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Is
Smaller Better?
Debunking the Myth
By Rita
Cook
Tips on Saving Gas For Any Size Car
1. Don’ t go. Do you really need to make the trip? Is mass transit an option?
2. Car pool - Let someone else spend their money on gasoline.
3.
Don’ t overfill your gas tank.
4. Screw the gas cap on tight to eliminate fuel
vapors from escaping.
5. Tune your engine up regularly.
6. Avoid rush hour traffic - a real drain.
7. Make sure the air in your
tires is properly inflated or deflated.
8. Turn off the car as soon as you park -
don’ t sit and idle.
In today’ s competitive car market, consumers
may find car prices ranging from $14,000 to $40,000 for cars that seem too much alike to make a difference. Which cars really
save a person money? Are the smaller cars really more cost effective? Maybe, but take a look at the results, when the question
is asked, “Do smaller cars really save you money on gas?”
Recently
I spoke with Engineering Consultant Hilbert Francis, who explains why smaller cars can offer more of a savings under normal
driving conditions. “Cars are designed to use certain gases,” he says, “Engines with a higher compression
rate will generally have to use the higher octane gases, thus making the car, as a whole, more expensive.”
Smaller cars do get better gas mileage since, common sense tells you, they weigh less
and often have better air resistance. For example, a cadillac weighs from 4000 to 5000 pounds whereas a volkswagon weighs
only 1200 to 1500 pounds and the smaller car body is usually more streamlined.
As
a rule, more expensive cars use more expensive (translating into higher octane) gas. The larger cars require higher octane
to prevent engine knock or clatter, which is caused by low octane gas not providing enough compression when it burns in the
piston cylinder head. If you’ ve ever put a lower grade gas in a high grade engine, you probably know what I’m
talking about.
At this writing, some car companies are attempting to build
engines for larger cars which can use the lower octane gasoline. The goal is to produce larger engines that can achieve good
gas mileage and run on low octane gas, while still providing the power and torque that draws people to a bigger engine.
On the other side of the coin, is the question “will higher octane gas give my
small car better gas mileage since it is better gasoline?” No. To a smaller car, a higher octane gas can be deadly.
Higher octane burns the smaller car’ s engine up faster because the gas burns hotter (designed for a bigger engine).
In a word, if you own a small car, don’ t waste your money.
My next question
when talking to Mr. Francis was to inquire about the difference in octane levels. He told me the measurement of the octane
in gasoline is determined by its ability to resist detonation (thus higher octane gas burns hotter and should only be used
in bigger engines). The higher octane in gasoline also means a higher level of detergent. The detergent is used to clean the
jets and the carburetor. The bigger the car, the bigger the engine, which requires more detergent to clean it.
Octane, simply explained, is a rating of the combustion power of the different fuels
of gas at different levels. If gas is refined to a higher degree it will burn quicker as needed in the bigger cars. The lower
grade gasoline is just a few grades above kerosene, and is appropriate for the smaller cars.
Of course, as more and more modifications and special applications are made in relation to cars and their engines,
there will always be some exception to the rules. And what about the electric cars? This would eliminate the need for gasoline
entirely. GMC and Chrysler are testing electric cars to work out the kinks, but someday soon they will be a viable option.
It would seem strange to go to a station to recharge your battery instead of fill-up your car with gas, wouldn’ t it?
But, with new cars being released and Americans always on the lookout for “something better” we can only wonder
if in 25 years the issue of gasoline will be only a faint memory.
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