel-efficient cars are also luxury models. BMW’s fuel-efficient cars will deliver surprisingly high mpg figures without sacrificing performance, especially top speed.
To find out more about fuel efficient cars in the UAE, contact one of our Gargash Auto team today.
