SUV Upgrades: Performance and Fuel Efficiency Improvements
SUVs are primarily designed to serve as passenger and equipment movers thanks to their dynamic designs and incredible versatility. For that reason, performance aspects such as speed and power aren’t emphasized as much as they are on sports cars and pickup trucks, respectively. When it comes to fuel efficiency too, its popularly known that SUVs are gas guzzlers for the most part and that no one purchases one to try and reduce his or her fuel expenditure budget. If you are looking to boost your SUV’s performance, and at the same time increase your vehicle’s fuel efficiency to a less wasteful level, there are several upgrades you can make in order to get the results you’re looking for.
Lighting Changes
At first glance, it may seem like lighting changes are the last thing one would want to accomplish when looking to make dramatic improvements. In terms of efficiency, however, some smart changes can be really helpful. Switching out incandescent tail lights, for instance, with ones that utilize LED bulbs can result in energy waste reduction. Whereas incandescent bulbs spend 90% of their received energy converting it to heat, LEDs use most of the energy they receive as light, meaning they need a lot less juice to get the same brightness and lighting quality. Upgrading from halogen headlights to HID headlights, too, can be a boon to your car’s efficiency standards, and in terms of lighting performance, you’re going to get lights that are up to 3x brighter. So if you had a Ford Explorer with dim headlights and energy wasting tails, you could easily switch to HIDs and LEDs for brighter lights and a reduction in unnecessary energy expenditure.
Add-on Equipment
Let’s say you drive a Cadillac Escalade. As a full-size SUV, the Escalade drinks a lot more gas to cover the same number of miles as, say, a Honda Civic or Toyota Camry. By installing Escalade performance chips, Cadillac drivers can expect to save 4-7 miles per gallon in fuel expenditure, a pretty significant dent. On top of that, using an Escalade performance chip will also help to boost the vehicle’s horsepower output, for up to 60 additional horsepower once installed. If you decide pair the performance chip with a turbocharger the results can be even more profound, as turbocharged vehicles can expect larger horsepower increases thanks to more accurate systems regulation performed by the chip. Turbo kits are also quite efficient, despite their potential for several hundred additional horsepower when used, though it is quite a bit pricier than a relatively inexpensive ECU chip.
Body Parts
If you own a Chevy Tahoe from the mid-to-late 1990s, you may be starting to see the age of your SUV with every passing year. This is the perfect time for some major body upgrades for a more modernized appearance anyway, so while you’re at it, you can upgrade your SUV for improved fuel efficiency and performance as well. By switching out the stock hood of your Tahoe with a lightweight replacement, such as one made of fiberglass or carbon fiber, you can aid both factors. OEM hoods tend to be unnecessarily heavy, so by replacing it with a lightweight one, you can potentially reduce your Tahoe’s weight by up to 100 pounds, resulting in less engine strain. When the engine’s less strained, it won’t have to expend as much energy to run at the same speed (for greater fuel economy), and the lighter weight overall is better for picking up speed (for greater on-road performance). You can also streamline your vehicle for greater aerodynamics using an air dam or rear spoiler, though you probably won’t want to put a rear spoiler on a Tahoe just for appearance’s sake. With these body part changes combined, you can expect a further reduction in fuel expenditure as well as an increase in speed due to reduced wind resistance as well as engine strain. This site on xenon headlights will be useful as well.
SUVs are primarily designed to serve as passenger and equipment movers thanks to their dynamic designs and incredible versatility. For that reason, performance aspects such as speed and power aren’t emphasized as much as they are on sports cars and pickup trucks, respectively. When it comes to fuel efficiency too, its popularly known that SUVs are gas guzzlers for the most part and that no one purchases one to try and reduce his or her fuel expenditure budget. If you are looking to boost your SUV’s performance, and at the same time increase your vehicle’s fuel efficiency to a less wasteful level, there are several upgrades you can make in order to get the results you’re looking for.
Lighting Changes
At first glance, it may seem like lighting changes are the last thing one would want to accomplish when looking to make dramatic improvements. In terms of efficiency, however, some smart changes can be really helpful. Switching out incandescent tail lights, for instance, with ones that utilize LED bulbs can result in energy waste reduction. Whereas incandescent bulbs spend 90% of their received energy converting it to heat, LEDs use most of the energy they receive as light, meaning they need a lot less juice to get the same brightness and lighting quality. Upgrading from halogen headlights to HID headlights, too, can be a boon to your car’s efficiency standards, and in terms of lighting performance, you’re going to get lights that are up to 3x brighter. So if you had a Ford Explorer with dim headlights and energy wasting tails, you could easily switch to HIDs and LEDs for brighter lights and a reduction in unnecessary energy expenditure.
Add-on Equipment
Let’s say you drive a Cadillac Escalade. As a full-size SUV, the Escalade drinks a lot more gas to cover the same number of miles as, say, a Honda Civic or Toyota Camry. By installing Escalade performance chips, Cadillac drivers can expect to save 4-7 miles per gallon in fuel expenditure, a pretty significant dent. On top of that, using an Escalade performance chip will also help to boost the vehicle’s horsepower output, for up to 60 additional horsepower once installed. If you decide pair the performance chip with a turbocharger the results can be even more profound, as turbocharged vehicles can expect larger horsepower increases thanks to more accurate systems regulation performed by the chip. Turbo kits are also quite efficient, despite their potential for several hundred additional horsepower when used, though it is quite a bit pricier than a relatively inexpensive ECU chip.
Body Parts
If you own a Chevy Tahoe from the mid-to-late 1990s, you may be starting to see the age of your SUV with every passing year. This is the perfect time for some major body upgrades for a more modernized appearance anyway, so while you’re at it, you can upgrade your SUV for improved fuel efficiency and performance as well. By switching out the stock hood of your Tahoe with a lightweight replacement, such as one made of fiberglass or carbon fiber, you can aid both factors. OEM hoods tend to be unnecessarily heavy, so by replacing it with a lightweight one, you can potentially reduce your Tahoe’s weight by up to 100 pounds, resulting in less engine strain. When the engine’s less strained, it won’t have to expend as much energy to run at the same speed (for greater fuel economy), and the lighter weight overall is better for picking up speed (for greater on-road performance). You can also streamline your vehicle for greater aerodynamics using an air dam or rear spoiler, though you probably won’t want to put a rear spoiler on a Tahoe just for appearance’s sake. With these body part changes combined, you can expect a further reduction in fuel expenditure as well as an increase in speed due to reduced wind resistance as well as engine strain. This site on xenon headlights will be useful as well.
