['93 Corolla]

Hi all - first post. I've been lurking on and off since an article on Hypermiling ran in Mother Jones last year (?).

I loved the list. One thing I thought was missing was making sure you don't use snow tires when you don't need them. Out here in Colorado the memory of "that one storm when I slipped" probably costs as much in gas as... I don't know... as all the extra roof racks?

Anyway. I consider myself more of a newbie than a hypermiler. My top 10:
- Keep a driving journal. For at least a couple weeks record the starting and ending odometer of every trip you take.
- Take opportunities to avoid driving. Schedule your errand driving days. Call a friend for a ride or offer a ride.
- Drive less than the speed limit.
- Adopt a mantra that helps you drive slower. Mine is "no need to speed."
- Drive with the windows up when you're at 45+ mph.
- Drive a 90% car. People tend to shop for a car they can do 100% of their driving in, so they're driving a "get to the mountains in heavy snow with entertainment for the kids" and "Take the bikes and haul the boat to the reservoir" car for their commute and errands.
- Compute your commute. The Federal reimbursement rate for business driving is $.50/mile. If you apply that to your commute, how much is it costing?
- Pretend your car is in the shop for a week. Maybe drop it off at a friendly shop and tell them you're out of town. Watch your creativity bloom.
- Skip the lights. When you have a choice of routes, take the one with the fewest stoplights.