How to get better mileage

With increasing fuel prices you have to save on fuel. Best way to get started is improving your car average i.e, getting better mileage per liter. This can be easily achieved by following few tips from experts. Lets start with Tip No. 1

1. Don’t Hard Accelerate Your Vehicle.

You don’t even have to be a car guy to love acceleration. It’s just one of those things hardwired into our driving behavior, whether you’re piloting a Kia or a Koenigsegg. As tempting as it is to mash the gas as soon as the light goes green, hard acceleration tests have shown mileage to drop by over 35%. Go easy whenever conditions dictate and allow so you can still save while keeping the feral soccer mom from ramming you with her Tahoe and pushing you out of her way.

10 Tips

2. Watch Your Mileage in Real Time.

If your car has the function, pay attention to the current mpg monitor (or pick one up and install it). Either way, you’ll be surprised how your driving style impacts your numbers. Allow your eyes to fall on it as often as you would check your speed, mirrors, etc. You might find it an interesting challenge to achieve your best possible mileage and become a more conscientious driver in the process.

3. Shift When Revs are Low.

If you have a manual gearbox, you’ll want to reconsider your upshift points. When it comes to managing better gas mileage, keep the RPMs as low as you can without lugging the engine. This isn’t because we love controlling the revs, but because we save on gas when we can control the engine with a manual transmission. Again, try to think peak mileage and not powerband.

4. Don’t Let Your Engine Idle.

Simple math here: Standing still with an idling engine yields 0 mpg. That’s not to say you ought to kill your motor at every red light or in stop-and-go traffic, but whenever you anticipate you’ll be sitting for 30 seconds or more, it’ll save you big. A couple of great examples are sitting in line at the bank drive-through or waiting at a train crossing. Why 30 seconds? That’s long been the rule of thumb for the equivalent fuel used in an engine’s startup. And while engines are more efficient than ever, that’s an easy number to remember and a great mileage tip from hypermilers to help you save a little gas.

5. Use Cruise Control.

You know how frustrating it is to pass and be passed by a driver who can’t commit to one speed? It also drains your tank a lot faster. On reasonably mild terrain (steep hills are an exception) and when traffic conditions allow, you could realize substantial gains in mileage. One recent independent test noted an improvement of almost 14%. And that doesn’t require any radical adjustment to your driving style.

6. Coast Into Stops.

Just as aggressive takeoffs suck more gas, so too does staying on the gas until the last moment before you brake. If you’re truly watching the road and take this mileage tip from hypermilers, you’ll realize that yellow and red lights rarely “sneak up on you,” as you may have claimed before in your defense. If you try coasting a while before braking, you’ll notice you don’t lose much speed and your mileage will improve. Besides, red lights are a pain: Do you really want to get there first, only to be at a standstill for a longer period?

7. Keep Your Car Aerodynamic.

If you want to go places, you have to break a little wind. That’s not a philosophical statement, that’s an aerodynamic fact and a mileage tip from hypermilers that’ll keep your wallet full. While you can’t eliminate drag, you can reduce it. Do away with extraneous or occasional-use items like bug shields, rooftop carriers and bike/luggage/ski racks. You’ll lose that societal statement that you’re ready to camp/bike/ski/relocate your entire wardrobe on a moment’s notice, but it’ll be replaced by the public affirmation that you’re doing what you can to drive smarter and cheaper.

8. Map Out The Shortest Route.

A great tip from hypermilers suggests that not only should you look for the shortest routes, but consider the flattest and least congested as well. It really is OK to question the directions you’ve followed for years. And while online directions can be a big help, we trust you know enough to take those sites’ suggestions with a boulder of salt. Try a few alternatives and learn firsthand. Also, while you’re driving, look further ahead than the next guy’s bumper to anticipate traffic-light timing and other factors that can disrupt steady progress. This too can have an effect on what is really the ultimate route for your gas-saving needs.

9. Keep Your Tires Full.

As mentioned earlier, some hypermilers inflate their tires to the maximum allowable pressure or beyond — risky stuff. If you want the best compromise of economy, handling and safety, a great mileage tip from hypermilers is to keep your tires inflated to your car’s recommended settings. You can find that information in your owner’s manual and on the car itself; most likely on the driver’s doorjamb. Even if the added mileage benefits don’t make your car instantly Prius-like, you will be safer and your tires will last longer; saving you money and easing the discomfort of filling your tank.

10. Lighten Your Load.

Lack of maintenance will hurt your mileage regardless of what you drive and so will junk in the trunk. If you’re not ready to go as far as some hypermilers who gut their interior of all but the bare necessities (would you really want to do that with live airbags in the way, anyhow?), at least free your ride of things like toolkits, golf bags and whatever other uncritical mass is rolling around your aft quarters.