Toyota wins economy marathon | Car Advice

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Toyota wins economy marathon

By Matt Brogan |

A Toyota Yaris driven by Andrew Andersz and Gary Luton achieved the highest overall fuel economy in the 2008 ALD Fleet World MPG Marathon.

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Seeing off stiff competition and winning Toyota top spot for the third year running, the unmodified Yaris 1.4-litre petrol achieved 84.66 mpg (2.77 litres per 100km), the highest figure attained out of all the 39 vehicles which took part in the 400-mile challenge last week.

The result represented a 34.81 per cent improvement over the official combined consumption figure of 62.8 mpg (3.74 litres per 100km). The cross-Britain route was designed to include all aspects of motoring, with different types of roads and driving conditions.

Winners for the last two years in a Toyota Aygo, James Sutherland and Richard Hill from Peak Performance, recorded the highest overall figure for a petrol engine in their 1.0-litre car with 82.39 mpg (2.85 litres per 100km), improving on the 78.39 mpg (2.99 litres per 100km) they achieved last year in the same vehicle.

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Richard Balshaw, General Manager for Toyota Fleet said “Achieving the highest overall consumption in both diesel and petrol classes has highlighted the efficiency of Toyota engines across the board. With a raft of new models due in the coming year with even stronger fuel efficiency and lower CO2 emissions, Toyota will remain highly competitive in the fleet market.”

Ross Durkin, Publisher of Fleet World added, “It’s not what you drive, but how you drive that makes the difference. Naturally if you drive carefully in a vehicle which is already highly economical you will reap double the benefit, as the performance of the Toyota Yaris in this year’s event clearly demonstrated.”

For further tips on economic driving from CarAdvice’s own Karl Peskett please click here.


 
  • Bret

    Was the Yaris PETROL or DEISEL?

    “Aygo, …. recorded the highest overall figure for a petrol engine in their 1.0-litre car … ”

    Remarkable figures though, pity there’s liitle relevance between this and real world driving, with traffic and a need to actually get somewhere within a reasonable time.

  • Tom

    Didn’t the Z06 win the award for getting the most MPG over its official claim?

  • Jimbo

    Yep the Yaris was a 1.4L Diesel. Good work Toyota. Why do we get so few diesel models in Australia???????

    Diesels like the above maybe slow and not that interesting but as basic transport to and from work and the like they would be brilliant.

  • http://faster DanMan

    Yes i sell these Bug8ers and i wish we had the 1.4 t/diesel and the 1.8 sportivo yaris..

    dont get me started on the 2.2 t/diesel corolla or the 3.5 v6 ‘Blade master’…

    still this is kinda ‘real world’ driving if you read the story.

  • Rob

    Richard Balshaw, General Manager for Toyota Fleet said “Achieving the highest overall consumption…”

    Ummm … shouldn’t that be *lowest* consumption?

  • Carl

    This was definitely a diesel Yaris coz the 1.5 auto yrs petrol we get out here is a real petrol guzzler sucking up around 10 litres around town and 7litres on highway cycle with 2 adults and 1 child!! Toyota has NO plans to bring us the diesel model!!!

  • si1982

    I reckon for the next yaris, Toyota should introduce a 1.4L petrol with the performace of a 1.5L and economy of a 1.3L engine or better please! Also a stop start system would definitely get a lot more people interested in getting this lil buzzbox!
    This is a good car, for the purpose they are built for. I know someone on these forums is going to compare some bigger car with their Nürburgring laptime and some horsepower addict is gonna get their kick by comparing it with some massive v8 and their highway fuel economy, but if someone were to compare apples with apples this car is definitely worth considering.

  • G6ETURBO

    what’s the difference in economy between the 1.3, 1.4 and 1.5l engines in this car? I have a friend looking to buy a similar car and is intrested to know if it’s dollar a day or a week?

  • Carl

    G6ETURBO……make sure you ask someone that owns one and that will be honest with you coz the claimed fuel consumption is no where near the real world consumption, my above fuel consumptions were for a 2006 yrs 1.5 auto 5 door and i got rid of it because the Toyota’s claim was 6.7 litres combined and the ride and seats are awfully hard!! Also it started getting a loud and annoying squeak in the air/heater blower and i don’t even want to think how bad the Thailand Toyota’s are going to be for build quality coz mine was still a Jap built one!

  • http://faster DanMan

    Carl

    get it fixed under warranty..
    Seats depend on your size not theirs…
    Fuel economy is dependent upon where you live and the way you drive..

  • http://davidcapel.co.uk Wispy

    Bret didnt you read what james brayshaw from toyoda said it is the petrol mode and he also sai

  • realcars

    Interesting to know who the competition was.

  • Bret

    DabMan, this is NOT real world driving, it is an economy competition, run over real roads. But these drivers are driving to get max milage not to actually get anywhere within a reasonable timeframe.

    Wispy, I did read what Richard Balshaw said: he mentioned both petrol AND deisel, but the two cars on the main body oft the story are both stated as being petrol, and both winning. Clearly there is a error somewhere in there.

  • Carl

    Danman, Better still i sold the peice of crap and bought a big comfortable car on LPG i’m so happy now, last week drove to melbourne with 4 adults and a 4 year old and spent under 90 litres each way of LPG at 50.9 cents in melbourne and 58,9 in Sydney…..beat that petrol Yaris!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • realcars

    Anyway the Yaris is a nasty/UGLY little puss box. It would want to be economical.LOL.

    Only redeeming feature.LOL.

    The faux wet suit material on the seat and door trims befits the Yukis moniker.LOL

    Speedo in the middle of the dash.

    Toyota have outdone themselves with this.LOL

  • G6ETURBO

    Carl Says:
    October 14th, 2008 at 4:25 pm
    G6ETURBO……make sure you ask someone that owns one and that will be honest with you coz the claimed fuel consumption is no where near the real world consumption, my above fuel consumptions were for a 2006 yrs 1.5 auto 5 door and i got rid of it because the Toyota’s claim was 6.7 litres combined and the ride and seats are awfully hard!! Also it started getting a loud and annoying squeak in the air/heater blower and i don’t even want to think how bad the Thailand Toyota’s are going to be for build quality coz mine was still a Jap built one!

    Thanks Carl.. I’ll give her those figures as a worst case scenario and -1L/100km for the 1.3L.

  • Frontman

    would like to have seen how the Econetic Ford diseasels would have gone, have tried to find out what else was in the competition but can’t find a full list anywhere. Notice though the the all conquering Prius didn’t win :-)

    The only vehicles I can find mention to in this challenge have been the above Toyota’s and a Berlingo??? Sounds fair.

  • http://davidcapel.co.uk Wispy

    can’t see hirdy or loydy from the might bombers driving a yaris even if it was black and red go the MIGHT BOMERS 2009!!!111

  • AC COBRA

    Toyoda sux, too many unnecessary adverts CA, there are better economy cars out there in the real world, its just Toyoda test by themselfs with no competition, very sad indeed,,, Toyo sux………..

  • AC COBRA

    Also CA, who was the competition, where are the other car’s tested, this just another sponser stint for the overrated whitegood’s, cardigan wearing community, ugly Toyo sux……..

  • Carl

    G6ETURBO….Your welcome, if your friend wants real economy in that size she might have to try a small diesel like a VW Polo,Peugeot 207,Citroen C3 or for a slightly larger but more frugal than a Prius maybe a Hyundai i30 diesel, But if she must have petrol a Mazda 2 or new 2009 Ford fiesta will kick some Yaris butt!!

    Cheers and Good luck!!

  • Phill

    WOW the big T has won a race,see heres the formula,Boring race big T wins,exciting race(F1)big T can’t win,can’t win

  • Andrew M

    if you go along gently in my falcon, it reports 3L/100k, but who wants to prod along like that all day.

    the time in dollars lost in productivity in you taking longer to get where you had to be would far out weigh the fuel cost saved in putting along like a pansy.

    it is also illegal to drive in this manner.
    they would have had to have permission to drive in this manner hance all the safety signage and i assume escort vehicles too.

    line them all up and heading off on the same route at the same time doing the speed limit would have more value than the way this was performed

  • realcars

    Probably get an i30 diesel for less as well given Toyota inventive pricing.

  • http://porsche Millatime

    I thought Prius was supposed to save the planet!?!

    Just shows the Prius should be renamed the Useless.

    Did Toyota just inadvertantly shoot themselves in the foot??

  • http://www.CleanMPG.com Wayne Gerdes

    Hi All:

    Congrats to both Andrew and Gary as they proved to be worthy drivers no matter what the detractors say!

    Good Luck

    Wayne Gerdes – Owner/ Admin http://www.CleanMPG.com