Maximizing the Miles: Gas-Saving Tips for Your Long Weekend Audi Road Trip

With the long weekend just around the corner, many of us in the Costa Mesa and Newport Beach area are gearing up to escape the local routine. Whether you’re packing up the Q5 for a family retreat to June Lake, heading south past San Diego, or taking an inland cruise, a road trip is the perfect way to let your Audi stretch its legs.

However, with Southern California premium fuel prices hovering right around the $6.50 mark this season, a little strategic planning can keep more money in your wallet for the destination itself.

Audis are highly advanced machines designed to balance incredible performance with impressive efficiency. Here is how you can unlock the hidden fuel economy built right into your vehicle before you hit the PCH or the 405.

1. Map Your Route and Scout Fuel Prices Ahead of Time

One of the biggest mistakes road-trippers make is waiting until the low-fuel light comes on to look for a gas station. Stations right off major holiday highway exits or in remote destination areas often charge a massive premium.

• Use Price-Tracking Apps: Before you back out of the driveway, check apps like GasBuddy, Waze, or even Google Maps to preview fuel costs along your route.

• Plan Your Fuel Stops: Spotting a station that is 40 to 50 cents cheaper per gallon ahead of time allows you to schedule your rest stops around the best deals. If you’re traveling out of state or into more rural parts of California, knowing where the competitive premium fuel stops are can save you a bundle on a single road trip.

2. Dial in Your Audi Drive Select

Most modern Audis feature Audi Drive Select, which lets you change the vehicle’s personality at the touch of a button. While Dynamic mode is incredible for carving up mountain roads, highway cruising calls for a different approach.

• Switch to Efficiency Mode: If your Audi is equipped with it, toggle your Drive Select to Efficiency. This mode relaxes throttle response, schedules earlier transmission upshifts to keep RPMs low, and even optimizes the climate control system to draw less power from the engine.

• The Cruising Alternate: If your model doesn’t feature an explicit Efficiency mode, Comfort or Auto are your next best choices for maintaining a smooth, steady cadence on long freeway stretches.

3. Check Your Tire Pressure (The Silent Fuel Killer)

Driving on under-inflated tires increases rolling resistance, making your engine work significantly harder to maintain highway speeds.

Pro-Tip: Don’t use the maximum pressure listed on the side of the tire itself. Instead, open your driver’s side door and check the placard on the B-pillar for the manufacturer’s recommended PSI.

Because many of us pack heavy for a long weekend trip, adjust your pressures according to Audi’s guidelines for a fully laden vehicle (which is often a couple of PSI higher than normal daily commuting pressure).

4. Think Ahead: Streamline Your Aerodynamics

Audis are engineered with exceptional aerodynamic drag coefficients, but holiday gear can quickly disrupt that engineering.

• Remove Empty Racks: If you have roof crossbars or a cargo box mounted but aren’t actually using them for this specific trip, take them off. Roof accessories create massive aerodynamic drag at 70 MPH, which can slash your fuel economy by up to 10% to 20%.

• Windows vs. A/C: At low speeds around Newport Beach, dropping the windows is great. But once you hit highway speeds, the aerodynamic “drag” of open windows consumes more fuel than running the air conditioning. Keep the cabin sealed on the freeway.

5. Master the Art of Momentum

Fuel economy isn’t about driving slow; it’s about driving smoothly. The cycle of aggressive acceleration followed by hard braking is the quickest way to burn through a tank of premium gas.

• Anticipate Traffic: Look several cars ahead. If you see brake lights forming in the distance, ease off the accelerator early rather than maintaining speed until the last second.

• Let the Tech Work: Use your adaptive cruise control on flat, open stretches of highway. It is incredibly precise at managing throttle inputs to maintain steady momentum.

Is Your Audi Road-Trip Ready?

The single best way to ensure an efficient, trouble-free trip is preventative maintenance. Old engine oil, clogged air filters, and worn spark plugs all force your engine to burn extra fuel just to keep up.

If you are due for an annual oil change, need a quick check on your diagnostic fault codes, or want a comprehensive pre-trip inspection, we’re here to help.