Hello , Welcome to the October issue of Fleettorque, brought to you by Fleetcare!

Water is our most precious resource, so do your bit to save it during National Water Week - and for the rest of the year, of course.

Start outdoors, by giving your car a waterless wash - use a small amount of water to wipe of excess dirt and then spray on a waterless car wash product with a soft cloth for a clean finish. Consider buying a rain water tank or use barrels to catch water from your gutter system to use on your garden plants. A barrel that holds about 200 litres or 60 gallons and has a childproof lid is relatively inexpensive and most come with a spigot for easy dispensing. But, if you're using a hose to water the garden, adjust attachments and sprinkler heads to give out large drops instead of a fine spray that evaporates easily. Only install water features and fountains that recycle the same water. Use a swimming pool cover to stop the water evaporating quickly and fill to a slightly lower level than usual. Remember to avoid water toys that need a constant stream of water.

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We may be used to seeing sensible cars, such as Holdens, driven by our boys in blue, but the police in other countries around the world are getting behind the wheels of a whole range of vehicles, from the everyday to the exciting.

Locally produced Chevrolet Impalas and Ford Crown Victorias are the vehicle of choice for cops in Canada and the US, while police in the UK are given specialist training to use high-powered SUVs, including Mercedes M Class and BMW X5s for motorway patrols.

In India, Hyundai Accents are used in Chennai, while in Japan the usual cruisers are Toyota Crown and Nissan Crews. Swiss police are increasingly being given French cars to drive, including Renaults and Peugeots, but there are still many BMWs as well as Toyota Land Cruisers on the mean mountain streets. The Nissan Patrol is popular with Icelandic police.

The Belgians have to make do with Opel Astras and Nissan Navaras, in the knowledge that in nearby style-conscious Italy, the police cruise in the streets in nothing less than super-cool Lamborghini Gallardos.

Thanks to sky-high prices at the bowser, new car purchasers are putting fuel efficiency firmly at the top of the list of priorities. But which vehicles score the best in the fuel efficiency stakes?

Well, it stands to reason that small cars will be the least thirsty, and the good news is that the tiddlers are not as tiddly as they used to be. The Honda Jazz is a great example of a not-so-tiny car that has a spacious and versatile interior with comfortable seating for two adults and two small children. Available with 1.3 and 1.5 litre engines, the Jazz nips around town using only 6-7 litres of petrol per 100 kilometres. Other mini cars with maxi interiors include the Suzuki Swift, Mazda2 and the VW Polo.

Slightly larger, the latest Toyota Corolla offers no-nonsense transport for reasonable fuel costs, but is rivalled by more modest manufacturers, such Hyundai, whose Elantra gives excellent value for money and lower fuel consumption.

Five-door hatches are often the transport of choice for families. Holden's Astra wagon is spacious and reasonable to run, but is beaten on fuel economy by the Ford Focus. Innovatively designed, modest-sized people carriers are another option, with the Renault Scenic, Mercedes-Benz B Class and Focus C-Max offering enough space for teenagers and a shedload of paraphernalia in the back.

Even 4WDs can be economical. Compact models such as the Subaru Forester and the Toyota RAV4 don't have as much room inside as some of the 2WDs, but they are fun to drive, suitable for off-road and still use less fuel around town than a standard six-cylinder Falcon or Commodore.

Subaru has launched a sedan version of the popular Impreza hatch, whose good looks, performance, safety and value have impressed drivers over several decades. Whether or not buyers will go for the extended boot of the new model remains to be seen, however.

The Impreza sedan has grown 35mm in height and 95mm in wheelbase over the previous model, with a 45mm longer boot. For the first time it has a split-fold rear seat for greater cargo flexibility. Subaru is highlighting the value and safety features of the range by setting identical pricing for the R, RX and RS sedan and hatch variants, all of which have the same five-star crash rating.

The line-up starts at $24,490 for the manual Impreza R in sedan or hatch, with an additional $2,000 for the automatic transmission, while the Impreza RX, at $26,490, has 16-inch alloy wheels, front foglights, six-stack CD with 10 speakers, climate-control air-conditioning and a leather-bound steering wheel with audio controls. Top of the range, the RS has sports bucket seats, rear privacy glass, 17-inch alloys and a sports body kit, all for $29,490.