Ford Falcon XR8 vs Holden Commodore SS AFM fuel economy challenge
Leaving Melbourne on an early, and slightly chilly autumn morning, our destination is Tarcutta, NSW.
The reason behind our choice is that the small farming town sits exactly halfway between Melbourne and Sydney on one of the busiest major highways in the world – the Hume.
Historically, this town was once a change over point for interstate truckies traveling the long road between our two largest capital cities, but with progress being what it is, Tarcutta will be bypassed within the next few years.
But, we digress.
The rationale behind this destination is that by driving up and back will approximate the same scenario as driving Melbourne to Sydney, a datum roadtest for fuel economy, but with the added bonus we all end up back in our own beds after the trip.
Our first stretch takes us from Melbourne’s busy CBD and sees us quickly on to a network of freeways before climbing the Great Divide on the Hume Highway to our first driver change point, a quarter of the way to Sydney, in Glenrowan, Victoria.
Old Ned might have got away if he’d been in a V8 but he was 130-years too early!
6AM will see our departure from South Yarra in Melbourne. Unlike other publications which have gone for unrealistic measures to save on fuel (folding mirrors, taping gaps and accelerating slow than the speed of walk) we will simulate real world driving conditions which everyday people like you and us would partake.
The most technologically advanced part of this trip will be our live GPS updates and live video crosses throughout the day. Tune in to our live video feeds at: 6AM - South Yarra. 9:35AM - Glenrowan. 1PM - Tarcutta. 7:30PM - South Yarra.
You will be able to chat to us LIVE via the video feed at these times. If you have any questions in between these times, simple post them as comments and we will answer them with each live cross. We will also be logging our entire route throughout the day with the VBOX, that will go online with our conclusion article.