With gas prices up nearly 50% since last year, you might be looking for ways to stretch your gas mileage. Fortunately, you do not have to spend a lot of money upgrading to a more fuel-efficient vehicle to do so, as small changes in your driving and vehicle maintenance habits can reduce your gas costs by at least a half buck per gallon, if not more. By following tips like these, you could save the equivalent of a monthly car payment over a year of driving.
- Ease up on Gas and brakes
Your gas mileage typically decreases rapidly at speeds above 50 miles per hour, costing you an estimated $0.23 extra per gallon for every 5 mph you drive over 50 mph, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
“The harder your engine works, the more gas it’s going to take. Rapid acceleration and high-speed driving make your engine work harder, and therefore, it sucks up more gasoline,” says Gillis. In addition to quick acceleration, braking suddenly often also wastes fuel, too. This is why coasting to a red light or down a hill is recommended.
- Avoid excessive idling
Newer vehicles have engines that automatically stop when you idle your car. The reason is to save fuel: Waiting at a red light takes an average of about 45 to 120 seconds while starting your car only requires about 10 seconds of gas, per the U.S. Department of Energy.
That said, newer cars also have heavy-duty starters that can handle dozens of starts in a day, which is why turning off your engine at red lights is not typically recommended with older cars without start/stop engines.
However, if you are otherwise parked safely for more than 10 seconds, consider turning off the engine to save on gas: Idling can cost you up to half a gallon of fuel per hour, depending on engine size and air conditioner use.
- Remove Excess Weight From Your Car
“A lot of people carry salt and sand things in their trunk. It’s kind of an old-school way of coping with potential snowstorms or icy conditions,” says Gillis.
But losing an extra 100 pounds stored in your vehicle will improve your miles per gallon by about 1%, based on the percentage of extra weight relative to the vehicle’s weight. The effect is less of a factor with smaller vehicles, according to the U.S Department of Energy.
- Avoid storing cargo in your vehicle
By adding cargo containers or tracks for bikes to the roof of your vehicle, you increase the vehicle’s wind resistance, which means that your engine has to work harder to maintain its speed. Aerodynamic drag can increase fuel consumption by as much as 20% on the highway, according to the U.S Department of Energy.
A large roof-top cargo box reduces fuel economy by around 2% to 8% in city driving, and 6% to 17% on the highway, according to the Department of Energy. If you need the storage, consider using rear-mounted cargo boxes, which reduce fuel economy by only 1% or 2% in city driving and 1% to 5% on the highway.