How to Calculate Gas Mileage

The Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA as it’s more commonly known, rates new vehicles based on how fuel-efficient they are. A lot goes into these ratings, but as disclaimers for them usually note, actual mileage may vary. So, if you’re looking for a way to easily calculate your actual gas mileage on Marietta and Smyrna roads, keep it with Marietta Toyota below! Don’t hesitate to contact us at any time for additional assistance!

What is Good Gas Mileage?

Older vehicles not designed to get good mileage, or heavy duty vehicles meant for work, routinely get miles per gallon ratings in the teens. Meanwhile, the latest generation of hybrid vehicles easily get 50+ miles per gallon, even on large cars. For Atlanta drivers, higher mpg ratings mean more money saved, but generally speaking the larger and heavier the vehicle is, the worse its mileage will be, especially on city streets.

Gas Mileage Calculator

Here’s how to calculate your real-world gas mileage:

1. Fill your gas tank fully 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 with at the pump, 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 with an analog gauge, though.

Learn More About Maximizing Your Gas Mileage in Marietta

Even renting a fuel efficient vehicle can be cost effective for a long trip. Check out the latest in fuel saving technology here at our showroom near Kennesaw!