by Admin - Posted 2 years ago
It’s hard to miss the prices at the pump lately. With the average cost of gas in Ohio nearing or beating $4.00 per gallon, it’s something that affects every one of the 228 million licensed drivers in the U.S. And besides converting your ride to biodiesel, dropping a fortune on an electric vehicle, or inventing your own teleportation device, there isn’t much you can do about it. The average Ohioan drove over 14,000 miles in 2021. And with most vehicles burning a gallon of gas every 17-25 miles (depending on vehicle type), it’s easy to see how quickly the cost adds up. But before you throw your hands up in the air and dig your old bicycle out of the garage, there are a few steps you can take to make sure you’re squeezing every mile out of your gas tank possible.
Slow Down
Every vehicle reaches an optimal fuel economy at a different speed where the car is traveling at its most efficient rate. But for all vehicles, gas mileage usually decreases rapidly at speeds above 50 mph, as well as during rapid accelerations and aggressive driving. You can do your wallet and the other drivers on the road a favor by giving the gas pedal a break every now and then.
Lighten your Load
If you’re using your car like a storage shed on wheels, now is the time to remove all those extra items you’ve been carting around in the trunk for months. Because that baby stroller from last month’s trip to the zoo and the leg weights you borrowed to help you meet your New Year’s resolution have been causing your car to burn extra gasoline getting around town. The less weight your car needs to get up to speed every time you hit the gas, the better.
Keep your Car Healthy
Modern vehicles are complex machines. While they may start up and get you around just fine, there’s a list of problems that can begin to add up without regular vehicle maintenance that could hurt your fuel efficiency. Even small items like spark plugs and oil changes help keep your engine running the way it’s supposed to. And one of the most important things you can do to improve your gas mileage is keeping your tires inflated to the recommended pressure. Besides being dangerous to drive on, under-inflated tires can lower gas mileage by about 0.2% for every 1 psi drop below the recommend pressure. Try deflating a basketball and rolling it down the sidewalk. Would you want to drive on four of those?
Drive an Efficient Vehicle
All vehicles are not created equally. Trucks and vans are excellent at providing the power you need for towing or carrying large amounts of people or materials, but they’re going to guzzle the petrol when compared to a midsized sedan.
You don’t need to break the bank buying an electric or hybrid vehicle. Almost every manufacturer offers a model with a fuel efficient 4-cylinder engine, some that can stretch a single gallon of gas for almost 45 miles on the highway.
At Cincinnati Auto Credit, we have a fleet of fuel efficient 4-cylinder vehicles, along with a team of qualified mechanics to keep them in optimum running condition for our customers. If you’re on the lookout for a vehicle that will save you big at the gas pump, we invite you to contact us today and give us a chance!
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