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4-6. Driving tips
◆ Air conditioning
Use the air conditioning only when necessary. Doing so can help
reduce excessive fuel consumption.
In summer: When the ambient temperature is high, use the recircu-
lated air mode. Doing so will help to reduce the burden on the air
conditioning system and reduce fuel consumption as well.
In winter: Turn the A/C switch on only when both heating and dehu-
midifying are needed, and if only heating is needed, turn the A/C
switch off. Turning the A/C switch on when unnecessary leads to
excessive fuel consumption.
◆ Performing idling stops
● Avoid unnecessary idling. Stop the engine when parking the vehicle
to reduce excessive fuel consumption, even it is only for a short
period of time.
● Except in severe environment, such as when the outside tempera-
ture is extremely low, warming up the engine before driving is
unnecessary. Rather than idling, it is more efficient to drive the vehi-
cle gently to warm up each part while avoiding increasing the
engine revolutions unnecessarily and accelerating or decelerating
suddenly.
◆ Luggage
Carrying heavy luggage will lead to poor fuel economy. Avoid carry-
ing unnecessary luggage. Installing a large roof rack will also cause
poor fuel economy.
◆ Regular maintenance
● Make sure to check the tire inflation pressure frequently. Improper
tire inflation pressure can cause poor fuel economy. Also, as snow
tires can cause large amounts of friction, their use on dry roads can
lead to poor fuel economy. Use tires that are appropriate for the
season and road conditions.
● Use oil and fluid of the recommended quality, which affect fuel con-
sumption and the life of the vehicle. Also, check oil and fluid period-
ically. (→P. 217)
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