Cutting Car Costs - part 2

The next best thing to a totally reliable car is probably a good warranty, so you’re covered for repair costs if your car breaks down. Warranties tend to exclude normal wear and tear items like tyres and exhausts but are still worth having.

Most new cars in the UK now come with a three year warranty that stays with the car. So, if you buy a two year old car it will probably still have a year’s warranty left. Some car manufacturers provide the option to buy a further three years warranty and some dealers offer their own 12 month warranty on used cars. As always, check the small print to see what the warranty actually covers.

Korean cars go one better. Hyundai provides a five year warranty, whilst the Kia C’eed (a VW Golf sized model launched in 2007) comes with a seven year, 100,000 mile warranty.

Plan your journey carefully to avoid congestion, roadworks and getting lost. The less stopping and starting and driving round in circles you do the less fuel you will use. Try Google maps and/or the AA route planner to get directions for your journey.

http://maps.google.co.uk  http://www.theaa.com/travelwatch/planner_main.jsp  

Avoid short journeys. According to the RAC Foundation a cold engine uses almost twice as much fuel, while catalytic converters can take five miles to become effective. If you combine your errands so that instead of making lots of small trips you make one big one, this will work out cheaper. Alternatively, walk or cycle where possible to cut out costs all together.

Advance train and coach fairs may be a lot cheaper than driving if you are traveling long distances alone. See http://www.money4medstudents.org/content.asp?id=562  for more information on these.

The BBC claim that simply driving more efficiently can lead to savings of an average of £120 a year.

Try to avoid harsh acceleration and sudden braking. The RAC Foundation say pulling away too fast uses up to 60 percent more fuel than moving away slowly. Accelerate gradually and you can get to the same speed using much less power. Also, rather than braking all the time, let your car slow naturally whenever you can.

Think about road position and be aware of what is going on around you, so you can plan ahead and move gradually. If you slow down well in advance of stopped traffic it may have started moving again by the time you reach it, so you will not have to stop.

To reduce fuel consumption always drive in the highest gear possible, change gear at a lower engine speed and do not change gear unnecessarily.

Drive off immediately when starting from cold – idling to heat the engine wastes fuel and causes rapid engine wear. Switch off the engine as soon as you reach your destination.

Driving at higher speeds uses more fuel. The RAC Foundation say driving at 70pmh uses 30% more fuel than at 50mph. Driving at 70mph along a motorway instead of 80mph cuts Carbon Dioxide emissions by almost a third according to the BBC – and avoids the risk of a speeding fine!

If you are stuck in a traffic jam turn the engine off. If it runs for longer than two minutes it uses more fuel than stopping and starting it.

Turn off the air conditioning, unless you really need it. Having your air-conditioning switched on can add as much as 8-14% to fuel consumption. However having windows open can increase the drag on the car, so it is not necessarily more economical than air conditioning. As a general rule air conditioning is more cost effective on the motorway and open windows are better if driving slowly.

Make your car lighter

Clear out any unnecessary clutter from the car and boot. The lighter your car is, the less effort it takes for it to accelerate.

Take your roof rack off if you are not using it. These create wind resistance, increasing drag and making the engine work harder.

Do not fill the fuel tank to capacity. Fuel is heavy and adds weight to the car. The less fuel the more efficiently the car will drive.

Keep you car well maintained

Keeping your vehicle in good condition will save you fuel and money and reduce your long-term maintenance costs. A well-maintained vehicle could also be worth more when you want to sell it, so service your vehicle in line with the manufacturer’s recommendations and keep a record of all servicing. Read the owner’s manual and get to know your car. Many of its mechanical systems will cause the car to run less efficiently if they are not properly maintained.

Check your tyre pressure regularly. If tyres are under inflated you use more fuel. Cold temperatures decrease the air pressure in tyres, which adds to the rolling resistance caused by snow and slush. Measure your tyre pressure regularly, especially after a sharp drop in temperature. Worn tyres also decrease fuel efficiency so check the tread regularly. Tyres with silica in them (‘Eco’ or ‘fuel-saving tires’) have low rolling resistance and save fuel.

Cleaner oil will make the car more efficient, reduce fuel consumption and help prevent engine damage. Use the lowest grade of oil recommended in your owner's manual and look for a brand that is rated as being "Energy Conserving" on the API performance symbol.

Check the air filter regularly. A clogged air filter can increase fuel consumption dramatically.

CO2 emissions

If you are buying a new car, check out the colour-coded fuel efficiency rating. The lower the band the less the CO2 emissions, the lower the tax and the cheaper the car will be to run.

References:

www.bbc.co.uk/bloom/actions/ecodriving.shtml#quickjump www.racfoundation.org