Top Ways to Ensure Better Fuel Economy in Your SUV

The 2016 GMC Acadia is a popular choice among consumers seeking a three-row SUV - and with good reason. It's smooth, compliant, and full of features, plus it's a winner for families with seating for eight and an interior and cargo hold that are truly spacious. While SUVs have become much more fuel efficient in recent years, there is still room to make these numbers even better. In the meantime, there are many ways to help increase your SUV's fuel economy. Continue reading to learn how.

Opt for Better Routes

Before you even climb into the driver's seat of your car, it's beneficial to plan your route ahead of time. If you're looking to save fuel, the best route to take will be the one with the least resistance. This means it will have fewer stoplights, less traffic, and lower speed limits (back roads are a good example).

Combine Trips

As the coming week approaches, it's a good idea to make a list of all errands you will need to run. Making lots of little trips around town can decrease your fuel economy, so combine your errands into one trip. Doing so will cut the distance you travel and the amount of fuel you use in half.

Avoid Rush Hour

Rush hour. Whether experienced every day or only once in awhile, it is one of those frustrations in life that affect most everyone. While it negatively affects our mood, it also negatively affects fuel economy (double bummer). If possible, try to avoid peak rush hour times so you won't be stuck in fuel-wasting traffic. By simply leaving 30 minutes earlier, you can save big in gas and money.

Pump Up Your Tires

You may not have considered the role tires play in your vehicle's fuel economy before, but now is the time to do so. Tire pressure is one of the top ways to achieve good fuel economy - as well as ensure your safety on the road. Under-inflated tires cause too much of their surface to touch the road. This causes rolling resistance, making your vehicle's engine work harder. In turn, fuel economy drops. So pump up your tires (regularly) to keep fuel economy high.

Limit Braking

Are you someone who rides the brake? If so, you are wasting fuel. Excessive braking (tailgating and hard stops) are huge fuel wasters. They also aren't safe. By paying more attention and driving slower, you can avoid this constant stop-and-go when behind the wheel. Simple driving methods like these can save you a bundle in gas.

Drive with Care

When we first spring for a new car, we often drive like the perfect driver's ed manual instructs us to, taking extreme care and caution with every stop and turn. But as time goes on, we often drive much harder. This causes our cars to face more rapid wear and tear as well as a decrease in fuel economy. For instance, when driving uphill, your car may become slower and less efficient, causing you to press the gas pedal harder and harder. Your car burns the most gas when forced into high-load situations (accelerating really hard, speeding uphill). You may want to maintain your speed, but give your car a break. Losing a few mph on the way uphill will pay off in fuel, so lay off the gas and treat your car nicely.
For more fuel-saving tips and to check out the 2016 GMC Acadia we've got you covered. Visit our dealership in Harrisburg, PA.