Tips And Myth on Fuel Economy

Although the price of the gasoline has been the lowest we’ve seen the last couple of months, it is still high compared with what we’ve experienced just a few years ago. That’s why some of us can still use the following tips. Not only that you are saving money but you are also helping the environment. In addition, some of the myths about fuel economy is included here. And of course, these are based on the test conducted by Consumer Reports or Edmunds.com, two familiar consumer oriented organization.

Gas Saving Tips

1.) Avoid hard accelerating and braking. In a Consumer Reports test, frequent acceleration and braking reduced the mileage of a 2005 Toyota Camry sedan by 2 to 3 miles per gallon (mpg) and that of a 2005 Mercury Mountaineer midsize SUV  by 1 mpg.

2.) When driving in the highway, low and slow is the way to go. Consumer Reports indicated that driving at 75 mph instead of 65 reduced the Camry’s fuel economy from 35 to 30 mpg. Also, gas consumption for the Mercury Mountaineer dropped from 21 mpg to 18. When the testers slowed down to 55 mph, the Camry improved to 40 mpg and the Mountaineer to 24 mpg.

3.) Do not drive to distance (10-15 miles further than your usual gas station) just to get the cheapest gas. The savings that you obtained is offset by the round trip expense on your gas mileage. If you want to find the cheapest gas station in your vicinity, you can go to http://www.gasbuddy.com/ or aaa.com/gasprices.

4.) Do not jump into purchasing any of the gas savings devices yet. AAA tests have never found these gadgets to have any significant value. If you notice, some of the requirements before installing them is to ensure that you’re car is properly tuned-up. And their is also another caveat, your savings is also based on your driving habits, which is pretty much following tips 1 and 2!!

 Some Gas Saving Myths:

1.) Air conditioning wastes gas and Rolling down your window when driving on the highway wastes almost as much gas. Consumer Reports and Edmunds.com conducted tests that show neither one makes much of a difference in gas consumption. In addition, “Consumer Reports found that using A/C while driving 65 mph reduced gas mileage in a 2005 Toyota Camry and a 2005 Mercury Mountaineer by about 1 mpg. The effect of opening the windows was not even measurable. Automotive site Edmunds.com did a similar test and found no measurable difference in gas consumption. Both organizations concluded that motorists should go for comfort. Air conditioning can help you stay alert and ‘the small trade-off in fuel economy for increased safety is worthwhile,’ the Consumer Reports testers wrote.”

2.) Underinflated tires has a big effect on fuel economy.  Consumer Reports indicated that based on their test, driving on moderately under inflated tires is more of a safety concern than a fuel-economy issue. Under inflated tires reduced highway fuel economy just by a little bit in their tests. According to AAA Comey’s, you don’t have to measure your tire pressure every week. Instead, you can do it every three months.