9 Ways to Improve Car Fuel Economy

There are some excellent reasons to care about your car’s fuel economy. When you take the time to do the many little things that improve your vehicle’s fuel economy, they add up to make your own money go farther, make your car retain its value and last longer, and help make the Cincinnati area — and our world — a cleaner and more sustainable place. If you have questions about our fuel-efficient vehicles in Fairfield, click the link below to give us a call today!

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With that in mind, we at Performance Toyota would like to share with you nine best practices that will help keep your vehicle running at the peak of its fuel economy potential.

Choose to Drive a Vehicle Built With Economy in Mind

The first choice you can make to maximize fuel economy is in the vehicle you decide to drive. Even your best intentions related to better fuel economy will only matter a little if you’re not driving something built with fuel economy in mind. Toyota builds vehicles that perform better and last longer than those built by most other manufacturers. They also strive to make each class of vehicle they produce an industry leader in fuel economy, with options that can help even more. And when fuel economy is one of your highest priorities, Toyota has amazing hybrid models to choose from.

Keep Your Tire Pressure From Getting Low

Your tires literally carry your vehicle over the road, and the air pressure inside them is what makes your ride both efficient and comfortable. Excessively low tire pressure makes it harder for a tire to carry its load, which will reduce your vehicle’s fuel economy. Keeping the tire pressure of all your tires in the proper range will help your car achieve the best possible fuel economy. Most newer vehicle models will have a tire pressure monitoring system to let you know when a tire’s pressure is getting low.

Make Sure Your Wheels Are Correctly Aligned

Wheel alignment can be easy to overlook because your wheels are able to roll along whether the wheels are aligned or not. However, your wheels are a lot like a team of rowers that have to work together in harmony to achieve the best possible efficiency. If one wheel is creating a pull against the others, it will create extra drag that will reduce your fuel economy. Keeping your wheels aligned keeps your car at peak fuel and operating efficiency. Doing so also keeps your tires from wearing out prematurely.

Don’t Always Go as Fast as You Can

Having the horsepower to go fast when you need to is not only crucial for safe driving, it feels great. But the temptation to drive as fast as possible is not always safe, and it can significantly affect your vehicle’s fuel economy. This is especially true when traveling at higher speeds. Using your vehicle’s cruise control feature is a great way to keep yourself from unconsciously speeding up on long stretches of highway.

Avoid Extreme Acceleration and Braking

Roaring up to stops and then strongly hitting the brakes decreases fuel economy and is also hard on your vehicle. And if road conditions are unexpectedly slippery, it can also be dangerous. Being aware of the driving situation ahead and anticipating places where you’ll have to slow or stop will allow you to find places where you can coast into slow or stalled traffic without losing any time.

Know Where You’re Going

In the past, there were plenty of excuses to needlessly burn fuel while driving around lost or looking for a destination you’ve never been to. But in these days of smart cars and smartphones, that waste and wear aren’t necessary. Taking the extra time to get driving directions by inputting your destination into your car’s or smartphone’s GPS can save you time and fuel.

Don’t Store Things In or On Your Car

Storing heavy objects in your vehicle is sometimes necessary. Still, it’s important to understand that extra weight will bring down the fuel economy of any car. This is especially true for smaller vehicles not designed to handle a lot of weight. The added bulk of rooftop cargo carriers is also no friend to fuel economy. Even aerodynamically designed cargo carriers will create enough drag to reduce your fuel economy a bit in the city and quite a lot when driving at higher speeds on the highway.

Don’t Let Your Car Idle for Long Periods of Time

These days, vehicles are built for quiet rides and have excellent cooling systems. This can make it easy to forget when your car has been running for a long time, even when not in motion. Not only can this happen on backed-up freeways and while waiting in long traffic lines, but friendly chats in the parking lot can also keep your car running in place for a very long time. Turning your engine off during long stretches of not moving will keep you from getting zero miles per gallon and wasting fuel.

Keep Your Car Regularly Serviced

It’s the nature of any vehicle to need regular attention to keep it running at its best, as well as to anticipate problems before they develop. When your car is running the way it should be, it will be able to reach its full potential in both performance and economy. The best way to keep your vehicle doing that is to follow the manufacturer’s recommended service plan using genuine parts and certified technicians.

Following these nine simple guidelines will improve your vehicle’s fuel economy and keep it running at its best. We’re confident that knowing these things will help you be more economical. If one of the things you still need to do is schedule a service, or you have any questions about fuel-efficient vehicles and options, please don’t hesitate to contact our Performance Toyota dealership at any time. You can also give us a call at (513) 874-8797. We want to help you with all your vehicle needs while also helping the Cincinnati area do its part to conserve fuel and improve the global environment.