Check the Tires Things You Can Do to Help Boost Your Fuel Economy
If you are wondering how to get the best MPG in your car, there are a number of things you can do or pay attention to. Improving your fuel economy is important, because not only is it good for the environment to conserve gasoline, it also will save you money.
One easy way to boost your fuel economy is to take good care of your tires. Tires that are properly inflated and have tread that is in good shape will help your car get better gas mileage. Checking your tires every month or so with a tire gauge and then filling them with air if they are low will help with proper inflation. To keep your tread in top condition, have your tires rotated on the schedule that the manufacturer recommends.
Another fairly easy way to save on your fuel economy is to lower the weight of your car. The heavier a car is, the more fuel it will use. You should make sure that you aren’t carrying around heavy items in your trunk, such as sand bags. Also remove things like bike and luggage racks when they aren’t in use. Lowering the weight of your car can improve your gas mileage slightly, which will save you money over time.
If you want to be very proactive about improving your fuel economy, you can buy a more fuel-efficient car. Smaller cars tend to get better gas mileage, but if you really want to boost your fuel efficiency, consider battery hybrid cars. Hybrid cars, such as a Honda Civic hybrid or a Toyota Prius, are about 20% to 35% more fuel efficient than a traditional gas-powered car. Hybrid cars are called that because they operate on both gasoline and electricity. When the car is running on the electric powered battery, it means you are not using gas, which increases your fuel efficiency and also reduces the amount of emissions your car has, in most cases 25%-35% below what a regular car has.
There are some drawbacks to hybrid cars that you should keep in mind before buying one, however. They typically cost about $3,000 to $4,000 more than comparable gasoline-powered cars. Another drawback is that batteries in hybrid cars tend to wear out before other major components and are expensive to fix or replace.
There are a number of other things you can do to help increase your fuel economy, and any steps you take will save you money while helping to save the environment.