11 Easy Ways to Increase Your Gas Mileage

Improving your gas mileage not only saves a driver money but also benefits the environment. Whether you’re looking for ways to help your wallet or help the planet, here are some ways to maximize your vehicle’s gas mileage.

Overview of Improving Your Gas Mileage

The most obvious solution is to reduce the amount of driving you do—by carpooling, using public transportation, and combining trips. That has the greatest effect on how much fuel each person uses.

That said, driving habits have a significant impact on fuel efficiency. Depending on the type of vehicle, poor driving habits can reduce fuel economy by 15% to 30% at highway speeds and 10% to 40% in stop-and-go traffic conditions, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

Current national average prices for regular gasoline were hovering at about $3.30 per gallon in February 2024. However, it was only in June 2022 that the national average of regular unleaded surpassed $5.00 per gallon as the national average. If driving is still your best (or maybe only) option, here are the 11 easy ways to increase your gas mileage.

1. Go Easy on the Pedal

Speeding, braking, and rapid acceleration all are wasteful of gas. According to Consumer Reports, reducing speed from 65 miles per hour to 55 miles per hour improved fuel economy by 6mpg to 8mpg in several vehicles.

2. Slow Down

Gas mileage efficiency tends to decrease above 50 miles per hour. According to fueleconomy.gov, a driver pays an equivalent of about 22 cents more for each gallon of gas for every five miles per hour that exceed 50 mph. While each vehicle has its own optimal speed for fuel efficiency, speeding can reduce fuel economy by 7% to 14%. Driving at slower speeds can save 26 to 51 cents per gallon.

3. Leave Extras at Home

Every 100 pounds of weight in your car reduces your gas mileage by up to 1%. The reduction is relative to the vehicle’s weight: Smaller vehicles are more affected by increased weight than larger ones. For every 100 pounds in extra weight, plan on spending up to 4 cents more per gallon.

4. Use Cruise Control (When Appropriate)

According to Edmunds, using cruise control under appropriate conditions can improve fuel economy by up to 14%. Appropriate means avoiding the use of cruise control during especially hilly terrain. That’s a savings of about 43 cents per gallon.

5. Turn Off the Car

Idling gets zero miles per gallon and collectively consumes several billion gallons of fuel per year, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

The California Energy Commission (CEC) advises that vehicles should be turned off if the expected wait will be longer than 10 seconds. An idling vehicle can burn as much as half a gallon of gas an hour, depending on air conditioning use. Turning the car off can save up to 4 cents per minute.

6. Check the Tire Pressure

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, 1.25 billion gallons of gasoline—about 1% of total consumption – are wasted each year on underinflated tires. Tires can lose about 2 pounds per square inch (psi) per month.

Each tire that is underinflated by 10 psi reduces fuel economy by about 3.3%. Four tires that are underinflated by 10 psi, then, would reduce a vehicle’s fuel economy by a substantial 10%, at an added cost of 31 cents per gallon.

7. Replace Spark Plugs

The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence indicates that bad spark plugs can decrease fuel economy by up to 30%, and can cost drivers up to about 94 cents per gallon at today’s prices.

If a car’s gas mileage suddenly drops, there’s a good chance it’s because of misfiring spark plugs. Recommendations for how often spark plugs should be replaced range from every 20,000 miles to every 100,000 miles. Your owner’s manual will indicate the best schedule for your vehicle.

8. Check the Alignment

Misaligned tires drag instead of rolling freely. Improper alignment can reduce fuel efficiency by as much as 10%—about 31 cents per gallon. Moreover, the tires will wear out more quickly.

The main symptom of poor alignment is a vibration in the steering wheel. Tires should be balanced and rotated according to the vehicle’s owner’s manual to improve tire performance and fuel economy.

9. Replace the Air Filter

An air filter acts as a barrier, preventing contaminants like dust, dirt, and insects from entering the engine. By allowing only clean, particle-free air to pass through, the air filter ensures smooth engine operation.A dirty air filter can decrease fuel efficiency by about 10%. Consider replacing it routinely when you get the oil changed.

10. Fill Your Tank Early in the Morning or Late at Night

Fuel is dispensed by volume. If you fill your tank when it is coolest outside—early in the morning or late at night, and avoid the heat of the day—the fuel will be denser. As a result, you will get more gas for the same amount of money.

11. Avoid Rush Hour

There are many advantages to seeking some flexibility in your working hours. Not the least of them is avoiding rush hour. It’s stressful, it wastes time, and it wastes gasoline. Consider traversing when there’s fewer “stop-and-go” moments, as being stuck on the highway and not moving is not conducive to increasing your gas mileage.

The Bottom Line

Reducing the amount of driving we do, whether it’s by carpooling or foregoing an unnecessary trip, is the most effective way to decrease the amount of gas that each person uses and make a tank of gas last longer. Proactive steps that can be taken include changing gas-guzzling driving habits and following a vehicle’s maintenance schedule.