Driving Habits

Fuel is very expensive these days and more and more people are looking to buy more economical cars. This trend has caused quite a ruckus in the auto industry. All of a sudden, trucks and SUVs were no longer in demand. Car manufacturers like GM, Ford and Chrysler LLC have suffered the most since a huge chunk of their profits had always come from larger vehicles. As a result, giant auto makers are forced to restructure their production to accomodate the ever increasing demand for smaller cars. But in doing so, profitability is also sacrificed. Analysts recently announced that GM could burn as much as $13 billion worth in cash by 2011.

The sudden change of demand is proof that fuel economy is very important to most motorists these days. The better the efficiency of the car, the more appealing it becomes.

However, a car's fuel efficiency is not written in stone. Fuel consumption may go up and down depending on a driver's driving habits.

An extreme example that shows how a person's driving style affected a car's fuel consumption was highlighted in the first episode of the 11th season of Top Gear. In that episode, they were able to make the 46MPG average Toyota Prius consume around 17MPG. Of course, in that episode, they were flooring the Prius all the wayaround their track for 10 laps.

No one can floor any car in public roads in that manner to have that kind of effect in fuel consumption. However, it still proves how driving style can affect a car's fuel efficiency. If you waste even as little as say half a mile per gallon, in 20 miles, you waste 10 gallons worth of fuel. That is the equivalent of wasting roughly around $41.

Therefore, it is important to always think about your driving style and assess whether or not you are maximizing the fuel effiency of your car.

As a general rule of thumb, always try, as much as possible, to keep your revs below 3000 rpm. Around the city or inside the village, it is even possible to make the car run below 2500 rpm. It is good not to accelerate too quickly. Simply let the car speed up smoothly with a gentle application on the gas pedal. If you are driving a manual, you can also try to shift gears a little earlier than you normally would.

During tough economic times, a controlled drive is a must.