Fuel Saving Tips

Wider throttle opening, lower RPM

Car and Driver magazine, whom I trust in many regards, have on several occasions said that one way for better fuel economy is to use a wider throttle opening (step harder on the gas pedal) but keep the revs low. The first part of this is counterintuitive, but it is more efficient than equivalent acceleration from giving it less gas but letting revs climb higher. Unfortunately, automatic transmissions are programmed against allowing this for some reason (almost none of them will let you upshift at 2100 RPM at 80% throttle), so I guess I'm really only talking to those of you driving with all three pedals) :) To reiterate, when accelerating with moderate gusto (like merging onto a highway), don't be afraid to use 80-100% throttle while shifting at maybe 2100-2300 RPM. It uses less gas than accelerating at the same rate using 25% throttle and shifting at higher RPM. Note: It's also bad for the engine if you floor it at really low RPM. I'd try to avoid using revs less than 1500 for meaningful acceleration. I could explain why this works, but I believe this is winded enough. PM me if you would like to know. Hope I'm helping :)