Mileage of cars

Smart savers

With fuel prices rising sky high, find out which car gives you the greatest bang for your buck

With fuel prices heading upwards quicker than you can finish reading this sentence, the question ‘Mileage kya hai?’ has greater meaning than ever before. Fuel economy is top priority and vehicle manufacturers will go to lengths to showcase how frugal their car is on fuel consumption. Here’s our list of top cars in every budget that offer the best economy and ensure that you stretch the litre to the maximum. SMALL cars Maruti Alto City (C): 12.9KPL Highway (HW): 17.5KPL The second-most affordable car to buy after the Maruti 800 isn’t a bestseller for no reason. The Alto delivers good economy in the city and a commendable 17.5kpl on the highway, which means that if you do not mind the average power, then the Alto is a decent choice for you. Being a Maruti also means that the car is high on reliability. Indica Dicor C:13.8KPL HW: 17.7KPL Strong economy has always been an Indica virtue and the common-rail DiCOR engine is no different. Being a diesel means that it has a solid advantage over petrol rivals in running costs. The DiCOR engine is very responsive as well, which makes it ideal to drive around town. The Indica is also very roomy which makes it a real good deal. Chevrolet Spark C:12.3KPL HW: 16.9KPL The Spark’s 1-litre engine — which is also one of the most refined engines around — delivers good economy on the highway and as well as the city, beating rivals like the Wagon R and Santro in both departments. Add to this the car’s light controls, solid warranty package and comfortable cabin and you get one of the best city cars on offer. PREMIUM SMALL cars Maruti Swift Diesel C:14.4 KPL HW: 19.1 KPL Not only is the 1.3-litre multijet diesel engine on the Swift a hoot to drive but it delivers brilliantly on economy as well. You get almost 20km to the litre on the highway, which makes it one of the most fuel-efficient cars. A must-buy if you drive long distances. Fabia Tdi C:14.1KPL HW: 18.5KPL The most expensive small car in India has set the benchmark in terms of quality interiors, brilliant ride and equipment. It also scores full marks for economy, delivering good figures for both the highway and city runs. It’s a bit pricey but being a Skoda automatically means that resale value will be good. ENTRY MID-SIZER Mahindra Renault Logan Diesel C:13.6KPL HW: 19.3KPL For a car that weighs well over a ton and comes with a 1.5-litre diesel engine, the Renault delivers good economy. Its efficiency on the highway is marginally better than the smaller Swift and Fabia diesels. Add to that the solid build and engineering along with a roomy interior and it immediately makes a strong buy. Maruti Swift Dzire Diesel C:13.5kpl HW: 18.9kpl The Esteem replacement comes with the same 1.3-litre multijet diesel motor that powers the Swift diesel. The peppy engine scores well on economy too. The extra weight of the boot means that economy is slightly lower than the hatchback’s but at 18.9kpl for the highway, it’s a good buy. MIDSIZERS Fiesta Diesel C:13.9kpl HW: 18.3kpl Ford’s TDCi motor scores full marks for refinement as well as responsiveness from the lower-end of its rev band. While it may be a little low on power, you get terrific mileage figures for both city and highway cycles. Being a diesel, this ensures that running costs are lower than petrol-powered small cars. This combined with the driver-focused chassis ensures that it is a good buy. Honda City iDSI C:10.9kpl HW: 16.6kpl When compared to its other petrol rivals, the City iDSI does well, especially when you consider its economy figures for the highway, which at 16.6kpl are very generous. The motor also scores on refinement and the light controls of the car make it an ideal city companion. It’s a little pricey but has good resale values. Hyundai Verna diesel C:12.6kpl HW: 16.8kpl Common rail-power means that the Verna diesel is strong on performance. The frugal engine is second only to the Fiesta in terms of overall economy. But it lacks some frills that the petrol motor comes with. It’s a good value-for-money proposition for those who want pace along with a frugal motor. EXECUTIVE LUXURY cars Octavia Diesel C: 12.7kpl HW: 18.9kpl The Octavia delivers phenomenal efficiency. Though it isn’t a common-rail, the diesel motor does not sacrifice performance or refinement. The 18.9kpl on the highway makes it cheaper to run than even some small cars. Optra Diesel C: 11.4kpl HW: 16.5kpl Chevrolet’s common-rail motor scores full marks for delivering good power but doesn’t quite beat the Octavia diesel in terms of overall economy. But being a diesel means that it is cheaper to run than some petrol rivals. It’s a good all-rounder overall. LUXURY cars Skoda Laura C: 12.9kpl HW: 18.6kpl The Laura, which comes with Skoda’s Pump-duse diesel motor, delivers a tremendous 18.6kpl on the highway and a very good 12.9kpl in the city. This with the well-made cabin, roomy boot, brilliant build quality and comfortable ride make it one of the best cars to buy. VW Passat C: 9.6kpl HW: 13.5kpl The quintessential luxury car comes loaded with features. The Passat’s economy figures might not look that attractive, but these are diesel figures and the rivals offer only petrol engines, making the Passat a very wallet-friendly car in terms of running costs. The Pump-duse motor delivers a solid punch of power in its mid-range though it is a bit gruff. SUVS Chevrolet Captiva C: 9.6kpl HW: 13.5kpl The Chevrolet Captiva, the first soft-roader in India with a diesel engine delivers decent economy. Once you consider the fact that it runs on diesel you realise that it’s the cheapest to run soft-roader in the market. It is well equipped, has seven seats and is well priced making it a good deal. Ford Endeavour C: 9.3kpl HW: 12.2kpl The almost two-ton Endeavour manages to do a decent job with its 2.5-litre engine, returning respectable economy figures. The engine scores full marks for refinement and responsiveness. The solid build along with seven seats makes this a very good deal to gun for. Nissan X-trail C: 11.5kpl HW: 15.1kpl The quirky looking X-trail impresses with its diesel engine delivering a competitive overall economy. It also beats its diesel rivals when it comes to economy on the highway — which is similar to many petrol sedans. There’s also an all-new X-trail coming in later this year. Mahindra Scorpio C: 10.6kpl HW: 13.6kpl The poor man’s SUV does a decent job of delivering respectable efficiency across both the city and highway. When you consider that it costs almost half the amount of the Captiva you know why the Scorpio makes so much sense as a good value for money SUV. Chevrolet Tavera C: 10.6kpl HW: 13.7kpl The Tavera might be getting a bit old now but its diesel engine is more frugal than the more modern Innova. It delivers a 10.6 in the city compared to the Innova’s 7.7kpl and a healthy 13.7kpl on the highway. Now you know why it is such a popular vehicle with taxi operators. Play chess online