How Weather Messes With Your Car's Gas Mileage and Your Wallet

Ever wonder why your gas tank empties way faster during certain times of the year? You're not going crazy - weather completely messes with your car's fuel efficiency, and figuring out these effects can save you tons of money at the pump.

Your car's engine behaves totally differently depending on what's happening outside, and those changes either help your wallet or destroy it. From blazing summer heat to bone-chilling winter cold, weather patterns directly mess with how much gas your ride burns through.

Winter Weather Is Pure Evil for Gas Mileage

Winter absolutely destroys fuel economy. When temps drop below 20 degrees, your car can guzzle up to 20% more gas than usual. That's like throwing an extra dollar away for every five-dollar fill-up, which gets expensive really quick over several months.

Cold engines take ages to hit their optimal temperature, so they run horribly while warming up. Essentially, your car's brain dumps extra fuel into the engine during cold starts just to keep it running halfway decent.