PLX Kiwi tells you how to drive, boosts your MPGs

These days, everyone wants to know how to save gas and money. And as usual, we want to know how to do this easily. A fun new toy, the PLX Kiwi, helps show you how to get that much closer to being a hypermiler.

Using sophisticated software in an easy plug-n-play device, the Kiwi plugs into your car’s diagnostic port. It then registers driving habits that waste fuel and tells you what you need to do to get better mileage.

Smoothness, drag, acceleration, and deceleration are all taken into account, and by paying attention to what score the Kiwi gives in these areas, average drivers can alter driving habits and notice a 20% improvement in their gas mileage in just a couple days.

Any car newer than 1996 can use the Kiwi, and even hybrids and alternative fuel cars can become more efficient with the handy gadget. The tiny device is about the size of a cell phone and consumes 2 watts of power to operate. Plus, it’s way more sleek looking than the Drivemaster Pro, and the name Kiwi is way more fun.

It looks like using this would make driving so much fun and a great challenge to see how far you can get a gallon of gas to go. But it also seems like it’d be a little distracting. I’d be so tempted to just watch the screen to see how I’m scoring on green driving, rather than watching the road!

But, when you add this to your armory of other gas-saving devices and tricks available, you’re set to be a hypermiler!

Update: An EcoGeek author is going to be testing the Kiwi during the month of August in four different cars with four different drivers. So stay tuned for reviews on exactly how well the Kiwi holds up. For now, you'll have to be satisfied with the demo video from Kiwi: