Save on Fuel Costs: Drive Smarter
Do rising gas prices make your stomach turn and regret your SUV sitting outside? The US Department of Energy (DOE) offers useful suggestions that only require a slight change in habits and could mean less frequent trips to the gas station.
Begin by driving more sensibly. This can improve your gas mileage by as much as 33%, depending on how you currently drive. One trick to better discipline yourself is switching on cruise control when traveling on the highway. This helps maintain a steady speed, which improves your MPG.
Driving sensibly also includes observing the speed limit. According to the DOE, with most automobiles, for every 5 mph you drive over 60 mph, you are spending about 20 cents more on gas per gallon based on a sample $3.10/gallon.
Also make sure you're not carrying excess weight, and teenagers don't count! For every 100 lbs you lose about 2% of your car's performance per mile. This is truer for smaller cars.
Last of all, use overdrive gears and don't idle! Especially if you have a large car. Sitting in a car with the engine on gets 0 MPG and needlessly pollutes the air.
Comments
Cruise control does NOT save gas on hilly country side. If you have an onboard mileage computer you can see a drastic drop when the transmission shifts down , out of torgue converter lockup and then out of overdrive to maintain the set speed. The engine RPM jumps up and mileage drops from 28 to 22 until the hill is crested and the transmission shifts back. It is especially irritating when this happens in gently rolling country just as you are getting to the top of the hill. You can do much better by foot , increasing throttle position gently just before you start up the hill and letting your speed fall off a few miles/hour .
Another great trick is tire pressure. Making sure your tires are properly inflated helps to maximize your mpg. Just be careful not to over-inflate them or you'll just be decreasing your mpg.