Are you interested in knowing how to increase car mileage and, thereby, save on fuel? Fuel prices are rising, and with environmental concerns growing, fuel efficiency has become an important factor in car purchasing decisions, especially in India. While styling, safety, and overall performance have always been the major considerations, what everyone desires the most is to get the best mileage in a car.
Fortunately, improving fuel efficiency does not need to be complicated or costly. Just make a few small changes in your driving habits and stay on top of routine vehicle maintenance. There are proven, practical methods for getting the most out of every liter, from proper tire maintenance to smooth driving techniques, that can make a huge difference.
Let us look into some of these practices that can help you enhance your fuel efficiency and minimize gas consumption in order to help you get the best mileage in your car.
What Is Car Mileage?
“Mileage” refers to the distance your car can travel on a particular quantity of fuel. When evaluating a secondhand car, the engine’s efficiency, reflected in its mileage, is a key factor. A car’s mileage indicates how well it utilizes fuel, and understanding this can help you gauge its performance. The average car mileage may vary based on the route and driving conditions. For example, highway driving often yields better mileage for a secondhand car, while off-road driving may deliver different fuel-efficient results.
What Is Good Mileage On A Car?
There is no one right way to answer the question, “What is good mileage on a car?” because many variables affect a used car’s condition and mileage. A used car is most likely a great purchase if it is in good functioning order and has about 80000 kilometers on it. However, if you take care of it and keep it in good condition, a less expensive car with 16100 km or more can still last you many years. The length of time you expect to own your car will determine everything. A car with less mileage on it will last you longer if you intend to keep it for a long time. When you are looking for a secondhand car, keep in mind that a typical commuter travels approximately 19300 km annually. (Reference Link) When assessing a vehicle’s longevity and worth, it’s critical to take the average car mileage into account.
How To Calculate Car’s Mileage Correctly?
Follow these steps to determine how to calculate car mileage per liter:
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Car Mileage Calculator
- Note the current odometer reading after filling up the petrol tank.
- Refill the tank after a long drive before it runs almost empty.
- To fill the petrol tank, note how many liters are filled.
- After refilling, take note of the revised odometer reading.
- Apply the following formula: Total Distance Covered ÷ Fuel Quantity Filled
Important Low Mileage Reasons You Should Know
The age of the car and its usage are inversely proportional to its fuel efficiency. In addition to these mechanical issues, many other factors can impact a vehicle’s mileage. As a matter of fact, a lot depends on the driver. Rash driving, sudden braking, rushed acceleration, and randomly changing lanes wobble up a lot more fuel. However, some causative factors, such as driving through cold weather, terranes, and coarse or damaged roads, are not in the driver’s control. Each of these leads to more fuel being used up, gradually depleting the car’s mileage.
Ways To Increase Car Mileage
1. Fuel-Efficient Driving Practices
- Fuel-efficient driving approaches focus on easy acceleration and braking. This is to reduce unnecessary fuel consumption and improve car mileage. Gradual throttle input prevents rapid RPM spikes. This is done while avoiding hard braking, which conserves kinetic energy.
- Maintaining an optimal speed range of 50-80 km/h for petrol engines balances power delivery and fuel efficiency. Driving below 40 km/h strains the engine and speeds above 80 km/h increase wind drag and tire friction. Using cruise control on highways, make sure constant speeds. This cuts fuel waste and enhances efficiency. This also extends the lifespan of engine components and tires.
2. Regular Car And Engine Inspections
- Regular inspections are important for maintaining your vehicle’s efficiency. Dirty air filters, worn brake pads, or sticky brakes can reduce mileage over time. Schedule regular services. Also, inform the service center about any noticeable drops in fuel efficiency. Request checks for unusual brake wear and ensure filters are clean.
- Prompt corrective actions can restore lost efficiency. Slight drops in mileage are natural as cars age. Drastic changes may show underlying issues. Addressing these promptly through professional inspections and maintenance helps keep your car running efficiently. Thus, it will extend its lifespan. Thus, it helps to increase car mileage.
3. Use Quality Engine Oil And Lubricants
- Using the proper engine oil and lubricants is important for optimal vehicle performance. This also increases fuel efficiency. Engine oil grade, viscosity, and quality directly affect how well your engine runs. This also affects the mileage it delivers. Always ensure your car is topped up with high-quality oil. Follow the recommendation for your particular vehicle.
- Substandard or incorrect oil can lead to poor engine performance. This will reduce fuel efficiency. Regularly check oil levels during maintenance and stick to the manufacturer’s recommendations. Using superior-quality lubricants improves mileage. It also extends your engine’s life, ensuring smooth operation over time. Focus on quality for better results.
4. Maintain Tire Pressure And Maintenance
- Maintaining optimal tire pressure is crucial for fuel efficiency. It also affects vehicle performance if you do not want to be the lowest mileage car in India. Underinflated tires increase friction between the road and the tire. This consumes more fuel and accelerates tire wear. Over-inflated tires may save fuel but compromise grip, stability, and aquaplaning resistance, which is dangerous.
- Regularly check and adjust the tire pressure to the recommended levels by the manufacturer. This will give a balanced driving experience. In routine maintenance, include inspections of tires to detect early wear or damage. Proper tire pressure not only improves mileage but also enhances the safety, handling, and longevity of your tires. This will give a smoother and more cost-effective drive.
5. Maintain An Optimal Speed Limit
- Maintaining a steady speed is another good way to increase car mileage. This is because acceleration consumes more fuel than steady driving. Do not speed up and decelerate too often. Rather, aim for a smooth pace in harmony with traffic conditions and speed limits. Efficiency depends on finding the optimal engine speed in the right gear.
- Studies show that driving at 80 mph could consume as much as 25% more fuel. This is in comparison to when the same vehicle drives at 70 mph. Avoiding aggressive fluctuations in speed and staying in optimal speed ranges will reduce fuel consumption. This will also decrease your mileage, creating a smoother and more economical drive.
6. Check Wheel Alignment
- Proper wheel alignment serves to maximize fuel efficiency. Tires wear out irregularly due to misaligned wheels. The increased rolling resistance is because the engine has to work a bit harder to keep the wheels rolling. This affects not just the fuel consumption but also contributes to the shortening of the lifespan of the tires. This brings extra maintenance costs.
- Regular checks on the wheel alignment of the vehicle and ensuring that the issues are looked at by a professional alignment service can help ensure smooth tire rotation. This causes reduced drag and fuel economy. Not only does it save on fuel through correct alignment, but it also becomes a safer and more comfortable ride. Thus, it becomes a cost-saving and eco-friendly practice.
7. Shift Gears At The Right Time
- Appropriate gear change is crucial to getting good fuel economy. This is for both driving a manual or automatic transmission vehicle. When driving an automatic vehicle, to reduce engine work and fuel consumption, you should upshift to the highest gear as soon as possible after the applicable speed zone is reached.
- In fully automatic, non-aggressive acceleration, leading to engine over-revving, and by ensuring smooth gear shifts instead. Through this practice, power allocation is high. If you keep an eye on gear switches, you can save fuel. You can also prevent engine wearout and continue to improve the performance of the vehicle in the long term.
8. Leave The Air-Con Turned Off
- Overuse of Air-Con can affect a car’s fuel economy, as it creates an extra load on the engine. So, how to increase car mileage? Use natural ventilation or open windows for cooling when the weather is mild. Times of high heat/humidity or high-speed driving can be excluded for active AC if maximizing mileage can be maintained by not running the engine fan with the AC on.
- Not only does air-con use (or lack of it) save fuel, but it also assists in decreasing unnecessary stress on your vehicle’s engine. This results in a more fuel-efficient, economical, and environmentally friendly way to drive.
9. Pick The Optimal Torque Range
- A common myth about fuel economy is that most efficiency occurs at peak torque. While this can be true at cruising speeds, it’s more effective to maintain a constant speed. This depends on whether you are driving in the city or on the highway.
- By avoiding frequent acceleration and deceleration, you reduce the strain on your engine. You also cut fuel consumption. Constant speed driving ensures that the engine operates at its most efficient. This reduces unnecessary power usage and improves fuel economy. Keeping a steady speed saves fuel and also reduces wear and tear on your car’s engine.
10. Reduce Extra Weight From The Car
- Lighter cars are generally more fuel-efficient because they need less energy to move. Your engine will work harder and use less fuel if it has to transport more weight. Heavier vehicles experience much more inertia and rolling resistance. Both of these negatively impact mileage. Even carrying extra weight equal to one or two passengers can lower fuel efficiency.
- According to the US EPA, every 45 kg added to your vehicle can reduce fuel efficiency by 2%. To increase car mileage, regularly remove unnecessary items from your car. Look especially from the boot to ensure it’s not weighed down.
11. Roll Up Your Windows
- Your vehicle’s aerodynamics play a crucial role in fuel efficiency, especially at higher speeds. Cars are designed to cut through the air to reduce drag and improve mileage. Yet, opening windows, even slightly, at high speeds increases drag and can significantly reduce fuel efficiency.
- Contrary to common belief, keeping the windows closed and using air conditioning when necessary is more fuel-efficient than driving with the windows open. The increased drag from open windows forces the engine to work harder, consuming more fuel. To optimize mileage, keep the windows shut and use air conditioning wisely.
12. Keep It Shut When Idle
- Idling wastes fuel and significantly impacts fuel efficiency. This is because the engine continues to burn fuel without actually moving the vehicle. If you are thinking about how to increase car mileage, it’s best to turn off the ignition during long stops. These include waiting at traffic signals or others.
- Avoid starting your vehicle before you’re ready to drive. This unnecessarily consumes fuel while you’re not actively driving. Simple actions like turning off the engine when waiting or preparing to leave can save fuel. This can contribute to increased overall fuel efficiency. In the long run, reducing idling can lead to noticeable improvements in your car’s mileage.
13. Go Easy On The Pedal
- Aggressive driving not only wastes fuel but also decreases fuel efficiency. These include hard acceleration, hard braking, and speeding. For better mileage, change for a more smooth and controllable driving style. Shorted time and light accelerations are made gradually and at a constant velocity rather than accelerating and decelerating all through the movement.
- Expect traffic flow to avoid unnecessary stops and starts. When you drive in a calm, attentive manner, it is possible to save on fuel. But if you also manage to reduce the wear and tear on your vehicle, you will naturally benefit from improved fuel consumption. Even small changes, such as easing the gas pedal and coasting to a stop, can make a big improvement in the mileage of the car.
14. Route Planning To Avoid Traffic
- Thinking about how to increase the mileage of bikes and cars? Planning your journey can significantly help. Stops and traffic jams use up more fuel; hence, it is useful to determine a mapping with as few signals and traffic jams as possible. Avoiding traffic jams and rush hours by not driving on city roads and reducing the frequency of braking and acceleration leads to greater fuel economy.
- Use navigation apps to search for alternative routes. This should avoid unnecessary stops and delays. All things considered, simply because it might require a shorter or longer car journey, a comfortable and uninterrupted drive will actually be more fuel efficient compared with being stuck in traffic. Planning ahead saves time and also reduces fuel consumption and improves overall mileage.
15. Fill The Tank Early In The Morning
- If there is a best time to get a fuel refill, it is either early in the morning or late in the night. These are the times of the day when the temperature is at its lowest. This little detail matters because fuel is known to expand when it is hot and contract when it is cold. So, there is at least a 1% difference in the volume.
- While the difference can seem minuscule, on a long-term basis, this can prove to be a great fuel and money-saving practice. Simply put, you are essentially paying your money’s worth by getting your car fueled up during the colder hours.
16. Keep The Tank Half Full At All Times
- Nobody likes to see the fuel analog pointing at zero when you’re all set to head out. Apart from avoiding this disappointment, compulsively keeping your tank half full benefits your car’s mileage too. This is because running your car at low fuel can allow debris from the bottom of the fuel tank to infiltrate the engine. Over time, this harms the engine’s performance.
- Keeping your fuel tank at least half full at all times prevents contaminants from making their way to the engine. Furthermore, it also helps in keeping the pumps of the vehicle cool and lubricated. So, there is no extra pressure on the pumps, hence reducing the chances of wear and tear.
17. Use Car Only When Necessary
- This one’s a no-brainer! If you are serious about making the best of your car’s mileage, perhaps do not overuse it. The older and the more worn out the car is, the more reduction will be observed in its mileage.
- When you do use it, try to preplan the entire route in advance to avoid chances of detouring. Also, when visiting cramped or crowded places, park your car at a distance to avoid driving around on uneasy paths.
Choosing the Right Petrol Car for Maximum Mileage
To increase the average fuel efficiency of your petrol car, there are several key factors to consider:
- Engine Capacity & Cylinders: Petrol vehicles with less engine capacity, usually below 1.2L, are more fuel-efficient. Smaller engines require less fuel to operate, making them ideal for better mileage. Also, cars powered with 3-cylinder engines usually slow down internal friction more than cars powered with 4-cylinder engines, thus improving fuel economy.
- Transmission Type: In general, manual transmissions use 10–15% less fuel than automatic ones. This is due to manual gearboxes allowing a better clutch over the engine power and speed, thus being able to change gears more efficiently. Manual transmission can be used to minimize unnecessary fuel consumption by selecting the correct gear at the appropriate moment.
By selecting a petrol car with a smaller engine and a manual transmission, you can optimize your car’s fuel efficiency and enjoy better mileage over time.
Tools And Technology For Better Mileage
Using tools and technologies to increase car mileage can play an impactful role in getting better fuel mileage.
- Mileage apps: These are one of the most important assets in monitoring fuel economy, helping you track your fuel consumption. These apps enable you to log distance, fuel consumed, and cost to refill, which enables you to understand the pattern in the way you drive, the state of the road, and the way you choose fuel. They also offer the ability to add notes on different fuels or additives, providing valuable insights to improve efficiency.
- Eco-driving mode: This exciting technological aspect is usually implemented in current vehicles. In these modes, climate control targets, throttle response, and engine behavior are optimized to optimize fuel efficiency at the expense of power. Through configuring these parameters, eco-driving modes can be used to provide more fuel-efficient performance without compromising too much. Moreover, onboard fuel efficiency analytics is often included with cars, which monitors real-time fuel economy and provides feedback on acceleration, braking, and maneuvering behavior. They also gamify the experience, encouraging drivers to engage in fuel-efficient behaviors.
Why Fuel Efficiency Matters?
Well, it does not take rocket science to know that burning less gas means you end up spending less money at the gas station. With constantly rising fuel prices, your pocket will appreciate it more than anything else! Most fuels are derived from non-renewable sources of energy, like fossil fuels. It takes ages for them to form, which is why we must be mindful of their usage. Burning up of these fuels causes poisonous gases to be emitted into our surroundings. Long exposure to this type of pollution can be detrimental to your health. Simply put, driving in a fuel-efficient manner is great for your finances, your health, and also the planet!
How Much Fuel And Money Can You Save By Following These Tips?
The present condition of your vehicle and your driving style will determine exactly how much money and fuel you can save. Although it is worth mentioning that keeping your air conditioner turned off can help you save at least 4% on fuel. Now, since you know how to increase car mileage, you can drive a more fuel-efficient and greener car and save money on fuel. Remember, even small modifications in driving behavior and routine service can provide major benefits. Also, please do not underestimate the role of car insurance, which offers essential financial security in case of unforeseen circumstances. Using these few steps, you can improve together vehicle performance as well as vehicle safety and reduce costs over the long term.
Frequently Asked Questions ( FAQs)
Is it possible to increase car mileage?
Checking on how to increase car mileage? Improving your car’s mileage starts with maintaining the engine’s health through regular checkups. Lower the internal load by reducing unnecessary weight and ensuring you use the right engine oil. Drive smoothly, avoid open windows at high speeds, maintain optimal tire pressure, and verify wheel alignment regularly.
Which petrol gives extra mileage?
There are several reasons for low mileage in petrol cars. However, Power petrol, also known as premium petrol, can improve fuel economy and mileage compared to regular petrol. Power petrol contains a higher octane rating, allowing for better combustion and more efficient engine performance. This leads to smoother engine operation, reduced knocking, and potentially improved fuel economy and mileage.
What speed is most fuel efficient?
The most fuel-efficient speed for a vehicle typically ranges between 35 and 60 miles per hour, as it minimizes engine strain and reduces fuel consumption, varying based on the vehicle type.
Does full-tank petrol increase mileage?
Yes, a full tank of petrol can improve a car’s mileage. This is because it reduces air in the fuel tank, preventing vaporization and evaporation of fuel. This results in more efficient fuel usage, helping maintain consistent mileage and preventing fuel loss.
Does AC reduce mileage?
Yes, air conditioning (AC) can reduce a car’s fuel economy by more than 25% because air conditioning puts extra load on the engine, requiring more power to operate. This increased demand leads to higher fuel consumption, reducing overall fuel economy, especially at lower speeds or during heavy usage.
How to Increase Mileage of Gas (CNG) Car?
To enhance the mileage of the best CNG cars in India, ensure proper tire pressure, drive gently without sudden accelerations or braking, reduce unnecessary weight, and follow regular maintenance schedules like engine checks and filter replacements for better fuel efficiency.
How to Increase the Mileage of a Diesel Car?
To boost diesel car mileage, perform regular maintenance such as oil changes and air filter replacements. Keep tire pressure optimal, avoid unnecessary weight, and drive at steady speeds for improved fuel efficiency.
How do I increase the mileage of petrol cars?
Optimal tire pressure, disciplined driving, and regular maintenance are the keys to sustaining the mileage of your petrol car. If you are seeking to buy one, go for the highest mileage petrol car in India for fuel-conscious and pocket-friendly performance.
While the hacks to improve mileage in diesel and petrol cars have similarities, it is important to know the distinctiveness of each. Click here to learn more about diesel and petrol differences and delve into a detailed comparative study of the two. If you’re interested in learning ways to increase the mileage of your bike, click here.
Does this piece answer all your questions on improving the mileage of your car? Let us know in the comments.
