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Top Tips for Fuel Efficient Driving

Today, people need more fuel efficient vehicles. The automobile industry is booming, petrol prices are steadily hiking, and global warming is taking a turn for the worst- as a consumer with multiple choices and responsibilities to keep in mind while driving, here are our top tips for fuel efficient driving.

· The way you drive can make the biggest difference to how much fuel you save or waste. Remember, its a car, not a battering ram, so don’t hit the brakes on your vehicle with force. Stopping and starting time and again eat away at your fuel in an enormous capacity. Aim for smooth and steady drives.

· If your vehicle uses a manual gearbox, try to shift into the highest gear as early as possible for maximal fuel efficiency. Driving in a lower gear than necessary consumes fuel more quickly, as a rule. Power options tend to ease the car into lower gears, so evade them as far as possible.

· Your money’s turning into thin air! Avoid fuel evaporation by screwing the gas cap onto your car very securely after filling the tank and by parking in the shade to prevent overheating- this also reduces the necessity for air conditioning. If winters are frosty where you live, you can use a block heater when temperatures fall below -20 degrees Celsius, to keep your engine oil and coolant heated.

· Don’t let your car idle. Yes, the traffic light will go green at any moment, but a significant portion of fuel will burn away while you wait for it. Turn off your ignition if you’re waiting outside someone’s home, or in front of the supermarket.

· Avoid speeding at all costs- not only might you have a nasty run in with the law, but upwards of 75-90 miles/h, your car may use up to 25% more fuel than if you stick to the speed limit or stay below 65 miles/h.

· Your tires are big contributors to the way your car treats fuel. Tires inflated to the correct pressure level and low-resistance tires (eco-friendly tires are built to reduce rolling resistance) provide a quantifiable advantage in fuel efficiency. For every increment of underinflation equal to 5% of the ideal pressure in a car’s tires, there is a 1% reduction in the vehicle’s fuel efficiency.

· Try to avoid channelling power and thus fuel to components you aren’t using, or don’t necessarily require. For example, a mini fridge, television console, boombox, or even the air conditioning.

· Get your car in the workshop for servicing at the recommended times. If your air filters are unclean, if your engine oil has been unchanged for over 5000 miles, or if your engine is poorly tuned, your fuel economy could be in trouble.

· Make sure you haven’t rendered your car un-aerodynamic with any unwieldy accessories on the outside. These create drag that slows your car down and causes depletion in fuel efficiency. Drag is also created by leaving windows open when driving at high speeds and weighing your car down by filling up the trunk with unnecessary junk. Toss it

· The most obvious way to economize on fuel would be to drive less. Learn to navigate in a way, that saves time and distance travelled, and try to anticipate traffic jams and road blockages- for example, in the cases of heavy rains or festivals.

Mercedez Benz

Mercedez Benz S Class

The Mercedes-Benz S-Class, formerly known as Sonderklasse (German for “special class”, abbreviated as “S-Klasse”), is a series of luxury flagship vehicles produced by the German automaker Mercedes-Benz, a division of German company Daimler AG. The S-Class designation for top-of-the-line Mercedes-Benz models was officially introduced in 1972 with the W116, and has remained in use ever since.

Features:
Rear Defogger/Wash Wipe
Yes

Tachometer
Yes

Trip Computer (MFD)
Yes

Power Windows
Yes

Steering Adjust (Rake/Reach)
Yes

Aircon/Climate Control
Climate Control
Rear Aircon
Yes

Wheels (Steel/Alloy)
Alloy
Central/Remote Locking
Yes

MP3/AUX/USB
Yes

Sunroof
Yes

Steering Controls
Yes

First generation (1972-1980):
In 1972, Mercedes-Benz introduced the W116 line, the first to be officially called the S-Class. Produced from 1972 through 1980, the W116 series featured a four-wheel independent suspension and disc brakes. The 280, 350, and 450 (4.5L version) models featured SE and SEL versions. Production of the W116 totaled 473,035 units. This was a groundbreaking sedan for Mercedes-Benz, and for the first time in the company history, the car had an obvious, blatant and outward emphasis on safety placed above a pure styling viewpoint. The overall design incorporated numerous safety features developed from the “safety research vehicles” in the mid-to-late 1960s to the very early 1970s.

Second generation W126 (1979-1991):
The W126 series premiered in late 1979 as an 1980 model, and in March 1980 as an 1981 model in the US and Australia replacing the W116 line. The W126 line featured improved aerodynamics and enlarged aluminum engine blocks. In Australia in 1981, the W126 S-Class won Wheels magazine’s Car of the Year award. The W126 was manufactured from 1979 through 1991 with a mid-cycle update. Coupé models based on the S-Class were reintroduced with the W126 (380/500 SEC). Total sales of the W126 S-Class sedans reached 818,036 units, with an additional 74,060 coupes sold.
In 1981, the W126 introduced a driver side airbag, as patented by Mercedes-Benz in 1971, as well as the passenger side airbags (in 1988), seat-belt pretensioners, and traction control. It was the first production car to feature an airbag standard, and as late as 1991 there were only a few other manufacturers in Europe who offered an airbag.

Third generation W140/C140 (1991-1998)
The W140 cost 25% more than the W126. It replaced and featured double-pane window glazing, self-closing boot lid and doors, electric windows with a jam-protection feature (lowering when encountering an obstruction), rear-parking markers in the US (which appeared on the rear wings when in reverse), and a heating system which emitted warm air while residual energy was available after the engine was turned off.

Fourth generation W220 (1998-2005):
As with each new S-Class, the W220 brought in innovations such as Airmatic air suspension and Active Ventilated Seats (which used miniature fans in the seats to move air through perforations). A navigation system with center console-mounted screen display was introduced, along with the COMAND input control system. Other options included keyless entry and ignition, a radar-controlled Distronic cruise control system and a cylinder shut-off system called Active Cylinder Control. The 4MATIC all-wheel drive system was introduced to the North America market S-Class for 2003, complementing the traditional rear-wheel drive configurations.

Fifth generation W221 (2005-2013):
The all-new W221 was introduced in the autumn of 2005 at the Frankfurt International Motor Show, with sales starting in autumn of 2005 and export to other markets beginning in 2006. The W221 S-Class made its North American premiere at the 2006 North American International Auto Show in January. The W221 is slightly larger in all dimensions than its predecessor, and it features three newly developed engines with up to 26% power increase. The interior is completely new, all materials have been upgraded and make for a more luxurious ride, and the center console transmission gear lever has been replaced with a column-mounted shifter. New technological features on the W221 include an infrared Night View Assist feature and the latest Mercedes-Benz pre-collision system. The W221 features sharper exterior styling (most notably wide fender arcs) and technological improvements. The W221 is the second consecutive generation of the S-Class to be solely produced in a sedan body style.

A special armored version of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class has been produced, known as the S-Guard. Features include the capability to withstand small arms fire and certain explosive devices, a self-sealing fuel tank, and an alarm system.[37] For 2009, Mercedes-Benz launched a long-wheelbase version of the S-Guard, known as the Pullman Guard. This model is 45 centimeters longer than the standard model and also has a higher roof and taller rear window with a different rake.

Awards:
Notable examples of awards received by the Mercedes-Benz S-Class include the top ranking in the J.D. Power Sales Satisfaction Index from 1987 to 1990,[60] seven time ranking as What Car? “Best Luxury Car”, and five times as Fleet News “Luxury Car of the Year”.The S-Class was Wheels Magazine Car of the Year for 1981 and 1999,U.S. Highway Loss Data Institute “Safest Passenger Car of the Year” in 1988 and 1989,[62] and European Car of the Year in 1974. The S-Class is also the first car ever (2005) to receive an environmental certificate from the German Commission on Technical Compliance (TÜV).Other awards range from Popular Science Best of What’s New-Grand Award 2005 to Top Gear magazine’s “Limousine of the Year” for 2006.

Rover

Land Rover Freelander 2 Lands SUV Award

What do awards and recognition do to vehicles and vehicle brands?

Well, these awards do not just gather dust in the shelf or cabinet of these vehicle manufacturers. Such means of recognition actually do serve as a good way of telling the vehicle manufacturers that they did a great job with the awarded vehicle or vehicle product like perhaps those parts for Land Rover Freelander. Aside from this, awards and various means of recognition also do tell consumers just what they can expect out of the vehicles.

For the Land Rover brand, they have just yet added another award to their growing number of awards, recognition, and accolades. And with this new award, Land Rover can sure expect quite a number of consumers clamoring for one of their much coveted vehicle units.

The Land Rover Freelander 2 actually soared and whooshed its way so as to be able to take on the lead as the recipient of the SUV of the Year award. This award is actually given out by the BBC Top Gear magazine and is actually part of the magazine’s annual celebrations where awards are given out. Jeremy Clarkson hosted this year’s event.

Despite being still new to the auto industry and the auto market, the Land Rover Freelander 2 has proven that it can be just as good (and even better) as those already grounded vehicles. If you do think about it, the vehicle has just been in the industry for just a short period of time. Imagine, the Land Rover Freelander 2 became public knowledge just earlier this year at the British International Motor Show which was held in London.

“We took the Freelander 2 to India for our awards photo shoot, and it was driven from Mumbai to Goa and back again in four days. It performed faultlessly, carrying the Top Gear team and a pile of photographic equipment through 2000 km of the busiest, roughest, and most dangerous roads on Earth,” says Michael Harvey, the editor of Top Gear magazine. Harvey even does add, “If you need to go on a road trip with a load of baggage and people, and want to do it comfortably, safely and in style, then in the compact SUV sector, the Freelander 2 is the only choice.”