Car Ownership Advice 1 May 2026

How to know and maximise your fuel efficiency

Simple habits that help improve fuel efficiency:

Fuel efficiency measures how far a vehicle travels on a certain amount of fuel, typically shown as litres used per 100 kilometres, with lower numbers meaning better efficiency.
Tracking fuel economy can be done by filling the tank, resetting the trip metre and calculating how many litres were used over the distance travelled.
Driving smoothly with gentle acceleration and maintaining steady speeds can reduce fuel consumption compared with aggressive driving or sudden braking.
Keeping tyres properly inflated and the vehicle well maintained helps the engine work more efficiently and avoid wasting fuel.

With petrol prices the highest they’ve ever been, now may be the time to get a handle on your car’s fuel efficiency. If you’re tired of watching the numbers climb at the bowser, don’t worry—it’s possible to make your fuel go further by ensuring good fuel consumption. Whether you’re thinking of investing in a fuel-efficient car, or you just want tips for saving money on petrol, you can find it here.

What is good fuel consumption?

Fuel consumption is measured by how many litres of fuel your car uses to travel 100km. Many things affect fuel consumption, including traffic conditions, driving style, and car maintenance. The biggest factor, however, is the type of car you drive. So, what is good fuel consumption for your car? Let’s take a look at what good fuel efficiency looks like for different types of vehicles:

Small car: 5-6L/100km
Ute: 7-8L/100km
SUV: 8-9L/100km
Hybrid: 4L/100km

Note: Most cars come with two fuel efficiency ratings, one for highway driving and one for city driving. If you see (combined) beside a fuel rating, that is the average of these two ratings.

How to tell if your car is using too much fuel

The best way to tell if your car is using too much fuel is to compare your vehicle’s fuel consumption with the same model’s standard fuel consumption. If you’ve got an older car that doesn’t automatically calculate fuel efficiency, or if you want to check that your car is displaying an accurate figure, you’ll need to do some calculations.

To calculate your fuel consumption:

1. Fill up your tank.

2. Reset your car’s trip odometer to zero.

3. Drive until you need to fill up again.

4. Record how many litres you put in when you fill up.

5. Divide the number of litres you fill up with this time by the number of kilometres you’ve driven. This calculation will give you litres per kilometre.

For example: if you’ve filled up with 50L of fuel and you’ve driven 600km, the calculation is: 50L/600km = 0.083L/km.

6. Multiply this number by 100. This calculation will give you litres per 100km. For example, if your car uses 0.083L/km, the calculation is: 0.83L/km x 100 = 8.3L/100km

Now, all you need to do is look up your vehicle’s average fuel consumption. If it’s less than the number you’ve calculated, it’s time to start looking into possible reasons your car is using too much fuel. This could be a malfunctioning oxygen sensor, build up of carbon inside the intake, blocked air filter , worn out or under inflated tyres, wrong oil, or quite often, the way you drive.

The most fuel efficient cars in Australia

Unsurprisingly, the most fuel efficient cars in Australia are hybrid vehicles that run on both an internal combustion engine and a rechargeable battery. While we all want to save fuel, not everyone can make the switch to a hybrid vehicle right away. That’s why we’re listing the most fuel efficient petrol cars and hybrids.

Fuel efficient petrol cars

Small car: The 2022 Suzuki Swift is rated at 4.8L/100km (combined), as well as the Fiat 500 Hatchback, which which comes in at 4.8L/100km (combined).
Ute: The 2016 Nissan Navara Dual cab ST 4x4 has a rating of 6.4L/100km (combined).
SUV: The 2022 Toyota RAV4 2D returns a combined figure of 6.7L/100km .

Fuel efficient hybrids

Small car: The Toyota Yaris Hybrid has stated fuel consumption of 3.3L/100km
Ute: Hybrid utes are currently in development and will be hitting Australian shores in the future. Hybrid technology is set to be added to popular utes such as the Toyota Hilux, Nissan Navara and the Ford Ranger.
SUV: The 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-in Hybrid returns a figure of 1.7L/100km (combined).

If your first priority is to save fuel—and you’re in the market for a new car—a smaller, hybrid vehicle will keep fuel costs lower.

How to save on petrol with your current car

If you’re not in the market for a new car, there are easy ways you can save on petrol with your current car. These include:

Driving to maximise petrol efficiency: Avoid idling, rapidly accelerating, driving in the wrong gear and using air conditioning unnecessarily. All of these driving habits will take a toll on your car’s petrol efficiency.
Roof racks are great for when you need them, like holidays, but they should be removed when not in use if you want to save some money on petrol. It’s also important to check the undercarriage for any loose, damaged or missing covers as these can make a huge difference to how air moves under and away from your car.
Reduce the weight of your vehicle – Still driving around with the dumbbells and medicine balls you bought to get ripped in 2008? Much like throwing it around would cause you to use more energy. Carrying it around in your car means your engine needs to use more fuel.

Maintain your tyres: – Flat tyres don’t roll. Underinflated tyres don’t roll well either. Reducing rolling resistance improve your car’s fuel efficiency, and checking your tyre pressure will not only save you fuel, but also improve handling and increase tyre life.

If you’re finding that your car is using too much fuel after doing these things, it might be time to see a local mechanic. Regularly servicing and oil changes help save fuel engine oil not only prevents wear, it also reduces friction. Any increase in friction is going to increase fuel use. You could also be due for a wheel alignment. Tyres that are misaligned are working against each other and using more power and fuel from the engine.

With mechanics across Australia who can help make sure you’re getting bang for your buck at the bowser, mycar is always a great choice. Call 13 13 28 or use our store finder today.