Gas Saving Tips Going through too much fuel? Here is some practical advice.
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Saving money on gas is becoming steadily more of an oxy-moronic proposition—like saving money on caviar or Fabergé eggs—but there are things you can do to reduce the amount of gas your car consumes. Little things you should be doing anyway like getting regular tune-ups and oil changes can have a significant impact on your car's performance. For the summer months, a different grade of oil is often recommended for hotter temperatures. Tires are another huge one; optimal pressure not only prevents unnecessary wear, it stretches your mpg figure up a couple of points.
Annoyingly, driving slow is probably the most effective way to get more out of a tank of gas. Keeping freeway speeds of 55 to 60 mph is much more efficient than 70 to 80, though they can be difficult to maintain if you actually want to get somewhere. Our advice is to set the cruise control (if you have it) at 60 and try not to think about it. Cruise control in general is a good idea as maintaining a constant speed is better than repetitive acceleration and braking. Aggressive moves like punching the gas out of stop and rapid braking guzzle gas as well.
One wonderful little catch-22 of summer driving efficiency is that air conditioning robs power from your engine and hurts gas mileage. Rolling down windows has a similar effect as drag is increased. Basically, if you really want to save the most money, get on the freeway, slide over to the right lane, set the cruise at 55, and keep the windows up and the a/c off even if it gets to be about 175 degrees in the car. Draft off semi-trucks like you're Dale Earnhardt Jr. trying to delay a needed pit stop (don't actually do this). In truth, air conditioning is best for highway speeds and rolling down the windows is better for around town driving.
A couple other tips: If you're not using luggage systems like bike or kayak racks, take them off. Turn your car off rather than let it idle. And of course, drive less.
