Feed the Beast on the Cheap

Here are a few simple steps to help you cut the cost of keeping a full tank.

· Trade in your monster.

Sales of sport-utility vehicle gas-guzzlers have tanked as subcompact sales continue to surge. To see why, just do the math: With gas at $4.00 a gallon, the annual cost to fill up a new Chevy Tahoe is $3,529, assuming you drive 15,000 miles a year. Switch to a Toyota Prius hybrid, and your gas bill drops to $1,290.

Need more space? The Toyota Highlander Hybrid seats seven and costs $2,308 a year to fuel. Among nonhybrid vehicles, the Saturn Outlook carries eight and costs $3,333 a year to fuel.

· Fill up with an alternative fuel.

Millions of vehicles are built to run on either gas or E85 (which is 85 percent ethanol). E85 was $3.39 a gallon in June, on average, although it may be hard to find outside the Midwest.

Fuel-efficient diesel models are on the way, too. For example, the Jetta SportWagen TDI diesel debuts in the United States in August. Even with diesel at about $4.70 a gallon, expect its fuel to cost less annually than the gasoline Jettas.

· Chill behind the wheel.

Aggressive driving -- you know, excess speed, frequent lane changing and sharp braking -- cuts fuel economy by as much as 35 percent, according to tests by Edmunds.com. You don't have to return to the days of driving 55 -- just set your cruise control to 65 miles per hour.

You'll also boost fuel economy by keeping your tires properly inflated. Check to make sure your air filter isn't clogged, and remove junk from the trunk.

· Regular is good enough.

A few high-performance engines really do need premium gas to run properly. But chances are that if your owner's manual recommends high octane, your car will do just fine on regular.

· Stretch your gas money.

GasBuddy.com and GasPriceWatch.com identify the lowest-priced gas in your area. Of course, if you drive out of your way to fill up, you may lose the benefit of the savings.