Why not measure a trip's fuel intake?

HELPDESK:Answering all your motoring queries

From LO’N: Why don’t cars show the fuel used on a journey in the on-board computers instead of the “average fuel consumption”? It would be better to know how many litres you used and then you could very quickly work out the cost of the trip in terms of the money you spent on diesel or petrol.

It’s a good idea and we contacted some of the biggest selling brands in Ireland for their response. In general they all agreed it would be something worth considering. Renault says its cars can show the total fuel used for a trip through the onboard computer if you reset it at the start. I can’t recall seeing it on the test cars myself but, as they say, it’s fairly easy to do through the functionality of the trip computer.

Ford similarly offers an average-fuel-consumption display, as does Toyota.

As they said in their responses, if the average-fuel-consumption and trip-distance meters are reset before a journey you can work out how much fuel was used.

For example, if you reset the trip meter and then get the average reading you can work out that if you do a 20km trip and the average is 5L/100km, then you have used one litre of fuel.

The prominence of fuel consumption figures is likely to increase as drivers get more conscious of their fuel economy. Already hybrid models have large displays for when the cars are running on electric or full engine power. Speaking with owners of such cars over the years, there is certainly anecdotal evidence to suggest the prominence of such information influences their driving styles.

From DW: We are looking for a family car that will double as transport for a small zoo as well. We’ve got four dogs and a house full of varied creatures, some of them attending shows. We cover quite an amount of the countryside every year, so diesel is a must. Needless to say, we need plenty of boot space. At most shows the car park is filled with SUVs, but I really don’t need to go that way. Our current jalopy isn’t worth two cents, so with the help of a small loan we’ll be looking at a maximum €25,000 outlay. Ideas please.

There are several estates that fit the bill, but your mention of shows makes me wonder if the car is also expected to undergo a bit of rough and tumble as well. That makes me think of something like a Subaru Outback. The problem is that supply might not be strong. The drop in sales in 2008 and 2009 means that used-car stocks from this era are relatively low, particularly for brands like Subaru. You might need to cast your net outside the Republic, or talk to your local dealership to see if it can help.

An alternative with an enormous boot is the Skoda Superb. There are more of these on the market here and it’s big enough in the boot to rival Noah’s Ark.

I would lean towards the Subaru if you can find one.

There is a host of safety accessories you should also consider when carrying animals in the car that ensure they can’t jump into the passenger area while you are driving. A visit to the local car-accessory store might be in order as well.

Send your queries to Motors Helpdesk, The Irish Times, Tara Street, Dublin 2, or motorshelp@irishtimes.com