Tag Archives: Gas mileage

The BMWs With the Best Gas Mileage

Fueling your vehicle can be expensive. A standard 12-gallon tank can take up to $40 to fill. For most consumers, it’s imperative to purchase a car with decent gas mileage. You can save money and avoid more trips to the gas station.

Determine your cost per mile the way truckers do. The industry rate is 6.5 to 9 cents per mile, but this does not take into account vehicle maintenance and repairs. Start a logbook the next time you fill your tank. Track how many miles you travel until your gas light comes on. Divide the fuel cost by the number of miles driven — this is your cost per mile.

For example, say you fill your 12-gallon tank for $40. After, you drive 300 miles before the fuel light comes on. Your cost per mile is roughly $0.13, and you get 25 miles per gallon.

Are you a BMW fanatic? If so, you don’t have to give up class, style, and luxury to achieve stellar gas mileage. You simply need to pick the right model.

BMW 230i Coupe

The 230i Coupe offers a 4-cylinder turbocharged engine with 248 horsepower. The standard two-door model comes equipped with an automatic transmission that gets 35 miles-per-gallon on the highway, 24 in the city. A manual transmission alternative is also available.

Other standard features include:

  • Back-up camera
  • Rain-sensing wipers
  • Lane departure warning
  • Smart device integration

BMW M240i Convertible

The BMW M240i Convertible features improved handling and fuel economy, making it both practical and fun to drive. Under the hood, you’ll find a turbocharged six-cylinder engine that cranks out 335 horsepower. You’ll get 30 miles per gallon on the highway and 21 in the city.

Other standard features include:

  • Brake assist
  • Rear parking aid
  • Rain-sensing wipers
  • Lane departure warning

BMW 330i RWD Sedan

Consider the 3-Series if you’re looking for a luxury vehicle fit for the whole family. Equipped with an automatic transmission, the car gets 36 miles per gallon on the highway and 26 in the city. The 4-Cylinder Turbo I-4 engine puts out 255 horsepower, able to traverse the roads with ease.

Other standard features include:

  • Brake assist
  • Lane departure warning
  • Auto-leveling headlights
  • Hands-free communications system

BMW 530i Sedan

The 5-Series is known for its performance, with Sport and Sport Plus settings that control steering, handling and throttle. With a turbo I-4 engine, the car offers 248 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. Expect 34 miles per gallon on the highway and 24 in the city.

Other standard features include:

  • WiFi Hotspot
  • Back-up camera
  • Navigation system
  • Lane departure warning

BMW 540d xDrive Sedan

You don’t have to give up power to gain fuel efficiency. The BMW 540d comes with a turbocharged engine that generates 261 horsepower and 456 pound-feet of torque. The vehicle offers an astounding 36 miles per gallon on the highway and 26 in the city.

Other standard features include:

  • Back-up camera
  • Rear parking aid
  • Blindspot monitor
  • Navigation system

Do you want to go green? Maybe you want to make fewer trips to the gas station. No matter your reason, you don’t need to trade luxury for fuel economy. The five BMW models above offer the latest technology and performance along with improved efficiency.

How to Improve Your Bimmer’s Gas Mileage

We all love our BMWs — they’re fantastic and powerful cars, but they don’t always have the best gas mileage due to their large engines and heavy frames.

If you’ve got a favorite Bimmer in your garage but aren’t driving it because of the rising price of gas, what can you do to improve your car’s gas mileage? Here are four tips.

  1. Drive Smart

Believe it or not, a lot of your car’s gas mileage depends on how you drive it. Having a lead foot on your gas pedal can both reduce your car’s overall fuel efficiency. Keeping it to the speed limit might annoy the other speed junkies on the road, but it can help improve your car’s gas mileage.

Leaving your windows down can also reduce your car’s gas mileage. Your Bimmer is designed to be aerodynamic, and that includes closed windows — messing with your car’s aerodynamics can cost you. If your air conditioner is broken, that’s a different story — no one expects you to lock yourself in a sweltering car — but if it works and you’re trying to improve your gas mileage, keep the windows up.

  1. Air Up Your Tires

Keeping your tires at the proper pressure is vital for more than one reason, but it can also help you improve your car’s fuel efficiency. If your tires are a little flat, it makes your engine work harder to push the car forward. A harder working engine burns more fuel.

Also, adequately inflated tires wear out quicker and might have trouble gripping the road. If your Bimmer’s tires are nine psi below the manufacturer recommended specs, it can cost you nearly $250 a year in fuel, depending on fuel costs at the time.

  1. Schedule a Tune Up

You should be keeping up with the maintenance on your car anyway, but if you haven’t scheduled a tune-up in a while, it could be costing you extra dollars at the pump.

A set of old spark plugs can cost you more than $500 a year in wasted fuel. Replacing a dirty air filter can save you upwards of $350. Changing your fluids regularly and making sure that they’re topped off before you drive can also help save you some money by allowing your engine to run more efficiently.

If you’re a little overdue on your tune-up, it’s time to schedule one or get to work. Not only will it make your car run better, but it can also help you save a bit of money at the pump.

  1. Go Extreme

Hypermiling, or extreme driving techniques, can help you save quite a bit. According to the MythBusters, you can increase your cars gas mileage by a whopping 70 percent by employing some or all of these techniques — though they’re not always practical.

Hypermiling includes:

  • Never driving faster than 45 miles per hour
  • Removing your side view mirrors to improve car aerodynamics
  • Shutting off your A/C but keeping the windows rolled up
  • Turning your engine off at red lights
  • Drafting, or driving as close to the back of a tractor-trailer as safely possible

While you might not be able to do all of these safely — no one wants to try to drive 45 miles an hour on the interstate, after all — a few extreme measures could save you quite a bit of money on your next trip to the gas station.

Even if you’re not drafting behind a big rig, there are plenty of ways to help you save a little bit of money while you’re filling your tank. Just remember, no savings are worth your life. Be safe no matter what you choose to do to increase your Bimmer’s fuel efficiency.