| $5.00? Can we really expect to pay $5 per gallon of | | | | or train. Even if you use public transit just once or |
| gasoline at the pumps? More probably than likely. | | | | twice a week, you'll save wear and tear on your car, |
| What will that do to our lifestyle? If history can tell | | | | you won't be shelling out for all that gas. |
| us the future, not much. We American's love to drive. | | | | Buy a new car. Time to buy a new car? Do the math |
| We drive to work, to live, and to play. Just about | | | | and see what it might cost you if gas costs, say, $5 |
| everything we do is designed around driving, even | | | | a gallon in a few years. If you are like most |
| our cities are designed and built for driving. We | | | | American's, and drive about 20,000 miles a year, |
| choose to live in urban and rural areas to get away | | | | increasing your cars fuel efficiency by 10 MPG can |
| from the din and clutter of city life. We just love our | | | | save you over a thousand dollars a year - not to |
| cars , trucks and SUV's and the prestige that a | | | | mention countless stops at the gas station where |
| vehicle might give us. And so it goes. | | | | you breathe fumes and stand in the rain. Best |
| The following are tips that can be found almost | | | | advice? Get the smallest, most efficient vehicle that |
| anywhere, I thought that it just might be time for a | | | | makes sense for your daily driving. There are more |
| refresher on a few common sense tips that just | | | | hybrids on the market every year. And, when you |
| might save us some money. | | | | really do need that huge, inefficient, road hogging |
| Some tips on saving gas -- such as walking more or | | | | SUV for loading up the family and hauling the 24-foot |
| taking public transportation -- are obvious. Others are | | | | cabin cruiser to the beach, rent it for two weeks. |
| less so. Check out these tips: | | | | What's your mpg when you're idling? It's negative! |
| * Use the lowest grade of gas your car can take. | | | | You're actually burning gas... and going nowhere. |
| Unless your vehicle owners manual calls for premium | | | | If you're sitting outside the local Wal-Mart waiting for |
| gas, there is no reason to use it. Use the grade of | | | | your grandmother, and you know it's going to take |
| gas you need and nothing higher. Does your owners | | | | her a good 15 minutes to walk up and down the |
| manual say premium unleaded only? No? Then don't | | | | aisles to find that specific piece of new plastic ware, |
| ever use premium fuel. There. You just saved 40 | | | | turn off your engine. You're just burning money. |
| cents a gallon... or $8 on a 20-gallon fill up. If your | | | | Some people have heard a myth that it takes more |
| engine is designed to run on regular gas, there is | | | | gas to start a car than to run it. So they use that as |
| absolutely no benefit to putting in high test. It | | | | an excuse to leave a car idling. It's complete baloney! |
| pollutes more, it costs more, and doesn't give you | | | | If you're stationary for more than a couple of |
| any benefit in performance or fuel system cleanliness. | | | | minutes, shut it off, and save gas. |
| * Slow down. For every mile you drive above 55 | | | | This tip also applies to warming up the car. Unless it's |
| miles per hour, your fuel economy drops by 2 | | | | below freezing, cars don't need to be warmed up at |
| percent. And gas mileage tends to drop quickly at | | | | all. Driving them gently is the best warm up there is. |
| speeds above 60mph. The EPA offers this rule of | | | | If it's 25 degrees out, you might want to let it warm |
| thumb: Assume that for every 5mph you drive over | | | | up for 30 seconds. If it's 10 degrees out, warm it up |
| 60mph, you might as well be paying an additional | | | | for a minute. If it's -10 degrees out, move |
| $0.20 per gallon for gas. | | | | somewhere warmer. |
| * Drive in the highest gear you can, at the lowest | | | | The softer your tires are, the greater the friction |
| possible speed. The slower your engine turns, the | | | | between the road and the rubber, and the harder |
| less gas you use. Getting into the highest gear you | | | | your engine will have to work to move the car. Over |
| can, at the lowest possible speed, will begin to save | | | | time, when you check tire pressure on your car, you |
| you gas. Why? Because you use less gas when the | | | | will notice that they are often nowhere near the |
| engine is turning slowly. The slower the engine turns, | | | | recommended pressure. Here's why it matters: |
| the fewer the number of explosions in the cylinders. | | | | Under-inflated tires lowers gas mileage by 0.4 percent |
| And fewer explosions means less gas consumed. | | | | for every one pound of drop in pressure of all four |
| So, if you drive a manual transmission car, shift | | | | tires. So, if you're down by 10 pounds... you're losing 4 |
| sooner. As long as the engine doesn't buck, shudder, | | | | percent in fuel economy.f you're not sure what the |
| or ping, you're fine. You'll sacrifice the ability to | | | | correct tire pressure is for your vehicle, you can find |
| accelerate quickly - but you can always down-shift if | | | | it on the door to the glove compartment or on the |
| you need to accelerate. | | | | drivers-side door pillar. When the seasons are |
| * Turn off the AC when it's not hot out - f you don't | | | | changing, keep an even closer eye on your tire |
| need to run your air conditioner, don't. Your cars air | | | | pressure. For every drop of 10° Fahrenheit in air |
| conditioner forces the engine to work harder - and | | | | temperature, your tires will lose one pound of |
| that's energy that could instead be used to move | | | | pressure. |
| your car forward. So if it's 74° Fahrenheit | | | | Getting your car serviced regularly is one of the |
| outside, open the windows instead of wasting fuel | | | | most important things you can do to maximize fuel |
| running the AC at 72° Fahrenheit. | | | | efficiency. Regular service can spot lots of problems |
| * Don't accelerate when driving uphill -- it makes your | | | | that reduce gas mileage and increase pollution, such |
| mileage per gallon plummet. Instead, try to drive at | | | | as a broken thermostat, low transmission fluid, sticky |
| the same speed, or even a little slower. | | | | brake calipers - or even something as simple as a |
| * Try to brake less by anticipating stops. When you | | | | dirty air filter. If you can't remember the last time |
| brake, you waste the acceleration you have already | | | | you had your car serviced, take it in. In extreme |
| used. Instead, try to accelerate slowly when leaving a | | | | situations, you might increase your mileage by up to |
| stoplight, and then coast to the next light. | | | | 10 percent. So what? Well, if you drove 20,000 miles |
| * Ditch your cars luggage rack, roof rack and related | | | | a year, you would save $250 - enough to cover the |
| outdoorsy gear and put it away until you actually | | | | cost of the service. |
| need to use it. The drag created from this gear can | | | | Tell your boss that you're going to be working at |
| reduce your mileage per gallon by up to 5 percent. | | | | home one day a week. Then, get another job for |
| * Get rid of the junk in your trunk. Every 100 pounds | | | | that one-day a week you're at home. Think of all the |
| in the trunk can reduce your fuel economy by 1 to 2 | | | | gas you'll be able to afford! Seriously, by working |
| percent. (I guess that means I can take out the sand | | | | from home just one day a week, you'll avoid putting |
| tubes now.) | | | | wear and tear on your car, using gas, getting stuck in |
| Back to the obvious for a minute, we are used to | | | | traffic - and, quite possibly, you might even discover |
| taking the car everywhere we go. Three blocks to | | | | that you get more work done at home than in the |
| the store? We just hop in the car and go. However, | | | | office. |
| if you stop and consider it for a moment, you'll realize | | | | All in all, saving a little will not take a complete |
| you there are lots of good alternatives. Besides | | | | lifestyle change but it will take all of us to make |
| saving money on gas, when you walk, you'll get | | | | some changes. We use too darn much oil, for |
| exercise and live longer. When you bike, you can | | | | everything from our lawn fertilizer to the water we |
| stop and meet that new, single neighbor down the | | | | drink out of one-use plastic bottles. It takes a lot to |
| street. If you live in a town or city with decent public | | | | save a little but we all have to start somewhere. |
| transportation, leave your car home and use the bus | | | | |