Your fuel will go further and your vehicle will last longer if you adopt efficient driving habits and attend to maintenance like checking tyre pressure regularly.

Learn how a more efficient vehicle burns less fuel for every kilometre you travel, and which simple steps you can take now to cut travel costs.

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How to drive more efficiently to save on fuel

These small driving tweaks can reduce your fuel consumption, along with vehicle wear and tear.

  • Avoid speeding

    Driving over the speed limit can increase your fuel use by 10%, and fuel economy drops quickly above 80 km/h.

    Speeding = 10% more fuel1

  • Anticipate slowing

    Take your foot off the accelerator to slow down gradually, rather than braking hard. Avoid speeding up unnecessarily quickly too. 

    Steady driving = 10–40% less fuel2

  • Lighten the load

    Remove items like roof racks when not in use, as the wind drag they create increases fuel use. Check for heavy items inside your car as well. 

    Heavy load = 2–17% more fuel3

  • Review your trip options

    To conserve fuel, look at whether you could combine several trips into one, or drive outside peak times when congestion is worst.

Does using cruise control or auto stop-start help you to save on fuel?

Both features help with fuel efficiency, so if your vehicle has them, remembering to turn them on at the right times will help you to use less fuel.

  • Cruise control is best suited to highway driving, where it helps you to maintain a constant speed and avoid unnecessary acceleration.
  • Auto stop-start can save you around 4–10% on fuel during city driving, but it’s less effective on roads where you don’t need to stop very often, like highways.4

Maintain your vehicle to use 10–20% less fuel

Regular maintenance makes a big difference to your vehicle’s fuel efficiency, safety and lifespan. These maintenance tips can help you to drop fuel use by 10–20% compared with a poorly maintained vehicle.5 

  • Get your vehicle serviced regularly — Have oil and air filters changed when they’re due. 
  • Have your wheels aligned — Proper wheel alignment helps to avoid rapid and uneven wear on your tyres. 
  • Look at tyre tread depth — Bulges, lumps or cuts are signs that a tyre may need replacing. Although 1.5 mm is the legal minimum tread depth, the grip of tyres in wet conditions reduces more rapidly once tread is below 3 mm. 
  • Don’t forget trailer tyres — These are often poorly maintained or under-inflated, but significantly affect fuel usage. Check them as often as other vehicle tyres. 

Get your tyre pressure right to reduce fuel wastage

All tyres gradually lose air. For every 5 psi that a tyre is under inflated, fuel use increases by 1%.6

Many newer vehicles have a monitor that alerts you when the tyre pressure falls below a certain level. If yours doesn’t, check the pressure every month to make your tyres last longer.

Having the right tyre pressure also means your vehicle will handle better and be safer.

  • Find your vehicle's correct tyre pressure — It's usually on a label inside the driver's door, the fuel flap, or in your vehicle handbook.
  • Check pressure when your tyres are cold — Either after the car has been parked for at least 3 hours or driven less than 2 km at low speed. Don’t forget to check the spare.
  • It's easy at a service station — Most have a pump with a built-in gauge. Enter the correct pressure into the air pump and keep the tyre gauge pressed into the valve system until the air pump beeps.
  • Add extra air if you're towing or carrying a full load — Check your vehicle handbook, or as a rule of thumb add 4 psi (28 kpa or 0.28 bar) to the recommended pressure.

Tips for buying a more efficient vehicle

These aspects all affect vehicle efficiency and therefore savings on fuel. Here’s what to look out for.

  • Check it’s the right size for you

    Smaller cars need less energy to get moving, so it pays to get the smallest car that suits your needs — it'll likely cost less to insure as well.

  • Consider the vehicle’s age

    Older vehicles usually cost more to run than newer models because manufacturers are getting better at optimising fuel efficiency. 

  • Look into its maintenance

    A well-maintained vehicle uses less fuel, so aim for one with a documented service history, or get it checked by a good mechanic before you buy.

  • See if it has auto features

    Automatic features like tyre pressure monitoring, auto stop-start or cruise control can help you drive more efficiently and save fuel.

Look out for star ratings showing a vehicle’s energy efficiency

Whether you’re buying a car, ute or van, check for a Vehicle Emissions and Energy Economy Label showing star ratings for energy efficiency and emissions.

Vehicles with more stars are more energy efficient — up to a maximum of 6 stars.

Better energy efficiency means that for each kilometre travelled, your vehicle burns less fuel and releases fewer carbon emissions.

Under regulations, motor vehicle traders must display Vehicle Emissions and Energy Economy Labels on cars, utes and vans that are for sale and weigh under 3.5 tonnes, provided the information is available.

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  • How fuel efficient is your vehicle?

    Find out, along with the safety rating and more, by entering your number plate on the Rightcar website.

  • How ratings are calculated

    Learn how emissions and energy economy star ratings are calculated, and how new vehicles are tested.