We have been offering tips at HybridMile over the last two months to help you improve gas mileage in your daily lives. Every Tuesday tip offered on HybridMile can be enhanced with a new vehicle designed with fuel economy in mind. Every driver will arrive at the point where he will need to buy a new car or truck for daily commuting. It is critical that everyone interested in cheaper and greener transportation look beyond the sales pitch when shopping for fuel-efficient vehicles.
The Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency publish the Fuel Economy Guide for each model year. This guide is filled with city and highway gas mileage for a majority of the vehicles sold in the United States. Both agencies have adjusted the gas mileage ratings in the 2008 model year guide to reflect driving tendencies, environmental factors and common characteristics of the average commute. The guide also contains listings for diesel, natural gas, hybrid and flex-fuel vehicles to reflect changes in the auto industry.
While gas mileage is hoisted as a primary measurement of fuel efficiency, drivers need to delve deeper into performance levels of specific vehicles. Automotive writers and average drivers vet each vehicle from the day it hits dealership floors. Every driver should read previews, auto magazines and blogs about prospective vehicles to find out if gas mileage ratings are accurate.
The gas mileage of a new vehicle depends on the driver’s ability to handle the transmission. A young driver who has never handled a stick shift will experience poor gas mileage as he struggles to keep the car in the right gear. The introduction of continuously variable transmissions, six-speed manual transmissions and other systems have expanded options for mileage-conscious drivers.
Many drivers harbor misconceptions about certain brands while maintaining lifelong loyalties to old automakers. The leaders in fuel-efficient vehicle production in the 21st century include companies like Toyota, Honda and Nissan that were maligned by American drivers a decade ago. Consumers can also purchase vehicles from companies like ZENN, Aptera Motors and Tesla Motors that did not exist a few years ago. The combination of a fuel-efficient car from a respected automaker, safe driving and proper vehicle maintenance can save a driver thousands of dollars each year at the pump.
