How to Calculate Gas Mileage

When you’re looking to add efficiency to your commutes, you’re likely paying close attention to gas mileage ratings provided by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). While these ratings give a good idea of a car’s fuel efficiency, it’s important to note that actual mileage may vary based on a number of factors. Using the tips in this guide from Kempthorn Motors, you can learn how to calculate the gas mileage of your current vehicle.

In addition, refer to our website for efficient driving tips you can implement.

Determining Gas Mileage

Actual mpg will vary depending on your environment, lifestyle requirements, and style of driving. Some SUVs, depending on the driver’s practices, may prove to be even more economical than a sedan. When shopping for a new or used vehicle, it’s a good idea to know how it will be driven on average; this will allow you to estimate your prospective vehicle’s gas mileage more accurately. Take a look at some of the fuel-efficient vehicles in our inventory, and use the gas mileage calculator below to understand more about performance on streets.

Calculating Your Gas Mileage

Learning how to calculate gas mileage is a relatively simple task that can be performed during your commutes or from the comfort of your home. Follow these steps:

1. The next time you need to refuel, fill your tank to the top and reset your trip odometer or record the exact mileage after refilling. Be sure to record how much your gas tank holds. This can be found in your vehicle’s owner’s manual.
2. Drive how you normally would during your commutes. If you drive more briskly or slowly than normal, your “typical” calculated gas mileage may be a bit different than what you record.
3. When it’s time to refill your tank, record your mileage again. The longer you wait to refill, the more accurate your gas mileage calculations will be since you’ll capture a more balanced mix of driving conditions.
4. From there, you can begin calculations. Take the number of miles traveled and divide it by the number of gallons of gas your vehicle took to refill. In other terms, that’s the miles driven divided by gallons of gas used.
5. If you forget to record how much gas was added at the pump from your gas receipt, you can get an estimate based on where the tank indicator was when you refilled, i.e., ¼, ½, or ¾. Take that estimate and divide out your total tank capacity accordingly to find the number of gallons refilled. You can then divide miles driven by that approximation. Keep in mind that the gas gauge in some cars isn’t 100% accurate, so this only gives you an estimated calculation. If you have a digital gas gauge, it can show you exactly how many gallons of gas are in the tank.

Browse Our Inventory to Find the Right Gas Mileage for You

There you have it! You’ve become your own gas mileage calculator. Use this to get an idea of your fuel efficiency around Canton. Continue learning more about fuel economy by reading up on used car gas mileage tips and the benefits of premium gas.