HOUSTON — Filling up your gas tank is painful these days.
“Eco” mode has become a common feature in cars, but does it actually save you gas?
AAA Texas helped answer that question.
“Eco mode does two things for your vehicle. It allows the transmission to shift a little earlier keeping the engine revs down, as well as makes the gas pedal a little less responsive,” said AAA Texas spokesperson Joshua Zuber
Zuber explains the harder you press down on the gas pedal, the more gas you use.
“If you’re one of those drivers with a real lead foot, you’re slamming down on the gas. Eco mode isn’t really going to save you anything when it comes to your fuel economy,” said Zuber.
Consumer Reports conducted its own tests on the benefits of eco mode this year and came to the same conclusion.
So KHOU 11 can verify eco mode is not a magic button guaranteed to save you gas.
AAA says what does work is practicing safe driving habits like staying within the posted speed limit, avoiding hard acceleration, and keeping up with your car’s maintenance.