Are All 10-Year-Old Cars Fuel Inefficient?
2 Answers
Not all 10-year-old cars necessarily have high fuel consumption. Below are the factors that affect a car's fuel efficiency: 1. External Factors: Many factors influence a car's fuel consumption, including driving habits, road conditions, vehicle load, tire pressure, and more. Additionally, the car's exterior design also affects fuel efficiency—the lower the drag coefficient, the lower the fuel consumption. 2. Internal Factors: The true determinant of a vehicle's fuel consumption is the number of strokes the engine makes within a specified time and distance. Strokes refer to the engine's RPM (revolutions per minute). Therefore, only when both displacement and RPM are low will the car's fuel consumption be lower, as these factors are interrelated.
Many people indeed think it's normal for older cars to have high fuel consumption, like my decade-old classic Focus. Carbon buildup is the most overlooked issue—when the throttle body and fuel injectors get clogged, fuel is wasted on incomplete combustion. Tire pressure is another silent killer; my neighbor's car had all four tires at 1.8 bar, and fuel consumption jumped by 2 liters—basically burning money for fun. Here’s a lesser-known fact: a failing oxygen sensor can mess up fuel injection control. Someone in our car club replaced theirs and saw highway fuel efficiency drop back to the 6L/100km range! Regular throttle cleaning and tire pressure checks can keep even an old car running efficiently. Mine now averages just over 9L/100km in city driving.
