Once upon a time you may have thought you knew what kind of gas mileage you were getting with your car, SUV or truck. It was a question you asked when you were shopping, and only when you were shopping. Perhaps you even made the assumption that you never needed to calculate mileage again so you forgot about it.

When you bought your car you found out that your kind of make and model of vehicle had an EPA rating of XYZ miles per gallon (mpg) Autel MaxiPRO MP808TS. Off you drove, secure in the knowledge that since you were getting XYZ miles per gallon and you had a 14 gallon tank (the average size now), you would need to fill up every ABC miles and it should cost you DEF.

Oh for the days of DEF! Or even for the days of just driving ABC miles. The average American now faces a 29 mile round trip commute to work. In addition to living further away from where we worked 50 years ago, we also live further away from the grocery store, our children's playmates, and where we go to relax and unwind after work.

Until the end of 2007, we could at least take heart in the fact that the XYZ miles per gallon part of our calculation remained the same. All that changed in January, 2008.

That's when the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) new gas mileage calculators went into affect. It's the first time the numbers have changed in more than 20 years.

Over those twenty years minor fluctuations in values evened out and the EPA was left with solid evidence that led them to include and weight certain factors in their formulas differently than the original numbers autel online.

Three factors in particular made a big impact on the changed numbers. The effects of colder outside temperatures in the winter and running your air conditioner to create colder inside temperatures in the summer were added to gas mileage calculators for the first time. Faster accelerations and faster driving speeds overall than had previously been calculated were also added to the calculations.

These are not the only factors that go in to the EPA ratings. That's why the EPA continues to remind everyone that "your mileage may vary." In fact, some of the other criteria they look at could

How and where you drive and the overall condition of your vehicle are also key. Fuel variations, vehicle variations, and age of your vehicle are also important. For example, that "sports car package" of options you purchased that put that great looking spoiler on your trunk could also be spoiling your mpg rating compared to cars that are otherwise identical but don't have the spoiler.

To quickly see how the change affects you, when you visit the gasmileagecalculators.com website, you can use a free tool to simply convert the old EPA rating for the vehicle make and model you select to the new one.

Calculating this difference is just the first step in determining what your gas mileage rating really is. It will give you a ballpark figure of what you can expect only. To get the more accurate reading of your mileage that you need to read our post entitled "Two Methods to Calculate Your Gas Mileage."

Liz Micik is a freelance writer on alternative fuel sources who shares the gas mileage calculators ordinary people use to save thousands in gas costs every year
Related Links

If you are in the market for purchasing tires for your all terrain vehicle (ATV), there are several factors for consideration. There are a great variety of tires on the market and it is quite easy to become overwhelmed at the sheer number of choices available from different brands. In order to find the best tires for your specific ATV that meets your needs, consider these three points:

1.) Tread:

When it comes to tires, the most important attribute is the tread. Different tires have different types of tread that make the ATV appropriate for navigating different types of terrain. If using the improper tires, accidents are more prone to occur, so ensure you seriously contemplate the uses of your ATV in order to find the appropriate tire tread.

For individuals planning on spending time in the mud, it is strongly recommended that you purchase mud tires. These tires have a unique tread that is angled from the inside to the outside. The tread itself is quite large, usually measuring about one inch high, and allows the ATV to better grip muddy ground, so the vehicle is less likely to become stuck. Mud tires also work well on different types of terrain, but the tread is more prone to become worn quicker if driven on hard surfaces, including concrete, asphalt, or hard packed dirt. Furthermore, due to the tire tread, the ride is not nearly as smooth as with other tires.

Generally speaking, most ATV owners choose trail or all terrain tires. These tires are most likely to handle all types of terrain while allowing the rider a stable and smooth ride Autel MaxiSys MS906TS. However, these tires are not designed for one specific type of terrain and are not used for muddy environments due to their tread. However, these tires offer the most stability, so they are the safest and should be chosen if the ATV rider will mainly stay on hard trails.

If you plan to spend exorbitant amounts of time in the sand, choose a sand tread for your ATV tire. These tires have a unique tread that uses a scoop to funnel the sand beneath the tires so that the ATV does not become stuck. Keep in mind that sand tires cannot be used for any other purpose except sand, as they have minimal stability on other terrains and will rapidly wear on hard surfaces.

The final option for tire tread is the knobby racing tires designed to take high speeds on flat, hard surfaces. These tires should only be used for racing, as they are inappropriate for any other type of riding due to their lack of stability and flat top tread.

2.) Size

Tire size is measured three ways: width, height, and height of the sidewall. All of these sizes should be taken into account depending on your wants for a ride. Tires with too small or too great a diameter should be avoided, as the ATV is under the most pressure, so there is a greater potential for damaging the vehicle. Furthermore, narrow tires tend to sink in mud, but may provide you more stability on hard packed ground. Finally, the height of the sidewall should depend on the type of terrain over which you plan to ride, as short sidewall tires have a greater ground clearance, but are less flexible.

3.) Shape

It may seem strange to look at the shape of the tire Autel MaxiCOM MK808, but there are two options: round or flat. Generally, sport ATVs come with flat tires, while utility ATVs come with round tires. The difference is the stability and the speed. Usually, ATV owners choose round tires, since the ride tends to be softer and the shape tends to perform better in muddy terrain.

Related Links