If you have recently purchased a vehicle from your St. Louis Missouri Toyota dealer you acquired a great vehicle. When purchasing a new Toyota sedan you are investing in a vehicle that is sure to get good gas mileage. Ever wonder, though, how they determine gas mileage and why you can never achieve that exact mileage?
In fact, there are several factors that influence the fluctuation of gas mileage. One factor that may decrease gas mileage up to 33 percent on the highway and 5 percent in town is swift acceleration and heavy braking. The vigorous, unnecessary wear and tear on your vehicle from this type of driving can have negative effect in other ways, as well.
Excessive idling or even, driving at excessive speeds can each have a negative impact on gas mileage. When driving at increased speeds your car becomes less aerodynamic and experiences more wind resistance. This is true for speeds exceeding 80 miles per hour on the highway.
If you are quite in tuned with your vehicle and your gas mileage you may recognize a reduction in fuel economy during the colder months. This is simply due to the fact that it takes your engine longer to warm; therefore it takes longer for your engine to operate at the correct efficiency.
A cargo rack on the top of your vehicle will also diminish your fuel efficiency. It decreases the aerodynamics of the vehicle. Adding cargo to the rack just makes it worse. Just as the rack and cargo reduce efficiency, so does towing a trailer with excessive weight. In this case, though, you are requiring your vehicle to work harder to pull something it was not designed to pull.
Running excessive electrical accessories also increases the demand on your Toyota, resulting in, again, lower fuel economy.
It will be in your best interest to be mindful of the speed in which you travel, as well as, what you are demanding your vehicle to do for you.