Automotive Tips

• Drive sensibly. Aggressive driving (speeding, rapid acceleration and braking) waste gas. It can lower your gas mileage by 33 percent at highway speeds and by 5 percent around town.
• Observe the speed limit. As a rule of thumb, you can assume that each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph is like paying an additional $0.21 per gallon for gas.
• Avoid keeping unnecessary items in your vehicle, especially heavy ones. An extra 100 pounds in your vehicle could reduce your MPG by up to 2 percent.
• Avoid excessive idling. Idling gets 0 miles per gallon. If your car is going to idling for more than one minute, shut it off and restart it again. It is a myth that restarting the engine uses more gas than idling.
• Use cruise control. Using cruise control on the highway helps you to maintain a constant speed and, in most cases, will save gas.
• Use overdrive gears. When you use overdrive gearing, your car's engine speed goes down. This saves gas and reduces engine wear.
• Keep tires properly inflated. You can improve you gas mileage by around 3.3 percent by keeping your tires inflated to the proper pressure.
• Check and replace air filters regularly. Replacing a clogged air filter can improve your car's gas mileage by as much as 10 percent.
• 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 an average of 4 percent, though results vary based on the kind of repair and how well it is done. Fixing a serious maintenance problem, such as a faulty oxygen sensor, can improve your mileage by as much as 40 percent.
• In 2004, SUV drivers spent about $1,225 on fuel, while passenger drivers spent only $976. Hybrid electric car drivers spent between $350 and $450.