Getting better gas mileage part 1

I bought a Honda Civic Hybrid this year, partly because I’ve always been fascinated with fuel economy. I’ve been keeping a notebook in my car to track my mileage (yes, I am a dork like that) for my last two cars and I’ve noticed something. You don’t have to drive a hybrid car to get good gas mileage.

The reason I say this is because people seem to think that just because you drive a gas-electric hybrid that is advertised to get 48mpg you automatically get 48mpg. This is not the case. Your driving habits will get you to that 48mpg, not the car by itself. The first 2 months I had my car I was getting in the low 40’s. Then I discovered two tips that increased the milage to 45 mpg. By watching other drivers in traffic I’ve learned that its not what we drive necessarily (but still, please don’t drive a big SUV unless you really have a need to), but how we drive.

Here are two important tips to getting better mileage:

1. Don’t slam on the gas.

When you are at a stop light and it turns green, there is no need to floor it. All you are doing is burning gas. Use a slow steady acceleration to get up to speed. Plus if you are in the city, more than likely you are going to need to stop again soon, so why are you racing to get to the next light?

1. Keep your tires properly inflated.

Doing this increased my car’s fuel efficiency from the low 40’s to the mid 40’s. It turns out most people don’t have their tires inflated to the car manufacturer’s specs. Having your tires at the right pressure helps the car run better by not only increasing your milage, but also allowing you to grip the road better (for cornering, etc.)

I hope you find these tips useful, I’ve got a few more that I’ll be posting over the next few days, so check back soon! Also, if you have some tips, feel free to leave them in the comments section below.