How to Calculate Gas Mileage

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates new vehicles based on how fuel-efficient they are. While the EPA thoroughly tests vehicles to determine what their gas mileage is, all fuel economy ratings come with a disclaimer that notes actual mileage may vary. Find out how to calculate your real-world gas mileage in this guide from the service team at Sam Leman Automotive Group.

What is Good Gas Mileage?

What constitutes “good” gas mileage will depend on the type of vehicle you drive. A midsize SUV, for example, will often deliver gas mileage that is lower than what you’d get in a compact car. The same is true when comparing compact gas-powered cars with more efficient hybrid vehicles. When car shopping, it’s important to have an idea of what kind of gas mileage you want, and then research new vehicles or used vehicles that offer the fuel economy rating you require!

Gas Mileage Calculator

Learning how to calculate gas mileage is fairly simple. Here’s what you’ll want to do:

• Fill your gas tank and either reset your trip odometer or record the exact mileage after refilling. Be sure you also find out how much gas your tank holds by checking your vehicle’s owner’s manual.
• Drive your car as you would normally and try to wait until the gas gauge indicates that the tank is nearly empty.
• Refill your tank and record your mileage. 
• The easiest way to calculate your gas mileage is to simply divide the number of miles driven by the number of gallons of gas your vehicle took to refill.
• If you forget to check how many gallons it took to fill up the tank, you can go by where your tank was when you refilled (i.e. ¼, ½, or ¾) and then divide your total tank capacity accordingly to come to the number of gallons refilled. Then, divide miles driven by that approximation. This will be less accurate since the gas gauge in some cars isn’t always 100% accurate. A digital gas gauge that shows you exactly how many gallons of gas are in the tank, makes this calculation much easier..

Learn More Gas Mileage 

Now that you’ve had a chance to use our gas mileage calculator equation,learn how keeping up to date with your vehicle maintenance schedule can help maximize your fuel efficiency. Basic services like oil changes and tire rotations can improve your gas mileage. If you have any questions, please contact us.