Cars and Trucks Articles

6 Tips For Saving Gas
by: Jackson Porter

In the past months we have seen the price of gasoline soar higher than ever before, and this can be hard on people who have a budget that is tight. Even though gas prices have come down a slight bit, you still will want to do everything you possibly can to save on the money you have to pay out for gas. There are a variety of ways that you can save gas, and save money.

Tip#1 - Start Carpooling

Carpooling is a great idea for fellow students and fellow employees both. If you can find people that are going to the same place you are you can save gas by riding together. It may be a good idea to trade off on who is driving from week to week so no one person gets stuck having to drive all the time. If you have to take your children to school or other functions you can also work on trading off with your friends and neighbors to take them there.

Tip#2 - Public Transportation

If it is possible you can take public transportation to work instead of driving your car. Not only will this save you money on gas, but you will also be able to relax and not worry about having to drive through all that rush hour traffic. You may even be able to fit in a quick nap on your way to work or on your way home.

Tip#3 - Price Shop

Often it may be so convenient to buy your gas at the small gas station just up the road, but to save some money on gas you may want to check the prices at other gas stations that are nearby as well. Even if the difference is only a few cents, after putting hundreds of gallons of gas in you vehicle each year, those few cents are going to add up to quite a sum of money.

Tip#4 - Get Moving

You can save some money on gas if you start walking to where you are going, or you can ride a bike as well. You will not have to worry about paying to park your car, and the exercise will be great for you body. If you are walking or biking you will not have to worry about those huge traffic jams either.

Tip#5 - Take Care of Your Car

It is always important to take care of your car so it gets the best gas mileage possible. Also be sure to plan where you are going before you go so you will not have to backtrack and waste gas. If you can, you should use your air conditioning as little as possible because using it takes more gas. Roll down your windows and you will use less gas.

Tip#6 - Check your Tires

It is important that you check the air pressure in your tires as often as possible. If your tires are too low, or the pressure in them is unequal it can make your car burn more gas. You should also be careful how you drive. If you take off from every red light very fast you are going to burn more fuel, so it is best to take off a little slower.

These are a few tips that can help the money conscious person to save money on gas. Even as gas prices drop, these tips can still help you to save more money. Conservation is important, so take advantage of these tips, save money, and save gas.

About The Author
Jackson Porter is a staff writer at Automobile Enthusiast and is an occasional contributor to several other websites, including Environmental Central.

Top 3 Picks For Hybrid Cars
by: Ricky Lim

Hybrid cars are fast becoming more and more popular due to the rising fuel costs and the prices of hybrid cars are becoming more and more affordable. The performance of hybrid cars are also comparable to diesel/petrol cars so there’s no reason not to get it.

There are plenty of new hybrid car models introduced every year but here are my top 3 picks that offers the best performance and features for the price.

#3 Honda Civic Hybrid

The Honda Civic hybrid is not a new model and has been on the market for some time. The price retails around $20,000 and the fuel performance is 47 city mpg and 48 highway mpg.

Though it isn’t terribly fast, what I like about the honda civic hybrid is that it can carry up to 5 people. It is more functional and is suitable as a family car. It also pass the crash test rating with a good score of 5.

If you have a family and do not need to get anywhere fast, then going with a honda civic hybrid is a good buy.

#2 Honda Insight

The honda insight is a two seater hybrid car which have fuel performance of 57 city mpg and 56 highway mpg. The price is about the same as the honda civic hybrid. It is a very reliable car which I have owned for a couple of years. So far, it has not given me such problems.

There are a couple of disadvantages, firstly it is 2 seater which means it’s not a family type of car. Secondly, the horsepower isn’t that great with only 71 hp.

It is my second top pick because I like its reliability and when you compare price to performance, it is pretty good.

#1 Toyota Prius

The Toyota Prius hybrid car is my top pick because it offers the best performance for the price you get. It cost around $19,000 which is the cheapest out of the three. It has more horsepower at 110 hp and can do 60 city mpg and 51 highway mpg. It is a family sized car which can hold 5 people quite comfortably with some space left in the trunk.

It also get a 4.5 score for it’s crash test rating. For price and performance, you can’t beat the toyota prius.

I have an interest in environmental issues, and my regret is the present high price of hybrid cars. I will like to see if anybody can see prices of hybrid cars ever getting low enough for people to buy to make a difference to the environment. This site BlurtIt allows anyone to sign up for an account and ask a question. So I have signed up and asked my question at Will prices of hybrid cars ever get low enough for more people to buy them to make a difference to the environment?. I have selected to be emailed when someone answer. Let us hope for something positive.


About The Author
Ricky Lim operates a hybrid cars site at All Hybrid Cars (close new window/tab to return to this page). Visit his site for more information on hybrid car battery and hybrid car tax and other hybrid cars information.

Proper Tire Care for Safe Driving
by: Marilyn Pokorney

Tires are one of the most important parts of your car for safe travel. Here are some tips on how to keep them in good condition so they last a long time.

Check your tires once a month for wear. One of the easiest ways to do this is to place a penny into the most shallow tread groove with Lincoln's head down. If the whole head remains visible the tread is worn down to 1/16th of an inch and needs to be replaced.

Never have tires repaired if they have a puncture larger than 1/4 inch or have sidewall punctures.

Keep tires properly inflated. Use a tire gauge to measure inflation. A tire can lose up to half of its air pressure and not appear to be flat!

Check air pressure on cold tires. Wait at least three hours after stopping vehicle even after just a one mile drive.

Purchase a good pressure gauge and have it checked for accuracy at your favorite dealer.

Keep your car in alignment. Just sudden stopping against a curb or driving through a pothole can throw the front end out of alignment and damage tires.

Have the tires rotated regularly. Check the owners manual of your vehicle. If no time limit is listed then have it done every 6,000 to 8,000 miles.

Avoid fast starts, stops and turns.

Avoid speeding as that heats the tires excessively and wears down the tires faster.

Avoid driving on the edge of the pavement or other sharp edges and obstructions.

Avoid overloading the vehicle. Check the owner's manual for the maximum weight load for your car.

When buying new tires know what size and what kind of tires your car requires. Know the difference between all-season tires, winter tires, radial tires, etc. Tell the dealer what type of driving you will be doing such as winter driving, mountain driving, desert driving, etc. It will be much easier to help the dealership to get you the proper tires if they know what you need.

It is best to replace all four tires at the same time. But if you need to purchase only one or two tires have them installed on the rear axle.

When washing your car clean the tires with soap and water and a soft bristle brush or a shop cloth.

When properly cared for tires can last up to 40,000, and even up to 80,000 miles depending on driving habits and road conditions.

For more information on tire care visit: Tire Care (close new window/tab to get back to this page)

About The Author
Marilyn Pokorney
Freelance writer of science, nature, animals and the environment. Also loves crafts, gardening, and reading.
Website: A Plus Writing (close new window/tab to get back to this page).
Email: Current address on website

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Copyright: 2006 Marilyn Pokorney