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Entries Tagged 'gas mileage' ↓
July 7th, 2008 — gas mileage
The secret to improving your gas mileage can be found right in the mirror. If you want to cut your fuel costs, your vehicle doesn’t just need to be in tune … you need to be in tune with your vehicle.
The key to that quest is knowing how much fuel your engine is using in real-time. But here lies the dilemma … While some vehicles provide real-time fuel economy data via digital display, a great many do not. If your car lacks a real-time fuel economy gauge, all is not lost.
You just need to look to the after market.
My wife’s five year old Honda Pilot has 130,000 miles on the odometer, but it lacks a real-time fuel economy gauge. Now I’m not a hypermiler by any means, nor do I aspire to be, but I’ve been able to improve my gas mileage to the point where I can consistently score results of over 30 miles per gallon (MPG) on the highway (in an 8-passenger SUV) by using an after market real-time display.
Linear-Logic’s ScanGaugeII is a simple plug-and-place device that provides a one-stop solution for drivers looking to uncork fuel economy data, as well as the stream of other valuable information hidden in a car’s computer (commonly referred to as the Engine Control Unit [or ECU]).
While the ScanGaugeII is a snap to use, you need to pay attention to the details. The inside cover of the device’s manual provides a strong proviso regarding the safe operation of the ScanGaugeII. In particular, you must take caution as where and how you mount the device. It’s imperative that the display is fastened safely in a spot within the line of sight yet free of obstruction, while routing the cable in a secure manner.
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July 4th, 2008 — gas mileage
If you’re looking for information on the best gas mileage cars, SUVs, vans, or trucks, you’ve come to the right place. From the moment MPGomatic was conceived, it’s been our goal to provide comprehensive data and unbiased reports in a positive and forward thinking manner. Getting the best gas mileage usually entails one of two things (but often both). You either upgrade to a vehicle that gets the best gas mileage or you apply techniques and technology to get improved fuel efficiency out of your current vehicle.
It’s not as tough as you might think.
We’re not here to sell you anything, nor to collect sales leads. Our agenda is simple. We want to provide you with the tools you need, so you can chart your own course.
A year ago, we began our quest with four basic charts and a nifty gas mileage calculator.
The charts make your choices clear to see:
Our scope has greatly expanded over the course of the past year.
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February 21st, 2008 — gas mileage
It’s clear that the American economy needs a kick in the pants. I’ll go out on a limb and propose something so obvious that it sounds crazy … that better gas mileage can and should be part and parcel of any economic stimulus package. It’s well past time we end our reliance on foreign oil.
Better gas mileage isn’t something that should be seen as being a decade away. It’s here right now … you just need to know where to look.
Some folks might say that the automakers aren’t building the fuel-efficient cars they want to buy. That is and isn’t true. The automakers are building scads of cars that get truly remarkable mileage … they’re just not selling most of those here in the USA. Yet.
We’re stuck in a war that seems to have no end. But most Americans aren’t making the changes in their habits that reflects that fact. Too many of our service men and women are at peril every day, but by and large, too many folks are still driving hulking behemoths that struggle to get a mile per gallon (MPG) rating in the high teens.
If you can’t bear to drive anything but a SUV, keep in mind that there’s a new wave of more fuel-efficient SUVs that are available right now. While you won’t see a Cadillac Escalade that gets 40 MPG any time in the near future, there are clear choices that can be made, right now. And there are dozens of cars that get 30 MPG available today.
Run your numbers on our gas mileage calculator. You’ll see clearly how much you can save each month by trading your gas guzzler for something that gets dramatically better gas mileage.
If your current vehicle averages 15 miles per gallon, you drive 20,000 miles per year, and pay $3.25 per gallon of gas, you’re spending $4,320 per year on gas. If you switch to a vehicle that averages 45 miles per gallon, you’ll save a whopping $2,900 per year on fuel.
The amount you save on fuel could represent a big chunk of your car payments.
When you get your economic stimulus check from Washington, think about doing something positive with it. Think about using it as a down payment on a vehicle that gets better gas mileage. Go way out on that limb and think about using it as a down payment on a fuel-efficient vehicle that’s built right here in the USA.
February 13th, 2008 — gas mileage
High gas prices getting the best of you? It’s time to share two keys to getting better gas mileage. The first has a higher cost, but can yield significant gains. The second can be nearly free, but the gains may be only incremental. Rest assured, there are no magic solutions that will instantly and painlessly deliver better gas mileage. It takes some effort and investment (though not necessarily financial). If you truly want to achieve the highest gas mileage, you have to make it a mindset. You need to make a conscious decision that getting highest number of miles per gallon is a priority.
Lets go back to those two keys.
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February 6th, 2008 — gas mileage
You’ve heard the catchwords your mileage may vary (YMMV) hundreds, if not thousands of times. YMMV began life as a small print (or quickly spoken) disclaimer, tacked onto the end of an automotive advertisement.
Perhaps William Safire could pin down the first usage of “your mileage may vary,” but it’s likely to have happened shortly after (or maybe when, but most likely not before) the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) began testing the fuel efficiency of automobiles sold in the United States in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The subsequent popularization is a thing of legend.
YMMV … It’s obvious when you sit down and think about it.
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