Cruze Driving Tips For Better Fuel Economy

June 6, 2012 - PRLog -- Two of its fuel-economy engineers, in two identical Chevy Cruze LTs, completed identical 20-minute commutes involving both city and highway driving. The only difference between the two? Ann Wenzlick drove while following the brand’s top tips for fuel-efficient driving, and Beth Nunning didn’t. The outcome? The former averaged 37 mpg—higher than the car’s 36-mpg highway rating—and the latter only managed 21 mpg.

And that advantage for Wenzlick could mean as much as $100 worth of savings each month, or $1,200 per year, based on a typical person’s 15,000 miles of annual driving with gas at $4 per gallon.

If you want to gain the same kind of benefits, be sure to pay attention to the following rules of the road from Chevrolet:

•Skip the drive-through lane, since 15 minutes while you wait for a morning coffee can drink up a quarter gallon of gas.

•Take it easy when accelerating. A smooth launch can boost mileage by 20 percent as compared to drivers who stomp the gas at each traffic light.

•Stick to the speed limit. Driving 70 mph on the highway instead of 80 doesn’t really save much time, but it can use up to 4 extra mpg.

•Use the cruise. Keeping to a constant speed on the highway is a key to fuel-efficient driving.

•Know when to roll up your windows. Using fresh air instead of air conditioning can be helpful at slower speeds, but keep the windows up on the highway, where rolling windows down can have a notably negative impact on aerodynamics.

•Always make sure tires are properly inflated. A tire that is 10 lbs. under inflated can reduce fuel economy by more than 3 percent.

•Don’t decorate your vehicle with roof ornaments. They can disrupt aerodynamics, especially at highway speeds, where overcoming wind resistance eats up about a third of your fuel.

•Never keep unneeded junk in the trunk. Added weight means added costs at the pump; every 100 pounds of added weight in the vehicle can reduce fuel economy by 2 percent.

•Don’t ignore the “check engine” light. It could be a loose gas cap, but it could be a more serious problem that reduces fuel efficiency by up to 40 percent.

•Try to bundle your errands. Cold engines use up to 50 percent more fuel than those at their regular operating temperature, so it’s better to do all your errands at once, when your engine is warmed up.

“Ann and Beth’s results support data from OnStar that shows the fuel economy of drivers in identical cars can vary by 75 percent,” said Roger Clark, manager of the GM Energy Center. “With a well-maintained car, the best drivers get up to 25 percent more miles per gallon than average. When you combine a poorly maintained car with inefficient driving habits, the fuel economy of the worst drivers can be 50 percent below average.”

Information provided by www.chevroletinthenews.com  

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