Used Car Buying - Fuel Economy

The importance of fuel economy when bying a used car

When considering the long term costs of driving it is clear that the fuel economy of the car is a huge factor. A small car may be able to drive six hundred to one thousand kilometres (400-700 miles) on a tank of fuel that costs forty to fifty dollars where a large truck may require two or three hundred dollars to go the same distance. If you are shopping for a used car on a budget you should almost always buy a car with a four cylinder engine.

Smaller the engine - better the economy right? Not so...

Though three cylinder engine cars exist and are more economical still than a four cylinder engine they are less reliable for a few reasons. Generally speaking a three cylinder engine will burn out long before a similar four cylinder engine. The stress and strain on three cylinder engines are great as they are relatively undersized for passenger and commuter vehicles.


Additionally the worldwide market for four cylinder cars is vastly larger than three cylinder cars which means far more research and development money gets spent on the four cylinder models. This has produced a four cylinder car market which is much more reliable than three cylinder economy cars. For someone buying a used car on a tight budget the four cylinder economy car is the best all around decision.





Vehicle reputation is important when buying a used car, but for different reasons than most people realize. In the next section our experts weigh in on how to take advantage of vehicle reputation and how something you have never thought of will help you to avoid buying a lemon.