Facts About Car Mileage

With the skyrocketing costs of living, many people are striving to save a few dollars, in order to pay their bills. Due to the volatile cost of gasoline, one of the most effective ways to achieve this bojective, is through superior gas mileage. The following tips can help you to get the most miles for your bucks.

1. Select a more energy-proficient vehicle. The best way to achieve the best fuel economy is by purchasing a car that is the most fuel efficient. In fact, you can save thousands of dollars this way.

2. Plan and merge trips. Numerous short trips that require you to start up your car, can require double the fuel as longer trips with multiple destinations.

a) Traveling. When traveling, remember that an additional 100 lbs. in the trunk can lower your vehicle's fuel efficiency by 1-2%. Also, an overloaded roof rack can decrease your fuel efficiency by 5%.

b) Commuting. You can save fuel by traveling before and after peak rush hours; using carpools; working from home; using public transportation; and participating in ride-share programs.

3. Drive in a more resourceful manner. Driving aggressively (i.e. fast braking and acceleration, and speeding) squanders gasoline. In fact, that can reduce your gas mileage by 5% in local areas and by 33% on highways!

a) Prevent extra idling. Because an idling car runs but goes nowhere, the result is 0 miles per gallon. Larger engines usually waste more gasoline idling, than smaller engines do.

b) Remove extra weight. Removing 100 pounds of weight from your vehicle can lower your miles per gallon by up to 2%. This affects smaller vehicles more than larger cars and trucks.

c) Use overdrive gears and cruise control and overdrive gears. Overdrive gears will allow your vehicle's engine speed to drop. Cruise control will let you drive at a continuous speed,

d) Adhere to the speed limit. Gas mileage typically drops quickly when driving at speeds above 60 mph. Think about it this way: For every 5 mph that you drive over 60 mph, you are adding another 20 cents for each gallon of gasoline.

4. Keep your car in excellent condition. Repairing a car with poor emissions or that requires tuning, can boost gas mileage by 4%. In fact, repairing a severe maintenance issue can augment your gas mileage by a maximum of 40%!

a) Utilize the suggested motor oil grade. This can increase your gas mileage by 1-2%. In particular, use motor oil with the API performance symbol that contains the label "Energy Conserving."

b) Maintain tires that are correctly inflated. This will boost your gas mileage by about 3%.

c) Periodically assess and replace air filters. This can improve your vehicle's gas mileage by up to 10%, as the air filter keeps your engine clean.