Everyone is taking a real beating on gas prices these days and in times like this we need to adapt our driving behaviors to maximize every last drop. Read on to hear how you can save upwards of 20-25% on your gas mileage! As an alternative, you can also consider renting a fuel efficient vehicle and transporting your auto to your vacation destination.

Top Ten Tips for Saving Gas

(in order of importance)

• Walk as much as possible. If someplace you are going is only a 10 to 15 minute walk or bike ride away, there is really no reason for you to use your car…really. But, if you have to use your car, when you are in a parking lot, park in the closest spot to where you enter. Don’t spend minutes looking for the closest spot – you’re wasting your black gold to save you a 10 second walk. Also, let us not forget, walking that extra distance, especially if you do so consistently, is good for your health.
• Shop online – or Plan outings. Obviously, shopping online would save you gas, money, and the environment that extra CO2. I mean you can get your groceries brought right into your kitchen for $6.95 thanks to Peapods, and you can get basically anything else you could imagine (other than gas) from eBay, Amazon, or Craigslist. However, if this is not a reasonable option for you, then wherever you may be going, plan it out. Don’t just get in the car and “do some errands” or “go shopping.” Figure out which stores you need to go to and plan a route which is as direct and least trafficked as possible.
• Get a gas gauge. Look into getting a gas gauge so you can monitor how your driving, in real time, is affecting your gas mileage. By having this machine in your car, you are simply more likely to drive economically and considerately because “out of sight out of mind” is not longer an excuse.
• Avoid hills. If you have a choice to get to your destination via a flat route rather than a hilly one – always chose the flat one. Your engine has to work at much higher RPMs to get you up a hill – this wastes a lot of fuel. And, if you have to take a hilly route, do not heavily increase your RPMs to stay the same speed while you climb to the top of a hill – just keep the gas exactly where it is. If people behind you are riding you hard remember: You are doing them, and our planet, a favor, whether they know it or not – so just ignore them (more on this in tip 5).
• Drive during low traffic times. Timing is major. If you don’t have the time or ability to walk, bike or carpool to work, then leave before rush hour and get to work early. Your boss will love you for putting in the extra effort, and by beating the traffic, your engine will not have to keep stopping and starting and stopping and starting. The erratic force which traffic jams place on your engine causes them to run quite inefficiently, wasting precious gasoline.
• Shut off your car – or put it in park. If you are pulling up to one of those lights you know is really really long, going into the 7-11 for Twinkies, or waiting outside your friends house, DO NOT leave your car running. Let me repeat, if you are going to be in a situation where your car is going to idle for more than 1 minute shut it off. If you don’t feel safe shutting it off on a big hill and you drive standard or something like that, then put it in park. This is not instantaneously perceivable, but over months, if you track your gas mileage/costs closely, you’ll notice you’ve saved a solid amount of gas.
• Keep your car aerodynamic. The aerodynamics of your vehicle is a key factor for those who want to maximize their gas mileage. Spoilers may look cool, and maybe you think they help you glide through the air or they make the engine work less hard to hit high speeds – but this is farce. Spoilers do not do any of these things for street cars. So, don’t get one. In the same vein, if you are going to be traveling somewhere that is not to a bike path or a ski resort, and yet you still have your bike and ski racks on, you are wasting gas. This is because some of them are pretty heavy and they add unnecessary weight to your car, and furthermore, they can add noticeable wind resistance to your vehicle. Wind resistance is your nemesis. It will eat at your gas mileage and dollars with voracious pleasure. Also, if it is safe to do so, tailgating behind a truck can reduce air resistance by leaps and bounds, saving you a lot of gasoline.
• Check your tires. One of the best ways to cut down on fuel costs is to check your tire pressure. You can lose upwards of 3% on your gas mileage if you are driving with semi-deflated, old, and/or weak tires. This is because the car has to work harder to move tires with worn treads and loose air pressure. So go to your local gas station that has a mechanic and ask them after filling up if they wouldn’t mind checking your tire pressure. If you have had your tires for more than five years, also ask the mechanic if you should get new ones. And of course, you should always rotate your tires twice a year – this way they are worn more evenly, leaving them to drive smoother and last longer.
• Drive smoothly and defensibly, brake less. If you have it, utilize the cruise control feature on your vehicle. Driving at a constant speed, rather than a fluctuating one, is key. Every time you slow down the engine has to burn extra gas to speed it back up again. This also means that you really need to be what they call a “defensive driver.” That is, you need to keep your eyes open to what’s going on down the road not just one car ahead, but three, four, five cars ahead. By doing this, your car ride is considerably less likely to be engaged in unnecessary braking, which is a hallmark of poor gas mileage. Remember: It is better to stay a steady speed even if it’s slower than what you’re used to, than to speed – stop – speed – and stop. 
• Drive the speed limit. DO NOT FLOOR IT – EVER. If you are someone who is looking to go from 0 to 60 MPH in seconds, then you shouldn’t bother reading this article, because obviously you aren’t serious about saving gas. Motor vehicle engines generally are happiest at around 60 MPH. Anything over that results in the engine working at less than optimal efficiency. So, though it is tempting to go 80 MPH on the highway, especially when you are late for work, chances are you’ll save maybe a few minutes (at most), but you’ll cost yourself more than a few dollars. Research has shown that drivers can save UP TO 10% ON GAS BY JUST OBEYING THE SPEED LIMIT. Now I know, you don’t want to be that guy – the one slowing everyone up. But, if you put some thought into it, you are actually doing them a favor. By making the people behind you obey the speed limit as well they are unknowingly saving gas at the expense of maybe minutes. Also, let us not overlook the environmental impact. The slower you go the less you CO2 your car is putting into the air – and if you have say five cars behind you – you are removing extra CO2 from the air from five cars just by staying the speed limit! That’s pretty good right?

Read More:

http://www.automedia.com/cs/blogs/auto_news/archive/2008/05/12/how-to-improve-fuel-economy-by-hypermiling.aspx