If you’re not quite ready to trade in that F-350 on a new Prius, here are some simple driving tips to help get the most for you money even you do have to fill up. Some of them might seem obvious; others not so much - but all warrant mentioning:

1. Slow Down, You Move Too Fast!

A lot of people are in a big hurry every where they go. But if you give yourself a little more time and dial the speed back a little, you might be surprised at the improvement you’ll see in fuel mileage. A vehicle’s aerodynamic drag increases exponentially with speed, so if your speed doubles, the drag has quadrupled. So a fairly small change in speed can make a big difference in economy. On a recent trip in a company truck, I observed 14.9 mpg when the cruise was set at an indicated 75 mph. But on the next tank full, I kept it set at an indicated 70 mph and returned 18.7 mpg instead. Your results may very, but that’s a lot of gain for only a little difference in speed.

2. Don’t Be A Drag, Man!

Tied in with the previous point, anything that provides resistance to your car’s movement cost will cost you more fuel. A big part of this comes from the aforementioned aerodynamic drag. Obviously, there isn’t much that you do about the fact that your Expedition is shaped like a brick. But there are a few things that you can do that will help.

When at highway speeds, keep the windows and sunroof closed. Open windows generate a lot of turbulence, which in turn increases drag. I know Fido likes to feel the breeze through his ears, but when he sticks his shnoz out the window, he generates drag as well. Maybe he can wait till you get off the highway. That might spare him a bug up the nose anyway… Also, roof racks don’t do you any favors at high speeds either. Take off the roof box or the bike or kayak rack when you don’t need it. If the cross bars can be removed readily, do that too. By the same token, spoilers and wings create extra drag as well, so keep that in mind next time you’re buying a car.

3. Get Your Shift Together!

If you drive a car with a manual transmission, once you’ve reached your intended cruising speed, make a point of putting the transmission into a gear that will keep the engine speed as low as possible without lugging the engine. Also, refrain from running the engine up to redline before shifting gears, which will go a long way to reduce you fuel consumption. The faster the engine spins the more fuel it sucks in. I used to be one of those folks that used the throttle as an On/Off switch (to be fair, that was the only you could get my ’88 Escort to go anywhere briskly!). But now I make a point of shifting gears in my car at 3000 RPM. That’s high enough that it won’t stumble in the next gear and low enough to reduce the overall fuel usage.

4. Keep On Keeping On!

If you are regularly stuck in stopped traffic during your commute, it’s also costing you money. Any time that you are stopped with the engine running, you’re getting exactly zero miles per gallon. So consider finding an alternate route that’s less congested - it might take you a few miles out of your way, but could still improve your overall mileage by keeping you moving. Along the same lines, unless your car is coated in ice in the morning, don’t let it sit and idle while warming up. Again, while sitting idle, your actual mpg is zero. Also, it runs more fuel-rich until it has warmed up. And the best way to warm a car up is to put it in gear and drive it down the road.

5. Throttle With Care!

If you have ever played with a trip computer that shows overall and instantaneous MPG, you have probably noticed that the instant mileage is very high while coasting down a hill and very low when you stand on the throttle leaving a light. The average economy improves if you tend toward the former and avoid the latter. If you can’t drive downhill both ways, you can at least watch your throttle usage when accelerating (this is especially true for folks with turbochargers!). On cars with drive-by-wire throttles, it isn’t uncommon for the throttle plate to be full open and for the injectors to go to their max duty cycle if you apply the gas quickly, even you don’t push the petal all of the way to the floor. A recent test I conducted in our ’08 CTS showed 100% throttle opening with only 60% pedal application. So go light on throttle unless there’s an actual emergency.

Read Maximizing Fuel Economy Part 2 - Vehicle Condition.