Holden & Ford most petrol-hungry

By Alborz Fallah | July 20th, 2008

The federal government has released its Green Vehicle Guide online, naming and shaming a variety of popular vehicles for their average fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.

The Holden Commodore has been named as the most “petrol-hungry” of Australia’s big-selling cars, closely followed by its rival, the Ford Falcon.

“More than ever, it’s important to consider not only the car’s ticket price but also its ongoing running and environmental costs,” Transport Minister Anthony Albanese said.

On average, a Holden Commodore will cost $2430 in petrol to run per year and will put out 3.8 tonnes of carbon dioxide doing so. The Ford Falcon does the same distance costing $2272 in fuel and releasing 3.6 tonnes of carbon dioxide.

The most surprising news however, was the Mazda 3, which came third, costing $1845 in petrol. Meanwhile Australia’s most popular car, the Toyota Corolla came fourth with a $1672 yearly petrol cost.

Out of all the cars tested, the Green Vehicle Guide recommends the Toyota Yaris as the cheapest option for getting around (not including hybrids). The Yaris costs $1350 a year.

The Prius was the cheapest hybrid car to run, with a total bill $990 in fuel each year. CO2 emissions for the ‘revolutionary’ Prius where half of the Commodore’s at 1.6 tonnes of carbon dioxide.

For more information you can check out the Green Vehicle Guide at www.greenvehicleguide.gov.au (which ironically, is currently off-line with “Server too busy” errors).

CarAdvice recently conducted a fuel economy test with a new VE SS Commodore to find out if the era of big V8s is coming to an end. The results will be released before the end of next week.

realcars

Another dumb arse Government compilation that leaves many vehicles available off the list. Should suit multitudes out there that have to be taught how to wipe their bums.

Gee a Commodore uses more fuel than a Corolla who would have thought.
Drac

Funny… I have been driving in “economy mode” (ie. taking off smoothly from the lights, driving consistently at decent RPMs on the highway, smoothing out movement in traffic) in my 5sp manual 2.0l Mazda3 and my fuel economy as calculated last week was 6.36l/100k. Yep, that is over 800km from a single tank.

I think people need to be taught how to drive economically…
Richo

Drac, not doubting your “economy mode” driving, but still, to get that result you would have to be doing alot of open road driving. Not necessarily highway, but certainly alot of roads with few traffic lights and reletively clean runs. Either that or you live in a semi-country or country area. Regardless it’s not really representative of what would be acheivable for those living in the city. The thing that kills fuel economy the most is standing stationary and accelerating from traffic lights. Doesn’t matter how smoothly you do it, if you have to do alot of this then 6.36l/100km is just not acheivable in a mazda 3.
Richo

infact, its quite annoying when people come on things like this and say “oh yeah well i get 8.0l/100km out of my V8 commodore on my daily drive to work” convieniantly leaving out the bit where their “daily drive to work” is down the highway where pretty much any car get acheive results under 10l/100km (well any car except my ’89 nissan patrol…)
Tomas79

Now that its official, will the government as a result of this finding, exchange it’s current fleet of vehicles for a more fuel efficient set??
realcars

Did nearly 1000klms yesterday in my Egas Au and used 12.8 litres/100klms over the run with 250,000klms on the odometer.

With petrol at 1.65 and LPG at 62 cents puts it pretty close to the Mazda 3 on a cost basis.
realcars

Yes Thomas69 I bet u were waiting for confirmation that a Corolla uses less fuel than a Commodore.
Tomas79

Realcars, was it your fortnightly ride to the “big smoke” to cash in your dole cheque and pick up a few cartons and smokes??
Tomas79

Realcars, wtf would i care about corolla? Not everyone has one brand tunnel vision, like you!!
Spitfire

It is a bit rich for the politicians to be telling us what we should and should not be driving when the majority of them drive Falcadores, paid for by the taxpayer of course. A case in point the former member for Eden Monaro, before he was sacked by the voters used to swan around in a Toyota Prado. And of course Kevin Rudd used to swan around in a Ford Territory until the media embarrassed him. Bloody hypocrites.

And Tomas79 dont hold your breath for the politicians to change their vehicles. Bloody social engineers.
Spitfire

Oh and another thing, it is my money and I will spend it any damn way I like.
realcars

No Thomas it was my monthly trip to my weed plot.LOL.

Actually had to do some repairs on my sea change rental.

Pretty cheap motoring though. Don’t u agree?
Wheelnut

The Government ministers chauffeur driven cars cars are operated through a private Fleet Management Company known as ComCars – their fleet is predominantly made up of Stesmans and a few [previous model] Fairlanes.. Its up to Com Cars as to what cars they order for clients like the Gummint to lease off of them..

Because there are so many ministers on both sides of parliament [both state and federal] they require a considerable niumber of Ministerial Vehicles.
I strongly doubt that there would be another Major Fleet Management company willing to provide so many cars on the basis that they are also expected to be on call virtually 24 hours a day for the ministers and their advisory staff

Not to mention one that would be able willing to spend so much on ordering/purchasing/maintaining so many Priii [plural] that would be required to service the governments needs

Even though its quite a lucrative contract – which if the government tried to change or get out of would most likely cost taxpayers thousands.. [as like most government contracts have "escape clauses" which mostly favour the private company not the government]

Oh and then theres the fact that these Limos often carry ministers their advisors and other dignitaries with all their luggage etc considerable distances which I doubt would fit in a Compact vehicle like a Prius
Wheelnut

What’s even more ironic is the fact that there are a number of ministers [state and federal] who don’t even hold a drivers licence – in particular transport ministers
realcars

Make the bludgers walk!
DW

Just a quick one, yes understand that a commodore and falcon use more than a carolla and 3 well duh, but complaining that governments buy and drive australian made cars is ludacris. would you prefer that they all bought a prius? rather than say an Egas G6 or converted commodore? seriously how stupid is it for kevin rudd to bite the bullet and change from a territory to a imported jap car. why not go for local technology and boost awareness of gas being a cheaper option.
Tomas79

Yep, for once i agree with Realcars, make them walk, a few of them sure do look like they need it!! Or how about using the public transport system, they would like us to use so much??!!
PoisonEagle

I hate how the media is trying to cannibalise Ford and Holden. They(falc and commo) both get acceptable economy and are capable of mile-wide grins around bends. Bogan cars they may have been once, but now they are a cut price BMW alternative, engineered more wholesomely than alot of other cars. If they use a little bit more fuel every week, thats money well spent in my book. If you are a victim of media hysteria then go and buy something anonymous like the faceless sheep you are.
Tomas79

Yeah i agree the hybrids are a falls economy, but why do they really need a v8? I reckon a two seat scooter, or medium size – small car would do them right in most cases!!
Carl

Stupid survey using sticker fuel consumption figures instead of real world figures…….everyone with half a brain knows that Toyota fuel consumption claims are totally unachievable!!! And what about the i30 diesel why didn’t that get a look in???

Sounds like a moron wrote this!!!
Joober

They should be driving gogo mobils…

Getting Server too busy errors trying to open the link…
realcars

I want an XA Falcon GT.

There I said it.
http://integra Car 1

My FG XR6 is more economical than the Toyota Camry my wife drives. Not only that it is one of the best driving experiences you can have. I dont know why more people dont buy large cars because compared to medium and some small cars they cost less to run over a long period. Dont believe all these so called expert surveys because in the real world they are irrevelevant. I averaged 8.5 litres per 100k with four people and some luggage on board and the car is not run in yet. Try that in a Corrolla…….
sam

The new Honda Jazz due some time in the next 6 – 12 months will be the trick. Also as hybrids get better electric engines and smaller petrol ones, they will become more and more relevant and competitive. Until then, its my trusty 0 year old corolla still going strong and drinking less than 7 litres per 100 km on the highway and 8.8 in the city.
topdog

Yes thats true what car 1 said my freinds next door got new falcon and its unreal thay recone it uses less fuel than there camry which thay had to give back when thay changed jobs I think the new falcon is good Good on ford for improving it on fuel and driving enjoyment something the camry will never do full stop
Al Juraj

Yeah the Camry has a listed 9.9l/100km consumption, same as the Aurion. In that regard, the BMW 335i turbo, which has almost twice the power, surprisingly asks for less petrol at 9.5l/100km. We rented one Altise before and it seemed to use just as much fuel as the 3.0 Magna, which is only 4-speed and without variable valve timing. It\’s pretty odd since Toyotas are known to be more economical than others.
TDi

Hey! Car1 How many times do you carry 4 people and some luggage on board in a month?
VW_Freak

If any car should be put to shame, it should be the Camry. For a mid-size 4 cylinder sedan, it’s bloody thirsty! Shame on you Toyboata!
Richo

thanks Car 1 for proving my point from earlier on. It’s pointless boasting about how good your car is with fuel economy when you’ve only been driving it on the highway. Take your XR6 into the city and i guarantee your figures will blow out to 12L/100km+
Fenno

My RX8 uses 12litres+….
Take that environment!
The Axe

Wow! Falcon costs a grand total of $11.54 per week to run than a Toyota Corolla!!! Jeez I’m selling my big petrol guzzler for a Corolla..

That’s $11.54 for a safer car with Stability control, better brakes, power to overtake when required, bigger boot, ability to sit 5 in confort. No need to go on I think.
The government is at it again with irrelevant reports to please the green vote.
The Axe

LOL! At Fenno.
alec

Trust the government to contribute to the downfall of our local industry.
Sam

Gees The Axe $11.54 is a lot to ask to be able to overtake. Try overtaking at 130 km/h in a Corolla… come back next week and try again. I think I would also spend the extra money for those features. And for those who say “oh the Commodore only has a four-start crash rating, but the Corolla has a five” I would rather be in a larger, slightly “less safe” car than a small supposedly more safe Corolla in an accident. In a head on collision a Commodore would come out on top.
http://integra Car 1

TDi…. I dont know about you but I have friends and we go away every second or third weekend to the country or interstate so i have people and luggage on board quite a bit. We take the new FG XR6 instead of my mates commodore because its in another league in economy and comfort and performance. Without people and luggage its even better than 8.5 l\100k. A Corrolla with 4 people and luggage would be lucky to get anywhere let alone be economical at the same time !!!!
http://integra Car 1

Richo……..you are a tool. I drive my car normally and never do hard take offs and my economy is nowhere near 12 l\100………smooth driving is the secret to good city economy and the FG is is very very good. If i had to sit stationary in traffic for 5 hours a day I wouldnt want to drive my car anyway…….
alec

Finally able to view the link & what a ridiculous set of figures!!! I don’t care how they worked out the points system but the question is……

How the hell did a Camry and Aurion rate higher that a Mazda 3, Ford Focus, Mazda 2 etc etc etc when the camry’s consumption is up to 3 litres more per 100km than these smaller cars.

Also how is the Aurion 4 start vs the Falcon 3???
Is 0.5 litres worth a full star???????

Doubt it
Richo

Car 1, i am not a tool, you are the one who is trying to make out you get 8.5l/100km out of your XR6t without admiting that you get these figures doing mainly open road driving. Hey if where you live in a location that allows you to do predominantly open road driving then good luck to you, but clearly as you stated you had a car full of luggage and with 4 on board indicates that you where on holidays and therefore on the highway. So offcourse you got good fuel economy. My point remains that if you drive your FG in city traffic a more realistic figure will be 12l. If your lucky enough to not live in the city and therefore you don’t have to put up with city traffic then that’s great for you, but most of the population DOES live in the city and in the city 8.5L/100km out of a falcon, or commodore, or magna, or aurion, whatever, its just not a realistic figure. That’s the point I was making, if that makes me a tool Car1, then I guess I’m a snapon.
Richo

Car 1 you do realise that pretty much ANY car will get good economy on the open road yeah? My V6 magna use to pull around 7.5-8L/100km on the highway, but in the city it used around 13L/100km, and that was using the exact same driving style i used on the highway. Thats the point i was trying to make.
alec

Richo,
While I agree with what you are saying, majority of the car reviewers are achieving under 10l/100km for the FG when driving in city conditions. And are stating how surprised they have been with the economy.
These include Wheels, Motor, Herald Sun and other online publications.
Richo

Alec, wheels got 12.3 from memory from the XR6t
Richo

I’m just going off memory there though Alec, quite happy to be corrected by someone who has the mag in front of them.
alec

Richo, I have that issue & I think that was correct for the turbo in wheels, I was more thinking of the Nat-Atmo versions though.
But I think in that article they did mention they still gave it a bit so 12.3 is still pretty good I would say.
Richo

yep Alec not dissagreeing that the FG is very good for a big aussie 6 in terms of fuel economy, infact its very good full stop! But having people claiming 8.5L/100km without disclosing how they acheived such a figure, ie highway driving, is very missleading. And thats what i was trying to say
The Axe

I’m now driving a 5spd auto G6 with factory 19inch wheels, Sat Nav and Technology pack. And so far with an odo of 1000km and city driving only too and from work I average 11.8l/100km.

Now while that seems “highish” compared to Corolla etc, they are real city figures. I have a child seat in the back seat, a pram in the boot along with my big umbrella plus CD collection in the front.
Considering all that and with only just on 1000km, I think that is brilliant.
I will not be able to sit 2 people either side of the child seat (which I do on a regular basis), have room in the boot despite the pram and take the wife, son and inlaws out to the blue mountains like I do every other week in a Corolla or Mazda 3.
If I was a single bloke, I still wouldn’t be caught dead in a Corolla or Yaris. I’d probably look at a Mazda 3, Golf, Focus, and even a i30.
But that is just my choice.
George

Stupid report.

Holden and Ford should actually be commended for the supurb fuel economy on 91 RON considering the size of the cars. If Aussie motorists stopped bitching about fuel prices maybe Holden/Ford could tune cars for 95RON+ and implement things like Direct Injection. Then maybe we could enjoy european figures like BMW’s 530i which does combined 7.7l/100km albeit on Premium.

Bang for buck, Commodore/Falcon/Aurion are the best big sedans in the world.
alec

The FG has been setup with dual knock sensors to run on 91,95 & 98 octane with power and apparent economy increases when using those premium fuels
2tow

My maxima always gets 10 to 11 per 100 around town all the time no matter how i seem to drive it.Its great on fuel for big lux sedan
Richo

i use 98 octane in my lancer and i do notice a difference in its performance and fuel economy. Not sure if its because it has dual knock sensors like the FG or if its just tuned that way to begin with, but it’s a good enough reason for me to keep using it.
Richo

oh btw usually get around 9-9.5L/100km out of my ’08 lancer, which is done through heavy morning and afternoon traffic driving too and from work. When i drive it normally i get around 8L/100km and on the highway between high 6 and low 7L/100km
Richo

Axe – right on mate! Thats why i think a big aussie 6 is STILL the best form of family transportation! I just couldn’t afford the purchase price but the lancer is a nice alternative, still room enough for 3 plus a baby seat and the boot easily swallows our pram, so that’ll do!
George

dual knock sensors are one thing but direct injection would mean absolutely no 91, unless there is an emergency.
Andrew M

i am now “Dumber” for having heard this report on the radio this morning

basiclly i agree with all those laughing at the surprise of a corolla running for less then a falcon,

and also agree with those asking why to trade 2L/100k for the loss of safety, comfort, power, enjoyment.

its like buying homebrand baked beans and convincing yourself they are exactlly the same

one question though,
why wasnt the E-Gas falcons fuel costs listed?
and didnt you people know that most of the fleet falcons are E-gas models?
perhaps its best we not educate the public that a falcon can run for less than a corolla……SSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

i easily get 15 L/100k out of my E-gas falcon towing 1 tonne of gear around, and with speeds rarely over 60 kmh.

on the Hway and un loaded its hello to an easily achievable 10L range.
Realcars,
ill answer your question for Tomas,
yes i agree you make for pretty economical motoring over there
Glen

A corolla is only $600 a year cheaper to fuel up than a Falcon??? Thats less than $2 a day.
http://Citroen Boggy

I agree .. Falcon is in every way a far better car than a Corolla for such a big country.. All those benefits for less coin than a take away coffe a day, and the money stays in oz keeping locals employed.
Tomas79

Andrew M, Thanks for answering for me, but i too had 4.0L Petrol/LPG Vehicle. The Problem was the LPG totally stuffed up the petrol fuel system. It clogged up the injectors, and when running on petrol caused the motor to severely shutter. Similar things started to occur on a mates old falcon, once he fitted a gas system to it. A backfire also broke apart his filter box. And the 60L gas tank could barely last 300km, when going down south. Offroad, i could empty a whole 60L fuel tank within a hour!! Sure the lpg, might be significantly cheaper, but it also Burns 2 or 3 as much under load!!

But I do agree with “why wasnt the E-Gas falcons fuel costs listed”