Who Wants To Use Less Gas?

by Jon Buttress

Go to the gas station these days and you can see why they put plexiglass around the cashier. The prices are simply outrageous. Unfortunately, that isn’t going to change significantly, so the key to getting around is making your gas go farther.

The first thing to know about saving money on gas is the nature of your car. Simply put, new cars get poor gas mileage until the engine is broken in fully. This means three to five thousand miles. In short, don’t panic when your mileage is bad.

Having a lead foot is expensive. Quick acceleration and heavy braking can reduce fuel economy by up to 33 percent on the highway and 5 percent around town. Consistent speeds produce better mileage.

Short trips are another area that will kill your gas mileage. Not only are they of the start and stop variety, but they can usually be combined into one trip that would reduce the total mileage you drive.

When it is cold outside, it takes a while to get your body running when you head out, right? Well, the same thing goes for your car. If it is cold outside, you can county on your cars miles per gallon going down.

Given that cold weather trips are bad, you should just let your car idle while it warms up, right? Actually, letting your car idle to warm-up doesn’t help your fuel economy, it actually uses more fuel and creates more pollution. The proverbial catch-22 situation.

Those cool racks you have on your car are costing you money. Anything that blocks the wind is bad news. How often do you really use that stuff? If it is a pretty rare event, take them off and watch your mileage improve.

Here’s one way to save gas that you should definitely know already. When it gets hot outside, don’t crank on the air conditioner in your car. It will reduce your mileage by up to 25 percent. Open a window and get the air moving.

There are a few other factors to keen in mind. A tuned engine burns fuel efficiently, so make sure yours is. While correctly inflated tires are important, making sure your car is aligned properly is equaly so.

If you want to drive a car that gets poor mileage, you are going to have to be ready to pay. The world demand for oil is going up and supplies are not keeping up. The days of cheap and easy to get fuel are simply over.

About the Author:

Jon Buttress writes about fuel issues for HybridDealerDepot.com, where you can find Idaho hybrid car dealers.

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Category: Vehicles
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