Fuel Economy

• Avoid rapid acceleration to reduce fuel consumption.
• Avoid hard braking and sudden stops. Stay alert and anticipate traffic lights, stop signs and merges. Use turn signals. Traffic will move more smoothly, which saves fuel for everyone.
• When starting out, shift up to the next gear (manual transmission) as soon as possible without straining the engine.
• Drive more slowly. One study reported that for all vehicles tested there was at least a 20% loss in fuel economy as cruising speed was increased from 55 to 75 mph. So, 20 miles per gallon (mpg) at 55 mph becomes 16 mpg or less at 75 mph.
• Remove extra weight from the car; 100 extra pounds may cost 1 mpg.
• Avoid using roof racks and remove when not in use.
• Use cruise control on highway trips.
• For any stop lasting more than a minute, shut off the engine rather than letting it idle.
• Avoid warming the engine up before driving; it is not necessary, even in cold weather.
• Do not rev engine before shutting it off; this wastes fuel and can dilute motor oil, leading to excessive wear on engine parts.
• Reduce the use of the air conditioner at low driving speeds. When driving over 40 mph using the air conditioner costs less fuel than having windows open.
• Park in the shade and/or leave windows slightly open to reduce the need for air conditioning.
• Check tires; an under-inflated tire can decrease fuel economy by 2%.

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