Services
Insurance
Loans
Repairs
Advice
About

How do you reduce your car mileage?

Is there any way to reduce your car mileage? I feel like my car is just eating up gas, and I need it to be more cost-effective.

avatar
Joshua Levy · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
Reducing your car mileage can be challenging, but you can take steps to lower your gas consumption.
Aside from the typical suggestion to drive less, here are a few tips for lowering the amount of
gas you use per mile
:
  • Make sure the gas cap is screwed on tight. A loose cap can cause you to lose gas, even when you’re staying in one place!
  • Try not to idle. When you leave the engine on and stay in a single spot, you’re still using gas—even though the miles on the odometer stay the same.
  • Accelerate and brake softly. Sudden bursts or decreases in speed can eat up your fuel much faster than a gradual acceleration or stop.
  • Coast when you can. When you’re driving downhill, you may not even need the gas! Lower your gas usage by coasting when you can (but do so carefully).
  • Try not to use the AC. Your air conditioning actually uses gas to run, so try not to use it too much. Open a window instead!
  • Get rid of excess weight. Your car’s fuel efficiency drops about 2% for every 100 pounds of added weight!
Each of these tips can help you save little bits of gas—but lots of little savings can add up to a big difference!
If you’re looking to cut car expenses even further, then start saving on car insurance with
Jerry
. A licensed broker, the Jerry app can help you find and compare competitive quotes from top insurance companies for free. If you decide you’re ready for a change, Jerry will even help you buy your new plan and cancel your old policy!
View full answer 
WHY YOU CAN TRUST JERRY
Jerry partners with more than 50 insurance companies, but our content is independently researched, written, and fact-checked by our team of editors and agents. We aren’t paid for reviews or other content.

Join 4M+ members in lowering their car insurance

Easiest way to compare and buy car insurance

√
No long forms
√
No spam or unwanted phone calls
√
Quotes from top insurance companies
Find insurance savings