April 29, 2021
Fuel consumption is a number almost as important as the numbers with dollar signs in front.
Manufacturers know this all too well. Despite cars getting bigger and heavier, fuel consumption has dramatically improved.
For example, Toyota’s popular LandCruiser
| Kerb Weight | Fuel Consumption | Power (kW / Nm) | |
| 1995 LandCruiser | 2270kg | Over 17 L/100km | 118kW of power and 357Nm of torque |
| 2020 LandCruiser | 2640kg | 10.7 L/100km | 200kW / 650Nm of torque |
In other words, the 2020 LandCruiser is 16.3% heavier, 69.5% more powerful but uses 37% less fuel.
The above fuel consumption figures were taken from third-party testers.
But with all these improvements, how far does ‘fuel consumption’ actually go?
Fuel Consumption Winners
We take a look at just how far you could drive from Sydney’s Town Hall in a best case scenario. (ie: minimal traffic, no cargo or passengers, windows up and no A/C… no hills, no stopping… you get the idea)
We’re basing the fuel consumption on manufacturer and average independently claimed results taking city and highway figures into account.
Potential distances per selected vehicles
2020 LandCruiser 200 Series: 1289km
Tesla Model 3 Long Range: 657km
2020 VW Golf 110 TSI TRENDLINE: 877 km
(Wildcard) 2020 Lamborghini Urus: 590km
Volkswagen Passat 1.6 TDI BlueMotion: 2,545.80km (sort of)
Firstly, the 2020 LandCruiser 200 Series: 1289km
With its massive 138L tank and the independent claim of 10.7 l/100km (Toyota pegs it at 9.5 l/100km), you could potentially drive 1289.71km.
From Sydney Town Hall on George St, you could get to Annadale in South Australia on one tank.
What’s Annadale?
Annadale is a remote area located in the Mid Murray region 110km northeast of Adelaide. According to several online sources, Annadale has a population of 44 residents.
Tesla Model 3 Long Range: 657km
The electric car maker claims its popular Model 3 Long Range has a range of 657km. EVs have dramatically increased their range over the last several years and there are a lot of reasons as to why you might be driving one soon.
From Sydney Town Hall on George St, you could get to Whiporie in northern NSW on one full charge.
What’s Whiporie?
According to the 2016 Census, Whiporie had a population of 73 people. The area is known to locals for the Whiporie General Store, a food service distributor.
2020 Ford Ranger XLT: 898km
Ford pegs its mass-selling Ranger XLT at around 8.9 L/100km. The 3.2-litre turbo diesel five-cylinder ute could manage 898km on a single tank.
From Sydney Town Hall on George St, you could get to Rowville, a suburb in the south-eastern area of Melbourne.
What’s Rowville?
Popular with young families, Rowville is located 27 km southeast of Melbourne’s CBD. With its median house price of around $872,000, the suburb offers outdoor activities and easy access to the Dandenong Ranges National Park.
2020 Toyota HiLux SR5: 851km
The mighty Toyota HiLux, the above Ford Ranger’s main rival, has been Australia’s best-selling vehicle since 2016.
The 2.8-litre turbo-diesel powered ute scores around 9.4 L/100km on most independently verified tests, although Toyota claims 7.6 L/100km. We’ll stick with the independent fuel consumption. Like the Ranger, the HiLux has an 80L tank.
That means around 851km on a full tank.
From Sydney Town Hall on George St, you could get to Enngonia in central-northern NSW.
What’s Enngonia?
Known for its history of bushrangers in the mid-1800s, Enngonia is home to the Oasis Hotel/Motel, on the Mitchell Highway. The town is a classic Aussie outback scene with its big skies and flat horizon.
2020 VW Golf 110 TSI TRENDLINE: 877km
The ever-popular VW Golf has seen its share of drivers in Australia from all demographics – p-platers to retired citizens and everyone in between.
Most claims put the Golf at around 5.7 L/100km combined. With its 50L tank, that means 877km.
From Sydney Town Hall on George St, you could get to Ormeau in Queensland.
What’s Ormeau?
Located around 50km south of Brisbane, Ormeau is known for its keen attitude to sports. The town of just under 15,000 people is home to a rugby league and local football (AFL) team.
With its quick access to rural scenery and the nearby coast, Ormeau attracts young families and professionals looking for larger properties.
2021 Hyundai i30: 685km
The i30 has been a huge seller in Australia. In fact, sales of the i30 scored a 35.5% increase when comparing March 2020 and March 2021.
The 2021 i30 is pegged at 7.3 L/100km and has a 50-litre fuel tank which equals 685km.
From Sydney Town Hall on George St, you could get to Blighty, NSW.
What’s Blighty?
Blighty is a small town in central, southern New South Wales. As of the 2016 census, Blighty had a population of 138 residents.
The town features the Blighty Hotel which, at the time of writing, is for sale.
2020 Subaru Forester: 851km
The well-respected family hauling Forester has been Subaru’s popular SUV for years. Although sales have been overshadowed by utes and SUVs from other brands in recent years, the ‘Sooby’ still has a large following.
The 2.5-litre AWD’s fuel consumption is a claimed 7.4 L/100km, which is optimistic if you’re carrying passengers as it’s designed for. The tank holds 63 litres which means 851km in range.
From Sydney Town Hall on George St, you could get to Woodside in Victoria.
What’s Woodside?
Woodside is a town in South-Eastern Victoria near Woodside beach. With its rural coastline, the town is not far from the Reeves Beach CampGround, a popular location for those looking to get off the beaten path.
As per the 2016 census, Woodside had a population of 364 people.
Interesting, was the VLF Transmitter Woodside which was a transmission tower that stood from 1982 to 2015. The mast stood 432 metres tall making it, at one time, the tallest structure in the southern hemisphere.
For those playing at home, Q1 in Surfers Paradise is 323 meters tall.
(Wildcard) 2020 Lamborghini Urus: 590km
Lambo’s entry into the SUV market is the 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 powered Urus. Basically, a supercar dressed as a luxury SUV (what you’d expect from Lamborghini).
If you’re prepared to part ways with over $400k, you’ll get 12.7 L/100km with a tank capacity of 75 litres. That means potentially 590km, again we can’t stress the word ‘potentially’ enough.
From Sydney Town Hall on George St, you could get to Bathurst and complete 63 laps of the Mount Panorama circuit.
The famous track is 6.213km in length and in a 478kW Urus, you’d get to feel like a real Supercar driver.
(Wildcard) An F1 car: 282km
F1 cars are an icon of the car world. Depending on the settings, the average F1 car gets around 46 L/100km. That sounds pretty good but remember their mind-boggling aerodynamics, zero cargo capacity and single driver seat. And, importantly for us, a 110-litre fuel tank (depending on configuration).
That means a range of about 282km in range. Bear in mind that the Albert Park F1 track is just over 5km in length.
From Sydney Town Hall on George St, you could get to Luna Park and back 48.6 times.
Volkswagen Passat 1.6 TDI BlueMotion: 2,545.80km (sort of)
The longest distance recorded on a single tank was 2,545.80 km. The feat was completed in 2011 in Croatia.
The vehicle achieved 3.08 L/100 km as confirmed by the Guinness World Records.
From Sydney Town Hall on George St, you could get just west of Eucla, Western Australia.
What’s Eucla?
The town of Eucla is located 11km inside WA from the SA border. Home to the Eucla Motor Hotel, the town of 53 people welcomes travellers making the trip from Adelaide to Perth and offers some stunning coastline and outback scenery.
Or…
From Sydney Town Hall on George St, you could get the NT – QLD border near Camooweal.
What’s Camooweal?
The outback town of Camooweal is located just inside Queensland, 12km east of the Northern Territory border. Camooweal has a population of 208 people.
The region is home to caves and sinkholes and, interestingly, the Barkly Highway which joins Mount Isa to Camooweal is considered the longest main street in the world, at 188km long.
Is your car’s fuel economy lagging?
You might not want to drive to the places listed above but having a car with excellent fuel consumption can save thousands of dollars.
OnlineLoans.com.au offers fast and affordable car finance arranged all online. Start with a quick quote to see how the simple process can put you behind the wheel of your next car.
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