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in a drop in gas mileage. They tell you instead to roll the windows down. Now, in days gone by, this might have been true, but it certainly isn't anymore. First, if your car has air conditioning, it is already running the belt to the air conditioner. Running the air conditioner won't result in much of a drop in gas mileage. Second, rolling down the windows results in a dramatic increase in air drag...the force that is trying to bring the car to a halt. To compensate, the engine must work harder, and burn more gas, in order to move. A car that isn't equipped with air conditioning, running down the road with the windows up, will probably be more efficient than a car that has air conditioning, with the windows up. But if you have air conditioning, use it, don't roll down the windows.

5. The tune-up - A decent tune-up can cost $20-30, or perhaps more. However, not only does this make the engine run better, it saves on gas and prolongs the life of the engine. A regular tune-up and oil change is something that should be done on a consistent basis. This isn't just for the gas mileage, but to also help prevent much more costly repairs to the engine. Remember, the cleaner an engine is, the better and more efficiently it will run.

6. Traveling with the gas tank half full - Believe it or not, you will save money if you keep the tank half full, rather than full. Gasoline has weight (see #3), so a full gas tank will lessen the gas mileage.

7. Speed - Most cars are designed to operate optimally at between 55 and 60 miles per hour. Driving at a lower or greater speed costs in gas mileage (and possibly traffic citations). Drive as close to 55-60 MPH as is legally possible.

8. Starts and stops - HOW you drive greatly affects the gas mileage. Rapid starts and stops burn up an incredible amount of your gas. This is the main reason that in town driving burns so much more gas than long distance driving. Also, along the same lines, it takes more gas to bring a car from a standing stop, into motion, than it does to accelerate. So when you know that you have to stop, start slowing down well in advance. If you are even creeping by the time you can go on, you are saving money and gas.

9. Warm-up - To get good gas mileage from the very beginning, the car engine must be warm. Sitting in the driveway with the car idling for a minute or two, in the summer, before heading out is far more fuel efficient than starting the car and taking off. And never rev an engine if you want to save gas. Revving

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