Buying A Fuel-Efficient Car

Whether you buy a new or used vehicle, fuel efficiency--good gas mileage--is high on the list of most buyers' concerns. The difference between choosing a fuel-efficient car or one that guzzles gas, will either save or cost you money over the life of the vehicle, which could be substantial. Fuel efficiency varies widely from one car to the next. Obviously you can check the EPA rating for city/highway MPG on the window sticker, although most of us know the average car never reaches those numbers.
You can also check consumer guides, car magazines and Web sites, Web site forums or ask friends, relatives and co-workers which vehicles they recommend as fuel-efficient cars. Don't buy more car than you need, as larger vehicles generally have bigger engines that are less fuel-efficient. Find the most fuel-efficient car in the size group you're interested in, whether a two-seater, compact, mid-sized, SUV or pickup truck. There are several online sites where you can compare fuel consumption ratings of any car.
Your choice of transmission can also affect the fuel efficiency of the vehicle. Generally, a car with manual transmission is a more fuel-efficient car than one with automatic-assuming you shift properly. And a manual with overdrive, tachometer or shift indicator is the biggest fuel saver, saving up to 10% on fuel costs. If you do buy an automatic, which makes more sense for larger cars, the more gears the better.
Under normal driving conditions, smaller engines offer better fuel efficiency and economy than larger ones. All other things being equal, the larger engine and the more cylinders it has, the more fuel it consumes. Additionally, cars with smaller engines usually cost less and gas costs are lower because you don't need higher octane gas. That doesn't mean a bigger engine is never a good choice. In some cases, a larger, more powerful engine may provide the greater fuel efficiency. If you use your vehicle for work or often tow heavy loads, a smaller engine could burn more fuel if it has to work too hard and function beyond its most fuel-efficient range.
Depending on the type and size of motor vehicle you purchase, you may have the choice of front-wheel, rear-wheel, four-wheel or all-wheel drive. The majority of passenger cars and minivans have front-wheel drive, a design that supplies better traction and more interior room than rear-wheel drive. Although front-wheel drive was originally adopted to improve fuel economy over rear-wheel drive by reducing the weight and size of cars without giving up driving performance or interior space, there's really not much difference in fuel efficiency between the two.
And although four-wheel and all-wheel drive provide better traction and braking in certain driving conditions, the weight and friction of the additional drivetrain parts may increase fuel consumption by up to 10% over a two-wheel drive vehicle. Most often in SUVs and pickup trucks, four-wheel drive is enabled at will by the driver when additional traction is necessary. All-wheel drive is an option on some SUVs and a minority of passenger cars. Full-time all-wheel drive, however, makes for the least fuel-efficient car, because all four wheels are always being driven, drawing power from the engine and thus using more gas.
Another way to be a fuel saver, is by limiting the options you select for your car. You may not have realized that many conveniences from power windows, seats and mirrors to air conditioning and seat warmers decrease fuel efficiency and cost you more in fuel consumption. They add either weight, increase aerodynamic drag or pull extra power from the engine or through the alternator. Aluminium wheels are one of the few options that actually reduce weight and thereby increase fuel efficiency.
Obviously, considering other fuel options such as a hybrid electric car, is another choice for a fuel-efficient car.

About the Author
Andrea Susan Glass, founder of WritersWay and All About Hybrid Cars, helps clients reach their writing and marketing goals with effective articles, press releases, newsletters, Web site copy, eBooks and books. An award-winning author for "Street Smart Secrets to Auto Care You Can Trust," she has written books, eBooks and articles on subjects ranging from animals and auto repair to singles and spirituality.
Written by: Andrea Susan Glass

Diesel Or Not

Diesel is often looked at as being smelly, noisy, and
many think the only place for it is in a tractor.  The
truth to diesel vehicles is that they are slow, noisy,
smelly, although they are cheaper to run than gas.

Diesel engines aren't as powerful as gas engines, as
gas engines produce more horsepower than that of a
diesel engine.  Diesel vehicles however, offer more
torque than gas.  Therefore, it is a very thin line as
to which one is better.

When it comes to power, diesel is the more expensive
of the two.  Diesel powered vehicles are normally more
expensive to buy than gas, and the parts are a lot
more expensive than gas vehicles.  The diesel however,
is more reliable due to it being less complicated
internally and heavier to build, therefore it normally
lasts longer than gas engines.

Economy is always a factor as well, as will fuel
prices being what they are.  Now days, it costs a
small fortune to fill up a gasoline vehicle, especially
the bigger engines.  When it comes to fuel, diesel
is generally less expensive.  You can fill up a diesel
vehicle for less of a price, and the fuel will
normally go longer than gas will.

Appearance is also important.  Diesel is generally
loud, with the exhaust emitting black smoke when the
vehicle is throttled.  You can normally tell when a
diesel pulls off by the black smoke it leaves behind.
Keep in mind, this isn't a problem with the engine,
just means that the fuel is dirtier.

Tuning is also important.  Gas engines are more
tunable than diesel, as you can get better power
increases from gas than you can with diesel.  The
major thing diesel owners tend to go for is turbo,
as it is one sure way to match gasoline in terms
of power.

A turbo charged diesel can and will match a standard
gasoline engine for power, if not slightly better it
a bit.  This is why most diesel cars come turbo
charged, as its a way to keep up with the modern
diesel engines of today.

When it comes to making the choice, you really have
to choose what is best for you and your needs.  If
you want power with plenty of tuning options, then
gasoline engines are what you want.  On the other
hand, if you want power and torque, then a diesel
vehicle is what you want.

The choices are entirely up to you, as there are
certainly plenty to choose from.  Always check out
the vehicle you are interested in, and find out
if it will match your needs.  Before you know it,
you'll have a diesel or gas vehicle that will perform
well beyond your expectations.

Hydrogen Boosted Gas Engines

With the ever increasing cost of gasoline prices,
auto makers are having to work overtime to cost
effictively improve the fuel economy, while still
meeting the strict emission requirements of today
with gasoline engines.

One ideal and promising way to boost the fuel
economy of gas engines is to add hydrogen to the
fuel/air mixture in the engine.  Since hydrogen
isn't available at the local gas station, selling
a hydrogen boosted gas engine wasn't on the list
of engines - until now.

Lack of emission
A major cost and environmental advantage to hydrogen
boosted gas engines are low amounts of NOx emission
gas, which will completely eliminate the need for
external NOx emissions control.  Currently, NOx
emissions control is a major cost problem for diesel
engines which use expensive traps to meet the
emission standards.  Diesel engines particulate
emissions that must be collected by a filter that
should be changed periodically.

Hydrogen boosted engines on the other hand require
neither NOx or particulate control and require only
a low cost oxidation catalyst to control very small
amounts of exhaust which is formed mostly during
the engine starting up and warming up.  Additional
cuts in emissions control requirements stem from
the engine's ability to use only the clean hydrogen
enriched charge during the cold start phase when
90% of emissions are generated in the emission test.

Cost
The hydrogen boost system is effectively a bolt
on technology that can be added to an existing
vehicle's engine compartment.  According to those
developing the system, the cost of the system is
less than half of the added cost for diesel.

The future
Prototype hydrogen boosted engines are now be
installed in test SUV vehicles that have
sufficient space for the reformer and it's related
system.  The start of long term road testing
for performance, reliability, and durability
information is planned for later on in the year
before the system goes further into development.

Four cylinder gasoline engines will likely be the
prime candidates for the technology as high gas
prices continue to generate competition among the
higher fuel economy models that seek MPG
leadership.

With gas prices getting higher and higher, hydrogen
boosted gas engines offer you the chance to get
more miles per gallon and not have to worry about
burning up all of your fuel.  Instead of having to
go out and buy a diesel to conserve fuel, hydrogen
boosted units will help you preserve gas.

Even though they aren't available to buy right now,
they will be very soon.  Many manufacturers are
looking into them, as they offer gasoline engines
something like never before.  If you own a gas
powered vehicle and have thought of giving it up
to go diesel, you might want to think again - as
hydrogen boost units may change the world of gas
engines forever.

How Diesel Engines Work

When gas is compressed, the temperature of it will rise,
with diesel engines using this very property to ignite
the fuel.  Air is then drawn into the cylinder and
compressed by the rising piston at a much high
compression ratio than gas engines, up to 25:1, with
the air temperature reaching 700 - 900 degrees C.

At the top of the piston stroke, the diesel fuel is
injected into the combustion chamber at high pressure,
then through an atomizing nozzle, it mixes with the
hot high pressured air.  The resulting mixture will
ignite and burn very rapidly. This combustion will
cause the gas in the chamber to heat up rapidly,
which increases the pressure and forces the piston
downwards.

The connecting rod will transmit this motion to the
crankshaft.  The scavenging of the engine is either
done by ports or valves.  To get the most out of
a diesel engine, use of a turbocharger to compress
the intake of air is vital.  You can also use an
aftercooler or intercooler to cool the intake air
after compression by the turbocharger to further
increase your efficiency.

An important part of older diesel engines was the
govenor, which limited the speed of the engine by
controlling the rate of fuel that was delivered.
Unlike gas engines, the air that comes in is not
throttled, so the engine would overspeed if this
wasn't done.  Older style injection systems were
driven by a gear system that came from the engine.

The diesel engine is truly an advancement to vehicles
as we know it.  As technology gets better, you
can expect the diesel engine to get better as well,
possibly even proving just how much better it is
to the gasoline engine.

Gas Saving Tips

Are you tired of the continuing rise in gasoline price?
If you are, you're not alone.  In this article, you'll
find a few excellent tips designed to help you save
a bit of your hard earned money.

First, its always best to purchase your gas either
first thing in the morning or late at night.  The
reason for this is because gas is denser at a cold
temperature, so you'll basically be getting more for
your money.

Secondly, check your local gas prices to find the
best price available.  You can check your local gas
prices online as well, which will prevent you from
wasting gas while driving around to look for the
best price.

By keeping your car well maintained, you can help
improve fuel consumption.  By simply tuning your car,
you can decrease your fuel consumption by up to 20
percent.  Also, you should keep your tires properly
inflated and aligned.  Tires that are under inflated
will cause fuel consumption to increase by 6 percent.
You should also make sure that you change your oil
and air filters on a regular basis as well.

Other tips to keep in mind are to drive by staying
in the posted speed limits, as the faster you drive
you will use more fuel.  Whenever possible you should
use overdrive, as this will help fuel and also
improve the wear on your engine.  You can also
combine your errands by making a list of things that
you have to do, as the more you cold start your
engine, the more fuel you'll be using.

By taking the time to do these tips, you'll be
amazed at just how much fuel you can save.  Gas
prices are becoming ridiculous these days, which
is why you want to do your part to converse little
drop that you can.

Gasoline Engines

Gas engines are known as internal combustion engines
and are divided into two general classes, specifically
two cycle and four cycle engines.  A cycle of an
engine represents one stroke of the piston or one
half revolution of the crank shaft, as a complete
revolution represents two cycles. With a two cycle
engine, the power impulse occurs at each revolution,
while with four cycle engines it occurs at every
other revolution, hence the terms two and four cycle
engines.

Both classes have their own specific advantages and
uses.  For autombiles, the four cycle engines is
most used.  For motor boats on the other hand, the
two cycle engine is most often used.

The horse power of gas engines is designated as HP
and also brake test HP.  The IHP is the theoretical
HP, which is found by figuring different formulas,
in which the diameter of the bore, length of the
stroke in inches, and number of revolutions per
minute form the basis for calculation.  The results
are found by the use of such formulas.

The BTHP on the other hand, is the power the engine
actually develops in service, and is considerably
less than the IHP.  Keep in mind, this depends upon
the degree of the mechanical perfection attained in
the construction of the same.  If both the compression
and construction are good, the engine may actually
reach 80 - 88% of the intended IHP.

With gasoline engines, high HP and high RPM ranges
are what makes them popular.  Gas engines have always
been more popular than diesel vehicles, for the simple
fact that they can achieve more speed.  If speed
is what you are after, gasoline vehicles are what
you should be looking for.  Although they may lack
in torque and raw power, they make up for it with
speed and tuning options.

Gasoline Credit Cards

With gasoline getting more and more expensive, you've
probably found yourself wondering what you can do.
Even with the rising costs of gas and fuel, you
still need it to go places.  No matter how you look
at it, you are at the mercy of these prices.

If you own two credit cards, changes are that you
will use one of them to pay for your gas.  Gas credit
cards are now starting to shine.  There are many
individuals who are planning to apply for a gas
card.  Most cards are either issued by a leading
credit card company or by a major retailing gas
station.

Along with that, there are some of the gas credit
cards that give you a great deal like having
discounts on gases such as unleaded, premium, and
others.  Gas credit cards also give you an
assurance to have more approved gas bonus.

If the credit card is approved, the owner of the
card will not only save money on gas, but he'll
also get an extra allowance for car equipment and
accessories.  Gas cards can also help you save
a bundle on repairs as well.

Keep in mind that there are some things to consider
when you apply for a gas card.  When you plan to
apply for a card, the conditions should always be
known.  The benefits of the gas credit cards
available should also be studied and researched
in order to compare rates, features, and
benefits.

As the popularity of gas credit cards continue to
increase, so will the offers.  Gas cards also
offer a positive effect for gasoline retailers as
well.  The customer will also earn additional
incentives as well.  If you plan to stick with
one brand of gas, this card can generate some of
the best rewards.

When looking for the best type of gasoline credit
card, the most important thing to do is review
the terms and conditions.  The present status
of the card should also be reviewed in order to
avoid a bad credit record.

There are also several gas credit cards that will
give you extra rewards and point systems.  What
this means, is that the card holder can earn
cash back on certain purchases.  The more points
you get, the bigger product you can receive.

The ideal purpose of applying for gas credit cards
is to help eliminate the gas expenses.  The
credit card should help you to have a deal with
gas expenses.  Low interest premium cards can be
the best if you can maintain the proper balance.

The best thing about gasoline credit cards is the
fact that you don't have to pay for them now and
you can just pay later.  Just don't forget to pay
the bill, as you could end up getting a bad credit
rating.