Gas prices

Driving habits and the type of vehicle you drive and its condition probably have an even greater impact on the amount of fuel used.

1. Don't blast off from a stop sign or stop light as if you were at the drag strip. Also, easing up to a stop rather than hard braking at the last second also saves gas.

2. Actually driving 55 or 60 mph. depending on the road's limit, can save significantly over driving 65 or 70. On a trip to the Twin Cities, the difference in time is only 5-6 minutes. Leave home five minutes sooner and drive the speed limit. Most cars have a fuel-efficiency "sweet spot" well below 65 to 70 mph, often around 50 mph.

3. Keep you tires properly inflated, change air filters regularly, keep the car tuned properly, etc.

4. Use air conditioning sparingly, but driving with windows all the way down also cuts into mileage. Rely on vents and windows down only slightly.

5. Combine errands in one trip.

6. If the choice is between driving the family's rolling battleship SUV and the family's smaller sedan, and the extra towing or seating of the SUV is not needed, take the sedan.

7. If it is time for a new vehicle, consider a sedan, smaller, crossover-style SUV, or a van, if towing is not a high priority. With recent milder winters, front-wheel drive sedans are adequate for all but the most infrequent snow storms. After all, 40 years ago when winters were more harsh, almost everyone got by with rear-wheel drive cars.

(Terry Davis is a Hutchinson Leader staff writer. E-mail him at davis@hutchinsonleader.com.)