Drive Your Way to Savings: 5 Gas Saving Tips From the Editors of Kelley Blue Book

As we head into the Labor Day travel holiday, gasoline prices are expected to once again reach highs in parts of the United States forcing some drivers to reconsider their weekend travel plans. The experienced editors of the trusted vehicle information resource, Kelley Blue Book, offer the following tips to save on gas:

   -- If your vehicle does "not" require premium grade gas but you use it
      anyway, it is ok to change to a lower grade to save a few dollars.  In
      fact, you may find that you get better fuel economy with a lower grade
      of gasoline.  Try two tanks of each of the lower grades and see for
      yourself.  (If your vehicle requires premium grade gasoline, stay with
      a premium grade.)

   -- Four tanks of gasoline with "Techron" can clean your fuel injectors as
      well as most professional grade cleaners.  Clean injectors will help
      your vehicle get up to 5 percent better gas mileage.

   -- Turn off your air conditioning, but don't roll down your windows
      either.  Both create drag on your car, requiring more gas to keep up
      your speed.  It takes about 5 - 8 horsepower to run the air
      conditioning.  Running your air conditioning on a lower setting or
      using the recirculation feature may help.  Of course if it's more than
      80 degrees outside, you may want to run the air intermittently.

   -- Check your vehicle's air filter and tire pressure.  A clogged or dirty
      air-filter can slow your vehicle down and use more gasoline.  A clean
      filter will promote less gas waste.  Under-inflated tires could also
      cause excessive drag, slowing the vehicle down and use more gas as
      well as be a safety hazard.

   -- Accelerate normally from a fully stopped position and avoid flooring
      or stabbing the gas pedal.  The flooring or stabbing action pushes
      more fuel to the engine than is needed to move forward.

And if you are in the market for a more fuel-efficient vehicle, but are not quite ready for hybrid, Kelley Blue Book's editors recommend looking at the following vehicles:

   Rank         Make/Model                      City             Hwy
   1            VW Jetta Wagon Diesel            42               50
   2            VW Beetle Diesel
                VW Golf Diesel
                VW Jetta Sedan Diesel            42               49
   3            Honda Civic                      36               44
   4            Toyota Echo                      35               43
   5            Toyota Corolla                   32               40


  For more money saving vehicle tips and information, log on to www.kbb.com.

SOURCE: Kelley Blue Book

CONTACT: Robyn Eckard of Kelley Blue Book, +1-949-770-7704, ext. 8349,
reckard@kbb.com

Web site: http://www.kbb.com/