About This Quiz
With gas prices going up, it seems that everyone has advice on how to save at the pump. Whether we're talking fuel-saving driving techniques or technologies, there are as many myths out there as there is sound advice on saving on gas.Hypermilers use techniques like coasting down hills and turning off the car at long stop lights to maximize fuel efficiency. Some hypermiling techniques, like riding close to trucks to reduce drag, are dangerous, so proceed with caution.
Quick acceleration requires a fuel boost. To save gas, accelerate and brake smoothly.
Fuel economy is more about the engine and about weight than it is about size. A large, roomy car that weighs less than a small car, or has a hybrid or electric engine, will use less fuel than some smaller cars.
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A veggie conversion kit allows diesel car owners to run their vehicles on the same vegetable oil that restaurants use to cook french fries. Kits vary in price and can start as low as $300, and they usually range up to $800.
Clean that junk out of the trunk! For every 100 pounds (45.4 kilograms) of weight in your car, you decrease fuel efficiency by 1 to 2 percent.
For city driving, rolling down the windows instead of cranking the air improves your mileage, but once you're driving more than 50 miles (80.5 kilometers) per hour, the increased drag cancels out any fuel savings. When you're on the highway, roll those windows up and use the AC instead.
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While overinflated tires do increase mileage slightly, the reduced friction between the tires and the road makes your car trickier to handle and brake.
If you can, ride your bike on errands or to work. Riding even just a couple of days a week can greatly reduce your fuel usage.
Letting your car idle will only waste gas. In fact, today's cars warm up faster once you get on the road than they would just idling in the driveway.
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According to the U.S. Department of Energy, based on gas prices running around $3.78 per gallon, drivers switching to more efficient cars can save around $945.