There’s something about Spring that makes you want to hop in your Subaru and drive, allured by the beauty of all the blooming plants and singing birds that seem to have just woken up. It’s a great time to go explore, take in all the scenery and celebrate the end of a cold, gray winter. We all want to reduce our carbon footprint, so our team here at Adventure Subaru gathered some eco-friendly tips for a green spring road trip. Keep these tips in mind when the travel bug bites, and you can feel good knowing that you’re minimizing your environmental impact.
Shortest route. Map it out. We know you’re raring to go and get this spring road trip started, but make sure you do one thing before you hit the gas. Determine where you’re going and map out your route, choosing the shortest possible route. If you’re using the GPS, that’s okay — just check your settings and make sure your system is set to automatically choose the shortest route when you put in a destination. This will ensure that you use less gas, and mapping out your route means you’re much less likely to get lost and waste resources.
Pack light. Or when you can’t pack light, at least make sure you’re not packing any more than you need to. Keeping your travel gear to a minimum means that your car will weigh less, which will improve your gas mileage. If you’re heading to the Grand Canyon and you still have a kayak on your roof rack from last week’s lake trip, you should probably go ahead and take that off. And if you’re going on a two-day road trip, don’t pack for a week. You’ll save money and the earth, yes, but there’s also something refreshing about living like a minimalist- even if it’s just for a few days.
Combine stops. We know you can’t always predict when you or one of your passengers will need to stop. But when you can, try to fit as many things into a single stop as you can. Fill up your gas tank, grab some snacks and drinks, take bathroom breaks, let the dog out for a little walk...whatever you need to do! When you can take care of multiple needs in one stop, you’ll reduce travel time and gas, and you won’t have to keep stopping and restarting your vehicle. Even better, pack your own snacks instead of buying them at gas stations. Try to find snacks with no packaging or compostable packaging, and use refillable water bottles as well as coffee cups.
Carpool. We know we said you should put less weight in your car, but there is one exception to that rule. If you are traveling with a group of people, it’s much better for the environment to put everyone in the fewest number of vehicles possible. If you have a five-seater car and you’re traveling with a group of four, there’s no reason for two of you to take your car. Get excited about riding with the gang, playing childhood road trip games and bonding over your favorite music to sing to in the car.
Stay green. If you’re sleeping overnight somewhere, choose your stay carefully. If you really want to do more to help the environment, opt to camp outside or do a little car camping. If you don’t have the gear or the space for that, try to find environmentally-conscious hotels or airbnb hosts that make an effort to go green. Regardless of where you’re staying, try to keep your use of paper and tissue products to a minimum, and avoid single-serving containers like creamers and ketchup packages.
Cruise control. Keep your fuel usage under control by choosing to cruise when you can. Your car uses gas more efficiently when you can maintain a steady speed while driving on the highway or interstate.
Tune up. One of the best things you can do to minimize your environmental impact on a road trip is to bring your car in for service before you head out. Did you know that something as simple as a dirty air filter can reduce your car’s fuel efficiency by 20 percent? It’s true. Your gas mileage will also be affected by tires that aren’t fully inflated, and other basic maintenance issues that can easily be fixed before you get on the road. Our service department at Adventure Subaru is staffed with the most qualified technicians, serving drivers from Bentonville, Bella vista, Eureka Springs, Fayetteville, Fort Smith, Rogers, Springdale and the rest of the Northwest Arkansas region. We will make sure your Subaru is in tip-top shape for a successful green road trip.
Drive a Subaru. This last tip seems obvious to us, because we know just how much Subaru cares about the environment and makes an effort to protect our earth. So of course, we want to let you in on what we know! First of all, Subaru is America’s first zero-landfill automaker, with all waste recycled or reused. Subaru has also been honored with a number of awards recognizing the effort to be environmentally conscious. The company made history when it achieved ISO 14001 certification in environmental management, recognizing Subaru for their commitment to operate in an environmentally responsible way — a first for US auto manufacturers. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency presented Subaru with WasteWise Gold Achievement Awards for Industrial Recycling, Climate Change, and Community Involvement. We could go on, but you’d probably get tired of reading. The moral of the story is that loving the environment means more than just loving the great outdoors, and Subaru is leading the way for automakers working to preserve it.
If you aren’t driving a Subie yet, Adventure Subaru in Fayetteville is the best place to come take one for a test drive. We can guide you through all the different models and help you find something perfect for you and all your road-tripping needs. Fill out our contact form here!
