Three Simple Tips to Increase Gas Mileage

Even though the price of gas here in the USA is much cheaper than in Europe ( how does $10 a gallon sound?) Many feel that gas prices are getting ridiculous these days. How are we even supposed to keep up with the constant increases when our salaries do not keep up? The feeling is that gas companies are basically bleeding us dry because they can - whether this is true or not, the simple fact is that gas prices are going up and we have no real options. Whether we all like it or not, we must purchase gas to get back and forth to work daily, trips to the mall, the children's school run and all the other errands we can't avoid. While there's no way to force the gas stations charge less, there are other things we can do to save money on fuel. We basically want to increase gas mileage; i.e. we want to travel further for every gallon of gas we buy. However, not everyone knows how to do this.

Obviously one way to increase gas mileage is simply to purchase a more economical vehicle, not only will you save money on fuel but you will also be kinder to the environment. A popular option these days is to purchase a "hybrid" vehicle ( this a vehicle which runs on gas part of the time and an alternative fuel the rest of the time - the most popular alternative fuel for these types of cars is electrical power). The most famous example of a hybrid vehicle is the Toyota Prius, a celebrity's favorite, this car has a super efficient conventional motor running on gas but supplements this with a state of the art electrical motor. Running this type of vehicle is much cheaper than a conventional car, however it is not for everyone. There is a price to be paid in term of performance with these vehicles, anyone used V8 power would find it difficult to accept the lack of acceleration. Additionally many do not like the looks of hybrid vehicles, nor the fact that most of these cars are Japanese built - not made in the USA. Finally these hybrid vehicles are all relatively new, which places them in a price range beyond many families - so what can we do to increase mileage with our existing vehicles?

There are 3 simple simple tips you can follow to get more miles per gallon from your vehicle

You should always make sure that your tires are at the correct pressure. If they are too low, you are wasting gas. The vehicle basically has to struggle more to overcome the resistance of the tires, hence burning more gas - its like continually driving uphill.

Correct and regular basic maintenance on your vehicle will also increase gas mileage, it is a false economy to skimp on servicing, cars which are not running optimally due to lack of maintenance - dirty air filter, worn sparking plugs etc frequently consume 20 - 30% more gas, you should always keep on top of car maintenance as it will pay for itself in the long run.

Driving with windows down to avoid using air conditioner - this is a false economy and was famously "busted" on the TV show Myth busters. They tested this scientifically using a vehicle on a test track and found it was MORE economical to keep the windows up and use the air-con!