Gas Saving Tips: Windows up or down? Part 2 Conclusion
Yesterday’s blog was on how to save on gas and make your vehicle more fuel efficient by driving with your windows down when commuting at speeds of 44 miles per hour or less. Today’s blog will focus on how and why it is best to drive with your windows rolled up when speeds of 45 miles per hour and above are reached.
Studies done by both Mythbusters and Consumer Reports (among others) unequivocally proved that when traveling at speeds of 45 mph and above, it is best to have the windows rolled up with the air conditioning set at a comfortable temperature.
Wind shear, the changing of wind speed and/or direction, is what greatly factors into why it is best to drive with your windows up under these circumstances. When windows are rolled down at speeds of 45 mph or greater, it increases the wind drag on your vehicle which causes you to burn more fuel…something nobody wants, even if they are benefiting from using gas reward cards as a way to help keep money in their pockets. Reducing wind drag when traveling can help increase your car’s fuel efficiency by as much as 10%.
Change of seasons do not change the results of those studies. During cooler months, use your car’s fan settings to circulate the air within as it has no effect on your gas consumption.