Honda Jazz:media's choice for fuel-efficient car

Interesting read on the wheelsmodo.com/ site.
The Honda Jazz is the undisputed choice among the motoring media in the area of fuel efficiency and functionality for three years in a row. During the 2010 Auto Focus People’s Choice Awards night held at the Valle Verde Country Club, the Honda Jazz was recognized as the Most Fuel Efficient (under gasoline class) and Most Functional Cabin vehicle under the media’s choice category. The Auto Focus Media’s Choice category gives honor to automotive players with high quality products that provide best amenities, safety features and ride comfort.
Revolutionizing the concept of small cars, the Honda Jazz has outdone competition in terms of interior space and functionality with its versatile ULTRA seats. Powered by the i-VTEC engine, the Jazz also delivers outstanding fuel economy without sacrificing power output. Packed with numerous innovative technologies, it is no surprise that the Honda Jazz has gained worldwide popularity that reaches cumulative sales of over 3.5 million units since its debut in 2001.

Isuzu Crosswind runs 1,190 km on 1 full tank

Isuzu Crosswind runs 1,190 km on 1 full tank

By ANJO PEREZ

August 6, 2010, 9:30am

IPC senior vice president Art Balmadrid and Isuzu Isabela branch manager Marissa Mijares flag off the Crosswind for the second leg of the Isuzu Challenge.

An Isuzu Crosswind filled with 55 liters (one full tank) of Caltex diesel fuel was able to travel a distance of 1,190 kilometers during the second leg of the Isuzu Challenge which ran from Isabela to Quezon last July 13.
Isuzu Philippines Corp. just concluded the second leg of the Isuzu Challenge, wherein a stock Crosswind XL ran a total of 1,190 kilometers on just one full tank of Caltex Diesel w/ Techron D.
Driven by Domingo Escarieses and navigated by Anthony Pegarro, both of the Automobile Association of the Philippines (AAP), the Isuzu Crosswind which is powered by a 2.5-liter 4JA1-L turbodiesel engine, took off at 8 a.m. from the Isuzu dealership in Isabela along the Maharlika Highway.
With a gross vehicle weight of 2,180 kilograms, the Crosswind passed through Cagayan, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, and Tarlac all the way to Southern Luzon before stopping in Quezon.
The Crosswind finally ran out of fuel in San Isidro, Tagcauayan, in Quezon after traveling a total distance of 1,190 kilometers for an average fuel consumption of 21.64 kilometers per liter of diesel fuel.
The result was verified by Rommel Millora, director of both Transport and Traffic Consultants Inc. and the Transportation Science Society of the Philippines.
“This run proves once again that the Isuzu Crosswind is the most fuel-efficient vehicle in its class,” said IPC President Ryoji Yamazaki. “With the proper driving techniques, the Crosswind is very much capable of yielding such fuel mileage even in real-world driving conditions.”
At the same time, IPC confirmed that a contestant who joined the Isuzu Challenge Guessing Game correctly guessed the mileage and won for himself a brand-new Crosswind unit.
The winner of the guessing contest — 27-year-old Ryan Dexter Pinpin Dizon from Angeles City, Pampanga — is a loyal Isuzu customer. Prior to joining the Isuzu Challenge promo, he had been an owner of an Isuzu Hi-Lander and only recently bought a new Crosswind Sportivo. By guessing the exact total mileage of 1,190 kilometers, Dizon won a brand-new and tax-free Crosswind unit.
The third and last round of the Isuzu Challenge, featuring a D-Max pickup, is scheduled to run on Oct. 20. The person who can guess the exact mileage or the closest without going over of this run will win a brand-new D-Max unit. The guessing period will be from July 14 to Oct. 19. Contestants may register and submit their guess on the promo website www.isuzudieselmission.com.ph.
The Isuzu Challenge is sponsored by Caltex Diesel with Techron D and Freego Jeans, supported by JVC, AVT, Centro Manufacturing Corp., Home Depot, Smartlink, Matabungkay Beach Resort, Monde Nissin Corp., and Magnolia Fruit Drink Health Tea Beverages.

Link to the original article is here

Gas Saving Tips

The price of gasoline increases everyday, and it doesn't stop. It continues to rise even as you read this article. However, there are gas saving tips that you can do to be able to save some money and maximize your use of gasoline.

Buy your gas first thing in the morning or late at night. Gas is denser at a cooler temperature. You will be getting more for your money when you stock up your gas in the morning or late at night than stocking up during the day.

Compare gas prices within your community and look for the one that offers the best value for your money. Here's a hint - you can check gas prices online. This way you will not need to drive out just to compare prices in your area. This will surely help you save some gas, too, right?

Keep your car well-maintained. Cars in top condition do not consume too much fuel. Tune your car regularly so that your fuel consumption will be reduced by 20 percent. Always check the condition of the tires, too. Make sure they are inflated and aligned properly. Under inflated tires will increase your fuel consumption by 6 percent. Another important parts of your car that need to be monitored are your oil and air filters. They need to be changed regularly in order to keep your car running smoothly. The overall health of your car greatly influences your gas consumption.

When driving, always stay within the speed limits. If you are driving too slowly, you will consume a lot more gas. If possible, you should sometimes use overdrive. This will help save fuel as well as improve the wear on your car engine. When you go out, make a list of all your errands so that you will be able to get all of them done in one go. Remember that you consume too much fuel if you keep on cold starting your car engine.

These are just a few gas saving tips that will help you save money and maximize your fuel stock. Gas prices are increasing to ridiculously high prices these days and of course, it is important to save money whenever you can.

About The Author

Luke Cameron is owner of Auto News Inc. - an online magazine offering news, tips and articles on automotive related topics. His website can be found at: http://www.autonewsinc.com

Most fuel-efficient cars

This list is lifted from thethe supercars website. It would be interesting if such configuration would be affordable to the masses in the Philippines.

Best Gas Mileage Cars - Top 10 List:
1. Toyota Prius: 48 City/45 Hwy, Base Price: $21,100. 1.5-liter, 16-Valve VVT-i 4-Cylinder engine with 110 hp, 0-60 in 9.8 secs. The most fuel efficient car on the market is the Toyota Prius, also the most demanding car in the U.S. Most dealers will charge you an extra $2000 for this car because it is rare and Toyota just doesn’t make enough of it yet. A small sedan, but roomy enough for 5 and it is perfect for those that drive over 100 miles a day to work.

2. Honda Civic Hybrid: 40 City/45 Hwy, Base Price: $22,600. 1.3-liter, 8-Valve, SOHC, i-VTEC® 4-Cylinder engine with 110 hp, 0-60 in 11.3 secs. Second on the list is a Honda Civic Hybrid, perfect for those Honda's fans that hate the Toyota Prius. 5 seats sedan with an electric motors, allowing you to save money on gasoline.

3. Smart for Two: 33 City/41 Hwy, Base Price: $11,590. 1.0-liter 3-cylinder runs on high-priced premium fuel with only 70 hp. Small, affordable 2-seat car that has a small engine, capable of saving you a lot of money.

4. Volkswagen Jetta TDI: 29 City/40 Hwy, Base Price: $20,000. 2.0-liter, 4-Cylinder diesel engine with 140 hp. Run on clean diesel and it is expected to hit the U.S. market by August 2008; the 2009 VW Jetta TDI actual performances may vary.

5. Nissan Altima Hybrid: 35 City/33 Hwy, Base Price: $25,170. 2.5-liter, 4-cylinder gas engine with 158 horsepower. A midsize sedan made for the Nissan lovers; a bit sportier than most hybrids.

6. Toyota Camry Hybrid: 33 City/34 Hwy, Base Price: $25,350. 2.4-liter, 4-cylinder with 192-horsepower, reaching 0-60 in 8.9 secs. If you love the original Camry, then you should try the Camry Hybrid because it has better fuel economy and it can be a big saver after a few years.

7. Ford Escape Hybrid (tie): 34 City/30 Hwy, Base Price: $26,640. 2.3-liter, 4-cylinder with 155 hp. Along with 2 other SUV, The Ford Escape Hybrid is the most fuel efficient SUV in the world.

Mazda Tribute Hybrid (tie): 34 City/30 Hwy, Base Prices: $25,310 . 2.3-liter, 4-cylinder with 155 horsepower. If you want an SUV that can save you money on gasoline, why not get this Mazda?

Mercury Mariner Hybrid (tie): 34 City/30 Hwy, Base Price: $26,955 . 2.3-liter, 4-cylinder and 155 horsepower. A small SUV that can be a little pricey, but it will make up for it cost in the long run.

8. Toyota Yaris vs Toyota Corolla. Which Toyota vehicle would you rather own? The Yaris is definitely a better buy, but it is smaller than the average sedan and it functionality is very limited.
Toyota Yaris: 29 City/35 Hwy, Base Price: $11,350.

Toyota Corolla: 28 City/37 Hwy, Base Price: $15,250.

9. Mini Cooper: 28 City/37 Hwy, Base Price: $18,700. Engines: 118hp 1.6 L I4. A small vehicle that can also be purchased as a convertible.

10. Honda Fit vs Ford Focus vs Honda Civic. Which do you prefer out of these 3 cars? All 3 cars are under $16,000 and they will get you around 30-miles per gallon of gas.
Honda Fit: 28 City/34 Hwy, Base Price: $13,950.

Ford Focus: 24 City/35 Hwy, Base Price: $14,395

Honda Civic: 26 City/34 Hwy, Base Price: $15,010

Special Car - Honda Civic GX (run on natural gas): 24 City/36 Hwy, Base Price: $24, 590. 113-hp, 1.8-Liter, 16-Valve, SOHC i-VTEC® 4-cylinder engine. This is probably the most fuel efficient car because natural gasoline costs less than $1.00 a gallon. However, this isn't on the top 10 list because it is currently only available in NY and CA and it is very limited. You probably won't find a natural gas pump at your regular gas station, that is why Honda sells an at home pump you can plug into your home's natural gas line. A full tank (8 gallons) can travels approximately 170 miles and fueling stations are very limited; make sure to plan your trip correctly if you own a Civic GX.

Suzuki Alto -most fuel efficient car in the philippines

Based on the latest DOE fuel eco run to determine the most fuel-trifty car, Suzuki Alto tops the result.

The ranking is

The top 10 fuel misers are:
1) Suzuki Alto 0.8L MT Gas – P1.38/km (34 km per liter)
2) Hyundai Getz 1.5L MT Diesel – P1.82/km (25.22 km/liter)
3) Hyundai Accent 1.5L MT Diesel – P1.97/km (23.38 km/liter)
4) Mercedes Benz C-180K 1.8L AT Gas – P2.07/km (22.70km/liter)
5) Toyota Vios 1.3L MT Gas – P2.08/km-(22.67 km/liter)
6) Ford Focus 2.0L MT Diesel – P2.15/km (21.39km/liter)
7) Kia Picanto 1.1 AT Gas – P2.18/km (21.60 km/liter)
8) BMW 320D 2.0L AT Diesel – P2.24/km (20.53 km/liter)
9) Isuzu DMAX Lt 4x2 2.5L MT Diesel – P2.24/km (20.57 km/liter)
10) Isuzu Alterra 4x2 3.0L MT diesel – P2.37/km (19.44 km/liter)

The top 10 gas users are:
1) Volvo XC70 3.2L AT Gas – P4.26/km (11.05 km/liter)
2) Suzuki SGX 1.6 AT Gas – P3.77/km (12.48km/liter)
3) Mitsubishi Outlander 2.4L AT Gas – P3.70/km (12.73 km/liter)
4) Ford Escape 2.3L AT Gas – P3.68/km (12.78 km/liter)
5) BMW X5. 30d 3.0L AT Diesel – P3.65/km (12.60 km/liter)
6) Mitsubishi Montero 3.2L AT Diesel – P3.52/km (13.05 km/liter)
7) Suzuki APV GA 1.6L MT Gas – P3.42/km (13.78km/liter)
8) Ssangyong Stavic 2.7L AT Diesel – P3.33/km (13.82 km/liter)
9) Mitsubishi Lancer EX 2.0L AT Gas – P3.28/km (14.37km/liter)
10) Ford Everest 2.5L AT Diesel – P3.27/km (14.07 km/liter)


See news report here.

How to measure your car's fuel consumtion

Fuel consumption is normally expressed in terms of MPG (miles per galloon) , L/100km, or km/liter. In the Philippines, where I come from, we express it in terms of km/L.

1. Fill up your fuel tank.  Fill up your tank to the first click-off and reset the trip odometer to zero.
   
   
2. . Drive to your destination.    
3. Drive normally until the tank is less than half full.
4. Fill up the tank again (preferably at the same station using the same pump as pumps may be calibrated differently). This time, pay attention to how many gallons/liters it takes to fill up the tank. This is usually shown at the pump.
5. Take note of the odometer reading 
6. Divide your answer (odometer reading) by the number of gallons it took to fill up your tank. This will give you your car's MPG. or if you want it in km/liter, divide the odometer reading by the total liters being pumped.

Tips on how to drive and consume less fuel

I have been browsing through the internet in search for ideas on how to drive with lesser fuel consumption and I got this on Wikihow.

How To Increase Fuel Mileage on a Car

1. Plan your trips. Keep lists of needs that will require a trip and try to accomplish multiple objectives with each. This will not increase your fuel mileage (the number of miles your car moves for each gallon of gas), but it will help you drive less (which, in turn, means you use less gas).

2. Lighten your load. Get the lightest car that will serve your needs. Weight is one of the biggest causes for loss of kinetic energy in non hybrid cars. If you're not shopping for cars, then take any extra weight off of the one you're already driving. If seats that you don't use can be removed, take them out. If you use your trunk as a storage space for heavy things, find another place for them. An extra 100 pounds increases fuel consumption by 1-2%.

3. When you fill up with gas, fill up completely and try and keep your tank above one third full. If your fuel runs low, the engine might not receive a steady supply of gas (since it will splash around while you're driving and it might momentarily splash away from the tube that leads gas out of the tank). Not having a steady supply of gas will make your engine less efficient. The benefits of having a full tank will outweigh the drawbacks of having the added weight.

4. Slow down. The faster you move, the harder your engine has to work to push through the wind. Speeding can reduce fuel efficiency by up to 33%.
5. Use cruise control. In most situations, using your cruise control reduces fuel consumption by maintaining a constant speed.

6.Accelerate smoothly. When the light turns green, resist the urge to bolt ahead of the car next to you. This keeps the engine at lower revolutions per minute (RPMs) thus using less fuel. Car engines usually are most efficient at low rpms.

7. Plan your route carefully. Take the route with the fewest stops and turns and least traffic. Take highways in preference to city streets when possible.

8. Avoid braking wherever possible. Braking wastes energy from fuel that you have already burned, and accelerating after braking consumes more fuel than driving at a constant speed. On city streets watch ahead and coast when you see a red light or traffic jam ahead.

9. Set your tires to the proper inflation. Properly inflated tires can reduce fuel consumption by up to 3%. Your tires also lose about 1 PSI per month, and when the tires are cold (e.g., in the winter), their pressure will decrease due to the thermal contraction of the air. It is recommended to check tires at least monthly, preferably weekly. Having properly inflated tires will also help you avoid uneven wear on the tread.

10. Tune up your engine. A properly tuned engine maximizes power and can greatly enhance fuel efficiency. Beware, though, that many tuners will disable efficiency measures when tuning for power.

11. Check the condition of your engine air filter. A dirty filter will reduce fuel economy, or make the engine stall when idling. Just like mowing dusty grass, driving dusty dirt roads will clog the air filter: avoid dust clouds.

12. Replace your fuel filter according to your manufacturer's recommended schedule. This will go a long way to enhancing fuel efficiency.

13. Avoid excessive idling. Idling a vehicle wastes a significant amount of fuel. The best way to warm up a vehicle is to drive it slowly until it reaches proper operating temperature.

14. Try to avoid using the air conditioner in stop and go city driving as it causes the engine to work hard and consume more fuel. However, studies show that at highway speeds cars get somewhat better mileage with the AC on and the windows rolled up. The drag caused by rolled down windows at high speed reduces fuel efficiency more than the AC.

15. Find your car's "sweet speed". Some cars get better mileage at specific speeds, usually 50 mph. Your car's "sweet speed" is the minimum speed at which the car is running in its highest gear (watch for rpm drops as you accelerate to determine when your transmission is shifting into higher gears).

16. Use synthetic oil in your car to save on average 5% gas. Remember to change it according to your vehicle manufacturers recommendations for any oil. Extending oil change intervals can be harmful to the life of your engine and the fuel saving benefits are lost as oil gets dirty. If you cant use sythetic, choose the lightest oil possible, 15-30 rather than 20-50.

17. When getting your oil changed, use a synthetic oil additive to either natural or synthetic oil. This can increase your gas mileage by up to 15% if you follow the manufacturer's instructions and recommended usage.

18. If your car has an automatic transmission with overdrive, make sure you enable overdrive except when towing very heavy trailers. Overdrive is by default enabled on the "D" on most shifters. Several cars have buttons on the shifter which allow you to turn off the overdrive gear. Don't turn it off. Overdrive saves you gas mileage at higher speeds by using a lower ratio from engine speed to wheel speed - this places the engine at a more efficient operating point (by reducing throttling losses, etc).

19. Learn to watch and predict traffic signals. Stop-and-go driving is wasteful.

20. Don't circle in a parking lot, and keep well away from the store fronts. Look for a spot in the empty half of the parking lot. Many people spend significant time idling and creeping, waiting for a "close spot" to open up.

21. Maintain a log over time of how many miles you go (the main odometer) and how much gas you put in (from the gas pump, including fractions). Put it in a spreadsheet. It will keep you focused, and other methods are inaccurate; you will never know for sure if you're saving fuel, wasting fuel or just seeing errors from gas pumps that stop pumping at different points, or fractions of miles being dropped off your 'trip' odometer when you reset it.

22. Maintain a safe following distance! Don't stick to the bumper of the car directly in front of you. You will brake more and accelerate more to keep that unnecessary and dangerous narrow gap. Relax. Hang back a bit. You're still traveling at the same speed as the car ahead of you even if you're 100 yards behind. This also gives you a lot more room to play with when you are timing lights. When he slams on his brakes, you can coast down and see if the light quick-changes green again (some do). You might even coast by his car as the light turns green and he has to accelerate from a dead stop.

23. Avoid idling. For example, in cold weather warm the car engine no more than 30 seconds. This period of time is sufficient to ensure that the engine is properly lubricated for driving. Generally, if you can avoid 10 seconds of idling you will save gas by turning the engine off and restarting. However, starting an engine too often can lead to excessive wear and tear on the starter motor and wiring.

24. Select the narrowest possible tires for your vehicle that will satisfy your driving style and demands. Narrow tires have less frontal area, thus reducing aerodynamic drag. Remember, however, that narrow tires have less traction as well (which is why race cars have such wide tires).

25. Select a gear ratio that is appropriate to your engine, transmission, and driving conditions. If you travel on the highway often and do not carry heavy loads, try a numerically lower final drive ratio (known as a "higher" gear.) Careful not to go too "high" with the ratio, this can cause smaller engines to work too hard to keep up, damaging the engine. Some manufacturers offer optional gearing.