Driving Tips for Better Gas Mileage

Continued from Driving Tips for Better Gas Mileage.

11. Avoid left turns whenever possible. Left turns mean more idling time, which means more fuel burned.
12. Use the clear lanes. A clear lane means less obstacles for you and your car. Less obstacles removes outside influences and factors, such as a bad driver in front of you who constantly uses his brake for no reason, or the driver behind you that insists on tailgating you.
13. Maintain a low RPM. The lower your RPMs, the better gas mileage you'll achieve. 2000 RPMs or less is ideal. Any higher and your car is working harder and burning more fuel that it needs to in many situations.
14. Pretend you don't have brakes. Imagine your brakes went out.

    What would you do?

    Would you slow down?

    Would you let up off the gas when coming to a stop?

    Would you pay more attention to your surroundings?

    Pretend you don't have brakes the next time you drive and see how it turns you into a safer, more fuel efficient driver.

    NOTE: Please don't use this as an excuse to run a red light or stop sign, or worse, run over your neighbors. Use the brakes only when you NEED them. But please use your brakes!

15. Drive on the side streets. Side streets are usually less crowded and have less stop signs and traffic signals. Less stop and go means better MPG for you.
16. Avoid the bumpy ride. Kids love a bumpy ride, but it kills your gas mileage. Avoid the bad roads with grooves, construction, and potholes, and opt for smooth roads.

    BONUS DRIVING TIP: This is better for your suspension as well!

17. Learn from other safe drivers. It's nice to have company on the road, even if you're the only one in the car. If you and your car hang out with the other fuel efficient folks on the road, you'll soon find your driving habits improving.

18. Make wide turns. Sharp turns require more braking. This forces you to use more gas to regain momentum. A wide turn means less momentum lost and more gas saved!
19. Avoid driving in extreme temperatures. Extreme temperatures force you to turn on the A/C or the heating system, which burns more gas. The cold weather is also harder on the engine. Whenever possible, avoid these extreme weather conditions and save gas.
20. Brush off snow and ice. When we lived in Massachusetts, I can't tell you how many times I saw people driving down the highway at 70mph with a foot of snow on top of their cars.

    Not only is this unsafe as snow and ice fly off and hit other vehicles, but it's also horrible for your gas mileage.

    Extra weight on the car increases aerodynamic drag, so clean that car off THOROUGHLY before you begin your trip.

21. Avoid the warm-ups. Warm-ups are necessary for a work-out, but not for driving. Most newer cars don't require a warm-up period anymore. Just start the engine and drive.
22. Avoid idling and any situation that requires lots of idling time.

    Stay away from drive-thrus whenever possible (that food's bad for you anyway).

    If you're at a red light for a long time, put the car in neutral to burn less gas.

    If you plan to be stopped for more than 30 seconds, turn off the engine and restart it when you're ready to go.

    BONUS DRIVING TIP: If you're only going to be stopped for less than 30 seconds, keep your engine running. You'll burn more fuel if you turn off the engine and restart it if you're stopped for a short period of time.

23. Chill out with the A/C. Anything running in your car besides the engine will burn more fuel than necessary. This includes the radio, GPS, ipod, and the A/C.

    Roll down a window when the wind and your speed are low.

    Drive when it's cooler outside like in the early morning or evening.

    If you must use your A/C (I live in Vegas, so I understand!), work it as little as possible. Don't crank it to the max, or you'll burn a lot more gas than you'd like to.

    BONUS DRIVING TIP #1: Turn your A/C off a little bit before you reach your destination. Your vehicle will stay cool while you park and get out of the car. No reason to keep it running until you turn off your engine.

    BONUS DRIVING TIP #2: Make sure your A/C is off before you turn on your car. You'll burn more gas if your car has to start the engine and the A/C simultaneously.

24. Reduce your aerodynamic drag. Aerodynamic drag is anything on your vehicle that forces it to slow down, such as storage on the roof of your car.
25. Learn how to park fuel efficienty. Parking also affects your gas mileage, so follow these handy parking tips.

    Park in the shade (keeps the car cooler, saving gas on start-up).

    Take the first parking spot available instead of circling the lot, wasting time and fuel.

    Pull forward so you can drive instead of reverse out of a parking space (reversing after starting the engine uses more gas than driving forward).

Return to Driving Tips 1-10 for Better Gas Mileage.

The above driving tips will get you well on your way to obtaining better gas mileage. However, this is just the beginning.

Learn about how routine car maintenance and repairs can improve your MPG.

Learn about the gas prices and how to get the best deal.

Learn how to calculate gas mileage to help you track your results.

If you're in the market for a new car, learn about hybrids and other cars that are easy on the gas.


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