DID YOU KNOW:
...That tires, both their pressure and tread design, can have a huge impact on fuel mileage? In the door jamb of every car sold is the manufacturer’s recommended tire pressures for both front and rear tires. In most cases, the front and rear tires use different pressures...but why? Engineers need the front tires to respond to steering inputs and (like the rear tires) to help ride quality. Firmer tires react quicker, (i.e. steering) and rear tires can help absorb bumps for better ride smoothness. However, consumers who enjoy experimenting to achieve better mileage will often adjust this pressure up a couple of pounds in pressure or at least matching rear tire pressure to that of the front in an effort to reduce their rolling resistance.
...Tires can be very job specific if a driver is looking for different behaviors from their tires? As an example, folks who want maximum cornering power from their tires will select a soft, wide and low profile tire. People looking for maximum fuel mileage from their tires will likely run a narrower, more linear tread design to reduce the tire’s rolling resistance. EVs and hybrids tend to run tires designed to improve mileage.
...A key component in the search for better mileage is wheel alignment? Corner seekers will set the wheel alignment up to maximize their vehicle’s suspension performance behavior and risk wearing their tires sooner. However, fans of gas mileage will go for the least amount of scrub from the tires in an effort to make the vehicle easier to roll in a straight line.
...That a clean car gets better mileage than a dirty one? Dirt and dust create aerodynamic drag on a vehicle at highway speeds. A clean and smooth body surface provides less drag...hence better mileage.
...That truly dedicated drivers learn that their 4,000 pound vehicle will coast amazingly far after they let their foot off the gas pedal, especially with today’s “low compression drag” transmissions? In short, they let the weight and forward motion of the vehicle buy them distance for free. This reduces brake use which in turn not only improves brake pad life, but buys the driver a little more gas mileage. The "full speed to hard stop to the next light" driving habit kills full mileage. But letting the vehicle use its weight to coast a few vehicle lengths will also help, not to mention the lack of a racing start every time the light turns green. Turns out we the drivers are the biggest fuel mileage variable in or on the vehicle. Better driving brings better mileage.
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