Tips to Improve your Car Driving More Efficiently

Drive Sensibly



Aggressive driving (speeding, rapid acceleration and braking) wastes gas. It can lower your gas mileage by 33 percent at highway speeds and by 5 percent around town. Sensible driving is also safer for you and others, so you may save more than gas money.

Observe the Speed Limit



While each vehicle reaches its optimal fuel economy at a different speed (or range of speeds), gas mileage usually decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 mph.

You can assume that each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph is like paying an additional $0.24 per gallon for gas.

Observing the speed limit is also safer.

Remove Excess Weight




Avoid keeping unnecessary items in your vehicle, especially heavy ones. An extra 100 pounds in your vehicle could reduce your MPG by up to 2 percent. The reduction is based on the percentage of extra weight relative to the vehicle's weight and affects smaller vehicles more than larger ones.



Avoid Excessive Idling

Idling gets 0 miles per gallon. Cars with larger engines typically waste more gas at idle than do cars with smaller engines.


Use Cruise Control

Using cruise control on the highway helps you maintain a constant speed and, in most cases, will save gas.

Use Overdrive Gears

When you use overdrive gearing, your car's engine speed goes down. This saves gas and reduces engine wear.

How to Identify a Cleaner Auto car

Step 1. Print out these instructions and the "Find a Car" page of the car you are interested in and take them to the dealership.

Step 2. At the dealership, find the make and model you are looking for, with the engine size and transmission type you want. Example: Honda Insight, 3 cylinder with a manual transmission.



Step 3. Some automakers post the emissions standard (LEV, ULEV, SULEV, or ZEV) on the window sticker. If the vehicle you are looking for is a passenger car, and if you find the emissions standard on the window sticker, you have found the car you want. If you don't find it there, look under the hood for the Vehicle Emission Control Information label. This label is usually placed in front on the radiator shroud (Arrow number 1 on the picture below) but may also be found on the wheel well cover (Arrow 2), the underside of the hood (Arrow 3) or some other visible location in the engine compartment. For a passenger car, once you find the emissions standard of the version you're looking for, you're done.

Step 4. For light trucks, SUV's and vans, to be sure you're getting the vehicle you want you may also have to match the underhood label ID printed on our spec sheet. Light truck standards are more complicated, and often vary with a vehicle's weight class.

US Airways Flight crashed into the Hudson River

A passenger plane, US Airways flight, has crashed into the Hudson River in New York City. Passengers, some wearing life jackets, are being rescued from the chilly waters. According to the TV reports, Flight 1549 was en route from La Guardia to Charlotte, North Carolina, carrying 148 passengers and 5 crew members. Prior to going down in the water the pilot reported a bird strike after hitting a flock of geese. According to Flighaware.com, the plane was in the air for just six minutes after take-off. Temperatures in New York are in the low 20s. Within minutes of hitting the water, the jet was nearly completely submerged. Still, there have been no reports of fatalities as a flotilla of boats — many of them water taxis — converged on the plane to rescue the passengers and crew.

Brad Keselowski vehicle crashes victory lane

The car of driver Carl Edwards clips the safety fence while airborne near the finish line on the final lap Sunday during the Aarons 499 at Talladega Superspeedway.


Part-time Sprint Cup series driver Brad Keselowski wrecks Carl Edwards out of his way to win the Aaron's 499. Seven fans are injured by debris from the wreck.

Safety Driving Tips for Winter Session

The following tips to keep you and your family safe while driving in winter weather:

No matter the season, drinking and driving is dangerous and illegal.

Make sure your vehicle is in good working order.

Have working wiper blades

Fill up on antifreeze and window-washer fluid

Check for proper tire inflation

Ensure your battery has sufficient charge

Keep an emergency kit ready in your vehicle. It should include:

A blanket or warm clothes (boots, coat, gloves)

A flashlight

Jumper cables

Tow rope

Shovel

Bag of sand or cat litter for traction

Battery-operated radio

State map to use in case of a detour

Snacks such as raisins, candy bars or other items that store well

To avoid slipping off the roadway, drive more slowly and give yourself more room to stop.

Brake gently to prevent skidding



If your vehicle does get stuck:

Never spin your wheels. That only digs the tires in more deeply

Use a shovel to dig around the wheels and undercarriage

Turn the steering wheel from side to side to clear snow away from the front tires

Gently ease the vehicle out



If that doesn't work, try rocking the vehicle by shifting into forward and giving it some gas and then shifting it into reverse and accelerating until the vehicle is free

Let other people know your travel plans so if you don't arrive they'll know where to start looking.
Tell people the route you plan to take

Make sure your vehicle has fresh air if you become stuck by checking the exhaust system to see if it's plugged by snow.
Open a window or turn off your car if necessary

Carbon monoxide produced by your vehicle is a colorless, odorless gas that can kill

Acura Advanced Sports Cars

Acura Advanced Sports Car Concept side

Acura Advanced Sports Car

Acura Advanced Sports Car Concept rear

Acura Advanced Sports Car Concept front

Gray Acura Advanced Sports Car

Acura Advanced Sports Car at Geneva Autoshow

Top 10 Tech Cars and specifications

• Power Plant: 462-kW (620 hp) supercharged 6.2-L aluminum V8 • Transmission: Close-ratio 6-speed manual; dual clutch • Claimed Fuel Efficiency: Information not available • Claimed CO2 Emissions: Information not available • More: Chevrolet is very proud of the fact that the ZR1's power-to-weight ratio is better than that of the Ferrari 599, the Lamborghini LP640, and the Porsche 911 GT2.

• Power Plant: 110-kW 1.4-L turbocharged fuel-stratified injection engine; 30-kW electric motor • Transmission: S-tronic 6-speed Direct-Shift Gearbox, a pairing of two manual gearboxes • Claimed Fuel Efficiency: 4.9 L/100 km (48 mpg) in mixed-mode operation • Claimed CO2 Emissions: 112 g/km • More: Minus the hybrid, the Metroproject is likely a preview of Audi's upcoming A2 subcompact.
• Power Plant: 1.8-L four-cylinder 190-kW (255 hp) turbocharged homogeneous charge compression ignition engine • Transmission: 7-speed automatic with integrated electric motor assist • Claimed Fuel Efficiency: 5.3 L/100 km (44 mpg) during cruising • Claimed CO2 Emissions: 127 g/km • More: The way Germans pronounce “DiesOtto” (the company's name for the engine design) sounds just like “DeSoto.” Daimler sold Chrysler (which owned DeSoto) this year, so shouldn't Mercedes-Benz pick another name?

• Power Plant: 298-kW (400 hp) 4.4-L twin-turbocharged direct-injection V8 • Transmission: 6-speed automatic; steering wheel–mounted paddle shifters • Claimed Fuel Efficiency: Information not available • Claimed CO2 Emissions: Information not available • More: The X6 lineup is likely to include both hybrid-electric and 197-kW 3.0-L six-cylinder diesel variants in the near future; the BMW X5 sport utility, to which it is closely related, will offer that diesel in 2009.
• Power Plant: 358-kW (480 hp) 3.8-L twin-turbocharged V6 • Transmission: Rear transaxle with sequential 6-speed; paddle shift • Claimed Fuel Efficiency: Information not available • Claimed CO2 Emissions: Information not available • More: It took the company months to decide if the US $70 000 car would be released as a Nissan or an Infiniti in the United States; in the end, it stuck with the global Nissan brand despite Infiniti's upscale image.

• Power Plant: 66-kW (89 hp) 1.3-L Miller-cycle 16-valve four-cylinder • Transmission: Continuously variable transmission (CVT) • Claimed Fuel Efficiency: 4.3 L/100 km (55 mpg) on Japanese combined cycle • Claimed CO2 Emissions: 129 g/km • More: The “platform” or understructure will be the basis for a new Ford Fiesta in Europe, and Ford is considering selling it in the United States.

• Power Plant: 224-kW (300 hp) 4.2-L V8; 313-kW (420 hp) supercharged 4.2-L V8• Transmission: 6-speed automatic; shift-by-wire control and paddle shifters • Claimed Fuel Efficiency: Information not available • Claimed CO2 Emissions: Information not available • More: The XF is built on the underpinnings of the retro-styled S-Type, but you'd never know it; the production car retains (most of) the panache of Jaguar's jaw-dropping C-XF concept.

• Power Plant: 24-kW (32 hp) 623-cc aluminum two-cylinder • Transmission: Continuously variable transmission (CVT) • Claimed Fuel Efficiency: 4.7 L/100 km (50 mpg) • Claimed CO2 Emissions: 120 g/km • More: Tata plans to sell an upscale version in Europe, possibly for as little as one-third the price of the cheapest new car today. European makers are apprehensive.

• Power Plant: 1.4-L 59-kW (80 hp) three-cylinder turbodiesel • Transmission: 5-speed manual • Claimed Fuel Efficiency: 3.8 L/100 km (62 mpg) in mixed urban/highway use • Claimed CO2 Emissions: 99 g/km • More: The BlueMotion tag indicates the most fuel-efficient variation of each model Volkswagen sells.

• Power Plant: 2010 model: 254-kW (340 hp) 3.5-L turbocharged gasoline-direct-injection V6 • Transmission: 6-speed automatic • Claimed Fuel Efficiency: Information not available • Claimed CO2 Emissions: Information not available • More: The EcoBoost engine was originally christened TwinForce, but Ford renamed it to play up fuel savings and lower emissions, moving away from a high-performance image.

Car Tire Identification Number

Avoid Toll Traffic

If I'm forced to be on the road while gas prices are sky-high, few things bring me more joy than cruising tollright through toll plazas while lines of cars, each paying cash, sit in traffic and prolong their gas guzzling.

Suckers.

I can honestly say that my Aaat has changed my life—maybe not to the extent that my iPod has, but it has saved me much time and considerable road rage over the past three years.

With the help of a transponder mounted to your windshield, Aaat allows you to drive right through specifically marked toll lanes without stopping. Your transponder is linked to your personal checking account, and simply deducts the cost of the toll from your balance. No stopping. No reaching in the seat cushions hoping for exact change. No risking rolling up to the tollbooth with insufficient funds. (This MAY have happened to me, summer of '04 crossing the Walt Whitman Bridge into Philadelphia.)

Aaat specifically works for toll roads in the Northeast, reaching into the Midwest, and the southern border of Virginia. Other regions of the country have their own Aaat equivalent systems. Check out your state's department of motor vehicles website to see what program they have to offer.

Hopefully, saving time not sitting in toll lines will get you to your summertime destination a little quicker, and you'll have to suffer from one less "are we there yet?" coming from the backseat.

Road trips not your thing? Here are some travel tips to expedite the airport security process.