Advance Planning​—Key to Economical Driving

IN A typical American family budget, automobiles and their expenses rank third, next to the cost for housing and food. The cost of gasoline and other automobile products has risen sharply in recent months. New-car costs have skyrocketed. There is little that the individual driver can do to prevent these rises.

However, there are areas where the average car owner can cut back on driving expenses. The secret to saving money on auto expenses is advance planning. This starts from the time you purchase your car.

When Buying an Automobile

Smaller cars are made to use less gasoline than larger ones. Of course, many comforts and conveniences, and even a degree of safety, may be forfeited for the sake of economy. If saving money is a main factor for you when buying a new car, often there are mileage charts published by the government and independent testing laboratories to supply information for you. Check several of such tests, if they are available, comparing one with the other, to gain the most accurate picture of an automobile’s performance. Consider in advance, too, if there is gasoline-saving optional equipment available for your new car.

But advance planning requires that you look at the other side of the picture too. That you now have a large car is no reason to sell it and buy a new one, a smaller model, thinking that you will save money thereby. You may actually lose money. How so?

Well, you know what upkeep expenses are on your present automobile. To buy another car may cost you several thousand dollars, along with the trade-in of your current car. Take time to figure carefully how long you would be able to support your present car with those thousands of dollars. The answer may surprise you; yes, it may be far wiser to keep the car you have.

Proper Auto Care Means Savings

Another major factor in economical driving is overall automotive care. There are a few basic points that can assist you to get maximum efficiency from your car.

For one thing, keep the car’s battery fully charged and the ignition system in top operating order. The car then uses less gasoline to start. Dirty, improperly “gapped” spark plugs can waste 10 percent of your gasoline. Do not let brake linings drag; this not only wears out the shoes but unnecessarily wastes gasoline.

Is your carburetor clean and properly adjusted? If it is checked frequently to make sure that it is not out of kilter, you could earn a 30-percent saving in gasoline. It is best set for a “lean” mixture. The air filter should also be cleaned frequently. Engine timing, too, is very important and, when incorrectly set, is the cause of much gasoline loss.

Often overlooked is the value of keeping one’s car properly oiled and greased. This means less mechanical resistance as the car functions, and that, in turn, can contribute at least to some extent to improved gas mileage.

It has been estimated that you can save about a mile per gallon of gasoline by simply increasing the air pressure in your tires by about four pounds above the around-town levels recommended in your automobile’s manual. Of course, tires should not be inflated above any suggested levels embossed on the side of the tire. Observe, too, the pattern of wear on your tires. If it is uneven, the wheels’may be out of alignment, and this not only damages the tires but also causes the loss of about a third of a mile per gallon of gas.

To Save Money, Watch How You Drive

In order to stretch your gasoline dollar, it is wise to plan your driving in advance. Instead of taking several short trips to different stores, why not line up several stops that must be made and handle all this business in one trip?

The wisdom of combining as many short trips as possible into one trip can be illustrated with one series of tests. A car started cold was driven four miles and went eight miles per gallon of gas. When driven fifteen miles, it averaged eleven miles to the gallon, and, once fully warmed up, it traveled almost thirteen miles to the gallon. In other words, the difference between driving a cold car and a warm one was almost five miles to a gallon of gas!

Car pools are a fine way to make your gasoline dollar go farther. An average of 1.6 persons ride in each automobile in the U.S. If this average were increased to just two persons, traffic congestion would be cut by 20 percent. And there would be a saving of 600 million gallons of gasoline annually. So a few minutes spent on planning with a friend or neighbor could save travel money for both of you.

Forethought is important, too, when you get behind the wheel. When first warming up a car, do not let it idle too long but, rather, just enough so that it will not stall when once put in gear. Then at first you can drive at a light or moderate speed and thereby further slowly warm up the engine.

Then, too, look ahead as you drive. In this way you avoid jerky stops and starts, perhaps the biggest single thief of gasoline. Speeding away from traffic lights can increase gas consumption almost 20 percent. On the other hand, you can save over 7 percent on gasoline by keeping your speed fairly constant. Anticipate problems that might come up, such as curves to be rounded or lanes to be changed; these can be negotiated gradually rather than by sudden stops and starts.

Perhaps you can do much of your driving during off hours when traffic is light and there are fewer stop-and-go situations. It has been estimated that two stops per half mile uses over 20 percent more gasoline than one stop per half mile.

It is wise to beware of the claims of some advertisers about gadgets that will save gasoline. Some of these may work, but caution is in order. The best way to find out if such an attachment can help your mileage is to ask somebody that has had success with it. Most users report that a vacuum gauge is a fine investment and will result in gasoline savings. This instrument is calibrated to show the best operating range for the car’s motor.

Alertness when buying gasoline can save you money too. If you plan a longer trip, gasoline will often cost more on the highway than it does in cities. So fill the tank before you begin the trip. Prices vary from state to state due to taxes, and so you may be able to plan your trip in such a way that you purchase gasoline in a state where it is cheaper.

Taking advantage of a few such hints will undoubtedly save you money. There are many other equally effective suggestions. But when all is said and done, the key to economical driving is planning ahead.