The less you use your brakes, the less fuel you will use.
Think about it, you use fuel to get up to speed, anytime you step on the brakes you are wasting the energy expended to get to speed.
If you look a half a block ahead and see the light is red, take your foot off the gas and coast. As I mentioned in my link above, the fuel is then shut off to the engine (hard to beat zero usage) if the light is still red when you are getting close, then and only then step on the brakes*. If however the light turns green on your approach gear down (manual) or step on the gas (auto) to resume speed.
*try to use a light touch on the brakes and take a long time to stop, don’t jam then on at the last instance.
Do this and you will see your gas mileage increase by at several miles per gallon. I taught my son to drive this way, and he gets above the EPA fuel mileage numbers for both city and highway. Your brakes will also last a lot longer.
I played a game like that last year in my sister’s car. The clutch started going and getting in and out of first was a big problem. I had to look far far ahead and time my driving so that I hit the lights when they were green.
I’ve always done this. And thought that it was just common sense.
It’s also safer.
I also think that any drivers ed course should include some basics on the physics of driving a car. And the mechanisms and engineering behind it. It isn’t magic.
This is perhaps an UL. But there was once a story of a fellow with a very old car that had not ever had his brakes changed. The story was that he was an engineer on a train. He knew that he needed a long time to stop, and that just letting speed bleed down and letting mother nature do it’s work was the way to go.
Of course this does not correlate very well with the modern urban environment, but anticipating lights, and understanding the effects of gravity and momentum on your car can not only minimize brake wear, it also helps the wear and tear on the rest of the car.
eta
Probably the best way to minumize brake wear and to not put extra stresses on you vehicle is to not tailgate.
Actually, Beta III. The first transmissions were CVTs, but the leather belts weren’t holding up, so they switched to gears. Then (and I assume this is the first Beta you’re thinking of) Subaru put them in the Justy in the late 80s. Industrial machinery has used CVTs for ages, so I’m at a loss as to why the car makers can’t get it right.
Ah, OK, I think I get it - ‘coasting’ with the clutch engaged (I think it’s misleading to call this coasting, which is where the confusion maybe starts) is efficient, but knocking a car out of gear or depressing the clutch and allowing it to coast will burn more fuel, because the engine needs it to be kept idling?
Oh jeeze - the Subaru Justy.
We gave away one of those in 1987 in a radio station contest. The winner had it for about a month, then traded it in.
She said it was the biggest piece of crap she ever owned.
Strange because Subarus are known for their reliability. My 1979 lasted for years and years with no major problems. Then again, I didn’t have the CVT transmission.
Allowing the car to coast in gear will burn less fuel. But we are talking about a few CC here not gallons. So if it makes you happy to leave the car in gear, and take your foot off the gas, go for it. If on the other hand, it makes you happier to push the stick into neutral then go for it. Either way you will use less fuel than the guy that keeps his foot into it until the last instant, and then nails the brakes.
One advantage of your sister’s technique is that she is already in the proper gear to accelerate should the light change before she gets to a complete stop. Worn transmissions often go into first gear with less difficulty while still rolling as well.