How to Get Better Gas Mileage in Your Car

With gasoline prices passing the $3.00 mark, I cringe every time I top the tank in my little old Volkwagen Beetle. Gone are the days of the $15 fill up, these days it's costing me closer to $40.

Since replacing my car is not an option, I've chosen to become a wiser driver instead. I've changed my driving habits and pay more attention to keeping the car maintained. This has made a huge difference in lowering my gas consumption.

How sensible driving can improve your gas mileage

There are certain ways of driving that are really hard on your fuel consumption. Slamming on the accelerator out of the intersection really burns up the gas. So does zipping around cars on the expressway, speeding and slamming on the brakes.

According to EPA statistics, this pedal to the metal acceleration, speeding, and sudden braking burns up an incredible amount of fuel. Agressive driving actually can lower your gas mileage by 33% at highway speeds and 5% around town. That's a huge number!

To improve your fuel economy, just drive more sensibly. Accelerate slowly out of intersections, drive at constant speeds, and watch for the stops coming up ahead.

For us old timers, we remember when the national speed limits dropped in the 1970s from 65 mph to 55 mpg. We had a energy crisis going on, and the feds explained by just dropping our speed limit even 10 mph per hour, gas consumption would drop by 15%. The argument still hold today; high speeds gobble up incredible amounts of fuel. If you stick to the slow lane, you see a huge difference in fuel economy. A good rule of thumb to remember is that every 5 mph an hour you drive over 60 mph speed limit is like paying an additional 20¢ per gallon. (source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) Do what I do, and drive 55.