2005 Honda-Petron XTRA Amazing Fuel Eco — Victorious in Parsimony

As a motoring journalist, I find myself a constant fixture in different fuel economy runs, and I naturally welcome it, as speed indulgence is not my cup of tea. So, upon hearing the news that Honda and Petron teamed up once more for the 2005 season of their Amazing Fuel Eco campaign, I wasted no time in preparing myself for this worthwhile and very timely tournament. This time around, the newly-launched Petron XTRA Unleaded was the official fuel.

For those new to fuel economy runs, the said event is held so as to instill the value of frugality in each participant, as the ultimate goal is to complete the prescribed route with the least amount of fuel possible. The car is filled with fuel up to the brim at the starting point; then the trip is made, and then refueled at the end point to determine the actual fuel consumption. As such, all permissible fuel saving techniques and strategies are employed, but must be within the bounds of the rule book Honda is handing out. The participating car must be in stock condition, and no modifications are allowed except for aesthetics such as after market body kits and alloy wheels, and of course, the participants’ driving style. To ensure fairness and accuracy, air-conditioning controls are set to the participants’ preference and then sealed. Other possible cheat points such as the fuel tank lid, the hood, and the trunk, are also sealed.

For this particular leg, nineteen Honda Jazz owners and seven teams from different motoring media publications united for this very exciting and timely endeavor. The route for the day was southwards, from Petron SLEX to Petron STAR Tollway in Batangas, for a total of 52 kilometers. There were two categories for the Honda Jazz owners, the manual and the CVT category. For the motoring media folks, there is the City CVT category and the Jazz CVT category, respectively. For this leg, I rode shotgun with Manila Bulletin’s Aris Ilagan as the navigator, with the Honda City CVT as our vehicle.

After refueling at Petron SLEX, Aris and I had set off to a very familiar route, but this time with a different mindset, which is the mindset to win. I, as the navigator, tried my very best to update my team mate on various road conditions such as lane blockades or traffic build-up. I also acted as the human rev and speed meter, prompting my teammate immediately when he’d go past two grand or exceeding 80 km/h, which would be the economical engine and vehicle speed, respectively. Aris, on the other hand, aside from safely avoiding every braking opportunity and maintaining a straight line throughout to reduce unnecessary road friction, kept a light and a steady foot on the accelerator. These were on top of our other tasks, which were keeping a hearty conservation, and having fun.

At the end point, which was Petron STAR Tollway, again we arrived for an R&R of a different kind, for it meant refill and revelation, since the full tank system of measurement was adopted. Throughout the trip, our odometer measured 53.1 kilometers, while the fuel pump released 1.798 liters of fuel. In other words, our official fuel consumption was only 29.42 kilometers per liter. We were instructed to go the next stop-over, which was Mt. Malarayat Golf and Country Club in Lipa City, Batangas, for lunch and awarding ceremonies. During the awarding ceremonies, everyone was amazed to learn that a Honda Jazz piloted by AAP (Automobile Association of the Philippines) representatives managed to consume only a little above one liter throughout the route, which was equivalent to a little more than 50 kilometers per liter!

For the Jazz owners, the manual transmission category was won by William Catacutan and Nico Andrada, with a total consumption of 30.6818 kilometers per liter. For the CVT category, on the other hand, was won by Leo and Leovin Ramos, with total fuel consumption of 32.7160 kilometers per liter, the highest for this leg, regardless of category. For the Media Category, our tandem bested other teams for the City CVT category with again, 29.42 kilometers per liter, while the Motoring Today team of Matt Mallari and Dianne Diwa was the highest in their class, with total consumption of exactly 30 kilometers per liter. The winners from the Customer Category won ten thousand pesos, a trophy, and Honda Hydrophilic Paint Protection for their cars. The winners from the Media category won ten thousand pesos per team plus a trophy.

This very timely activity from Honda, Petron XTRA Unleaded, Pioneer, and AAP plants new seeds to the motoring public, which is once again reminded to revisit the salient points of motor vehicle consumption, which are driving habits and over all vehicle condition. If a vehicle is in tip-top condition, the driver would be more relaxed and would worry-less. On the other hand, a relaxed driving behavior drastically minimizes premature vehicle wear and tear, which would have kept the vehicle in excellent condition. This is definitely the two-way street every frugal motorist should pass through.