These days money is tight and people are looking to save by cutting down gas bills. A lot of them want to buy a car that is smaller and therefore more fuel efficient, or is it? They fail to realize that it will likely cost them more money to purchase a new vehicle vs sticking with what they have and paying maintenance and the extra gas it consumes. It could take years before you're able to pay off your new investment by savings in fuel. Instead why not just keep your current ride and save money by driving more efficiently?
The big myth is people have the common belief that the car makes the biggest difference for fuel economy. This is 100% false, if you buy a Honda civic or a Toyota prius and drive it with a lead foot it will be just as bad as anything else. This is why you shouldn't change your car but change the way you drive. A common thing on the road is jack rabbiting at the sight of a green light, this wastes fuel and puts unnessecary wear on components, take off smoothly, your passengers will thank you as well. It's important to also accelerate at a moderate pace this will let you get to speed quicker and get the revs down sooner. Accelerating slowly means the engine stays at high revs longer and burns more fuel as a result. The other thing that is common is to keep your foot on the gas right up until you start braking. If you see a light go red take your foot off the gas (getting there first isn't going to get you anywhere) allow the car to coast in this time, it will also slow down which means your brakes have to do less work.
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| Use manual mode to downshift when passing |
On the highway try keeping closer to the speed limit, you would be amazed by the amount of fuel it takes to keep your car at highspeeds. After about 100Km/h or 62MPH fuel consumption will increase drastically. Staying near the speed limit will keep your consumption low because keeping you car moving at those speeds requires little fuel. If you're in stop and go traffic with an automatic car don't hit the gas to move up ten feet and stop again, just release the brake slightly and let the car roll up, once again this saves your gas and your brakes. Another common belief is that if you're going down a large hill you should put your car in neutral and let it roll down. This does not save you gas because most cars will cut off fuel to the engine and let the wheels keep it moving. Keeping it connected will also help you maintain your speed and control of the vehicle without using your brakes. If you put the transmission in neutral the engine will have to use gas to keep it idling for no reason. Also if using an automatic transmission that includes a manual mode you can use that to downshift manually to pass or get up a hill if your car is hesitant to downshift. In cases such as these it's better to use a lower gear than stay in top gear.
In using these techniques you should see an increase in fuel efficiency and a decrease in vehicle wear. This will make even vehicles that aren't great on fuel better. Chances are if you're getting high fuel consumption it's not so much the car but your driving habits.
