Why is the fuel consumption on my 2010 Toyota Kluger so high?

Believe it or not, 17 litres is on the high side of things, but not out of the question in a Kluger that is driven exclusively in stop-start urban traffic. I know the official fuel consumption figure for the car is 11L/100km, but there are a few things to keep in mind with that. The first is that this is a combined urban/highway figure, so it will always be lower than the urban number. Also, this figure is achieved on a test that actually bears very little relationship with driving in the real world.

You need to keep in mind that this is a relatively large petrol engine, hauling a hefty (1900kg-plus) car around. If your Kluger is the all-wheel-drive version, there’s also a fair bit of driveline friction to overcome. Even when cruising down a highway, this will never be a frugal vehicle as the aerodynamics mean it’s moving an awful lot of air at 100km/h. Don’t forget, either, that driving style has a huge effect on how much fuel you use.

If you’re concerned, have the car tuned and serviced. Fresh spark plugs and clean filters might make a difference to your fuel use.