Ways to Improve Gas Mileage

Everyone is looking for ways to improve gas mileage these days. Gas prices are rising and car companies are still a long way from developing more fuel-efficient, affordable, family cars. Of course you can always just drive less, but let's face it; that's not always practical. Here are some ways to improve gas mileage.

Make sure you keep your car maintained. An engine in good working order will be more efficient and therefore require less gas to operate. Your tires should always be fully inflated; under-inflated tires require more -push' to roll. Similarly, try to keep your engine warm rather than driving if often when it's cold. That means combining your errands so that you're doing them in a bunch. The warmer your engine is, the less work it takes to operate.

There have been conflicting reports as to whether the air conditioner or rolled down windows use more fuel. The consensus is that air conditioning uses more gas, so try to leave it off as much as possible. If you are going to use it, park in the shade so that your car doesn't have to work as hard to cool down.

You should try to keep your ride as smooth as possible. Avoid stop and go traffic, maintain one steady speed and keep your load light. The recommended speed for highway driving is 55 miles per hour. This means you shouldn't tail people on the highway or speed up to keep one car from getting in front of you. Try using cruise control to keep your speed steady.

If your car requires premium gas, use it. If it doesn't, don't. You can find out whether your car needs expensive gas by consulting your owner's manual. Cars that need it will run more smoothly, using less fuel. If your car doesn't need it, you're just wasting money