1. Keep tires properly inflated. Improperly inflated tires are harder to spin and create extra drag. Check your tires frequently - it doesn’t cost anything!
2. Have tires aligned. Poorly aligned tires also create drag, particularly on turns and while going uphill. Have your tires aligned at least every six to nine months.
3. Brakes. Have your brakes checked and aligned, at least every six to nine months. Inefficient, or poorly aligned brakes make braking less efficient and reduce overall mileage.
4. Tune your engine. A poorly tuned engine uses more gas, plain and simple. Have your engine’s timing checked, and replace worn or dirty spark plugs.
5. Don’t idle more than necessary. Idling gives you exactly zero miles per gallon. Though it takes more gas when your engine turns over, if you are going to be idling for 30 seconds or more, it pays to turn off your engine.
6. Improve your driving. Don’t over-accelerate just to brake, like accelerating between stop signs more than you need to reach the next stop sign. Avoid stop-and-go traffic; do your errands during off-peak times when there is less traffic.
These are some of the ways to improve gas mileage. Websites like gasforlessmoney.com list many more easy and practical gas-saving tips. Keep in mind that gas mileage improvement of 10% becomes a savings of $5-$10 when you fill up!