Saving fuel on long trips

There is no single trick that halves fuel use, and any product that promises one should be treated with scepticism. The savings that do add up come from a handful of ordinary habits, applied consistently over a long drive.

Drive steadily

Repeated hard acceleration and braking wastes fuel, especially in traffic and on hilly roads. On the highway, a steady speed and gentle anticipation of traffic ahead generally use less fuel than constantly speeding up and slowing down. Cruise control can help on flat, quiet roads, but on steep hills it is not always the most economical choice — use your judgment and road conditions first.

Check tyres, load, and drag

Under-inflated tyres increase rolling resistance, so check pressures before a long trip (including the spare, if you carry one). Remove roof racks and roof boxes when you are not using them, because they add drag at highway speed. Pack heavy items low and secure, and avoid carrying weight you do not need for the trip.

Use air conditioning sensibly

Air conditioning does use extra fuel, but driving with windows open at highway speed also adds drag, so there is no free option. On a hot day, cooling the car is a comfort and safety choice as well as a fuel choice — set a reasonable temperature rather than the coldest setting and leave it there.

Plan refuelling, not just distance

Refuelling where prices are lower can save more than any driving tweak, provided it does not add a long detour. Plan stops before remote stretches, keep a margin in the tank, and use the calculator's multi-leg feature to price each leg separately. For budgeting, add about 10% to the fuel estimate for detours, traffic, and a safety margin — that is a planning buffer, not a claim about what you will actually use.

Measure, don't guess

The best way to know whether a change helped is to measure it. Record fill-ups in the fuel log and compare your average L/100 km over several tanks before and after a change, on similar kinds of driving. A single tank is too noisy to prove anything.