With gas prices high at the pumps, just about everyone is wondering how to save on fuel. There are several ways you can make your vehicle more fuel-efficient. While some of these steps may not seem like much, they can make a big difference over time in your fuel usage. Our service team here at Bountiful Mazda in Bountiful, Utah, is always on hand to provide you with advice about efficient driving techniques and explain how routine servicing can improve your car's performance. Here are some of our top fuel-saving tips for your consideration.

Drive at a Moderate Speed

One of the easiest ways to burn a lot of fuel is to accelerate rapidly and rev your engine a lot. By contrast, if you can get up to a steady speed of around 60-65 mph, your car can run more efficiently. Another advantage of traveling at a steady speed is that you can pay more attention to road safety.

Avoiding rapid speed changes also applies when you're slowing down. If you slam on the brakes to stop at a light or in traffic, you're using unnecessary fuel because your engine will be working harder than it needs to. A more fuel-efficient approach is to take your foot off the gas so you begin to slow down before you hit the brakes. Traveling at moderate speeds rather than hitting the accelerator hard should give you the extra time needed to take this more relaxed approach when you must stop.

Perform Regular Vehicle Maintenance

Keeping up to date with your car maintenance tasks can make a difference to your Mazda's mpg rating. Simple tasks, such as oil changes, can help your engine run more smoothly and efficiently. As oil gets older, it can break down and result in the buildup of residue on your engine's components. This, in turn, leads to more wear and tear, which increases the amount of power wasted by your engine. By contrast, regularly replacing your oil with a fresh supply ensures that your engine operates with as little friction as possible.

Another key maintenance task is rotating your tires. Regular tire rotations help prevent uneven tread wear, which can slow you down on the highway or when you're taking corners. By switching your tires around, one of our service technicians can help you get the most out of your vehicle's handling and performance, which will boost your overall fuel economy. Other maintenance tasks, such as wheel alignments and suspension adjustments, also impact how your car travels on the road, meaning they can improve your fuel economy.

Check Your Tire Pressure

In between maintenance appointments, it's well worth keeping an eye on your tire pressure each month. Tire pressure can change significantly due to shifts in the local temperature, which is why it's especially important to take their pressure when the seasons change. If the pressure is too low, you should top it up to get the most out of your tires. Tires with low pressure are less efficient at covering ground on the road, which can result in your car needing more fuel.

A further benefit to maintaining proper tire pressure is that you reduce the risk of excessive wear and tear. You should find an air pump for tires at many gas stations or our Mazda service center in Bountiful.

Remove Unnecessary Cargo

If your vehicle is heavier than necessary, your engine will require more power and fuel to get you moving. You can reduce the weight in your car by regularly cleaning out your cargo area. Perhaps the bag of outdoor equipment you need for weekend trips can be left at home during the week, or you can unload your work supplies during a vacation or long weekend.

It's also worth removing extra features, such as roof racks, from your car when they're not in use. This isn't only because of the extra weight. Roof racks can reduce the aerodynamics of your vehicle, making it less efficient.

Shift Through Your Gears

Moving through your gears as you pick up speed is important for getting the most out of your gas. While many automatic vehicles take care of this for you, drivers with a manual transmission will want to move up to a high gear as soon as possible. Driving at high speeds in a low gear increases the amount of fuel used by your engine, resulting in a reduction in your gas mileage.

If you keep in mind the previous tip about driving at a steady and moderate pace, you shouldn't have to do much gear changing once you get up to your traveling speed.

Avoid Rush-Hour Traffic

This tip is easier than it sounds because most people need to leave for work at similar times. However, if it's possible for you to leave a little earlier to skip the busiest times on the road, you could notice a big saving in your fuel usage over time. The main reason for this is that you won't need to navigate stop-and-go traffic as much. Slowing down and speeding up uses more fuel than if you can travel all the way at a relatively steady pace.

Another problem is that if you're in rush-hour traffic, there's a higher chance that you may have to take a detour due to accidents or stalled traffic.

If you have to travel during the busiest time of the day, try checking your route before setting off to find out about problems in advance. If you can switch to an alternative route to avoid heavy traffic, you could save yourself some gas as well as a lot of time.Would you like to know more about fuel-efficient driving? Or explore some of our new and used vehicles with the highest gas mileage? Here at Bountiful Mazda, our sales team is standing by to help you find your perfect car. Whether you'd like to test-drive a compact Mazda 3 sedan or a spacious CX-9 SUV, we'd be delighted to assist you. Feel free to call us or drop by our Salt Lake City location today.