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Health & Fitness

Use 15% less fuel with new tires and some new driving skills

Use 15% less fuel with new tires and some new driving skills


With high price of gas these days, I'd like to share some data with you in the hopes that it can help you save some money and use less fuel. 

A couple of years ago, I was driving a thrifty 160HP Ford Taurus. It was a sensible and comfortable interstate cruiser. I would routinely get 19MPG in the city and about 29MPG on the highway. Then I turned forty-something and I bought a nice 
Mustang convertible, with a sensible V6 and nearly double the power at 305HP. 

You'd think that I was setting myself up to be sitting in the environmental penalty box. Oh my! I bought the gas guzzler! But the truth is that Ford advertises on the window sticker 19 city and 30mpg highway for my convertible. 
When I first had my new car, I drove it like I stole it. The sun was shining, it was about 45 degrees outside. The fabric roof was tucked behind me. I had a big smile with an unkempt hairstyle, and I was doing 14MPG.

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It kind of bugged me that I was spending so much on gas for weeks and weeks and weeks. Then I remembered all those truck driver stories from working at the truck stop. The professional drivers made more money when they avoided speed changes and stayed in tallest gear possible at all times. They also found their rig's magic speed number, knowing that 1MPH can be the difference between an extra $50 in or out of their pocket at the end of a trip. They also tried to predict the traffic around them in order to avoid the biggest fuel guzzler of all: the brakes. 

The first thing I did was lay off the gas and go with the flow of city traffic. I accelerate briskly, but I don't smash the gas pedal into the floor. I observed how my car reacted at different speeds on route 19. I noticed that  I had 43MPH@1500RPM, then 46MPH@1000RPM. A couple ticks of increased speed can actually save you gas with modern 6-, 7-, and 8-speed transmissions, so keep that in mind. Each car is different and you'll have to figure this out on your own. 

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On a 1000+ mile road trip to visit my parents, I did some experimentation and figured out how to get some meaningful gains without spending extra money. At first, I was going slightly over the posted speed limit, and my gas mileage was around 29MPG, which matched the EPA estimate for my car. Then I set the cruise control and noticed my car was slightly less noisy and the RPM had reduced by about 500. I saw fuel economy increase to 30.1MPG while going at the 
same speed. 

As with any spring and summer road trip, there was some construction on the PA turnpike and on most stretches of Interstates I76, I80, I84, and I91. I followed traffic and reduced my speed between 45MPH and 50MPH for rather long 
stretches marked by orange barrels and cones, and I even noticed my fuel economy increase to over 35MPG while going downhill. However, as nice as 35MPG can be, I can't drive 1000 miles at 45. 

On my way back, I decided to apply what I learned and try to use the least amount of fuel, yet get the best gas mileage possible. When I drove at the posted speed limit, my fuel economy stayed at 31.5MPG. Then I remembered the professional drivers and the idea of the magic number, so I reduced my speed by 1MPH, until I reached 59MPH and 33.8MPG. You'll need a digital speedometer or a GPS to get this kind of accuracy. This final result is comparable to the fuel economy of much smaller cars like the 2011 Ford Focus with 35MPG.

You'd think that my story would end here. I am glad to report that none of this would have been possible without the low rolling resistance tires. How much of an effect is this though? I was fortunate enough to drive all winter with normal snow 
tires that are made of a softer material than summer tires. I noticed a meaningful difference in gas mileage all winter, varying between 18MPG and 18.5MPG when I typically get between 21MPG and 21.5MPG in summer.

My advice for you all? When your tires wear out, you should get the low rolling resistance tires. They are pretty much the same price as the normal tires and the more you drive, the more you'll save. Second, use the cruise control as often as 
safely possible. If you can go with the flow of traffic and avoid using the brakes, that will help you save more in the city. Finally, use your GPS to get an accurate speed measurement and determine what your car's magic number is for those really long trips. 


Summary, at highway speeds: 

  • 14MPG     Drive it like I stole it
  • 26.5MPG   Baseline with winter tires
  • 29MPG     Baseline with Low Rolling Resistance Tires
  • 31MPG     Cruise Control 
  • 33.8MPG   Drive with magic number at 59MPH
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