In my part of the world unleaded fuel is in short supply - there's only one station selling it in my local town. Well, yesterday I headed out of town without thinking. I had (supposedly) about 17 litres of fuel and the pixels on the gauge were blocked in to the quarter mark. Anyway, I had to go about 40 kilometres out of town, but there's an altitude gain of 600 metres (done over a 12 kilometre stretch) which uses up a fair bit of fuel. Later, to go back to town I was starting to worry, so I decided to drive as economically as possible. Of course, driving a Soarer at 50 or 60 kph is a bit embarrassing, but the trip computer showed my fuel economy over the return 40 kilometres to be 14.8 km to the litre. The journey is over a series of valleys, and I know the road well so was able to maximise the downhill sections to help with the uphills, but what I think this shows is how superb the fuel management of these engines is. When I refilled, the dash told me I had 5 litres left, although the low fuel Japanese warning had not yet come on, but the pump supposedly gave me 71.6 litres of fuel. So if anyone else finds themselves in a similar bind, remember you really can get economy from these engines if you absolutely have to.
Friday, June 09, 2006 - 07:47 pm, by: Anish Varsani(Yomama)
Supprised you bought a soarer. If the roads in Tanzania are anything the roads in Kenya, I suspect your car would bottom out all the time and go through suspension rubbers regularly.
The roads around here are pretty good - rebuilt within the last 10 years and maintained reasonably well. I have to attend meetings in Arusha (about 120 km away) fairly frequently and on the open road you can cruise happily at 140 to 160 - I've hit the limiter often. Only real danger is the blasted Masai donkeys - hit one of them and you're toast! Even the big trucks slow down for them.
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