gas mileage

How Does Ethanol Affect Gas Mileage?

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You don’t have to go far to hear folks complaining about how the current level of ethanol content in unleaded gasoline has affected the gas mileage in their vehicles. Today’s gasoline contains approximately ten percent ethanol, for the most part, and is referred to as E10. Finding “ethanol-free” gasoline at a common service station has become increasingly rare, at best.

Ethanol contains approximately 33 percent less energy than gasoline. If you were to run 100 percent ethanol (E100) in your vehicle, you’d expect to take a 33% hit to gas mileage.* (Theoretically, since you can’t legally run 100% ethanol.) With E10, it’s a 3.33% penalty. Seeing that you can’t buy E0, there’s not much you can do about it.

At some point, we hope to perform dyno and real-world tests to document the drop in gas mileage. With “pure” pump gas nearly impossible to find nearby, we may need to buy expensive street-legal racing fuel.

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MPG Tip: Checking Tire Pressure

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You probably know that under-inflated tires waste gas. But did you know that by keeping your tires properly inflated, not only will you avoid a loss of fuel economy, your vehicle will also benefit from better handling and more even tire wear.

If you’ve ever had to replace tires early, due to excessive wear on the edges of the tread, there’s a good chance you’re an under-inflater.

Checking your tire pressure isn’t tough, once you learn the ropes. All it takes is a trusty gauge, five minutes, and an air hose.

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Mustang vs Camaro: Gas Mileage Battle

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Back in the day, six-cylinder Mustangs and Camaros were dismissed as secretary’s cars. You could slap a set of Cragar SS chrome rims on a straight six, but the exhaust note always gave it away. Musclecar fans debated horsepower, not fuel efficiency. Flash forward forty years and things have changed. Folks are pitting Mustang gas mileage against Camaro gas mileage. The cutting-edge naturally-aspirated V6 engines in the current Mustang and Camaro are both powerful and thrifty on gas (when driven conscientiously).

The 2011 3.7-liter V6 Mustang is rated at 30 miles per gallon (MPG) on the highway (when equipped with the six-speed automatic transmission), while delivering a remarkable 305 horsepower. I was lucky to be on hand to witness the Mustang 1000-Lap Challenge at Bristol Motor Speedway back in June. After spending a good part of the day with Mustang Vehicle Engineering Manager Tom Barnes and the engineering crew, I gained a raft of insight into how the original pony car was transformed into fuel-efficient fire-breathing beast.

Want to know how the team scored a remarkable 48.5 MPG in the test? Que up the video …

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How Much Does it Cost to Drive?

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Have you ever wondered how much it costs to drive somewhere? Whether it’s a trip to the in-laws or a daily commute, the cost-to-drive calculation is fairly simple, although it’s been obscured.

The meter is always running. But the problem is, we just don’t see it.

When you jump in a cab, the cab driver asks for your destination and starts the meter. You can see the cost rack up as you’re driven through town, as the cabbie’s meter (or trip calculator, if you will) provides feedback in real time.

What if your car gave you the same feedback? What if it automatically provided the cost of each and every trip? What if it went even further and told you how it cost each time you stomped on the accelerator pedal?

If you had immediate feedback, you might be more likely to change your driving habits and style.

You can calculate these costs with this equation:

( Distance Traveled / Miles Per Gallon ) * Cost Per Gallon

Or you can use our
MPG-o-Matic Trip Calculator …

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