Hypermiling

Hypermiling is a gas saver lifestyle that can get a little more extreme that the basic common sense tips for saving gasoline. Sure, hypermiling means letting your foot off the gas pedal well before a stop sign or light and accelerating slowly once the light turns green.

Hypermiling also means using cruise control to help with the steady speed of the vehicle and pulling into parking spaces so that you don't have to back out. Hypermiling also means keeping your car, truck, SUV or other vehicle in good working condition and driving the speed limit whenever possible.

But, hypermiling also means keeping vigilant track of your gas mileage, taking notes on odometer readings and gallons of gas during fill-ups or using electronic devices to measure this. There are also some people who take hypermiling to an extreme.

These extreme hypermilers may roll stop signs, draft semi-trailer trucks and turn off their engines when going downhill (not recommended and illegal in some states). Extreme hypermilers may take steep curves without braking giving their passengers a scare or joyride depending upon their temperament.

Hypermilers may also remove every extra ounce of dead weight from their cars and ask overly large people not to drive with them. They may even reshape the bodies of their cars to make them more aerodynamic.

By definition, hypermilers go the extra mile to exceed the EPA fuel economy ratings of their vehicles. Hypermiling is not for everyone, but there is no doubt that some of the techniques listed do, in fact, save gas.