Tips for Fuel Efficiency on Manual and Automatic Cars

People often compare the transmission between an automatic and a manual car to know which one is more fuel efficient (or sometimes we call it fuel economy, too). A fuel-efficient car is surely wanted by every automotive enthusiast. Therefore, car producers are competing with each other to provide fuel-efficient cars for the Indonesian automotive market.  

The manual car is often said to be more fuel-efficient than the automatic car. Whereas, by using certain tricks, either a manual or automatic car has its own style of use so that it becomes fuel efficient. Find the tips for fuel efficiency on manual and automatic cars down below!

Ways to be Fuel-Efficient for Manual and Automatic Cars

You can be fuel-efficient by doing proper maintenance and having proper driving habits. The following are the tips so that you can improve your fuel efficiency: 

1. Always check on the car's condition before driving

There are several things that you have to check right before driving. First, it is better for you to check the car’s fuel level to avoid excessive driving to the gas station. 

Second, you need to check the tire pressure since an underinflated tire has greater resistance to movement. This resistance causes the engine to work harder in order to create the energy needed to move. Hence, it will increase the demand for fuel to power the engine. 

2. Remove the excess weight

If you want to get fuel efficiency, avoid driving with overweight loads. Every type of car comes with its own weight capacity and it is important for you to pay attention to it. 

When the car is overloaded,  the engine will work harder so that it demands more fuel. So, anything you can do to make the car lighter will save you from buying extra fuel. 

3. Control the accelerator smoothly

Do you often speed exceed the limit when driving? Well, actually speeding will not drain your fuel if you are accelerating smoothly. 

Don’t stamp on the accelerator briskly because it will consume a big amount of your fuel. If you really need to speed up, reach the speed in a reasonable time frame. Therefore, when you need to overtake while driving on the toll road, control the acceleration by adjusting the gas step. 

Then, if you need to stop, don’t wait until the last minute either. Lift off the gas early and brake gently until you come to a stop.  

4. Pay attention to the engine speed

To control the speed stability, you can monitor the speedometer to know the revolutions per minute or RPM. 

The higher the RPM, the faster the engine rotates, the more the power output of the engine, and the more fuel is consumed. Therefore, the lower you keep your engine’s RPM, the less fuel it is going to consume. 

However, you must note that going too low might stall the engine but keeping the RPM just above the idling will not only keep the engine sputtering on but it will also do so in the most economical way.  

Generally, a petrol car is at its most efficient state between 1500 and 2500 RPM. 

5. AC efficiency

The next tip for fuel economy is to use AC moderately. Using the car’s air-conditioning system increases its fuel consumption more than any other auxiliary feature. Therefore, don’t set your car's AC temperature to very cold mode, moreover if you are driving on an uphill road. Adjust your thermostat setting to be comfortable, not cold.

Do you know why AC consumes so much fuel? Well, when your AC is on, the compressor will start to work and make the engine work harder. In the worst condition, using AC in your car can reduce the fuel economy up to 25%.

You need to give it a break so that the compressor does not work constantly. Hence, the compressor stays in its best condition which results in fuel economy. 

6. Drive steadily

Fuel efficiency is not merely about car components. It is also about the style of driving. If you are aggressively slowing down and speeding up, it is not only unsafe but it will make your car consume more fuel. Thus, to be fuel efficient, you can drive steadily using eco-driving mode.   

7. Use the engine brake technique

Not only the acceleration, but you also need to pay attention to the deceleration. You can use the engine brake technique which makes the engine rotates slower without having to brake. 

How to do it? Firstly, you need to slowly reduce the gas, then downshift gear D to 2, and then L. This technique will give you more fuel economy and the car brakes will last longer.  

8. Get shade while parking 

Pay attention to where you park the car. A shady and cool spot will be the best option to prevent the car from overheating, thus the fuel will not evaporate from the gasoline tank. 

Furthermore, parking in a shady site will not only make your fuel efficient. It will also protect your car body paint from fading away.

9. Don’t warm up the car engine for too long 

Do you still warm up the engine for too long before driving? Well, experts nowadays say that it is not necessary.

You just need a moderate period to warm up the engine —  modern cars have improved the technology to the point your engine is fully lubricated within 30 to 60 seconds.

Warming up the car engine for too long will just be an act of burning your fuel unnecessarily and generating emissions.   

10. Take care of the air filter 

A manual petrol car uses the air from outside the car for burning the fuel. However, the air that is brought from the outside of the car surely contains so much dirt and fine dust. Therefore, the air filter plays an influential role to purify the air until it gets dirty. 

The dirtier it is, the less air enters the engine. It makes the car less powerful than it should be. People as a driver often automatically step on the gas deeper to get the power back. The result is they will consume a bigger amount of fuel. Say bye to fuel efficiency! 

11. Avoid opening the windows car

When you are speeding above 60 km/hour, you need to close the car’s windows. An open window will decrease your vehicle’s speed so you need to steep deeper on your gas pedal.  

If you want to open the windows to replace the AC usage, only do it when you are driving at a slower speed. 

Recommended Fuel-Efficient Car 

Fuel eats up the biggest cost of your expense when you own a car, up to 18-25%. Therefore, it is important to pick a car that is proven to be a fuel-efficient car. 

Choosing a fuel-efficient car is undoubtedly not easy. Then to choose the correct one, you need to pay keen attention to the engine capacity, car dimension (the bigger the car the bigger amount of fuel is needed), and the type of wheel drive. 

The following are 6 recommended cars that are fuel-efficient: 

1. Honda Brio Satya 1.2 CVT

Honda Brio Satya 1.2 CVT is the most fuel-efficient city car. Furthermore, the price is also quite affordable with Honda’s flagship i-VTEC technology. The car has a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) which is a great innovation of an automatic transmission car. It can keep the RPM low. 

For fuel consumption, Honda Brio Satya 1.2 CVT reaches 17 kilometers per liter for city use, while on toll routes this car can reach 22 kilometers per liter.   

2. Toyota Avanza

There is no doubt about Toyota Avanza's popularity in Indonesian families. This car is well known for its affordable price and its fuel efficiency. 

Untuk konsumsi bahan bakar, Toyota Avanza bisa mencapai 15 kilometer per liter pada jalur bebas hambatan berkat teknologi Dual VVT-i yang mampu menjaga konsumsi bensin tetap irit. 

Thanks to Dual VVT-i technology, fuel consumption is very economical. You can reach 15 kilometers per liter on the freeway by driving a Toyota Avanza.

Not only in terms of fuel efficiency, but this car also has a large luggage volume and spacious legroom so that the trip becomes more comfortable. Another advantage of the car is the super accessible service and affordable spare parts. In addition, Toyota Avanza is also one of the cars that has a good selling price. 

3. Suzuki All New Ertiga

For those who are looking for a family car, Suzuki All New Ertiga can be an option. The car is equipped with a DOHC 4-cylinder engine with Variable Valve Timing (VVT) technology which gives the car more fuel economy with a capacity of 1.462 cc. By using that engine, the car is capable of producing maximum power of 103.2 HP and maximum torque of 138 Nm.  

For fuel consumption, All New Ertiga can reach 12.3 kilometers per liter. Meanwhile, for toll routes, the car can reach 17 kilometers per liter. 

If the driver uses the ECO Driving technique, the fuel consumption will be more economical. It can reach 25.3 kilometers per liter for manual transmission. 

4. Honda CR-V

Not only the MVP segment cars that are claimed to be fuel efficient, but the type of Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) is also quite fuel-efficient. An SUV is a large car which is not only suitable for driving on city roads but also suitable for difficult terrain such as pass-through flooding areas. 

Honda CR-V is one of the most fuel-economical cars in the Indonesian automotive market. This sporty and dashing car is capable of traveling for 11.3 kilometers per liter on the city road. Meanwhile, it can reach 15.1 kilometers per liter for driving outside the city.

Furthermore, Honda CR-V is equipped with various safety features such as  Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS), Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS), Road Departure Mitigation (RDM) and Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC).

5. Toyota Raize

Another fuel-efficient car recommendation falls into Toyota Raize. This SUV comes with two engine options namely turbo 1.0L and 1.2 L. These engines can reach 17 up to 20 kilometers per liter. 

Toyota Raize offers a 9-inch touchscreen multimedia head unit that can be connected to your smartphone. Further, this car owns 7-inch TFT MIS, Power Mode Switch, paddle shift, auto mirror, start/stop engine, keyless and auto AC. 

Then, for the safety features, Raize is equipped with Toyota Safety Sense (TSS) such as ABS, VSC, HSA, Airbag, Front Departure Alert, Blind Spot Monitoring, Rear Crossing Traffic Alert and Pedal Misoperation Control. 

6. Suzuki Ignis

Since its presence, Suzuki Ignis is quite in demand by Indonesian automotive enthusiasts. This car is equipped with a K12M engine which provides a maximum power of 83 HP and maximum torque of 113 Nm with a capacity of 1,197 cc. 

Despite not being categorized as an LCGC, Suzuki Ignis is one of the fuel economy cars that can reach 18.7 kilometers per liter on the city road. Meanwhile, for the toll routes, this car can reach about 21 kilometers per liter. 

That is all of the information about tips for fuel efficiency on manual and automatic cars. Then, fuel efficiency is not only about picking the most fuel-efficient car but also about the way we drive the car. Proper car maintenance is also needed to save fuel consumption. Hopefully, you find this article beneficial!