Canadians do plenty of grumbling about gas prices, but there are also lots of ways to cut down how much cash they are pumping into their cars.
What car they choose to drive, what gas they choose to use and how they drive and maintain their cars all play big roles in how many trips to the pump drivers will make.
In fact, according to CAA, Canadians can save 20 per cent or more on fuel use, just by changing driving and maintenance habits.
Earlier this week, AAA released a report showing that 16.5 million Americans are spending $2.1 billion unnecessarily on premium gas. While performance and luxury cars require the higher-octane of premium gas, vehicles that don’t require it perform no better or more efficiently with it, the report found.
“Sometimes people associate the word premium to mean better when their car doesn’t actually require premium fuel,” Teresa Di Felice, director of government and community relations for CAA Southcentral Ontario told CTV News Ottawa.
She said drivers would be much better off paying attention to their own driving habits and spending to properly maintain their car, rather than paying an extra 15 to 20 cents a litre for premium fuel in cars that don’t require it.
“Watch how you are accelerating or braking. So hard braking, obviously, is a huge issue or speeding up between stop signs or stoplights is going to waste a lot more gas.”
CAA and Pollution Probe have produced a myth-busting brochure aimed at addressing some fuel efficiency fallacies.
It says that gains in fuel economy basically stalled between the mid-1980s and the mid-2000s but that technology has cut fuel consumption by as much as 30 per cent in recent model years. That has come without sacrificing safety, comfort or space, says CAA.
Among the recommendations to boost fuel efficiency:
-Cooling a car by driving with the windows down is more fuel efficient than using the air conditioner, at least until the wind noise is too loud to speak over;
-Use a block heater with an automatic timer for cold weather starts rather than idling. Cars used about 50 per cent more fuel until they warm up;
-Avoid jackrabbit starts and hard braking, which reduces travel time by only 4 per cent but hikes fuel consumption by 39 per cent, according to Natural Resources Canada;
-When not in traffic and stopping for more than 60 seconds, turn your engine off;
-Keep tires properly inflated and get the vehicle’s oil changed at intervals recommended in your owner’s manual;
-Remove excess weight and roof racks when not in use;
-Reduce highway speed and use cruise control to maintain constant speed. Tests have shown most cars use about 20 per cent less fuel when driven at 90 km/h instead of 110 km/h;
-Consider carpooling and combining trips to conserve fuel.
If you’re in the market for a new car, Natural Resources Canada produces a handy guide that offers fuel efficiency statistics, estimated cost of fuel per year and emissions levels for every make and model sold in Canada.
