Car Buyer's Notebook

Drive Sensibly: Aggressive driving (speeding, rapid acceleration and braking) wastes gas. It can lower gas mileage by 33 percent at highway speeds and by 5 percent around town.

Fuel Economy Benefit: 5-33 percent
Equivalent Gasoline Savings: $0.18 - $1.16 per gallon

Check and Replace Air Filters: Replacing a plugged filter improves fuel economy by up to 10 percent, according to the EPA. A vehicle's air filter keeps impurities from damaging the inside of the engine. Not only will replacing a dirty air filter save gas, it will help protect the engine.

Fuel Economy Benefit: up to 10 percent
Equivalent Gasoline Savings: up to $0.35 per gallon

Keep tires properly inflated: Improve gas mileage by around 3.3 percent by keeping tires inflated to the proper pressure. Under-inflated tires can lower gas mileage by 0.4 percent for every 1 psi drop in pressure of all four tires.

Fuel Economy Benefit: up to 3 percent
Equivalent Gasoline Savings: up to $0.11 per gallon

"Tire pressure is critical," said Robert Sinclair, spokesperson for AAA of New York. "If you've ever ridden a bicycle with low air pressure, you know that extra rolling resistance makes you work much harder. It's the same thing with your engine."