Your vehicle’s fuel economy mainly depends on how, where, and when you drive.

Each of these factors affect your kilometers per liter (miles per gallon) of fuel. To operate your vehicle as economically as possible and save money on both fuel and repairs, follow these driving suggestions:

• Drive smoothly and accelerate at a moderate rate. Do not make “jackrabbit” starts or full-throttle shifts. Maintain a steady cruising speed. Do not race between stoplights. Follow the speed of traffic so you do not have to change speeds unnecessarily. Avoid heavy traffic whenever possible. Always maintain a safe braking and following distance from the vehicle ahead (this also reduces brake wear).

• Drive at a moderate speed. The faster you drive, the more fuel your vehicle uses. Driving at a moderate speed, especially on the highway, is one of the most effective ways to reduce fuel consumption.

• Take care of your tires. Keep them inflated to the recommended pressure. Incorrect inflation results in unnecessary tire wear. Check tire pressure at least once a month.

• Be sure the wheels are correctly aligned. Hitting curbs or driving too fast over irregular surfaces can result in improper alignment. Poor alignment causes faster tire wear, and may result in other problems and greater fuel consumption.

• Keep your vehicle in good condition. For better fuel economy and reduced maintenance costs, maintain your vehicle in accordance with the maintenance schedule in Scheduled maintenance service. If you drive your vehicle in severe conditions, more frequent maintenance is required. For more information, refer to Scheduled maintenance service.

• Travel lightly. Don’t carry unnecessary weight in your vehicle. Weight reduces fuel economy.

• Don’t let the engine idle longer than necessary. If you are waiting (and not in traffic), turn off your engine and restart only when you’re ready to go.

• Don’t lug or over-rev the engine. Lugging is driving too slowly in too high of a gear, which results in the engine bucking. If this happens, shift to a lower gear. Over-revving is racing the engine beyond its safe limit. Avoid over-revving by shifting the gear at the recommended speeds.

• Open windows at high speeds can reduce fuel economy.

• Fuel economy lessens in crosswinds and headwinds. To offset the decreased fuel economy, slow down when driving in these conditions.

Keeping a vehicle in good operating condition is important to both fuel economy and safety. Therefore, have the drive modes inspected by an authorized Kia dealer.