It’s “March Madness at the pump,” or so says AAA, which reports that U.S. motorists are paying an average of $4.24 a gallon for self-serve regular — with the price jumping as high as $5.86 in California.
That’s got a lot of Americans thinking about trading in — with a record number of owners searching for information on hybrids and battery-electric vehicles, according to Cox Automotive, KBB and others.
While your current vehicle may not deliver the mileage you’d like, there are a number of ways to squeeze more out of every gallon of gas, however. And not everything requires you to drive like your grandparents. In fact, your vehicle may have some fuel-saving features built in that you’re not taking advantage of.
Change driving modes
That includes the driver mode selector found on many modern vehicles. In high-performance models this feature typically lets you switch to “Sport,” or even “Track” mode and does things like speeding up shifts, firming up the suspension and tightening up the steering. But you’ll also find it in many mainstream models where you can switch from “Normal” to “Eco” mode.
Here, a variety of settings are modified. The throttle will be less responsive to subtle foot movements and the transmission will shift more quickly to higher, more fuel-efficient gears. Honda and Toyota vehicles, among others, reduce the energy used by the climate control system. If you’re an aggressive driver you might find the vehicle is a little slower when you stomp on the throttle, but most motorists won’t even notice the changes.
Hyundai estimates fuel savings of up to 7% with its “Active Eco” mode, though verifying the numbers claimed by various manufacturers can be difficult.
Tires are your friend
There’s another simple trick, says David Bennett, the manager of repair systems for AAA. “The easiest way to impact fuel economy is to keep your tires at the proper pressure. Having underinflated tires can decrease your gas mileage by 5 percent to 10 percent.”
Odds are you’ve seldom given thought to checking pressure or put it off because it can be an annoyance to use a gauge on each tire. You may not have to. Under federal law, today’s cars, trucks and crossovers must be equipped with tire pressure monitoring systems. While some have limited benefits, simply alerting you when one of the vehicle’s tires is severely underinflated, other models provide continuous read-outs on each tire’s pressure. If that describes your model, check pressures in the morning before you start driving and heat up the tire — which increases pressure.
Whether you have a built-in monitor or check the tires manually, you’ll find the right pressure on a sticker inside the driver’s door jam, as well as in the owner’s manual.
Avoid idling
If you’ve bought a new vehicle during the last several years there are good odds it’s equipped with Idle Stop/Start. This technology is designed to automatically shut off your engine when you’d otherwise waste fuel idling — say, at a stoplight or while waiting in line at a coffee or fast food shop. When you lift your foot off the brake the engine immediately starts back up.
But industry studies have found many motorists disable this function, some simply because they don’t like the sound the engine makes restarting, others because they fear it won’t always work. That’s a costly mistake, however, Stop/Start technology is not only quite reliable but it’s been shown to reduce fuel consumption by as much as 5% in stop-and-go driving conditions. With a hungry pickup, that’s like getting a free gallon of gas every time you’re at the pump.
Meanwhile, your cruise control also helps reduce fuel consumption, especially on the highway. The reality is that human drivers aren’t very good at holding a steady speed and each time you nudge the throttle you’re wasting gas.
Kia advises buyers, “Cruise control can help you become more fuel-efficient and can help you save an average of 7%-14% on gas.” The latest radar-guided “active” cruise control systems can operate even in heavy traffic, helping maintain a safe distance from surrounding vehicles while also reducing fuel consumption.
Switch fuel grades — if you can
One of the most common questions motorists ask when gas prices go up is whether they can switch to a lower fuel grade. There are still a number of vehicles on the road that normally call for premium but you may be able to switch to midgrade or even regular.
Before you do that, check your owner’s manual which “will tell you whether premium fuel is recommended or required,” said AAA’s Bennett. “If it’s not required you can use a lower grade” and typically save 50 cents a gallon or more compared to regular. But don’t switch if the owner’s manual says you must stick with premium. Otherwise, Bennett warned, that could cause engine knock that is not only unpleasant to listen to but could damage the engine.
American drivers tend to load up their vehicles. Check your back seat and trunk and you might find plenty of “stuff” you’ve been unnecessarily hauling around. But the typical rule of thumb is that every 100 pounds of added weight cuts fuel economy by about 1 mile per gallon.
That’s a drag
Meanwhile, Gabriel Shenhar, associate director of automotive testing for Consumer Reports, points out that many motorists “keep their cargo and roof racks on the car permanently.” From an aerodynamic standpoint, that’s a big no-no, increasing wind resistance and causing your engine to suck down more fuel.
“In some cases a bike rack can make as much as a seven mile per gallon difference at highway speeds,” Shenbar explained. “Remove all these unnecessary attachments when you’re not using them.”
One vehicle feature you might avoid is the remote starter. Starting up your vehicle and then letting it idle will burn fuel – which is why most automakers now offer Idle Stop/S
tart. In reality, if you only use the remote start and then let the vehicle idle for two to three minutes you will use less than .02 gallons. But that adds up over time. Unless the weather is really extreme, you’re better off not using this feature.
Other tips
If you really want to hold down your gas budget there are plenty of steps you can take to reduce fuel consumption:
- Avoid jack rabbit starts;
- Begin to slow down further from a stoplight and brake smoothly and evenly;
- Organize trips to reduce the number of miles you travel;
- Keep the engine tuned, replace dirty filters and change your oil as recommended by the manufacturer;
- Also, make sure you’re using the right oil grade as it can change by season;
- And while this may sound counterintuitive, use air conditioning rather than opening your windows when driving on a hot day. A/C put less strain on an engine than the added air drag creates.
