Gas-Saving Myths and Truths in Time for Labor Day Road Trips From Edmunds.com
SANTA MONICA, Calif., Aug. 31, 2005 -- Edmunds.com, the premier online automotive resource, recently tested several of the most often cited gas-saving tips to see which are "urban legends" and which actually save consumers money at the pumps. The full article can be found HERE.
"We aimed to learn what tips produced measurable differences in fuel economy -- differences that are detectable by an ordinary driver, not a lab technician," said Phil Reed, author of Edmunds.com's "Strategies for Smart Car Buyers." "If the differences are not significant, there won't be much of a savings, even when gas costs nearly three dollars per gallon."
The tested tips and results were:
Tip: Use cruise control to save fuel.
Test Result: True -- at a surprisingly significant level.
Tip: Driving with open windows is far less efficient
than using air conditioning.
Test Result: Negligible -- both methods produced roughly the same
mileage per gallon.
Tip: To dramatically improve mileage, you must buy a more
fuel-efficient vehicle.
Test Result: False -- there are huge savings to be had for
drivers who change their driving style from
"lead-foot" to "feather-foot."
Tip: Properly inflated tires are more efficient than tires
with low pressure.
Test Result: True -- and there are other significant benefits, too,
including safety and tire longevity.
"Throughout our tests, the biggest savings in gas mileage occurred when we drove in a relaxed fashion rather than having a heavy foot on the gas and brake," said Reed. "We found that if you slowed your 0-to-60 time down to 20 seconds from a normal driving pace of 10 to 15 seconds, you'll save gas immediately."
Edmunds.com provides other gas-saving tips and advice in its Fuel Economy Guide (http://www.edmunds.com/fueleconomy/index.html), including EPA ratings vs. real-world fuel economy, the true costs of owning a hybrid, tips for shopping for a fuel-efficient car and clarification about whether your vehicle will benefit from premium gasoline.
About Edmunds.com, Inc. (www.edmunds.com)
Edmunds.com is the premier online resource for automotive information. Its comprehensive set of data, tools and services, including Edmunds.com True Market Value(R) pricing, is generated by Edmunds.com Information Solutions and is licensed to third parties. For example, the company supplies content for the auto sections of NYTimes.com, AOL, About.com and IGN.com, provides weekly data to Automotive News and delivers monthly data reports to Wall Street analysts. Edmunds.com also publishes a high-speed, on-screen car magazine called Inside Line available free at www.insideline.com. Edmunds.com was named "best car research" site by Forbes ASAP, has been selected by consumers as the "most useful Web site" according to every J.D. Power and Associates New Autoshopper.com Study(SM) and was ranked first in the Survey of Car-Shopping Web Sites as reported by The Wall Street Journal. The company is headquartered in Santa Monica, Calif. and maintains a satellite office outside Detroit.
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