Hi,
I just got my license and the first car. No one in my family drives cars, so I am really in need of some common senses/tips when it comes to fuel saving. My car is a 2009 Corolla, I don’t commute to work by car so only occasionally drive for recreation and shopping trips. What apps do I need to find the best price on fuel? I have heard some people say they fill up at Costco, do they have the best price? (Considering getting a membership there).
Please explain like I’m 5.
+1 for "Petrol Spy" app. Road trip through Vic, in 2019 saved heaps using this app, especially in places I was unfamiliar with.
pedal to the metal
2nd the petrol spy. As your car is economical, finding the best petrol price in your area when you need it is the best. I'm assuming you're not getting the 98 octane fuels.
Other than that, chill when driving. Don't accelerate or brake too hard. It always takes more fuel to accelerate from a stop, but if you do, just don't accelerate too fast.
Is Petrol Spy better or different to NSW Fuel Check?
I just bookmark the site with the location then I just type petrol on the URL and open the bookmark everytime I need to check. No need to download the app. Obviously the bookmarking works for me since I only driving within my area.
Caltex Woolworths is always the cheapest for me
https://petrolspy.com.au/map/latlng/-33.973670176951174/151.…
Get a chopper to lock 7/11 fuel.
In case the OP isn't familiar with this, there's various hacks for the 7/11 fuel app floating around that let you lock in the cheapest fuel price from around Australia.
It wont necessarily be the cheapest compared to some independent retailers, but it's pretty convenient.
Once in a while, they'll have a price mistake or clearance sale, so you can get u98 for 99c or something ridiculously cheap.
Checking out the forums right now, thank you
Ride a bike
or A Flintstone car
run..even cheaper
Running takes more food than riding a bike takes. Unless you dumpster dive cycling probably cheaper
"Fuel saving tips for new driver"
don't accelerate harshly
ease off prior cresting a hill or approaching intersections etc
.
This. Stay off the gas and brakes as much as possible. The way people accelerate off the lights and brake before them always boggles my mind. The number of times I've had a big SUV leave me at the lights only for me to catch up to them and pass them 200m down the track in my little granny-hatch… Learn to drive in 2 dimensions, not just one; pre-emptive actions and intelligent lane changing gets you more distance than the gas pedal.
You still got chopped hard by an SUV lol
Yeah but at the end of the day, they're still driving an "SUV".
And I find that the cruise control on the highway is generally better than I am as it can keep a constant throttle - whereas a human foot goes up and down a bit. That said, cruise control isn't really something you should be using as a new driver.
You may use cruise control once you are skilled enough to keep the car at a constant speed without cruise control …!
So no one should be using cruise control…
Only on relatively flat roads.
When it's hilly you will use less petrol without cruise control if you drive correctly as you will lift off at the top of a hill etc. Cruise control will not do that.
Example?
100% agree.
interesting that I was negged for suggesting this before.
The best fuel savings you will get are considering whether you need to go out or make sure you do all your needs in one trip.
It's a 4-cyl Corolla. The difference between driving economically and pissing everyone off with your slow acceleration, vs driving it like a hoon, will end up being like 1L/100km difference.
Yes, focus on getting the cheapest fuel, but don't worry about how you drive it.
Lol thanks for the comparison
There was a Top Gear segment where they had a Hybrid Prius drive around the track as fast as possible while being followed by an BMW M3.
The M3 used less petrol because the Prius was running flat out while the M3 was have a nice Sunday drive.
Clarkson also showed that you should accelerate as fast as possible to your desired speed then sit in the highest gear possible, the Top Gear if you will.
ye you're not doing this in sydney or melbourne. everyone driving at different speeds lol.
Unfortunately the situation is artificial. How long do you need to drive at constant speed before the wasted fuel on acceleration is gained back at the constant speed
Not sure if top gear should be used as proof on anything aginst Hybrids and EV, they already admitted most of the "tests" are fake in the telsa court case.
They have scripts premade on the day…
If it s a manual and you keep in low gear to always have power available you can have more than 1l/100km diff
Driving in a lower gear will use more fuel. Low RPM = better fuel efficiency.
That is a generally good rule, but not always true. I have a fuel consumption meter, so I can see I use less fuel in my car by staying in 4th at the 60 km/h urban speed limit rather than changing up to 5th. I've got to get to about 70 before being in 5th uses less fuel than 4th. The reason is that there is an engine revs where your engine is most efficient, and fuel consumption is higher both below and above those revs. If your engine feels like it is struggling at low revs it is probably so far below that optimum efficiency rev point that changing down a gear uses less fuel.
Engine efficiency is complex 3D curve depending on revs and throttle opening. Automatic transmissions are inherently inefficient, but they can make up for it by understanding that curve and selecting the right gear better than a human driver who thinks lower revs always means better efficiency.
@BluebirdV: I would f be surprised if mine is similar. 5th at 60 is OK on the flat, but requires more throttle to maintain than 4th when it come to hills. 5th just cruises along but is just a bit short of power when it comes to accelerating because it’s just under the revs where power kicks in
1L/100km would be between 10%+ fuel saving, that is a pretty huge saving overall, especially if you are struggling to pay for fuel.
Measured 1l/100km or an estimate based on gut feel?
If there is a Costco fuel near by, it's definitely worth spending the $60 for membership. It's pricing is stable as it does not fluctuate as much as the other stations.
Just drive smoothly and to the speed limit. Don't accelerate to quickly from lights, but smoothly up to speed. Anyway once you have had your car for awhile non of it really matter, but at least you will get into good driving habits.
Walk.
If you buy an EV there is no fuel loss. You should be able to accumulate as much fuel as you want with 100% efficiency.
100% efficiency
Not possible
Fuel goes into tank. Tank is never used. 100% efficiency.
Wouldn't that be zero per cent efficiency?
Tank level will still reduce due to evaporation.
So you will have 0% efficiency as you are loosing petrol for something that's not being used.
How many young people can afford a ev as their first car?
I would say around 13%
An old favourite is to announce that you are going somewhere and when someone says that they'll go with you hit them for money for petrol.
Brake as little as possible (within reason). Every time you brake, you are wasting fuel, because you'll have to burn extra fuel to get up to speed again.
So keep a longer following distance, brake early (and less) before red lights, try not to come to a full stop if you've got enough room for it.
In my experience, driving conservatively and minimising braking can use 20-30% less fuel than driving aggressively.
I take "within reason" to mean only brake for things as large or larger than your car.
Other cars, trucks, trains, buildings, the MCG - brake
Give way signs, school crossings, pedestrians, animals, old people - ask your inner ozbargainer "what will it cost me in fuel efficiency if I brake in this situation?"
pedestrians, animals, old people
what will it cost me in fuel efficiency if I brake in this situation?
HMMMM
@Switchblade88: worth a lot of points according to the Death Race 2000 scoring system https://youtu.be/o2x7gHxQYYE?t=7
LOL, of course I meant as long as it's safe. Hence leaving the extra following distance when possible.
It's all about anticipation. I see a lot of drivers accelerate and brake unnecessarily quickly simply because they did not look ahead of the car in front of them.
Yeah. I have no idea why the majority of drivers continue to accelerate up to a red light and then brake in a relatively short distance. Why not just take your foot off the gas and roll to a stop?
@Lurk Hartog: because if you slow down a fraction that (profanity) in the other lane will cut in front of you
Totally agree you see people who don't maintain a consistent speed.
The other one is you can see the lights are going to change to red in the distance and they speed up to them and jam the brakes on. I slow down gradually no traffic behind me ( I live regional) and can often cruise through on the green. Most times the heavy brake and hard acceleration doesn't gain them anything they don't leave me behind unless they are speeding.
Not braking also increases the life of your brake pads.
Tyre life can decrease, especially when entering roundabouts.
pedestrian life can decrease, especially when entering school zones.
Go onto your phones app store and search for "petrol" and see what apps are available and you like and have good reviews. There are a bunch.
As for discounts at the petrol station there are a few:
- NRMA app at AMPOL. Usually 4c for E10, but occasionally 6c
- Toyota app at AMPO. Usually 4c for E10L, but sometimes higher
To save real money at the petrol station you need to figure out when the bottom of the price cycle is and fill up then and if you are near empty at the top of the cycle only get $10 of petrol.
To see when petrol prices are going to go up use the map feature on the app you choose and look around the city you are in every few days until you see an area where the petrol goes up before any one and then use this to tell when the petrol is going up. reverse the logic to see when the petrol is going down.
Running the petrol tank down near empty is bad for the fuel pump. You will have to replace it much sooner. I refuel my vehicle once it goes down to a quarter of a tank. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuel_pump
What's your reasoning as to why running the tank empty is bad for the pump?
Nothing in that wiki link has anything to do with running the tank empty being bad for the pump.
Make sure your tyres are pumped up, as less air = more resistance = more fuel used. If I had your car, I'd run 33 psi when cold or around 36 psi when hot (tyre pressures increase a bit naturally with some heat). This will probably be a little more than what's on your placard, but isn't stupidly or dangerously high.
Avoid anything that causes wind resistance. On the offchance you have roofracks, consider taking them off unless needed.
Minimise weight in the car. Keeping a gym bag on the back seat won't make a difference, but if you have a lot of stuff on board, you should reconsider.
Keep up your servicing. Over-servicing won't help your economy. But conversely, if your engine oil turns to sludge because you've neglected to get it serviced, your engine's going to have to work harder to out put it's power. Some parts of your engine will also fail over time which will increase fuel usage (e.g. your oxygen sensor). Even if you only drive your car occasionally, I'd still be getting it serviced at least yearly.
As others have said, driving smoothly is a good way to temper your fuel usage. One comment I'll add in addition to what's already been said is to watch your following distance. Obviously you are meant to keep at least a 2 second distance between you and the car in front for safety reasons, but it also helps for economy. If you are following the car in front too close, you are going to be braking more (since you are following so closely), and in turn you'll be accelerating more. If you have a bit more space, you won't have to react quite as suddenly, and you won't be on and off the accelerator and brake as much.
Your fuel usage shouldn't be something to get obsessed over though. Ultimately, you just need to maintain your car sensibly and drive sensibly.
Agree about the roof racks. We have a roof rack and basket on our i30 and it uses about 10% more fuel on the highway because of it. I normally take it off when I don't need it because of this.
Regarding tyre pressure, how much is safe to put in above the recommended amount? Would it still be OK to put a little extra in towing a caravan?
As long as you don't go past the number written on the tyre (max PSI) any amount is fine. You will just need to experiment with how much extra you add when you put the caravan on.
occasionally drive for recreation and shopping trips
^These are the highest fuel consumption trips (e.g. short)
Can you elaborate pls?
Most vehicles use the least fuel per km when travelling at a highway speed with no stopping. I'd guess for the Corolla it's around 80kph.
Short trips in high traffic which is what most commutes or trips to the shops are use the most because you're spending a lot of time idling, building momentum (accelerating) and wasting momentum (braking).
So that's a tip, I guess. Go to the shops when the roads are the least busy. Park in a spot near the entrance/exit of the car park and walk.
Learn how to change your own oil and do basic fixes on your car (fill fluids, change wipers, charge a battery, change a wheel, etc). It may be daunting, but most are actually pretty simple once you know what it they are and how it's done. Get a workshop manual for your car for reference, and find someone knowledgeable to teach you. Listen to your car running differently or making noises it shouldn't and visually inspect it regularly.
If you do every second regular oil change yourself then you'll save about $100 each time after consumables (more if you would have taken it somewhere expensive - like a dealer). By doing every second one you're still taking it to a professional to check it over every other time.
Good idea - after buying the few needed tools, doing your own oil changes for $50 instead of paying the dealer $250 will probably save a lot more money than any fuel-saving techniques.
Don't drive for 'recreation'?
Better off playing Gran Turismo?
actually doing the endurance races on GT can teach you about economy.
Instead of pushing hard you can sometimes save a pit stop by shifting early and being a bit easier on the throttle
Fast entry wears front faster, hard acceleration wears rear faster. Lift off early and coast reduces fuel use. Shift earlier also reduces fuel use
Trying to find a balance is fun from a different perspective then just going flat out everywhere
7 eleven app & lock in the price.
Good to see the troll account was perma-banned. Likely a ghost account
Don’t push the pedals hard. The harder you push the accelerator, the more fuel you burn. The harder you push the brake pedal the more of the energy used to accelerate gets turns into heat and brake dust.
Don’t leave roof racks on. Using AC costs more in fuel. Windows open above around 60km/h uses more fuel. Keep your tyres inflated properly. Don’t cart around extra weight needlessly
You don't say if the car is a manual or auto "magic"
different ways of driving to suit each will help achieve better fuel consumption however the length of trip (distance) number of people or goods in the car will make a difference.
In a manual don't try to be a racing car driver, don't wind the car out in every gear just change when you have gotten going and you know its time for the next gear, experience will show you.
In an auto work the gearbox so it can do its job of changing when its designed to change, accelerate smoothly and dont ride the brake
The problem with hunting out the cheapest fuel can be the distance going to get the cheapest fuel and your time. One thing in life you can't get back is time. Only hunt for cheapest fuel within reason.
Get the Waze app. Those speed cameras are brutal and you will save heaps by knowing where they are. Even the best drivers get pinged once in awhile if they drop their guard.
Sit on 90/95kms on freeways instead of hammering through traffic like some P platers, you’ll keep your licence and save fuel
Stay in the middle or left lanes if doing this though, keep the right most lane free for people overtaking. 99% of the time it's jerkoffs wasting their fuel and saving seconds on their journey but you never know when someone's having a genuine emergency.
Yeah there’s nothing worse than a slow poke in the overtaking lane
I'd suggest you move to the left (rather than middle) lane unless you are passing.
Look up Hypermiling.
ditto
Coasting in neutral can be more efficient in certain circumstances. If you're going downhill and want to hold or increase your speed (depending on the inclination), coasting in neutral will be more efficient. By coasting in gear, you hold higher revs with your engine, and waste more energy due to engine friction.
Buy e10 petrol, does the job, don’t need fancy 95.
I find I get less efficiency out of e10. Seems to burn off faster.
That's because ethanol is less energy dense compared to petrol.
Don't do this unless your manufacturer says it's safe, it has been known to corrode fuel lines in some models.
Also some sports cars are tuned to run on 95/98 "premium", OPs Corolla is fine but for others reading this thread it's good to be aware.
7 Eleven have 94 octane E10. My car is recommended to have 95. The car computer makes the necessary adjustments and its saves a heap of money.
+1 for 94 octane e10. Gave me more milage than 98 premium
Download "Petrol Spy" app to check your local area for cheapest reported prices.
Google: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pineconeso…
Apple: https://apps.apple.com/au/app/petrol-spy-australia/id8262548…
If you see a cheap price at 7-Eleven but might not need to fill up, you can lock the price for 7 days using their app.
Google: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=au.com.fuel7el…
Apple: https://apps.apple.com/au/app/my-7-eleven/id1032594453