How to Get Fantastic Gas Mileage

Everyone likes to save money—such a trick question, right? We can’t imagine anybody who wouldn’t want to save it, especially on fuel! Did you know that there are many things that you can do with your driving habits and your car that can give you an increase in gas mileage?  Incorporate these tips into your driving, and you may easily cut your monthly gasoline cost, and with little effort!

1) Clean out your car regularly. Items like tennis balls or golf clubs may add weight to your vehicle. We also would like you to stop lugging around that huge widescreen television you bought. If your car is cleaned out it will increase your fuel economy! If you feel overwhelmed by all you must clean out, spend 15 minutes a day on it until it is all cleared out! Try it!  

2) Check the air filter– Studies have found that nearly ¼ of vehicles on the road need an air filter replacement. One example of an air filter is a gross air filter, which prevents air from flowing freely into your engine and can cut down a vehicle’s gas mileage by up to 10%.

3) Check your tire alignment – Bad alignment not only results in tires quickly wearing out, but also forces the engine to work really hard. Align your car’s tires and save up to 10% in gas mileage.

4) Drive slowly – For every 5 mph you reduce highway speed, you can reduce fuel consumption by seven percent.  That’s right—seven percent! This is very true for vehicles with big, frontal surfaces, like vans and trucks. Most drivers don’t realize this, so you’re one of few that know this!

5) Keep the tires inflated – This is a big one. More than one-quarter of cars are driving on under-inflated tires. The typical under-inflation of around 7 1/2 pounds causes fuel efficient loss of five percent. It may not seem like much but it adds up!

6) Take smooth drives – This is an easy one to do. Avoid jack-rabbit starts and you’ll improve your fuel economy. In particular, lightly coming off your gas pedal when you depart stop signs and lights can save you up to 10% in mileage.

7) Use the lowest possible octane gas – Do not use a higher octane gas than what the car absolutely needs.  Higher octane gas is only required for high-compression engines.  For many cars it simply is not required. Check your owner’s manual for the gas grade that you should be using and use that.

8) Quit idling – Besides resulting in air pollution, idling ‘throws away’ fuel. If stopped for at least thirty seconds while waiting for your father or mother to walk out of work and make their way to the car, turn off your engine, and, unless it is cold out, don’t bother to “warm up” your car before driving—we think that this is a wonderful tip! Thank you to Thompson Hyundai of Baltimore, MD for their help on this article!