Gas Mileage Research Guide

Take advantage of this resource guide to find advice, hints and tips on saving gas for your vehicle.

The AT complete guide to saving gas

Your swelling gas bill is devouring your entire Friday night fun fund. Now, with $3.00/gallon prices becoming the new norm, everybody's feeling the pinch. Remember when gas stations wouldn't take $100 bills? Now you need two to fill your Silverado. And, big oil is developing station signs with mortgage rates listed next to the price per gallon. Can you imagine a 20-year fixed to fill-up your Mustang?

All joking aside, super-expensive gas is here to stay. Drivers are in a scramble over how to afford their morning commute. They're resorting to a number of solutions, some the result of fuel economy technology in the form of hybrid vehicles, others steering for quick-fix gadgets carrying a high price tag and dubious claims. Don't downgrade from your favorite ride into a sub-compact clown car! Stay away from fuel saving gimmicks, too. There are simple ways to save gas, increase gas mileage and stick it back to the greedy barons stealing your spending cash. Follow these routes for AT's best ways to boost your gas mileage:

Replace your stock air filter with a free-breathing performance air filter

A great place to start when looking to increase gas mileage is with your vehicle's air filter. It is by far the easiest performance upgrade around, and the quickest way to increase gas mileage. If you're still lugging around town with a disposable paper air filter, you must toss it in favor of a performance air filter. A disposable paper air filter is incredibly restrictive to airflow, a restriction which essentially chokes your engine.

Compare this to a performance air filter which uses either cotton or foam filtration material. Air flows much easier through these performance air filter materials which puts plenty of oxygen into your engine for burning fuel. With the extra air on hand, your engine's computer responds by using less fuel per air part. The result is a more efficient fuel mixture that draws more power from every drop of gas injected into your engine. More power from every drop equals - you guessed it - better gas mileage. How much of an improvement, you say? The actual miles per gallon vary by vehicle, but a 1-2mpg boost is common.

Improve gas mileage with a tonneau cover - the basics

Ever feel like something is holding your truck back? Surprisingly, it's probably your tailgate. Passing air rushes over your truck's cab and flows directly into your open bed. With nowhere else to go, the turbulent air crashes into your tailgate - catching your truck like a trout that swallowed the hook. Adding a tonneau cover to your otherwise exposed truck bed provides a tight surface for airflow to blow right past. Without a drag-prone tailgate to slow your truck down, you can see an average gas mileage improvement of 5% to 10% immediately.

Another gas-saving upgrade: a performance air intake

Replacing your restrictive stock air intake has some of the same benefits as a performance air filter, only with a bigger effect. Performance air intakes use a high-flow performance air filter at the end of a wide, free-flowing performance intake tube. The result is outstanding airflow that's many times better than limiting stock parts and a few steps more advanced than a performance air filter alone. Like a performance air filter, a performance air intake improves gas mileage by drawing more air into the engine for efficient fuel burning.

GPS navigators: a tutorial on knowing the quickest route

You may never want to admit it, but you've probably been lost before. By the time you backtrack, take a few wrong turns and eventually cave-in and ask for help, a decent piece of your latest fill-up is gone. GPS navigators help you improve gas mileage in the simplest way: by keeping you on the shortest path between points on a map.

Performance exhaust and better gas mileage: a quick guide

You've probably wanted a sweet set of exhaust pipes for a while. Now here's a great excuse to grab a performance exhaust: these specially-engineered systems can improve gas mileage. The specialized mandrel-bending of an exhaust system frees your exhaust flow, virtually ending turbulent back pressure that can hold your vehicle much the way drag does. The average improvement to gas mileage is between 1 and 2 mpg, which varies by vehicle.

A tutorial on engine tuning with a power module or programmer

Automakers tune their stock vehicles to account for drivers of all different styles, from lead-footed teens to soccer moms to your grandmother. Safely tinkering with some of these settings can not only yield some newfound power and performance from your engine, but it can also improve your gas mileage.

Aerodynamic roof storage: a quick guide

Ever go on a long trip and stack random gear on the roof of your vehicle? These often bulky items can drag down your gas mileage by as much as 5%. Instead of putting your bags straight onto the roof, try using an aerodynamic roof bag for storage. With both hard and soft designs, AT has the best way to maximize your storage space without all of the gas-sucking drag. Aerodynamic hard roof bag models offer a sleek shaped storage bin that helps the wind scoot right by.

A guide on other items that can chip-in to save gas

Because every little bit helps, here are some other simple items that contribute to the cause of getting more out of every tank.

Everyday practices that will increase gas mileage

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) developed a list of ways to improve fuel economy through simple habit. Try a few of their recommendations (along with some additional ideas from us), and chart your gas mileage increase.

Some wacky ideas for saving gas with dubious results

The number of questionable gas saving techniques out there has been on the rise almost in sync with inflating gas prices. Be skeptical of items or techniques promising a magical boost in mileage, especially these.

Will this all add-up to a huge mileage increase?

Gas mileage improvements are a tricky endeavor. The quoted gains for a particular product can be greater or less than what your specific vehicle will see. And, these stated gains relate directly to effects on a completely stock vehicle. The mileage improvements may not combine, as some of these products modify the same factor. For instance, combining a tonneau cover with a flow-through tailgate does not add both stated mileage improvements, it only factors the tonneau cover's stated gain.

Conclusion

In conclusion, improving your gas mileage is essential in today's world of rising fuel prices. By following the tips and techniques mentioned in this guide, you can enhance your vehicle's fuel efficiency, save money at the pump, and reduce your environmental footprint. Whether it's upgrading your air filter, adding a tonneau cover, installing a performance intake, using GPS navigation, or considering other fuel-saving strategies, every little change can contribute to better gas mileage and more enjoyable driving experiences.