Drive your way to savings on gas
Obviously, the easiest way to reduce your car’s fuel consumption is to drive it less — by using transit, walking, or car pooling. But for those times when you have to drive, or just want to, these tips will help you improve your car’s fuel efficiency and save you money.

Safe driving is fuel-efficient

Research has shown that drivers can reduce the amount they spend on gasoline by as much as one third simply by changing their driving habits.


Don’t speed. Driving faster than the speed limit, sudden acceleration from traffic lights and other stops, and frequent, sudden braking will increase your car’s trips to the pump. Driving at 90 km/h, rather than 120 km/h, can reduce fuel consumption by 20%.


Don’t just sit there. Idling to warm up the engine wastes fuel because the engine isn’t operating at its optimum temperature. Driving is the best way to warm the engine.


If you idle your car because you think it takes more fuel to restart the engine, you’re wrong. Letting your car idle for more than 10 seconds uses more fuel than simply restarting your engine — not to mention that it’s a big contributor to air pollution.


Take a load off.

Regularly hauling unnecessary, heavy loads around in your trunk places extra fuel demands on your car.


Keep aerodynamics in mind.

At high speeds, open windows, sun roofs, and roof racks increase aerodynamic drag and fuel use.


Regular maintenance can help

By following your car manufacturer’s recommendations for service checks, you can keep your vehicle running at optimum efficiency.

Under-inflated tires, for example, increase resistance, which affects fuel efficiency. Keep your tires properly inflated between checkups at the garage.

When the weather’s cold, pre-warming your car’s engine can make a big difference. Block heaters can improve your car’s overall fuel efficiency by as much as 10%.


Even the most diligent maintenance can’t improve the fuel efficiency of really old cars. Standards for vehicle emissions were upgraded in 1988, 1994 and 2001. If your car is more than five years old, you might want to consider trading it in for a more fuel-efficient model.

Source: Sympatico/MSN