Drive Efficiently
Use common sense behind the wheel. Driving aggressively—speeding, sudden and rapid acceleration, and braking—wastes gas. It can lower your gas mileage by 33% on the highway and 5% around town.
- Observe the speed limit. While each vehicle reaches its optimal fuel economy at a different speed, gas mileage usually decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 miles per hour (mph). As a rule, you can assume that each 5 mph you drive above 60 mph is like paying an extra $0.20 per gallon of gas.
- Remove excess weight from your vehicle. Avoid keeping unnecessary items, especially heavy ones, in your vehicle. An extra 100 pounds in your vehicle reduces your miles per gallon (mpg) by up to 2%.
- Avoid excess idling. Cars, SUVs, and minivans with larger engines waste more gas at idle than do vehicles with smaller engines. If you’re in your car waiting for someone, turn off the engine.
- Use cruise control. Using cruise control on the highway helps you maintain a constant speed and save gas.
Keep Your Car in Good Working Order
Keep your engine properly tuned. Fixing a car that is noticeably out of tune or has failed an emissions test can improve its gas mileage by 4%, though results vary
based on the kind of repair and how well it is done.
- Check and replace air filters regularly. Replacing a car’s air fi lter can improve your car’s gas mileage by as much as 10%.
- Keep your tires properly infl ated. You can improve your gas mileage by 3% by keeping your tires inflated to the proper pressure.
- Use the recommended grade of motor oil. You can improve your gas mileage by 1%–2% by using the manufacturer’s recommended grade of motor oil. For example, using 10W-30 motor oil in an engine designed to use 5W-30 can lower your gas mileage by 1%–2%. Look for motor oil that says “Energy Conserving” on the API performance symbol to be sure it contains friction-reducing additives.
Choose a Fuel-Efficient Vehicle
- When purchasing a vehicle, be sure to take fuel economy into account. The difference between a car that gets 20 mpg and one that gets 30 mpg amounts to $750 per year (assuming 15,000 miles of driving annually and a fuel cost of $3.00 per gallon).
- To help you make the right choice in selecting a vehicle and an appropriate fuel, consult the Department of Energy’s Web site dedicated to fuel efficiency at www.fueleconomy.gov.
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