From roof racks to tires, maintenance and driving habits, you can likely save hundreds of dollars per year at the pump. Here's how.
25 Things to Do Now to Improve Gas Mileage
Updated on Oct. 27, 2023
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Ditch Your Lead Foot
The more you step on the throttle, the more gas you use. Yeah, I know you’ve heard it before, but how about some real-world numbers to, ahem, drive the point home?
Increasing your speed from 55 to 65 increases drag by 36 percent! But what does that mean in dollars? Here’s an equation from Chris “Moose” Pyle, an automotive expert with JustAnswer:
Driving 100 miles at 70 mph takes 1 hour and 25 minutes. Doing that same stretch at 65 mph takes just seven minutes longer. If your car gets 20 mpg at 70 and 25 at 60, and gas is $5 a gallon, that means you saved $5 during those extra seven minutes.
“That comes out to be like $42 an hour, so driving slower is a good-paying job,” says Pyle.
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Cut the Cruise Control on Hills
Using cruise control can help your gas mileage by smoothing out your throttling, but always turn it off when you’re in a hilly area. “The car does not know if you are going uphill— it only knows you want to do X speed, so it will apply more and more throttle to maintain that speed,” says Pyle. “Controlling the throttle by foot and losing five mph on the uphill will result in saving a few ounces of fuel per hill.”
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Drive Smoothly
Jerky or aggressive driving, with sudden acceleration and hard braking, makes the engine work harder and is a sure way to lower your gas mileage, says Brandon Hartman, founder of RV Heating Warehouse. It also eats up your breaks and can harm your engine. “Making sure you’re driving as smoothly as you can goes a long way in helping save on gas,” he says. Also, refrain from putting the pedal to the metal since hard acceleration will cost you another 20 percent in gas mileage.”
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Practice Predictive Driving
Try to look a few steps ahead, especially on the highway, to anticipate changes in traffic flow and obstacles, such as slower-moving vehicles, before you have to hit the brakes. This sort of consistent cruising avoids unnecessary braking and acceleration and thus reduces fuel consumption, says Frank Bisciotti, editor-in-chief at RealTruck.
It also helps maintain smoother traffic flow on the roadway, which is a kind example to set for all other motorists using it.
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Do Not Over-Rev
If you drive a manual transmission, master when to shift gears at the optimal RPMs, says Ralph Robert, an expert writer for the Way.com app. Shifting early or late overloads the engine, and higher RPMs cause your car to use more fuel.
“You can listen to the car’s engine to know when to shift,” he says. “Alternatively, you can look at the RPM meter. You are over-revving your engine if your car redlines on the RPM meter or the engine strains to move forward.”
Also, while you’re out on the highway, use your uppermost gear for better fuel efficiency. “When you are driving in a higher gear, your engine revs will be the lowest per minute and thereby eliminate massive gas consumption,” says Robert.
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Avoid Excessive Idling
Modern vehicles are efficient at starting up, so turn off the engine while you’re stationary to save gas, says Bisciotti. “Remote start features can be used sparingly,” he says. “They’re great for cold mornings, but overuse wastes fuel.”
Many new cars come with a start-stop button or automatically shut down the engine when it starts idling, specifically to reduce wasted fuel.
“Idling is not serving any purpose other than creating more pollution,” says Robert. “In fact, idling your car uses more fuel than it takes to turn off and restart your car.”
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Keep Tires Properly Inflated
More than a quarter of passenger vehicles have at least one underinflated tire, and low tire pressure increases rolling resistance, which in turn makes engines work harder. That can cost you hundreds of dollars in fuel annually, plus it causes tires to wear out more quickly.
One reason our tires are often underinflated is because it provides a softer feeling ride, says John Vorisek, founder at Repair Surge. But that comfort also jeopardizes safety, since it reduces handling and can cause blowouts.
Here’s how to check your tire pressure. Make sure to fill them to the recommended pressure shown on the decal inside the driver’s door.
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Avoid Additives
There are a lot of online gimmicks and additives that claim to boost your fuel efficiency, but before using one, do your research and don’t believe all of the hype.
“If most of these were legit, the manufacturer would have already put the device on your car or recommended the additive with every fuel tank,” says Pyle. “Most of these things offer less than 3% gains and can potentially damage your engine or emissions system over time, causing repair bills that could be $1000 plus.”
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Carry Less Stuff
The more weight you have in your car, the worse your gas mileage will be and the more strain you’ll put on your engine, brakes and suspension.
“Be diligent about not leaving items on the car’s roof or trunk,” says Hartman. “Heavy cargo increases the amount of power your car needs to move.”
If you regularly have to carry a lot of weight, buy a car with adequate boot space and towing capacity, says Robert. “This way, the car will be capable of carrying extra weight without affecting gas mileage.”
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Avoid Heavy Traffic
When you are stuck in traffic, the engine has to work overtime, which uses more gas. If your car has a manual transmission, all of that shifting also creates extra wear on your gearbox and clutch. “It’s almost impossible for everyone to follow this one,” says Robert. “However, if you can avoid stop-go traffic routes whenever possible, you can consistently build up and improve your car’s overall gas mileage.”
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Remove Accessories
When you’re not using them, remove the cargo pod, bike rack and even the roof rack. This will significantly improve your vehicle’s aerodynamics and reduce its weight. “Swapping a heavy, fixed rack for a sleek, retractable tonneau can reduce drag and save fuel,” says Bisciotti. Also, opt for lighter accessories, like bed and floor liners, when possible.
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Use an Air Dam
The plastic air dam (aka spoiler) that’s broken or missing can reduce your gas mileage. The air dam literally dams off airflow to the undercarriage of your car, forcing the air up and over the hood. That helps your car cut through the air with less drag. It also increases airflow to the A/C condenser and radiator, reducing the load on your car’s electrical system.
You can also get spoilers for aftermarket roof racks to help improve their aerodynamics, too.
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Choose the Right Fuel Grade
What grade of fuel you use will affect your gas mileage, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you should always reach for the most premium octane. Instead, go with the octane recommended by your car’s manufacturer. “Using premium fuel in an engine that doesn’t need it doesn’t boost performance or mileage, just your expenses,” says Bisciotti. “Stick to the manufacturer’s recommended grade for optimal efficiency and cost savings.”
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Use the AC on Highways
Roll up those windows when you hit the open road, says Kevin Oliff, general manager at AutoNation BMW Buena Park. “When driving fast, opening your windows creates drag, reducing your car’s engine efficiency,” he says.
This runs contrary to popular belief, says Robert, because using the AC does draw power from the engine. While that also reduces gas mileage, it’s not as much as having the windows open. Still, you can save even more energy by turning off heating and air conditioning when you don’t need them.
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Buy Efficient Tires
Tire selection also affects your miles per gallon. Bigger tires and knobby tires have more rolling resistance, aka friction, so they’ll cost you at the pump. “Some tires on the market are designed to offer low rolling resistance,” says Vorisek. “There’s also a difference in the rolling resistance of winter tires compared to all-season tires, so it’s best to remove winter tires once the cold season is over.”
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Maintain Your Car
No matter how well you drive or what tips you follow, your car will never keep good mileage if you don’t maintain it, says Robert. “Keeping tabs on the maintenance of your car is very similar to how you go for medical checks occasionally,” he says. “You can identify an issue before it becomes worse and starts to affect your vehicle’s performance.”
This means keeping up with regular oil changes and paying particular attention to components that affect fuel combustion (which we’ll dive into in more detail next). “An engine that has to work harder due to a lack of lubrication or air intake won’t give you optimal gas mileage,” says Vorisek. “A good DIY project is to inspect and clean fuel system components like the injectors and intake valves.”
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Replace Spark Plugs Early
Vorisek recommends inspecting and replacing spark plugs and other ignition components regularly. “These parts are critical for efficient fuel combustion,” he says.
Also, it can help to replace your spark plugs early. For example, if your 100,000-mile spark plugs have 80,000 miles on them, they’re 80 percent worn, which will lead to more misfires and incomplete combustion. Even if that means you end up replacing the plugs one extra time over the life of your car, you’ll still come out ahead. And don’t automatically assume your plugs are good for 100,000 miles. Many four-cylinder engines require new spark plugs at either 30,000- or 60,000-mile intervals.
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Replace Your Air Filter Often
Your engine sucks in 14 million gallons of air through the air filter every year. On older vehicles (pre-1999), a dirty air filter increases fuel usage by almost 10 percent. On newer vehicles, the computer is smart enough to detect the lower airflow and cuts back on fuel, which means your engine will lack power and pick-up. Check the filter when you change your oil and replace it at least once a year or more if you drive in dirty, dusty conditions.
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Keep Your Car Aligned
Vorisek recommends performing a professional wheel alignment after any steering or suspension work. “Incorrect wheel alignment can reduce gas mileage and it’s also a safety hazard,” he says.
If your tires are bowed out of alignment by just .017 inches, it’s the equivalent of dragging your tire sideways for 102 miles for every 20,000 you drive. Here’s an easy way to check your alignment without taking your car into the shop. Buy a tread depth gauge and measure the tread depth on both edges of each tire (rear tires, too). If one side of the tire is worn more than the other, your car needs to be aligned.
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Replace Your Oxygen Sensor(s) Before the Light Goes On
Oxygen sensors monitor the efficiency of combustion by tracking the amount of oxygen remaining in the exhaust. But they degrade over time, and that can cost you up to 15 percent in gas mileage. When they fail, the computer lights up your ‘service engine soon’ light, forcing you to incur a diagnostic fee. On 1996 and newer vehicles, replace the sensors every 100,000 miles to keep your mileage at its peak. On pre-1996 vehicles, replace your oxygen sensor every 60,000 miles. Some vehicles have as many as four, but the sensors installed behind the catalytic converter rarely fail.
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Replace a Failing Thermostat
A thermostat that opens too quickly or stays open can dramatically lower the coolant temperature and put a mega-chill on your gas mileage.
All you need to check your thermostat is an inexpensive infrared laser thermometer. Simply aim it at the thermostat housing. If your engine is warmed up and the thermometer reads less than 160 degrees Fahrenheit, you’re wasting gas and it’s time to replace the thermostat. (To reduce reflection errors, spray the thermostat housing with black paint prior to testing.) It’s fairly easy to replace a thermostat.
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Check for Brake Drag
Brake calipers have a nasty habit of rusting, binding and dragging down your gas mileage. How can you tell if your car brakes are dragging without having them checked at a shop? Easy!
Buy an inexpensive non-contact infrared laser thermometer, remove the wheel cover (if equipped), and aim the laser at the wheel hub after a drive. Compare the readings from the right and left sides. If they vary by more than 20 percent, you’ve probably got a dragging brake or a wheel-bearing problem, so take it in for repairs.
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Keep an Eye on Warning Lights
You might think a glowing check engine light isn’t important because it just means you’ve got an “emissions problem.” Guess what? Emissions problems are almost always caused by an incomplete burn, which means you’re not getting the most bang for your buck.
Worse yet, all that extra gas goes right into your expensive catalytic converter, causing it to fail early. A new catalytic converter can cost upwards of $1,000, and then you still have to fix the underlying problem that turned on the check engine light in the first place. Many times, the check engine light comes on due to a bum sensor or vacuum leak. Replacing a sensor or fixing a vacuum leak can save far more than what you’ll waste in reduced gas mileage.
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Replace the Cabin Air Filter on Your Car
A clogged cabin air filter can damage your car’s blower motor and cause your AC to run longer and harder in the summer. Cabin air filters are easy to access and replace, and you’ll save about $30 by doing it yourself.
Cabin air filters are usually located in the air ducts behind the glove box in late-model vehicles. However, some carmakers put them in the cowling or console area. Just remove the access covers and slide out the old filter. Note the direction of the airflow arrows so you can install the new filter in the proper orientation. Then reinstall the covers and you’re done.
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Update Your Software
Newer vehicles often need software updates to optimize engine performance and fuel efficiency. Some cars can receive over-the-air updates, while others may have to have them done at the dealer. Either way, ensuring your car’s software is current can help you get the most miles out of every gallon, says Bisciotti.
About the Experts
- John Vorisek is founder at Repair Surge, which he started in 2003 to provide factory-authorized automotive service data to help owners and independent auto repair facilities diagnose vehicles.
- Ralph Robert is an expert writer for the Way.com blog and auto app, and an auto enthusiast who has been writing about cars for seven years.
- Frank Bisciotti is the editor-in-chief at RealTruck. With over 25 years in the automotive industry he uses his expertise to cover the entire spectrum of automotive content.
- Chris “Moose” Pyle is a master-certified technician with 20-plus years of automotive experience. He has also worked as an expert for JustAnswer since 2006.
- Kevin Oliff is general manager at AutoNation BMW Buena Park in California and has more than 20 years of experience in the automotive field.
- Brandon Hartman is founder of RV Heating Warehouse, an eCommerce company specializing in high-quality heating systems and replacement parts for RVs.
