Tips to Get the Best Gas Mileage | Royal Moore Mazda

Tips to Get the Best Gas Mileage | Royal Moore Mazda

It is hard to ignore the rising cost of just about everything, including gas. While you cannot do much about the price you pay at the gas station, you can take some steps to improve your gas mileage. It is essential to know that the way you drive has a direct impact on the way your vehicle uses fuel. Continue reading for some tips on how you can get better gas mileage from your car. 

Tip #1: Start and Stop Slower

The faster you drive means the more fuel you will burn. Your fuel economy decreases quickly once you drive over 50 miles an hour. If you reduce your speed on the highway by five mph to 10 mph, you will see a 7 percent to 14 percent increase in fuel economy. If you can slow down your braking and starting, you will improve your fuel economy. Hard braking and jamming on the gas when the light turns green will decrease your fuel economy by about 15 percent to 30 percent on the highway. It can decrease it by as much as 40 percent in traffic that is stop and go. Not only will breaking and starting slowly improve your gas mileage, but it is better for your brakes, tires, and transmission. 

Tip #2 – Do Not Idle

While no one really wants to get into a freezing cold car, it is the better way to drive. Instead of warming up your vehicle, you can just jump in and go, even on the coldest day. There was a time when warming up your car was a good idea, but today, cars are so advanced that they warm up faster while driving than idling. In addition, your vehicle consumes as much as a half-gallon of gas while idling. You should also consider turning off your engine if it is safe and you will be idling longer than one minute. 

Tip #3 – Keep Your Trips Together

When you have an errand to tackle, it makes sense for you to do them all at the same. The best way to address this is to consider all of the errands you want to complete in one day. Then you can map them out in a path that makes the most sense. You can start the furthest away and make your way back to your home. This can prevent backtracking. If you can avoid heavy traffic times, that can help you avoid idling while stuck in traffic. These steps can help you to conserve gas and see improved fuel economy.  

Tip #4 – Reduce What You Carry

The fewer items that you have packed in your car means, the better economy you receive. Some estimates show every 100 pounds you carry in your car may reduce your fuel economy by almost one percent. If you have to put items on top of your vehicle on a roof rack, you will lose even more gas mileage. Having a roof rack on your car that is empty still decreases your economy because it produces wind resistance. If you can, remove the roof rack when it is not in use. When you are carrying a heavy load or luggage, remove them from your vehicle as soon as possible to help improve your fuel economy. 

Tip #5 – Use Air Conditioning Better

While blasting your air conditioning on a hot day feels the best inside the cabin of your vehicle, it is not always best on your fuel economy. When you use your air conditioning on incredibly hot days, it can decrease fuel economy above 25 percent. However, the flip side to that is rolling down your windows to get some airflow. There are times when it makes sense to ride with the windows down. Unfortunately, driving at high speeds is not one of those times. When you are driving at high speeds, having the windows down can create wind drag, and it is better to have them closed. A good rule of thumb is to roll down the windows until you reach speeds of 45 mph to 55 mph or higher. 

Another way to help your fuel economy is to ensure you have regularly scheduled maintenance on your vehicle. If you have any questions about what type of maintenance you can have done to improve your fuel economy, visit the experts at Royal Moore Mazda.

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