Car Mileage and Gasoline Prices

Car mileage matters especially when you have become concerned with the rising gasoline prices. Using a car with a good mileage for every gallon of gasoline that you use would allow you to save up quite a lot. Bette mileage is not just reserved for newer and better cars. In fact good mileage can also be enjoyed even by older vehicles. Mileage of your car actually depends on several factors.

One of the main factors that affect a car's mileage is how you drive. Driving manners and habits have a great deal to do with car mileage. For example, a driver prone to sudden accelerations and heavy braking can use up quite an amount of gas per distance traveled. This is because quick accelerations and sudden braking can use up more fuel since it puts the vehicle into sudden strains. In fact, aggressive driving can actually affect fuel economy by as much as 30 percent in highways and about 5 percent in town and city inroads.

High speed driving may also affect a car's mileage. Driving fast usually increases a car's aerodynamic drag. This means that the faster that a car travels, the greater the wind resistance becoming a factor in fuel economy. Habitual idling can also affect a car's mileage. Frequent idling uses gasoline but adds zero miles on the counter and therefore affects the car's mileage.

Another factor that may affect a car's mileage is the overall condition of the vehicle itself. A year old car not properly maintained can use up and waste more gasoline than a two or three year old car that has followed the proper maintenance schedule. Drivers should realize that a poorly tuned and maintained car engine can burn more fuel.

Car maintenance is not only limited to the engine if improving car mileage is the aim. Even tire inflation can account for a car's mileage. Properly inflated tires can help reduce rolling resistance and therefore help a car enjoy better mileage. Other important areas of the car to look into to improve car mileage are the air filter and brakes. Dirty air filters and poor brakes can make the engine work double hard and use up more fuel.

The type of gasoline being used in a car can also affect its mileage. There are certain variations of gasoline fuels that offer lesser energy than others. Using reformulated gasoline, for instance, may cause some changes in fuel economy due to their lesser energy content. Not only is the type affecting the gasoline's energy content, seasons may also have some effect. The reason for this might be behind the refining process. But generally, gasoline products sold during the summer usually have a higher energy content rating than gasoline products being sold during the winter.

With gasoline becoming quite an expensive product, car owners should try to improve their car's fuel economy and mileage as much as possible. Better mileage and fuel use means that the car has to use lesser fuel in traveling a certain distance. This can result in lesser fuel being used. The less fuel used the less amount of gasoline needed. And with gasoline prices rising these recent months, it could account into substantial savings that may help ease the concerns brought about by the higher gasoline price tag.