If I bought a Mazda 2 to replace my Yukon XL on the premise of saving money on fuel, it would take 5 years for me to start saving money. At least.

Fuel cost graph

Want to know the secret to actually saving money on gas? Drive less. If you commuted a half hour to work each way over the last year in a hatchback, you burned more fuel than I did in a vehicle that weighs 5200lbs empty and seats 9. Oh, and that includes a couple of 1500km+ road trips in it.

A few notes about how I arrived at this:

  • 5.6L/100km used for the Mazda 2’s fuel efficiency, which is its maximum highway rating
  • 18.007L/100km used for the Yukon XL, which is the average I’ve managed over the last year (6135km driven)
  • Cost over time based on the average number of kilometres I drove per day over the last year
  • Cost of Yukon XL is about the purchase price of a 2002 model (which mine is)
  • Cost of Mazda 2 is cash price, taxes and fees not included, base model
  • No repair or insurance costs included