Affordable Cars with the Best Fuel Consumption
By Caitlyn Ng
With the slow but sure removal of fuel subsidies dwindling, many Malaysians will be seeking ways to make their petrol spending go further. Cutting down on travelling distance may not be feasible for most working Malaysians but there are other ways to aid the situation. One way would be to opt for more fuel-efficient cars!
Unfortunately, hybrid and electric cars tend to be expensive to purchase – leaving those who really are cash-strapped unable to afford a much more fuel efficient ride. But there are other options as we’ve found. Here’s SaveMoney.my's list of some of the most fuel efficient cars available in Malaysia for a price below RM100,000 (prices are OTR only, excluding insurance).
Source: Live Life Drive, Official Vehicles' Sites
Price: From RM60,198.65
Fuel Consumption: About 5.5 litres / 100 kilometres
It's a subcompact hatchback car, which means that it's smaller than that of a compact car (so handy for squeezing your way into tight parking spaces!) but larger than a microcar (not very practical when driving in dangerous city conditions).
With "cutesy" colours (Plasma Purple, Kiwi Green or Infrared, anyone?) that would delight any youthful driver or those young at heart, you can be sure that the Mitsubishi Mirage will win people over.
This is especially so when they find out that this car is the highest in the rankings of "Non-Hybrid Vehicle" on the prestigious "Greenest Vehicles" list.
You can also be sure that the quality of a Mirage is assured, with plenty of safety features available as standard, since this car is a global product where it is built and assembled at Mitsubishi's Motors' production plant in Thailand. The engine is a small 1.2 litre, something which many Malaysians will sniff at; but with the ever-increasing fuel prices, it's a good idea to start understanding why smaller engines are so popular in developed countries.
Price: RM72,665.50
Fuel Consumption: About 7.0 litres / 100 kilometres
The tagline for this hatchback is "Small on the outside, Big on the inside" and indeed, the Honda Jazz is capable of giving you masses of space, despite its compact size.
With seats that can be configured in 180 different ways to adapt to any kind of situation you're in, from helping the children to move out or a visit to your neighbour's for tea, nothing is impossible with such flexibility!
Apart from that, the car is able to keep its passengers (and the things contained) within safe, having been given the highest safety award possible - 5 stars from Euro NCAP, the car safety performance assessment programme.
With a 1.5 litre engine that lets you achieve lower fuel consumption without compromising on the output, the Jazz will get you to where you want to go easily enough! This is the normal petrol version of the car; there is a hybrid version for this car but because it doesn't really deliver significantly better fuel economy and has lower specifications with a higher price tag, therefore this model was chosen instead.
Price: From RM73,200
Fuel Consumption: About 7.0 litres / 100 kilometres
We're now taking a look at one of the brand favourites of many Malaysians, no matter the age: the Toyota Vios.
Previously, the older models looked a little on the bulky side but then come 2013, the car rolled out a new "third generation" model with many cosmetic improvements to appear sleeker and more appealing.
Indeed, by looking at the roads, one can easily tell by the number of Vios seen that Malaysians do enjoy driving it. It's not hard to see why too with a range of safety features to protect the passengers against any untoward incidents as well as the comfortable spaciousness to carry family or friends easily.
The 1.5 litre engine that comes with the "Valve Timing with Intelligence (VVT-i)" should be enough to provide the power and strong acceleration needed to respond well whether you are on the city roads or the major highways. Although it is said that the Vios does not provide enough safety features (such as Electronic Stability Control), Malaysians seem to look past that point and see what a reliable and fantastic car this is!
Price: From RM83,573
Fuel Consumption: About 7.0 litres / 100 kilometres
The Honda City is another favourite with Malaysians with the sporty look to it; the number of these cars that you see on the road can be a testament to that!
According to Honda, the rear passenger space is best-in-class and the passengers will be able to get more legroom as compared to other cars in the same segment (think the Honda Civic or Toyota Camry).
In addition, the rear seats can be folded down in a 60:40 split to extend the luggage area. The colours also seem to have been given names to match the new looks: Modern Steel Metallic, Alabaster Silver Metallic, Taffeta White, Crystal Black Pearl and Brilliant Sporty Blue Metallic.
A 1.5 litre engine is under the hood that comes with the standard Continuous Variable Transmission (CVT). The newer 2014 model though, has an added feature for the model: the exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) that provides less friction in the engine. Since everyone is jumping on the "go green" bandwagon, the new City is also equipped with the ECON mode that allows the driver to have improved fuel efficiency.
Price: From RM94,607
Fuel Consumption: About 4.5 litres / 100 kilometres
We surprise you here with a little gem of car: a hybrid, no less! Surprised yet that the price is so within the RM100,000 budget?
I am too, considering how the hype that surrounds these precious "earth friendly" cars don't usually mention the steep prices as well.
Did you know that the "C" in the name Prius C stands for "city"? Which means this car is perfect for city driving, seeing as how the traffic jams that hit us on a daily basis can be massive! The engine comes with the Hybrid Synergy Drives that allows for a smooth combination of a gasoline engine and an electric motor that works either independently or simultaneously, transforming your ride into a effortless one that also saves your fuel money in the process.
In 2013, the Prius C was awarded with the "Best Sub-compact Hybrid for the Money" and indeed, priced much lower than its older sibling (the conventional Prius), means that it won't hit your wallet hard and you get to reap the benefits of cruising past in a car that is rated as a Super Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (SULEV) - that means fewer smog-forming emissions produced!
* Caitlyn Ng is an Investigative Journalist of SaveMoney.my, an online consumer advice portal which aims to help Malaysians save money through smart (and most of the time painless) savings in their daily banking, technology, and lifestyle spending habits.
