How To Calculate Gas Mileage | Cars and Trucks

By JasonLancaster
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Calculating your gas mileage is easy. Follow these steps and you will be able to calculate your own gas mileage each time you fill up the tank.

Here's how - we're going to figure out how many miles you drive between fill-ups, then we're going to figure out how much gas you used. Finally, we're going to do some really simple math and come up with a very accurate estimate of your gas mileage. All you'll need is a piece of paper, a simple calculator (the one in your cell phone will work fine), and a minute or two at the gas station right after you fill up.

Step 1: Completely fill-up your gas tank.

Step 2: Reset your trip odometer back to zero. If you are unable to do this, then write down the mileage of your car.

Step 3: You should drive your car as you normally would on a daily basis.

Step 4: Fill your gas tank completely full.

Step 5: Now you need to figure out the number of miles between the two fill-ups. If you reset your trip odometer, note the number of miles you have driven since resetting it. If you wrote down your car's mileage on paper, subtract that number from the current mileage on your car. This is the number of miles you have driven between the last two fill-ups. On the piece of paper, write down this number.

NOTE: Keep in mind that most of the time, the number you write down in step 5 should be between 100-500 miles. If you've driven a lot more or a lot less, there might be a problem with your math (or you're getting really good mileage).

Step 6: Now that you know how far you've driven since your last fill-up, it's time to figure out how much gas you've used. This is easy - just look at the gas pump. You'll see exactly how many gallons of gas you just put in your car - that's the amount of gas you used since your last fill-up. Make sure to write down the amount of gas you used, and make sure to include the numbers after the decimal point.

Step 7: Now, on your calculator, divide the number of miles you drove between fill-ups by the number of gallons of gas you used (The number in Step 5 divided by the number in Step 6). This equals your gas mileage!

For a truck or large SUV, your gas mileage will probably be between 12 and 20. For a small SUV or a large car, your gas mileage will probably be between 18 and 25. For a compact or mid-sized car, your gas mileage will probably be between 25 and 35. For a scooter, your gas mileage will be so good that you probably won't even need to calculate it. If the number you came up with for your gas mileage is considerably more or less than what is listed above, there may be a problem with your math or with your car.

About the Author

Author Jason Lancaster, an auto business veteran, developed AccurateAutoAdvice.com. You'll find accurate advice on how to figure gas mileage and gas mileage advice.

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