We all have questions when it comes to getting the most out of our gas tanks. Do I drive with the windows down, air condition off, tailgate down, inflate my tires, or even just drive slower? But which tips should you heed and which tips should you ignore?
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, drivers save the most at the pump simply driving less aggressively. Speeding, rapid acceleration and braking can save nearly 33 percent on the highways and five percent in town.
Another common way people think they can save fuel is by driving with the windows down. But the automobile website edmunds.com says driving with the windows down is "nice in theory, though not true in practice." It says the drag from rolling the windows down cancels any possibility of saving gas. If you open the sunroof along with your downed windows, you're actually losing gas efficiency. Also, riding with your truck tailgate down has little or no affect on saving gas either, the website says.
How about lowering your speed? Department of Energy tests show that every 5 mph you drive over 60 mph is like paying an extra 24 cents per gallon of gas. Maximum miles per gallon occurs between 45 and 60 mph.
The government also suggest inflating your tires to save on gas, but warns over inflating could have a negative effect.
Cruise control is not only convenient. It's also frugal. Cruise control averages an increase savings of seven percent and can be as much as 14 percent. But edmunds.com warns that if you plan to drive in mountainous areas to turn cruise control off because it will often use extra gas by downshifting to maintain a certain speed.
Some new GPS technologies come with an option to choose a route that saves you the most on gas. Green Routing or ecoRouting avoids stop and go traffic and highways and interstates with speed limits above 60 mph.
Ford researchers say the ecoRoute can save as much as 15 percent in some of their vehicles. But don't plan on the most fuel efficient route to save you the most on time. The drive may take you twice as long which may bring up another question. Will you actually start to get up earlier for your morning commute if it meant saving money in the long run?
How do you try to save money on gas?
Remember, you can always find the cheapest gas prices in your area by clicking here.
