The Most Important Factor Impacting Your Car’s MPG is You
Jackrabbit starts, accelerating toward stop lights, going a little (sometimes a lot) over the speed limit — we all do it sometimes, and these actions take a real toll on gas mileage. It’s a fact: the faster, more aggressive you drive, the more fuel you burn. The Department of Energy estimates that aggressive driving can “lower your gas mileage by roughly 15% to 30% at highway speeds and 10% to 40% in stop-and-go traffic”.
On the other hand, cultivating mileage-minded driving habits can give your MPG a noticeable boost, which means you’ll spend less at the pump. Possibly much less.
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Let’s see. According to the Department of Energy, each 5 mph you drive over 50 mph is like paying an extra $0.20 per gallon for gas. That can add up quick!
For every extra 100 pounds of stuff in your car, your MPG is reduced by about 1%. Those rooftop cargo containers also hurt your fuel economy by impacting the aerodynamic drag of your vehicle. They reduce fuel economy by around “2% to 8% in city driving, 6% to 17% on the highway, and 10% to 25% at Interstate speeds (65 mph to 75 mph)”.
If you really want to reduce your MPGs, consider buying a hybrid or electric vehicle the next time you are car shopping. Talk to your car dealer and visit this website for the latest list of incentives.
Photo Credit: Matej Kastelic, Shutterstock
