NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) - You can get 35 percent better fuel mileage out of your current vehicle by using a device most drivers already have.

That would be your right foot.

Most drivers agonizing over the cost of gasoline fail to realize the enormous impact their driving style has on fuel consumption.

During the last run-up in fuel prices, we wrote about Edmunds.com's tests of common fuel-saving driving tips. Some common tips, it turned out, had little or no effect on fuel economy. (Edmunds.com provides data and content for CNN.com's automotive Websites.)

For example, using the air conditioner at highway speeds had no appreciable effect on fuel economy compared to rolling down the windows.

Keeping your tires properly inflated, while important for safety, has only a small effect on fuel mileage, according to Edmunds.com's tests.

Using cruise control on the highway, though, really does have a noticeable effect on fuel economy. In Edmunds.com's test using a Land Rover LR3 and a Ford Mustang, the Land Rover got almost 14 percent better mileage using cruise control set at 70 miles per hour rather than cruising at driver-controlled speeds between 65 and 75 miles per hour. The Mustang got 4.5 percent better mileage.

Using cruise control cuts down on unnecessary speed changes which can eat up gas and it prevents "speed creep." the tendency for a driver's average speed to gradually increase with time spent on the road. (In that way, it can save you from an expensive speeding ticket, as well.)

If you want a big gain in fuel mileage, though, you need to seriously lay off the pedals when driving around town. Accelerating more slowly away from green lights and stopping more gradually for red lights cut fuel consumption in Edmunds.com's tests by 35.4 percent for the Land Rover and 27.1 percent for the Mustang.

Slamming down the gas pedal pushes more fuel into the engine while it also keeps the engine running faster.

You can also save a lot of gas by just lifting your foot off the accelerator as soon as possible when approaching a yellow or red light or a stop sign.

For one thing, letting up on the gas sooner gives your car more coasting time.

By the way, when we say "accelerating hard" and "stopping abruptly" we aren't necessarily talking about juvenile tire-squealing antics. If you start keeping a conscious eye on how you drive, you may realize that you've been hot-rodding around for years without realizing it.

In Edmunds.com's tests, they slowed acceleration times down to a 20-second run from zero to sixty miles per hour. Compared to the kind of zero-to-sixty times we hear car makers bragging about these days, 20 seconds may sound impossibly slow. In fact, it is slow. But, while it won't get your pulse pounding, it will get you safely onto the highway.

Since most drivers don't have a stopwatch handy to time their acceleration, Cole Quinnel, a spokesman for Chrysler Corp. engineers, advises not pressing the gas pedal down by more than an inch unless you really have to. Using that approach, the difference in fuel economy will be appreciable.

Let's say that your car currently gets 22 miles per gallon overall. If this laid-back driving style gets you just 30 percent more in fuel mileage, which Edmunds.com's tests indicate it could, you'd see that increase to about 30 miles per gallon.

It's not easy, though. For most people, driving this way will feel, to say the least, awkward. When I tried Quinnel's high-mileage driving advice, it was difficult to maintain this disciplined approach to acceleration and deceleration without consistent effort. The minute I let my concentration slip -- Zoom! -- off I'd go again in a gas-wasting rush, just like I usually do.

And, to be perfectly honest, it was a little embarrassing to drive that way. Every molecule of testosterone in my body was begging to be excused for the day.

But, in a couple of short drives, the car was using significantly less gas per mile, even with my occasional slip-up. Maybe if I keep it up, I can soothe my dented ego with a little cash in my wallet.

and from www.Sedona.com...

Five Emotional Steps to Save Money on Gas

Saving money on gas is at the top of everyone’s minds right now, not only in the United States, where gas is on its way to $5 a gallon, but in Europe and elsewhere were gas can be as high as $10 a gallon.
Not surprisingly, the U.S. Department of Transportation reported that 11 billion fewer miles were driven from March 2007 to March 2008 -- its largest decrease in driving ever.

But what if there were ways to save money on gas without drastically cutting back on driving? There are, and they have to do with your emotions.

The Emotional Route to Fuel Efficiency

“We are often emotional drivers. If we have had a rough day or we are feeling out of control in our life we often will take it out on our cars by hitting the accelerator or rushing to make a light that we know we cannot,” says Hale Dwoskin, CEO and director of training of Sedona Training Associates.

“Then we end up over-breaking or even sitting right behind someone on the highway even though we know it is dangerous,” he continues.

Driving aggressively -- speeding, braking hard, flooring the accelerator -- is one of the biggest fuel wasters there is. In fact, just by accelerating slowly and stopping gradually Edmunds.com says you can cut your gas usage by 35 percent.

The problem is that most of us let our emotions get the better of us -- and our driving. This includes getting in the car even when it would be easier to walk. Rather than anger, driving unnecessarily is often the result of habit or laziness.

“No matter what the cause of your emotional driving habits they can be easily changed if you welcome the behavior and how you feel about it then let go of the motivating feelings,” Dwoskin says. “Once the feeling motivators are released you will enjoy driving more in ways that are best for you, your car and your wallet.”

With that in mind, here are the top emotional steps to save money on gas:

It’s not a competition. Let go of the feeling that you must stay ahead of traffic or beat someone to the light.

It’s ok to drive the speed limit. Many people tie their egos to how fast they can drive. Release this feeling and accept the fact that driving the speed limit is not only safer, it’s cheaper (for every 5 mph you drive above 55, you can lose up to 10 percent of your fuel economy, according to experts).

Sometimes it’s better to walk. Or take your bike. Stop resisting alternative methods of transportation and instead embrace the simplicity of walking to the store or bus stop.

Driving is not a good outlet for anger. If you’re upset, step away from the vehicle. Do some releasing, let go of your anger, then try it again. Not only will you surely drive aggressively when angry, wasting fuel, but you could end up getting in an accident.

Remember your objective. You’re trying to save money on fuel, so let go of your old fuel-wasting habits. Focus instead on fuel-friendly techniques like using cruise control when you’re going over 70 mph, avoiding routes with big hills and staying out of stop-and-go traffic.

From us - DRIVE SAFELY!!!

Click on the car below for more tips on increasing gas mileage!