MPG Tip

Get Better Gas Mileage by Picking the Right Route

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It might sound odd, but the shortest distance between two points might not be the most fuel-efficient route. It all depends on how many traffic lights there are up the highway and how far out of the way you might go on the scenic route.

I like to fire up Google maps to find routes that are less traveled, potentially more fuel efficient, and less stressful. In this example, lets take a ride to Burger King. Google Maps tells us the fastest route is straight up the highway, at 7.4 miles and 12 minutes. But the problem is, while much of the highway is 50 miles per hour (MPH), there are over a dozen traffic lights.

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in 2012. Google has updated Maps with a “Most Fuel-Efficient” route option.

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Apple Does the Right Thing

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The best camera in the world is the one that you have with you when you need it. I’ve used three different conventional action cameras as in-car units over the years, but I have increasingly come to rely upon my iPhone. I ran into some difficulties with my iPhone in 2017, that all started with a cracked screen. I was on the 2017 Dodge Challenger GT media drive in northern New England when the phone slipped from my hand and hit the sidewalk, glass down …

The glass was cracked, but perfectly usable (for a while), until the day it wasn’t.

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Why Do Gasoline Prices Vary by Location?

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Do you take the time to look for less expensive alternatives to fill up your vehicles fuel tank? I’ve noticed that the service stations in my neck of the woods tend to have consistent pricing levels. Some are always high, some are always low, some ride the middle line, and some are extraordinarily high. I make my fueling choices based on the 1) the quality of the fuel and 2) the price. Brand doesn’t matter, as long as it’s quality fuel.

I had to fill up a test car with premium fuel this afternoon and had a bit of extra time, so I checked the prices at a handful of local stations. I was shocked by the astronomical price difference or “spread” as it’s referred to in the biz. In this video, I compared the prices at four different gas stations in one region.

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NASCAR Gas Mileage Racing

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Fuel management is key to success in NASCAR. Races are won and lost depending on a team’s ability to accurately measure the amount of fuel necessary to cover the distance. At this year’s Pocono 500, I asked Dr. Eric Warren, the director of competition for Richard Childress Racing, for some insight into gas mileage racing in NASCAR.

“Each race is a certain length,” Dr. Warren explained. “Say it’s a 400-mile race. The objective is to get to the finish line and 400 miles quicker than anyone else.” NASCAR cup cars have fuel tanks that hold approximately 18.5 gallons. “Let’s say we can get a hundred miles on a tank of gas depending upon the racetrack, that might be 60 laps or it might be 50 laps on a two-mile track,” Dr. Warren continued. “If that caution comes out with 53 laps to go or 110 miles to go you have to stretch and make sure you start saving fuel because making it to the end of the race is more important than having to make an extra pit stop.”

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Can the Right Footwear Help You Get Better Gas Mileage?

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Just as sure as your car needs to be tuned up, you need to be in tune with your car to optimize fuel economy. Your feet represent one (or two) of the most important touchpoints. Wearing the right footwear (or no footwear at all) can make a measurable difference in efficiency. When the summer rolls around, I often drive my own car barefoot. It’s a habit I picked up while growing up, and it’s never left me. Bare feet are a boon for light-footed driving.

Of course, it’s not always practical to drive barefoot. The mere thought repulses some people (particularly those with foot phobias or the dreaded fungus). The socially acceptable thing to do is to wear something on your feet. But it shouldn’t just be any something …

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