How to Calculate Gas Mileage

The Environmental Protection Agency, also known as the EPA, rates new vehicles based on how fuel-efficient they are. Different factors make up the ratings, but the actual mileage on your Morton drives may differ just as how the disclaimers have stated. If you’re trying to get to the bottom of this and figure out how efficient your commutes have been, then keep on reading to see what is considered good gas mileage and how you calculate your own! 

Gas Mileage Calculator

Do the following steps to calculate your car’s gas mileage in Springfield:

1. Fill your gas tank completely 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.
2. Drive your car as you would normally. Note that if you accelerate more briskly or slowly or drive differently, your “typical” calculated gas mileage may be different than what you record.
3. Refill your tank and record your mileage. If you wait longer to refill, your calculation will be more accurate as it will be based on a more balanced mix of driving conditions.
4. The easiest way to calculate your gas mileage is to simply divide the number of miles traveled by the number of gallons of gas your vehicle took to refill. In sum, that’s miles driven divided by gallons of gas used.
5. If you forget to check how many gallons you filled up your car at the pump on your gas receipt, you can go by where your tank was when you refilled (i.e. ¼, ½, or ¾) and then divide out 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. With a digital gas gauge that shows you exactly how many gallons of gas are in the tank, this is much easier than an analog gauge, though.

What is Good Gas Mileage?

Now that you know what the gas mileage is for your car, you might be wondering if it is an ideal number. There’s no right or wrong answer to this question, but you will want to consider the type of vehicle you’re looking at. For example, it would make sense to compare models within the same class as the weight and dimensions of a vehicle can affect the gas mileage. With that said, you can expect a compact sedan to have better fuel efficiency than an SUV and an SUV to have better efficiency than a pickup truck. This is also true for gas-powered cars vs. electric or hybrid cars. If you prioritize fuel efficiency in Normal, you should consider which sort of vehicles will provide the best efficiency while providing other factors that are right for your lifestyle!

Learn More About Maximizing Your Gas Mileage in Bloomington

Want to improve your fuel usage? The team at Sam Leman Toyota Bloomington can show you some helpful driving habits! But if you’re tired of having to use the gas mileage calculator to make sure you’re cutting back on fuel costs, then it may be time for an upgrade. Toyota vehicle has superior technology to make the most of every drop of fuel, especially if it’s a hybrid, so you’ll never have to worry about fuel efficiency on the road. Reach out for more information now!