I moved closer to work. How much should I expect it to affect my gas budget?

Question

I recently moved. I drive my Pontiac Pursuit to work, and it gets decent mileage. It takes about the same time for me to get to work as at my old commute. So I was shocked today to find out the distance is about 15% shorter. I figure the extra time is due to more stops and starts, more traffic lights, more traffic and slower speed limits.

With the same drive time but 15% less distance what theories or estimated changes do you expect in my fuel expenses. (example: Will they drop 15%, 10%, 5%, same or increase? If gas prices stay constant)

Answer 1

I'm thinking it will end up being about the same. You live closer but if you have more stops, you're more likely to use up more gas. (stop and go in town burns up more gas than highway drive for example). but, if you are closer and drive slower speeds than before, that might save a bit, but in the end be about the same with the stop and go.

if you haven't lived there for too long, try to see if there is an alternate route you can take that does not have as many stops. it might take a while in getting used to and for you to be able to see if you're really saving gas.

Answer 2

Starting up from a dead stop uses a lot of fuel, so you will use more as a result, however, the shorter distance and lower speed will conserve some fuel, so I'd guess it might be a wash - the two may cancel each other out.

Answer 3

It will probably stay about the same since the car will be running for just as long. You may see a little bit of a decrease but probably nothing to write home about. Their are also many other factors that could also determine fuel mileage, such as tires properly inflated, clean air filters and other maintenance stuff. This website might have some helpful information. http://www.extragasmileage.com/