I'm sure you realise by now that consumption is a very tricky
and evasive issue....and is very subjective to one's right foot and
driving style.
If its running cost you are worried about, then there are other
major things which need to be considered. For example, some car
agents may charge more than others for maintenance/repairs (and all
cars will need repairs/maintenance for sure). Besides parts
pricing, the frequency of repairs needed is also a
consideration.
For example, regarding the Nissan and Toyota, one important
consideration is the timing belt. Nissans use timing chains which
lasts through the 10 years legal lifespan of cars here. Toyota
still uses timing belts which have to be replaced after 80-100k km
(and this can be quite an expensive operation - from a few hundred
to over S$1000 each time, including labour, water pump, mountings,
crankshaft sensor, etc etc).
Another main consideration would be the price. If one car is $5000
cheaper than the other, then its OK even if the cheaper car drinks
a bit more - because it all balances out over time, approximately
equalising the total running costs over time.
Yet another consideration is that most Singaporeans don't keep
their cars for 10 years (which is why looking at price of brand new
cars alone is NOT enough). You have to estimate how long you'd want
to keep it....and try to find out how much you can sell it for.
Some cars lose more value than others, in the same period of time.
The difference can be quite a few thousand in some cases.
I guess what I'm trying to say is to examine the whole cost of
ownership, not just the the fuel consumption.
