There are many benefits to improving the performance of your vehicle, including an increased resale value, and many improvement methods don’t require a monetary investment in performance auto parts. Checking the air pressure in your tires and keeping them at the recommended levels will ensure optimal gas mileage and handling, and lightening your car’s weight by removing unneeded cargo from your trunk can do the same plus increase speed.

However, beyond the regular maintenance precautions, modifications with performance auto parts will notably improve speed and function without spending the thousands of dollars needed to upgrade an engine or install a turbo system.

K&N Air Filters
K&N air filters increase the speed and power of your vehicle and are better for the environment than traditional air filters. Also inexpensive, K&N air filters go for about $40-$70 dollars depending on the model needed. Investment is minimized in the long run since they won’t need replacement, whereas traditional air filters need to be replaced 5-10 times throughout the lifespan of a vehicle. Unlike traditional air filters, these are reusable. Once you buy a K&N, you will most likely not need to replace your air filter again. These air filters are made of a cotton gauze material and are easily washable.

Performance Chip
Every new vehicle has a computer chip that controls how much torque and horsepower can be displaced. With a performance computer chip, the horsepower and torque of a car can be noticeably increased. A performance computer chip can increase a car’s horsepower by up to 50 increments. Not only do these performance chips increase speed and horsepower of a car, but also increase gas mileage. Another benefit of performance chips is their easy installation. All you have to do is locate your vehicle’s factory computer chip and swap it out with the new one. A performance chip can be purchased at under $300 dollars, are street legal in the United States and will not void a vehicle’s new car warranty.

Cold Air Intake
This modification improves a vehicle’s power by cooling its air intake. Because cold air is denser, it improves air flow, causing the increase in efficiency and power. A cold air intake system is one modification that gets noticed. Benefits include visual enhancements to the appearance of the engine bay (because the parts can be painted colorfully) and a more powerful sounding exhaust system.

Performance Exhaust System
A great way to optimize your torque and horsepower is a catalyst-back exhaust system. These exhaust systems lower exhaust back pressure with large width exhaust pipes and low restriction mufflers. Borla and Flowmaster are the popular performance exhaust system brands, and can give your vehicle a 5-15% boost in horsepower. These systems are made of the same stainless steel that is used in airplanes; this will also give your vehicle sound a deeper tone. Also you will notice an increase in fuel economy because these systems will help your engine run more efficiently.