How to Improve Your MPG
If you’re a car owner, then you don’t need us to tell you that there’s a pretty big inconvenience attached to the freedom of the road: it can be expensive. The vehicle, the insurance, repairs, and, yes, all that cash we spend on gas — it all adds up to a pretty penny. However, it’s important to keep in mind that these costs aren’t set in stone. There are things we can do to keep them to a minimum, and especially when it comes to gas. Buying at the cheapest place in town is a good start, but to take things further, look at improving your MPG rate. It’ll put longer gaps in between trips to the pump. We take a look at a few ways to do it below.
Easy Driving
Your car may be capable of some pretty heroic speed gains, but you shouldn’t be making the most of the speed if you want to make your gas last longer. One of the biggest reasons for poor MPG is fast acceleration and harsh braking. When the light changes to green, you don’t need to go going in record timing — take it easy. You normally see the cars that do speed away stuck at the next set of lights anyway, so it’s not as if it gets you there more quickly.
Reduce Weight
The less weight there is the car, the less it’ll have to drag, and that means better fuel economy. Some people like to keep all sorts of belongings in the trunk of the vehicle, like a tent, golf clubs, and so on, but unless you’re using them every day (in which case, nice life!), it’s better to take them out and keep in your home. The only thing you should keep in your vehicle is your car emergency kit.
Change Out Those Tires
Tires influence many aspects of the car driving experience, from handling to overall performance, and, yes, the miles per gallon figure too. To put it simply: if you have older, worn tires, you’re going to have more trips to the pump than if you have newer, efficient tires in place. If everything else is in order, but you’re still getting low mileage, it might be time for a tire change. The amount of cash you save per week might seem small, but multiply that figure by a year or more, and you’ll see that it’s not an insignificant amount.
Switch it Off
It’s one thing to waste your gas when you’re traveling from A to B; it’s another thing entirely to waste your gas when you’re just sitting there. Some people keep their engine running for fifteen minutes or more when they’re waiting to pick someone up! If you’re going to be stood there for less than three minutes, keep the motor running (the gas you’ll use to start it up again is more than three minutes of idle sitting), but if it’s any longer, switch it off. You’ll just be burning money if you don’t.
