How about this . . .here is the whole article. The most interesting part, to me, was the comment about how drastically using the AC cuts down on fuel economy. Wow.
Consumer Counseling
The Easy Way to Save Fuel
Fuel can be saved not only with a consumption-favorable vehicle, but particularly with a foresighted and reserved driving fashion and a regularly waited car. Driver trainings give helpful tips in handling the accelerotor pedal.
"Up to 40 percent of consumption is down to your accelerator foot."
(M. Schmitting, Spokesperson of the German motoring organization, ADAC Hamburg)
Avoid short trips and combine different destinations – You only get about 7 to 9 mpg out of your car during the cold start phase. Normal consumption doesn't come until the engine has reached its operational temperature (engine oil about 80 degrees Celsius) which takes about 4 km (2.5 miles) or more in winter.
Plan your route before each journey – By doing so, you can often avoid traffic jams and diversions. Not only does this save fuel, it also helps to keep your blood pressure down!
Set off as soon as you have started the engine – Do the little jobs (like fastening your seat belt, adjusting mirrors, de-icing the windscreen, switching on the radio, etc.) before you start the engine. Never run the engine to warm it up before moving off. This is an unnecessary waste of fuel, bad for the environment and is therefore against the law!
Change gear quickly – Only use first for moving off. Change up rapidly. It is best to keep your revs below 2000 rpm.
Drive in 3rd at 30 km/h (about 20 mph)
Drive in 4th at 40 km/h (about 25 mph)
Drive in 5th at 50 km/h (about 30 mph)
Think before driving
It is even possible to outsmart an automatic gearbox – always take your foot off the accelerator just when the gearbox wants to change up. In this way, the higher gear is engaged, but the engine revs stay low.
Do not accelerate at full throttle – but with the accelerator pedal pressed only three-quarters of the way down. Stay in a high gear when you have to accelerate. Your engine will run more economically and more cleanly than if you change down and accelerate with less throttle but higher revs.
Do not change down – as long as the engine is running without jerking.
Anticipate the road conditions – Continually braking and accelerating reduces fuel economy to as low as 8 mpg.
Let the vehicle coast – shift to neutral in good time before stopping and switch off the engine when stationary. A pause of even 10 seconds makes this worthwhile, and modern engines can cope with being switched off and on frequently.
And what is more, three minutes' with the engine idling is the equivalent of about 1 kilometer at 50 km/h.
Keep to the recommended speed on motorways – Driving at 130 km/h (80 mph) instead of 150 km/h (90 mph) on the motorway results in a saving of two liters every 100 kilometers (over 3/4 of a gallon every 100 miles).
New high-performance oils reduce friction losses in the engine – By changing to SAE 0W-30 or 0W-40 oils, you can reduce fuel consumption by up to 5 percent.
Have the engine checked regularly – A regular inspection of the engine in a specialist workshop ensures optimum engine performance.
Check your tyre pressures regularly – Inadequately inflated tyres result in increased consumption and accelerated tyre wear. Increasing the specified inflation pressure by 0.2 to 0.4 bar can save up to 5 percent fuel. There is no need for concern: The pressure at which the tyre would burst is ten times greater than this.
Every extra pound increases fuel consumption – So only carry a warning triangle and a canister of spare fuel in the boot. The first aid kit should be stowed under the front passenger seat. Only use a roof rack when you need to.
And what is more, everything that's electrically adjustable such as seats, sun roofs, windows, etc. needs electric motors. These, like spoilers or low-profile tyres, increase the weight of the vehicle unnecessarily.
Switch off the air conditioning – The cold air blower can reduce your fuel efficiency from 40 mpg, for example, to 28 mpg in urban driving. The rear window demister, heater blower and lights also consume fuel, so switch them off when they are not needed. Generating 100 watts of electricity can knock back your fuel efficiency by 1 mpg.
New cars – The best way to save fuel without putting yourself out is to pay attention to the fuel consumption figures when buying a vehicle. Sometimes, two equivalent models differ only in terms of fuel consumption. In addition, cars with an infinitely variable automatic gearbox use less fuel than those with a manual or conventional automatic gearbox.
Driver training
Learn and practice all the driving tricks for increasing fuel efficiency under the watchful eye of expert instructors. Volkswagen has been running fuel economy and road safety training courses with great success for five years now. To date, 40,000 people have taken part in the 4-hour basic courses or 8-hour intensive courses.