All of the vehicles out there have a set of specs and features that grants them some baseline performance that can be better or worse. In reality, though, it all truly boils down to how these specs are used. Poor maintenance and the lack of driving skills will turn even a Prius into a money waster. On the other hand, smart driving and a couple of fine-tunings can make every car an efficient, snappy city cruiser.

So, let’s take a look at a couple of actual ways you can enhance your vehicle for better performance.

Watch how you’re driving

Yeah, you would be surprised how much more performance and longevity you will be able to squeeze out of your vehicle simply by introducing a couple of changes into your everyday driving routine. Here are a couple of noteworthy mentions:

• Treat pedals gently, sudden acceleration and sudden braking are destroying fuel efficiency and wearing out the vehicle.

• Try to do as many things in one run – two short trips consume more fuel than one longer.

• Ditch the unnecessary weight.

• Turn off the vehicle while it’s idling.

• Keep it in a higher gear – acceleration in the lower gears consumes more fuel.

• Open windows affect the vehicle’s aerodynamics so keep them closed.

• Plan the routes – sometimes the longer road will prove to be much easier to navigate.

Take care of the tires

The tires are what keeps your car rolling on the road, so it shouldn’t be too much of a surprise that they have a great effect on how the vehicle performs. So, for a start, buy yourself a new set designed to lower the rolling resistance and increase fuel efficiency. Also, make sure you have a separate set of winter pneumatics – all-weather units perform, at best, okay in winter conditions. Finally, keep the tire pressure at the optimal level. Higher friction causes higher fuel consumption.

Upgrade the exhaust system

The engine is primarily an air pump. If you want to make it perform better, you need to allow it to breathe better. So, if you upgrade the exhaust to a higher flowing setup, you can, effectively, allow the vehicle to achieve more horsepower or better torque (depending on your goals). The good news here is that even if you are driving a vehicle coming from a local manufacturer, exhaust setups for Commodore and similar brands are easily accessible, so you will be able to make the necessary adjustments.

Replace the air intake

Essentially, the air intake is the system that allows the air to reach your car’s engine (without oxygen, combustion is impossible). The thing is, most of the stock intakes built into contemporary vehicles do a pretty average job in this regard. So, it is highly advised to replace your current intake with a unit that supplies the engine with cold air (cold air has higher density and contains more oxygen). This way, you are improving the engine's power and efficiency.

Keep the car clean and well-lubricated

If your vehicle is picking up a lot of dirt, these small contaminants will eventually find their way into the engine. From this point on, you can expect all sorts of problems ranging from reduced efficiency to major breakdowns. So, do your best to keep the car clean and well-maintained and pay special attention to air and oil filters that are directly hooked up to the engine. The 6,000 miles mark seems like a good time for a closer inspection.

As for the frequency at which you should replace the essential lubricants, here are some general guidelines that can be applied to most vehicles out there:

• Motor oil – 3,000 miles (5,000 for synthetic blends)

• Transmission oil – 30,000 miles (or every three years)

• Differential oil – 30,000 miles (60,000 for synthetics)

• Coolants – every 10,000 miles

• Power steering fluid – 30,000 miles (or every three years)

Going past these milestones can drastically affect not only the performance but also the safety of the vehicle.

Think of the weight distribution

The car that is wiggling and struggling to properly distribute weight doesn’t seem like the most efficient vehicle out there, does it? The first step in solving this problem is replacing the shock with a stiffer alternative that will help the tires achieve better traction and thus improve braking, accelerating and turning. Second, if the suspension system features rubber brushings replace them with polyurethane alternatives. They do a much better job of reducing vibrations.

We hope these few tips showed you that your vehicle’s specs are only the foundation and not the ultimate verdict on its performance. How well you are going to use this baseline depends only on your skill and willingness to make a couple of efficiency upgrades.