Keep your car clean. Mud on the undercarriage can weigh a significant amount and slow you down.

Consolidate your daily trips and errands. This will also save you the cost of restarting your engine, which uses a lot of gas.

Avoid air conditioning when possible. However, when driving at higher speeds, having your windows open also creates drag.

Don’t throttle the gas or brake! Sudden starts or stops use more gas than gradual changes of speed.

Don’t idle for too long. Turn off the engine if you anticipate a lengthy wait.

Limit car warm-ups in winter.

Clear out the trunk. More weight, more drag.

Avoid high speeds. We know this is almost impossible to resist but you can improve your gas mileage about 15 percent by driving at 55 mph rather than 65 mph.

Use overdrive. If your car is equipped with overdrive gearing use it as soon as your speed is high enough.

Use cruise control. Keeping a constant speed is ideal for improving your gas mileage.

Improve the spark to your engine. This way, the air and fuel mixture will be burnt better.

Improve your intake/output system. Helping gas get in and exhaust out of your vehicle will improve overall performance and gas mileage.

Reduce friction. Use high-quality or synthetic motor oil.

Check your oil! Low oil makes your engine work harder.

Change your filters. Dirty filters can sometimes increase the amount of fuel your vehicle is using by 10 percent.

Keep tires properly inflated and aligned. Check regularly to ensure your wheels are fully inflated and your alignment is good.

Get regular engine tune-ups and car maintenance checks. A lot can go wrong with a car. Damaged spark plugs or transmission problems can also contribute to poor gas mileage.

Tire Pressure
Underinflation is a tire's #1 Enemy. It results in unnecessary tire stress, irregular wear, loss of control and accidents. A tire can lose up to half of its air pressure and not appear to be flat!

Alignment
Is your vehicle pulling to one side, or shaking? A bad jolt from hitting a curb or pothole can throw your front end out of alignment and damage your tires. Have a tire dealer check the alignment periodically to ensure that your car is properly aligned.

Rotation
Promotes uniform tire wear. Regularly rotating your vehicle's tires will help you achieve more uniform wear. Unless your vehicle owner's manual has a specific recommendation, the guideline for tire rotation is approximately every 6,000 miles.

Tread
Measure it -- and inspect it. Advanced and unusual wear can reduce the ability of tread to grip the road in adverse conditions. Visually check your tires for uneven wear, looking for high and low areas or unusually smooth areas. Also check for signs of damage.