Tips To Drive Efficiently and Save Money in Fuel Costs
Gas prices have been slowly increasing over the last few months and that has a lot of people wondering what to expect in the future. Will prices continue to rise, will they stay level for a while or will they drop? It’s hard to tell, but that doesn’t mean you should panic if you have a lot of road trips planned this summer. There are a couple different things you can do to ensure you are maximizing your vehicle’s fuel economy.
Don’t Speed
Speeding is a gas guzzler. Speed limits weren’t just put in place as a safety measure, but they are also decided based on what speeds are most fuel efficient for certain areas. If there’s a road that has a lot of lights, it’s a waste of fuel for someone to go really fast and then completely stop over a short distance time and time again. Avoid speeding or sprinting to a stop to ensure you are getting the most out of your fuel tank, but that doesn’t mean that traveling at a constant speed is always the most fuel efficient way to travel either. After a certain speed (usually around 50 mph), a vehicle’s fuel efficiency rapidly decreases. In fact, several studies have shown that increasing speed from 55 mph to 75 mph results in a decrease in fuel efficiency as high as 20 percent.
So what can you do to maximize your fuel while on the road? Pay attention to the speed limits and don’t exceed them, especially in areas when you aren’t able to accomplish a lot by exceeding the speed limit. When you are able to travel at higher speeds, grossly exceeding the speed limit compounds the negative efficiency. Try using your cruise control to maintain a safe speed and control fuel efficiency.
Move Exterior Cargo from the Roof to the Rear
A lot of travelers pack cargo on the outside of their vehicle when going on a long road trip, and there is one way to store them that is more fuel efficient. Storing items on the rear of the vehicle is a lot more fuel efficient than storing things on top of a vehicle because it results in less drag, and the more drag a vehicle has, the less fuel efficient it is because an engine has to work harder. While storing cargo on the roof is very easy, it may be worth the time and money to look into the ways you can store your cargo on a hitch mount cargo carrier of a minivan, crossover or SUV.
Tip Top Shape
A vehicle reaches its maximum fuel economy when all parts of the vehicle are operating properly. Before heading out on a long trip, be sure to have your vehicle looked over to ensure that all parts are working smarter, not harder. Get an oil change, make sure all of your fluids are full, and make sure your tires have the right level of air pressure. University Dodge has an excellent service department that will give your vehicle all of the attention it needs before you head out on a road trip.
Route Checks
Even if you know where you are going, be sure to do various route checks for traffic with a GPS app along the way. It’s worth your time to pull over and do a couple quick traffic checks along your journey to make sure there aren’t serious delays due to construction or accidents.
Are you ready for this summer’s planned road trips? If you are in need of a new vehicle or vehicle service to ensure that you’re going to have a smooth trip, come by University Dodge. We have a huge selection of spacious passenger vehicles like the Dodge Journey, Dodge Grand Caravan and Dodge Durango.