Five tips to purchase a pre-owned vehicle that is fuel-efficient

If you are looking for a pre-owned vehicle and fuel economy is your main criteria, the following article should help. With the rising cost of fuel, more and more consumers are interested in buying a pre-owned vehicle that is fuel-efficient, but it can be difficult to determine which vehicles are the most efficient with the impressive number of pre-owned vehicles on the market today.

Buy a younger model

The first tip we can give you if you are looking for a pre-owned vehicle that is fuel-efficient is to purchase a vehicle that was built in the last three or four years if your budget permits it. Vehicles and manufacturers have advanced considerably in recent years in the technology that they offer to improve efficiency. A younger pre-owned model is simply more efficient than older models because of its technology and the engineering behind its powertrain.

Look for technologies that improve efficiency

There are a wide range of technologies that can improve fuel economy and efficiency. These technologies include cylinder deactivation, an eco-driving mode, a start/stop system, or a lighter construction. If you can find a vehicle that offers some or all of these technologies on the pre-owned market, you will reap the benefits with improved efficiency.

Avoid V6 and V8 options

V6 and V8 engines aren't as popular today as they were if you go back just a few years ago. On the pre-owned vehicle market, you can still find many V6 and V8 options and if fuel economy is important to you, you will want to avoid these powertrains. Now sometimes this cannot be helped like if you are buying a pickup truck, but if you are buying a compact SUV that is offered with either a four-cylinder engine or a V6, you will want to opt for the smaller engine. The same goes for a truck that may be offered with a V6 or V8. If you don't need the capacity of the V8 you will be surprised at how more efficient the V6 can be especially on pre-owned trucks.

Avoid vehicles with premium fuel

We tend to think of premium fuel as being reserved exclusively for performance vehicles, but on the pre-owned market that's not always the case. For example, if you go back a few years, there were a lot of turbocharged engines that required premium fuel in mainstream vehicles while other turbo engines did not require premium fuel. You want to keep an eye out on this when buying a vehicle that has a turbo engine or a V6. A vehicle that requires premium fuel won't consume more fuel, but each tank of gas will cost a lot more.

Do your research

It is very easy to find the fuel economy rating of a vehicle using the web. All you have to do is Google “fuel consumption” with the year and make and model and you will have all of the information you need. If you are hesitating between a few vehicles, do that research for all of them and you will easily find the most efficient in the group. Give us a call today to learn more.