SUVs are notorious for being gas guzzlers. They have been known to be extravagant and high maintenance. For those who need them for any practical reason such as living in rural areas or using them for business, their SUV’s high fuel consumption is something that they simply put up with. However, with hybrid technology and some green driving practices, owning an SUV does not have to be the ecological or economical isue that some worry about.
Hybrid SUVs, such as the Ford Escape, Lexus RX 400h, Saturn Vue, Toyota Highlander, and Mercury Mariner, are definitely an answer to the fuel efficiency issue. But what about all those people who have regular SUVs? How do they get the best out of having a non-hybrid SUV then?
Greening your SUV is a simpler, more practical approach to addressing fuel efficiency. This is primarily done by cutting down your fuel consumption. How exactly do you go about this feat? The following are tips on increasing your SUVs fuel economy:
- Drive at a reasonable speed. If traffic allows it, drive even slower. Aggressive driving consumes a lot of gas.
- Brake and accelerate correctly. By “correctly”, we mean “slowly”. It actually means keeping the ride smooth and your speed controlled. In traffic, it is better to keep a little bit more distance so you have time to anticipate braking or accelerating. If you have cruise control, use it.
- Maintain your car well. Make sure that your tires are inflated to the correct level. Look into chip tuning, which can both increase power and save gas simultaneously. Also, use the correct grade of motor oil.
- Keep your vehicle as light as possible. Remove items such as strollers and car seats when you don’t have the baby with you. Remove bikes and other items you know you won’t be using for a certain trip. If it’s not winter, remove your snow tires and chains. Other than your spare tire and some tools for emergencies, you should keep your trunk empty.
- Idle not. If you know that your car won’t be moving for more than 30 seconds, turn it off. Starting the car does use up gas, but idling uses up a fixed amount of gas over a particular period of time.
- Drive less. Walk, bike, and carpool when you can. Combine trips, so you accomplish all the things that need to be done in one go. Running errands have to be planned for it to be done efficiently, fuel-wise and otherwise.
If you do the steps listed above, you can again be a happy owner of an SUV. In fact, with technology and green driving practices, SUVs can be a wise choice for some drivers.
Tags: Fuel Efficient Autos, popular
