If you're installing one yourself, you can measure the drag on your vehicle doing a coastdown test. Properly installing a spoiler requires at least three hours in a wind tunnel (UOIT's costs $700 an hour), Agelin-Chaab says. Many others out there probably aren't so effective – and some car manufacturers even say their spoilers are for looks only.' 'Factory-installed spoilers on higher-end sports cars are very effective. 'So, at high speeds, reducing the drag even slightly can have a huge impact on fuel economy.'īut a spoiler only works if it's cutting through the air at the correct angle, Agelin-Chaab adds.

'At 120 km/h or more, 50 per cent of fuel goes to combat drag,' he says. But you probably won't notice the difference driving the kids to soccer, unless you're taking the highway. And the less air resistance your car has, the less gas you'll have to burn. Spoilers can also reduce drag, Agelin-Chaab says. 'This helps stick the tires to the road to give the car better grip and therefore better handling in cornering.' Ron Miller, an engineering professor at Carleton University who has worked on race-car design.

'Usually, spoilers are intended to increase downforce – they deflect air upward, which creates a downward force on the car,' says Dr. They're supposed to push your car onto the road. Spoilers are supposed to spoil aerodynamic lift: the force that wants to pull your car off the ground. 'They only work if they're properly installed, and even then, they only work at speeds of at least 100 km/h or more.' Martin Agelin-Chaab, assistant professor in automotive engineering at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) in Oshawa, Ont. 'The vast majority of spoilers out there don't do anything – you don't get any bang for your money,' says Dr. Spoiler alert: chances are, the spoiler on your sedan isn't doing much, other than looking sporty. If I pay extra to get a spoiler added to my car, will it actually affect how it drives? – Tim, Ottawa

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