How To Save On Gas On A Road Trip

Fuel economy is a significant consideration when going on road trips, especially if you intend on making multiple stops along the way. In this case, knowing a thing or two about fuel management will serve to reduce your fuel expenses. Several methods exist that you can use to minimize fuel expenses during your trip, although some of them depend on your driving style.

For instance, you can save fuel by avoiding unnecessary braking and excessive acceleration, limiting the number of luggage you bring with you, and by avoiding some specific roads. Each of these factors has a direct impact on the at which your car will consume fuel. To assist you in your fuel expense-trimming endeavors, we’ve compiled a list of everything you need to know about fuel economy.

Simple Ways To Save Money On Gas

A vacation getaway or a summer road trip are two of the best ways to unwind. There are countless destinations you can visit all year round, many of which are accessible by car. However, your vehicle will require a considerably large quantity of fuel to do this. The good news is that there are ways in which you can save money on gas so you can put a few extra miles behind you.

1. Accelerate gently

A road trip is very much different from a car chase, so there’s no need to go full throttle. If you need to go a little faster, gently place your foot on the accelerator. By doing this, your car will only use a small amount of fuel compared to flooring the gas pedal. This same technique also applies to braking.

To minimize fuel consumption, keep your eyes on the road ahead, so you don’t have to make sudden stops. This will help maintain your fuel level and prevent your braking system from getting damaged.

2. Be Thrifty At Fuel Stations With Expensive Gas

Sometimes the key to saving fuel is with a gas price comparison app, Gas Buddy, for example. Such apps tell you where to buy gas and are fuel efficient since they help you save money on gas by showing you the different gas prices of each fuel stop in your area.

If your car begins to run out of fuel in an area with notoriously increased gas prices, don’t let this stop you from pulling over and refilling your tank. Just remember that you don’t have to fill up your tank.

You can still save money since you only need enough fuel to get you to the next fuel station. It doesn’t matter what you’ve been told about regular gas. Buying premium gas at expensive gas stations isn’t cost-effective since it doesn’t reduce fuel costs.

3. Take Your Car For Maintenance For Improved Fuel Economy

To save gas on your road trip, you must ensure that you have a fuel-efficient car in perfect condition to travel long distances. Going on a trip with a faulty vehicle will not only increase your gas station purchases, you’ll also run the risk of getting stranded in areas with high gas prices when your gas tank is empty.

4. Good Driving Habits Increase Gas Mileage

By cultivating good driving habits, you are less likely to get involved in a road accident and will also save gas money. Aggressive driving is both unsafe and burns fuel drastically. That aside, you don’t necessarily have to warm your car in mild winter weather. If you’re caught up in a traffic jam and don’t think you’ll be moving anytime soon, then you might as well turn off your car.

Ensure to avoid driving around construction zones, as such areas tend to be heavily congested. Lastly, remember to take it easy on your accelerator and brakes and try to drive at a steady speed.

5. Avoid Driving At Max Speed

One of the most effective ways of saving money on your road trip is by adhering to the posted speed limit. In fact, your car will consume 8 percent more fuel while driving at 60mph compared to driving at 55mph. For optimal fuel economy, make sure to drive slowly in high gear. This is more effective when driving on open roads with minimal traffic than city driving.

While it’s advisable to drive a little slower than usual, your speed reduction doesn’t have to be too drastic, as limiting your speed to anything lower than 35mph can be dangerous on highways and won’t make that much of a difference.

6. Remove Excess Weight By Unpacking Unnecessary Items

An overloaded vehicle is more likely to burn more fuel than one that’s less heavy. Although there’s nothing wrong with wanting to bring everything you think will be useful, there’s a good chance that you might overdo it, which will increase fuel consumption.

Therefore try as much as possible to limit your luggage to a few essentials, enough snacks, and refreshments. While preparing for your trip, you need to plan ahead on how long your stay will be, then pack accordingly.

7. Avoid Over-filling Your Tank

It’s easy to get carried away and waste gas while filling your tank, and while it might seem like a beautiful idea to fill your tank to the brim, half a tank is better as it’s less likely to spill. This is because overfilling your tank will likely lead to fuel seeping out as you drive.

As soon as the nozzle clicks off, make sure to stop pumping because this is an indication that your tank is full. Refusing to stop after hearing the gas pump click is the same as throwing away money you could use to buy more gas.

8. For Better Fuel Efficiency Use Car’s Cruise Control Only When Necessary

Accelerating and decelerating when you’re not in stop-and-go traffic can reduce fuel economy. To increase fuel efficiency and save gas, consider activating your vehicle’s cruise control system to maintain a consistent speed.

Irregular speed changes will lead to increased fuel consumption, so try to avoid this by all means possible, especially if you’re driving on free and open roads. Though it can be tempting to want to drive at the same speed, other drivers are going. You might want to avoid driving at highway speeds on regular roads for better gas mileage.

9. Turn On Your Air Conditioner Only When Necessary

The air conditioning system of most, if not all, vehicles functions with engine power. In other words, your vehicle demands more fuel whenever your air conditioner is on. For the best fuel economy, restrict your AC usage to only when necessary.

Final Words

While planning for your next trip, endeavor to take your car for maintenance to ensure that it’s in proper condition for the journey ahead. You stand to save fuel and get the best gas mileage by keeping tires properly inflated and maintaining correct tire pressure. Remember that it’s better to spend a little on maintenance so that your vehicle will use less fuel.