In the market for a car but not ready to consider the Electric Vehicle (EV) route just yet? With COE prices now at sky-high premiums, let alone the government slapping on an extra tier of tax for vehicles with OMVs exceeding S$80,000, it might be wise to navigate our way through this challenging climate and shortlist pre-owned cars that do not guzzle fuel. 

Car ownership might sound even more labourious nowadays with countless financial-related factors at play. But our nominations prove that the idea of efficiency can be construed in more ways than initially perceived. These are cars that are considered fuel efficient in their respective categories. Nevertheless, all will boil down to one factor - these options aim to go easy on your wallet!

Our first pick involves an eighth-gen FD Civic. This is no rev-happy Honda Civic Type R, but it has a neat trick up its sleeve that appeals to a different, more modest consumer. The 1.3-litre motor is paired with a battery that powers an electric motor, essentially functioning just like the Toyota Prius. Honda calls this technology Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) and it was first introduced in 1999 on the Honda Insight. Claimed fuel consumption is 21km/l - an impressive figure when the Civic Hybrid first launched in 2006. Pre-owned examples today have their COEs renewed, including this one that looks very well maintained. We’re massive fans of the Honda FD silhouette and the hybrid adds its own distinctive touches, with aluminum rims and a subtle boot lid spoiler to aid in aerodynamics.

With a silhouette so fancy, we might be tempted to label this as a road runner that doesn’t prioritise fuel efficiency. Compared to its competition (from an aesthetics point of view as the i8 packed tech way ahead of its time when launched in 2013) it sounded too good to be true when a car placed alongside supercars in group tests can return a claimed mileage of 12.5km/l on the highway, courtesy of a well-packaged 1.5-litre engine and two electric motors. Comparatively, Audi R8 V8 and BMW M5 owners might struggle to achieve double digits on a light cruise. The BMW i8 very well deserves “supercar status” - an undisputable fuel efficient alternative to fire-breathing exotics. It does not disappoint in terms of driver centric statistics too - a 4.4 seconds century sprint is still proper fast. And taking into account that its production ended in 2020, we’ll not be surprised if it can hold its value well, just like this example with relatively low mileage.

Another recommendation from BMW, but catered towards a different clientele. The recent launch of the second-gen Active Tourer made us recall a spec of its predecessor that was rather unconventional six years ago - a 3-cylinder 1.5-litre turbodiesel front-wheel drive BMW packaged in a compact MPV-like frame (some variants came with third row seats, but BMW shelved it for the newest gen). With 270Nm of torque arriving under 2,000rpm, it does not require hybrid trickery to fill gaps in the torque curve as there is more than sufficient grunt to keep up with city traffic. More importantly, it can return 22km/l on the combined cycle with ease. Its petrol equivalent (216i) returns around 18km/l but produces less torque. Diesel motors might sound less refined, but they are built to last - this example might suit you.

This might sound like a de facto recommendation, but this deserves a place under the spotlight more than ever. We’d dare argue that it is highly appealing now to own a Prius based on circumstances surrounding it. The fuel efficient “one trick pony” has the last laugh, achieving at least 25km/l on the combined cycle. It is very satisfying to tag the success of modern self-charging hybrids to the Prius, given that it was the first commercially available hybrid car, with an electric motor assisting the internal combustion engine. Just like current hybrids, it relies on the electric motor to supply additional “zip” around town. This unit has covered 87k km, but looks as good as new. With more than two decades perfecting hybrid systems, we have full faith in Toyota’s reliability.

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Credits: Gerald Yuen