Saving on fuel
Fuel costs are likely to be your biggest motoring expense. Follow these tips and you should save yourself a few quid.
• Accelerating as slowly as possible is not considered the best option to save fuel – and it can also irritate other road users. Accelerate normally through the gears to your desired speed and then change to the highest gear possible.
• When cruising, try to use top gear from around 45kph up, and aim to keep the engine speed to between 2000rpm and 3000rpm.
• Switch off the engine if you're going to be at a standstill for more than a minute.
• Look at the routes you frequently take – your drive to work for instance. Are there less congested roads you could take? They might add miles to your journey but, if they cut out stop-start motoring fuel consumption will decrease.
• Keep windows and sunroofs shut, and make sure your tyres are at the right pressure. Wind resistance and drag from under-inflated tyres will increase fuel bills. Always remove roof racks when not needed, and don't carry unnecessary items in your boot.
• Use of the rear defogger and air-conditioning adds to the fuel bill.
• A dirty engine with lots of carbon deposits can worsen fuel economy. Changing the oil can help to improve things here.
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