Driving tips from Goodwrench to help improve fuel economy:
1. Driving 80 vs.110 saves up to 20 percent more fuel. Use cruise control when appropriate to save even more.
2. Drive consistently: Jackrabbit starts and hard stops burn more gas.
3. Avoid idling: Sitting in the drive-through for 15 minutes for that quarter-pound burger can burn up to a quarter of a gallon of gas. Consider parking and going inside to order.
4. Chill out by rolling down windows to cool off in city driving, saving the air conditioner for highway travel, when open windows are a drag - literally - on a vehicle's aerodynamics.
5. Lighten the load: Carrying extra cargo burns more gas. So take the golf clubs out of the trunk while not hitting the links.
6. Fill up when it's cool: Early morning or late evening fill-ups generate fewer vapors.
7. Don't top off the tank, and tighten the gas cap. Topping off the tank can result in spilled gasoline, which creates an environmental issue.
8. Use the correct fuel grade: Unless the manufacturer requires it, high-octane gas is a waste of money.
9. Climb every mountain, but build up speed first, then maintain it on the way up. Coast down to save gas.
10. Cargo hauling? Go topless to save gas. About a quarter of each gallon of gas goes toward overcoming wind resistance, cargo on top of the vehicle drags down fuel economy.
