Memorial Day Weekend Gas-Saving Tips from Edmunds.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Memorial Day Weekend Gas-Saving Tips from Edmunds.com
SANTA MONICA, Calif. — May 24, 2005 — Memorial Day weekend travelers are bound to face high prices at the pump. Edmunds.com, the premier online resource for automotive information, offers the following tips to help consumers save money on gas by getting better gas mileage during road trips. The full article can be found at: http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/list/top10/103164/article.html.
"Even with today's gas prices, a road trip can be an affordable vacation, provided consumers take a few easy steps to get the most gas mileage out of their cars," said Karl Brauer, Edmunds.com Editor in Chief. "We can't control the price of gas, but we can control how we take care of our cars and how we drive, both of which are key factors in getting better fuel economy."
10 Tips for Better Gas Mileage:
- Follow the Recommended Maintenance — A well-maintained vehicle will operate more efficiently. Fouled spark plugs, dirty air filters and clogged fuel filters will diminish fuel economy.
- Keep Tires Properly Inflated — Under-inflated tires require more energy to roll; properly inflated tires can improve fuel economy by as much as three percent.
- Take a Load Off — Heavier vehicles require more energy to move. Pack light and remove unnecessary items from the car.
- Don't Drive Aggressively — Hitting the gas pedal hard after stopping, slamming on the brakes and speeding all decrease fuel efficiency.
- Use the Highest Gear Possible — Lower gears use more power, so manual transmission drivers should switch to a higher gear when driving at a steady speed, and automatic transmission drivers should avoid using "sport" mode.
- Use Cruise Control Selectively — Cruise control is a great asset on flat roads, but isn't the most efficient on hilly terrain.
- Think Clean — Keeping your car washed and waxed improves its aerodynamics, thereby improving fuel efficiency. On a long trip, a quick run through a gas station car wash might more than pay for itself.
- Avoid Excessive Idling — An idling car burns fuel. Whenever possible, turn your car off while waiting, and try to avoid drive-through windows and long toll booth lines.
- Think Before You Ventilate — Air conditioning consumes more fuel, while rolled down windows decreases aerodynamics. Roll down windows when in slow-moving traffic; use the air conditioner when traveling at high speeds.
- Combine Your Errands — Cold engines use more fuel than warm engines. Combining errands means the engine will be warmer for more of the trip.
About Edmunds
Edmunds.com is the premier online resource for automotive information. Its comprehensive set of data, tools and services, including Edmunds.com True Market Value® pricing, is generated by Edmunds.com Information Solutions and is licensed to third parties. For example, the company supplies content for the auto sections of NYTimes.com, AOL, About.com, iVillage.com and IGN.com, provides weekly data to Automotive News and delivers monthly data reports to Wall Street analysts. Edmunds.com also publishes a high-speed, on-screen car magazine called Inside Line available free at www.insideline.com. Edmunds.com was named "best car research" site by Forbes ASAP, has been selected by consumers as the "most useful Web site" according to every J.D. Power and Associates New Autoshopper.com StudySM and was ranked first in the Survey of Car-Shopping Web Sites as reported by The Wall Street Journal. The company is headquartered in Santa Monica, Calif. and maintains a satellite office outside Detroit.
