Recent Skoda launch put us behind the wheel of seven Skodas in one afternoon. That supplied an ample reminder of just how good VW’s DSG double-clutch auto transmission is; it’ll second-guess you and do so impressively fast in all but rapid sporting drives needing sudden downshifts.

It also reminded us how good the brand is; only the Fabia disappoints for the price, the body looking (and feeling) a tad tired next to the similarly priced Polo. Best of the breed must be the massive Superb with its smart and spacious cabin, and the engaging four-paw any-roads Yeti, now with that DSG auto.  

Day three was a toughie as we scrambled over the Pahiatua track, headed east towards Herbetville, skimmed Wimbledon then joined the main drag to Hastings and Napier in persistent rain and misty conditions.

Then came the long haul skywards, the slow descent to Napier and on into Rotorua. The heavy Camry struggled to stay below claim, with 5.9 average overall replaced by six uphill from Napier – and back to 5.9 by Rotorua.  

Gull’s pump told a different story; I’m hoping it’s taking the fuel that didn’t go in in after day one, when the attendant seemed keener on a splash and dash than the careful brim I’d prefer to have seen.

Highlight – the cheerful tree-feller stopping traffic and saying he’d delay my pricey BMW competition to help me prove an affordable car has fuel-frugal goods.

Lowlight? The third day of suicidal drivers pulling slowly out into oncoming 100km/h traffic, and equally suicidal pedestrians who cross without looking.

Fortunately the weather was better for day two of the EnergyWise rally, with a tricky leg over steep undulations east of Wanganui; north through a Manawatu Gorge half blocked by slips and earthmoving equipment to Woodville; then south to Wellington via the Rimutaka hill road and back to Palmerston North.

I discovered the Camry’s handling limits over the hills – and just how early its over-conservative stability control cuts in.

But we arrived within the time limits set by the official cars and sipped at well under the claim, with a 5.54l/100km average for the day.

That still takes us to around 5.9 overall after yesterday’s wind handicap, not the 5.2 of the official figures obtained after time constraints prevented a full fill on day one. Still, even that's not bad for a petrol Camry at open road speeds.

Now for tomorrow’s tricky country roads and the long uphill haul to Taupo.

A stormy day one for the EnergyWise rally with sleet, rain, hail – and head winds strong enough to blow down a tree and delay the second leg start.

Leg one to lunch at Te Kuiti took us around Auckland’s CBD and up Queen Street before we headed south. The hybrid system came into its own but wasn’t much help queuing on uphill series of red lights. Onto H1 and busy rush hour traffic added reality but frustrated our efforts to get a clear run.

By Te Kuiti my trip computer read 5.9l/100km, just under the 6.0 claim, and my time sat a whisker inside the five per cent variance allowed from the AA official cars.

But leg two played mind games with us, the wind slamming into the cars so hard just keeping your speed up was difficult. Let your concentration drop for a moment and so does speed. Slow trucks through the Awakino Gorge didn’t help…

By Wanganui most drivers were dispirited, and my trip computer showed over the claim – though I stayed within time, unlike the BMW that’s my main competition which incurred a time penalty.

This Camry is hard to properly fill, so my day one result looks good; it’s deceptive. Tonight’s will bring me down with a bump.

Ramping up to the EnergyWise fuel economy rally that starts next week certainly focuses the thoughts on eco-driving. Leave a generous gap to other cars so you can make your own driving decisions rather than respond to theirs; lift off early; drive sedately; and don't overload the car with unnecessary guff - these are things anyone can do.

I tried all that in the Toyota Camry hybrid I'll drive in the rally, but I had the radio on to distract me and was only on the road for a few hours at a time. The result was a smidge under Toyota's 6.0l/100km claim, not bad for a petrol car this size.

But the rally route will be far more demanding, with the hilly sections likely to boost the car's thirst - especially given it's hardly a lightweight.

In trying to ensure as real-world a test as possible the AA's sending us through roads few Kiwis will ever drive to make the cars work for their living.

And we'll do it at the speed limit to reflect how you would drive.

The AA and Toyota will feature daily updates. Me? Depends how shattered I am after spending all day glued to the speedo and fuel readout...