Fuel efficiency should top the list for car buyers

This week’s fuel price increase will see South Africans paying increases of 1.5% and 2.6% on petrol and diesel respectively. Under these conditions, fuel efficiency is an increasingly important factor for budget-conscious vehicle buyers.

Head of Automotive at Gumtree SA Jeff Osbourne stresses that significant savings can be made over the lifetime of a vehicle: “Every half litre of reduced consumption over 100km makes a big difference, especially for anyone doing serious distances.”

He adds that too many car buyers have misplaced priorities: “Whatever your preference for brand or style, every purchaser should be checking out fuel economy and doing the sums in terms of the impact on their wallets over the entire ownership period, especially given the projections that the fuel price will not drop substantially any time soon.”

Some of the most fuel-efficient cars currently on the market consume between 3.6 and 4.3 litres of fuel per 100km. According to Osborne, these models are all available on Gumtree either brand new or pre-owned.

Renault Captur 66 kW dCi Dynamique

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The Captur is a very popular SUV and has gone on to capture a great chunk of the market. This eye-catching, jacked up city car makes for a sensible buy, running on only 3.6 litres of fuel per 100km.

Fiat 500

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The stylish two-door from Fiat is extremely popular with urban dwellers – not only does it come equipped with City Driving mode, it’s easy to park and will get you 575km per tank.

Smart For Two

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Production of this nifty two-seater has sold nearly a million worldwide. While it’s more expensive than other city driving cars, it’s extremely efficient at an average of 17.5km to 25km per litre.

Volkswagen Polo 1.4 TDI

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As cars go, the VW Polo is widely believed to be t