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 Dover and Milford roads, keep it with Kent County Motors below! Don’t hesitate to contact us at any time for additional assistance!

What is Good Gas Mileage?

There’s really no set standard for what constitutes “good” gas mileage. If you’re shopping for an SUV, for instance, you likely will experience gas mileage that while good, is lower than what you’d experience in a compact car. The same is true for comparing compact gas-powered cars with gasoline-electric hybrids; the latter will almost always be more efficient.

While purchasing or leasing a new vehicle it’s important to keep in mind what you expect your gas mileage to be, and then research new vehicles or used vehicles that offer the mileage you require!

Gas Mileage Calculator

It’s easy to learn how to calculate gas mileage in your vehicle. Here’s what you’ll want to do:

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 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 the 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.

Learn More About Maximizing Your Gas Mileage in Dover

Now that you’ve had a chance to use our gas mileage calculation equation and figure out two ways to calculate gas mileage, we invite you to learn more about how to maximize the gas mileage you experience in your vehicle while driving around Smyrna and Middletown by checking out our additional service tips and taking steps like rotating your tires often and keeping them properly inflated.