Burning Gas

I maintain a spreadsheet that keeps track of my mileage; I’m conscious of the gasoline I use, feeling guilty that I’m polluting the environment with my car. I drive a 2004 (though I bought it in the spring of 2003) Toyota Matrix: 2 wheel drive with manual transmission. For the type of car I wanted, it had the best fuel economy. I would’ve gotten a hybrid car, like the Toyota Primus, but I couldn’t afford it.

According to the Canadian Government’s Fuel Consumption Guide , I should be getting 37 MPG in the city, and 47 MPG with highway driving. (Note that American gallons are smaller than Canadian gallons.) I do more city than highway driving, but I’m still not getting what’s reported on that site; however, their city driving tests only averaged 32 km/h, and their highway testing averaged 77 km/h. I drive too fast.

I’ve decided to make a better effort (and I’ve always made some effort) at getting better mileage, so I’ve started to drive about 10% slower than the posted speed limit. I’m in no rush to get anywhere.

Here are some sites that offer tips on how to improve gas mileage:

• Driving and Maintaining Your Vehicle, from the Government of Canada
• Gas Mileage Tips, from the U.S. Government
• Reduce Vehicle Idling Campaign
• Tips from GM.
• What speed should I drive to get maximum fuel efficiency? They have useful links at the bottom of the page.