I tested a simple fuel-saving tip and it improved my cars economy at the touch of a button
In a bid to see if a commonly heard tip said to improve fuel economy is correct, I drove nearly 200 miles under a range of motoring conditions.
Writing articles about cars for a living means that I have encountered plenty of methods that can reportedly help drivers to improve the fuel economy of their vehicle.
So, when I was getting ready to take my car on a relatively long trip, I decided to try out one tip that can supposedly help to reduce consumption, particularly during the warmer summer months.
Many motoring experts have stated that turning the air conditioning off puts additional strain on the engine, meaning the vehicle will tend to use a higher amount of fuel.
To test the tip, I decided to drive to my destination (a journey of about 100 miles) with the air conditioning on full blast, and head home with it switched off.
The route itself featured a mix of quiet B roads in the Warwickshire countryside, a long stint on the M1 and the bustling streets of North London before ultimately arriving at Alexandra Palace.
Getting into my car and switching the air conditioning on, I tried to be too cautious with my right foot, accelerating in keeping with the vehicles around me and driving at exactly the speed limit wherever possible.
The journey down to London was fairly unremarkable, with busy but by no means crowded roads, meaning I was able to cruise along at a fairly consistent speed.
Whilst I briefly got caught up in traffic on one of the many sections of roadworks that can be found on the M1, I finally parked up in London with the car having averaged 58.6mpg.
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A few hours later, I got back into my car, removed my jacket and turned off the air conditioning before heading home.
Although the roads were just as quiet, my sat-nav annoyingly directed me a slightly different route home, leaving the M1 slightly early in favour of more A and B roads.
Nevertheless, with an identical average speed of 46mph, I arrived home with the car stating an average fuel economy of a very impressive 66.3mpg - the highest I have ever received from my little Smart ForFour.
Given that I was driving on the public roads, it would be impossible for me to make sure that the test conditions for each journey were absolutely identical.
However, from my recent journey, it really does seem that being mindful with the air conditioning can help a driver save money.
Nevertheless, one thing that really struck me about my economy run was just how much both figures improved when I was stuck negotiating the M1's roadworks at 50mph. At one stage on the return journey I was averaging nearly 70mpg!
I am not saying that drivers should only travel at a strict 50mph on motorways, however thinking if riding along at 70 or beyond is really necessary can help motorists save a considerable amount of money.
