There are many ways to cut your costs during the summer, especially if you plan on doing a lot (or any) driving. With gas prices going back up, traveling this summer may be looking more expensive than when you planned your trip. Well, there are ways to save a little bit of money on that road trip this year.

As always, what I will start calling the golden rule of frugality, SHOP AROUND!!! Comparison shopping means that you are going to get the best deal. At the same time, don’t drive 30 miles out of your way to save $.02 a gallon, that’s crazy and really not worth it. You can do price comparison on websites like GasBuddy.com and some GPS systems even have gas stations filtered by price. These websites do depend on users to enter in gas prices, so the prices you see may not be what they are for that day (or that week if you’re going to a small town).

Secondly, if you’re a cash carrying member of the population use it. Some gas stations have started trying to pass merchant fees off to gas buyers and have started charging more for gas if someone is paying with a debit or credit card. This is a legal way for the gas stations to help with how much they’re paying for credit card fees. The good news for you is that usually these gas stations that charge more for credit card transactions are usually cheaper than everyone else.

You should also perform regular maintenance on your car. Giving your car a tune up and getting the oil changed according to when the manufacturer says can lead to higher MPGs and more miles on your car. Keeping your tires inflated can also help improve your MPG’s by 3% over the course of a year, which could total to 20 gallons of gas! Air filters are another one of those little things that sometimes we forget about that can increase your fuel efficiency.

A little tip I picked up is that if you like stopping frequently for gas, don’t fill up your tank because the less full your tank is the less heavy your car is and the more miles per gallon you will average. I usually fill my car up to ½ a tank, and then refill at ¾ a tank. It is time consuming, but overall I’m getting better mileage out of it.

Lastly, if you really want to cut back on fuel consumption for your road trips, take it easy and try not drive too aggressively. The faster you accelerate the more gas you are burning.

On Thursday, the Senate passed a “Cash for Clunkers” bill that would give car buyers an incentive to take in their cars and get a new or used car. So, what exactly is this “Cash for Clunkers” bill and how will it affect you?

Well, if your car gets less than 18 miles per gallon, when you go to trade in your car, the government will send the dealership a voucher for $3,500 if the car you get has at least gas mileage of 22 mpg or higher, it becomes $4,500 if it’s 28 mpg or higher. If you own a pickup truck, sport utility vehicle, or minivan that gets 18 miles per gallon or less, you would receive a voucher for $3,500 if the vehicle you purchase gets at least 2 miles per gallon higher than you current vehicle and $4,500 if the vehicle you purchase gets 5 miles per gallon more.

If you have any emotional attachment to your current car, this may not be the deal for you. When you take your car in, it will not go to a loving home or sent out to “live on a farm.” The bill is to ensure that these cars are taken off the roads, so your car will go to scrap and either shredded or crushed.

Obviously, if your trade in value is higher than $3,500 or $4,500 it wouldn’t make much sense for you to participate in this bill anyway simply because the dealership will not give you the trade in value for your car if they have to send it off to be scrapped.

GM and Chrysler have both lobbied for this bill to be passed and while it is another thing that the government has thrown $1 billion at, it is good in the long run for not only the car manufacturers, but also the environment. The only problem is that all the SUVs that were purchased at the height of the “craze” have a higher trade in value than the $4,500 currently offered. If you purchased a Tahoe in 2004, I’m sure that your trade in value is more than $4,500, so that car hasn’t been taken off the road.

I think that this bill is a step in the right direction, but in my opinion, I think that people who drive environmentally UNfriendly cars should be taxed to make up for what the government has spent on this bill.

Do MPGs matter as much to you now that the price of gas has fallen?

Question:

With the news of new legislation affecting miles per gallon and emissions about to take effect in the next few years, do MPGs matter as much to you now that the price of gas has fallen?

Answer:

From a very selfish point of view, yes. Because my wallet is still affected by the price of anything. However, from an unselfish environmental point of view…still yes. It is nice to have an ozone. And everytime I see a large SUV on the road, I’m thinking about how much more fossil fuels that car is burning through than mine.

However, I don’t think that everyone shares my opinion. After all, there used to be a 6 month waitlist for a Prius, now you can just pick one up from Toyota any day of the week.

President Obama is set to release new pollution standards today that will up the miles per gallon a fleet must have by 2016. At the time this article was written, information and details had not yet been released, however California, the District of Columbia, and thirteen other states have been urging the federal government to let them put forth more harsh standards than what the government’s current requirements are. The 15 entities are asking for regulations that would cut greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent in new vehicles by 2016. Of course, in March 2008, there was a ruling that said states couldn’t determine their own limits on greenhouse emissions, so the legislation would have to come from the federal government.

Today’s announcement is set to follow the same path as the 30% reduction in greenhouse emissions by 2016. It is rumored that the new emission rules would go into effect for cars and trucks made for the 2011 model year and beyond.

The new proposal will have two separate standards for fuel efficiency and greenhouse emissions. The idea is to get car manufactures to produce cars that have a high MPG as well as a smaller carbon footprint. Roland Hwang, the vehicles policy director for the Natural Resources Defense Council said he expects the standard will be set somewhere around 35 miles per gallon for the vehicle fleet by 2016.

There is already a law on the books that requires at least 35 miles per gallon by 2020, which is a 40% increase from the current 25 miles per gallon standard. The energy law, implemented in 2007, however is seen as just not enough right now since we’ve seen what high gas prices can do to our wallets, as well as what high emissions can do to the environment. The current 25 miles per gallon standard hasn’t been changed since 1985.

The government is already pushing General Motors as well as Chrysler to produce more fuel efficient/environmentally friendly vehicles. Since the two companies have accepted billions of dollars in federal money, it would probably be in their best interests to continue to do things that the government “suggested.”

New fuel efficiency standards for U.S. made cars would likely make American made cars a bit more appealing to everyone, not just Americans, but car buyers from all over the world. If you look at countries like Great Britain, when we were complaining about our gas being over $4 a gallon, they said that they would welcome a price like that. At the time, they were paying upwards of what equaled out to 10 U.S. dollars for a gallon of gasoline.

The 2010 Toyota Prius is…new. I was personally never won over by the look of the second generation Prius and it will take some time to get used to the look of the newest one. However, it isn’t the outside of the car that has people talking. It’s the fact the car can get 60 miles per gallon in the city and has a larger engine than previous models.

The third-generation Toyota Prius is an excellent case in point. It’s a tad longer (0.6-in. overall) than the car it replaces. Its dohc 16-valve engine is larger (1.8 liters versus the previous 1.5). Its gasoline-electric hybrid combination is more powerful (a blended 134 bhp versus the second generation’s 110). The car is even a skosh heavier (by perhaps 110 lb.). Yet its EPA fuel economy jumps to 51 mpg highway/48 mpg city/50 mpg combined versus the previous generation’s 48 city/45 highway/47 combined

Source

This makes the Fusion the most fuel efficient midsize car…The Prius doesn’t count as a midsize car, it’s a compact.

It can travel on just battery power for up to 47 miles per hour, after that, the four cylinder engine cuts on and recharges the battery.

This is a step in the right direction for Ford…and a good gesture to those who were skeptical about giving the Big 3 a loan of any kind. However, it is Ford and it is doing the best out of the 3.