Forgot to ask where you got the 20,000 mpa lease figure? Googling suggests 24,000 kpa is a usual figure for Canada, which is a shade under 15,000 mpa by my maths.

I'd think the tendency to drive long distance on pleasure would be much greater in Canada and the US - no problem taking pets, car insurance is likely covered, no driving on the "other" side issue, cheaper fuel in the US, etc etc. It would be interesting to compare with figures for Brits driving on the Continent.

Your local use isn't "normal" I still say the average Canadian has no greater distance to travel to supermarkets, doctors, place of work etc than the average Brit.

Thank yoiu Biiiiink for stating what I was going to. Also keep in mind that Dbd33 has a severe aversion to things metric so when he says miles perhaps he really means kilometers but can't bring himself to say it.
I would also agree that his annual mileage is not the norm.

Also MikeUKalso stated earlier in this thread that "automatic cars are also significantly less fuel efficient! so expect your average weekly fuel bill to be either on par or higher than in the UK" This is not the case.

Yes automatics are slightly less efficient but not significantly so.

For example:
2006 Chevrolet Aveo 1.6L 4 speed Automatic 29mpg City 45mpg Highway
2006 Chevrolet Aveo 1.6L 5 speed Manual 31mpg City 46mpg Highway

2006 Ford Focus 2.0L 4 speed Automatic 31mpg City 42mpg Highway
2006 Ford Focus 2.0L 5 speed Manual 31mpg City 44mpg Highway


You can check out the fuel mileage at this Transport Canada site you can also download a PDF document with all the fuel mileage ratings for 2006 cars, vans, trucks and SUV's

Cheers
Steve

Oh! I thought 25,000 kilometres (which is what's always been on the contracts) was about 20,000 miles, you're right it's only 15,625. I guess our actual mileage is about 20,000 then i.e. a fair bit over but not quite twice.

If you say not. I feel normal.

yep and in some cases can be as much as 10%+ size for size...

Even more if the manual is the smaller engine and the auto's engine is bigger as is the norm..
I drive a manual escape, the auto model uses 30% more fuel...

I also remember looking at car specs in the UK and comparing them to Canada when we had moved back to the UK and its worth a thought as to the marketing spin..

Canada an “automatic’ preferring country

2006 Ford Focus 2.0L 4 speed Automatic 31mpg City 42mpg Highway
2006 Ford Focus 2.0L 5 speed Manual 31mpg City 44mpg Highway

Uk a “manual” preferring country

2006 Ford Focus 2.0L 4 speed Automatic 25.2mpg City 46.3mpg Highway
2006 Ford Focus 2.0L 5 speed Manual 28.8mpg City 52.3mpg Highway

Consider that this is the same engine??

One show’s almost no advantage to having a manual, and the other around 12%

My experience driving both manuals and auto’s here and in Europe would tend to agree with the 10% rule…. Unless you try and drive the bigger trucks and SUV’s then I’d move it up to about 20-30%

It's more that I get the translations mixed up. Conversations are in miles, as is mapquest and the odometer in one of the cars I use a lot. Alas, the other commonly used car is in metric which means constant conversions, I should get it converted and drop the metric altogether.

In contrast we spend approx $ 140 per month on fuel for 2 cars. Hubs very economic Honda Civic just goes back and forwards to work. My 'gas guzzler' SUV doesn't often venture out of Sherwood Park on a regular week ( I know, I know ........but I love my SUV)

Wow, that's not even three tanks of gas for the Honda Element (the thirstiest of our cars). If we commute in it (five miles each way), it goes through a tank a week. That's cheaper than the tram but only just.

You drive a Honda Element?? I'm sure I recall you saying the Element and the Pontiac Aztek were the most hideous vehicles in the universe... if this is the Honda you mentioned earlier in the week, I appreciate it's not strictly yours, but how funny fate should bring you together with an Element owner

Not only is it ugly but it's just so gay. I should have asked about the car before I downloaded that woman!

Hahaha does it have the wipe-down plastic vomit-proof interior too?

Yes. It has an odd mixture of features. The hosable interior, the sun roof right at the back so, if you convert the seats to a bed you can look at the stars. Lots of bins and nets for groceries and stuff but no remote for the door locks and a strange system of central locking, only the driver's door lock seems to work the others.

I don't believe marketing spin would enter into it as the figures I quoted are from a Transport Canada publication not the manufacturers themselves.

So I would guess the Canada vs UK numbers differ because the testing methods perhaps vary.

The PDF document I quoted does explain how they come up with their numbers.

Cheers
Steve

Is that your pad-in-the-country ? Methinks it needs more than a new deck

Rich.

If you think that's bad, you should see this house.