If you're going on a trip or just need to find the most efficient route for your commute, a gas mileage calculator can be very helpful.
What Is a Gas Mileage Calculator?
In its most basic sense, a fuel calculator helps you determine how many miles your vehicle can drive on a single gallon of gasoline. You can use this information to modify your driving habits to save gas or to help you select your next new car or truck.
How to Calculate Your Gas Mileage
You can calculate your gas mileage fairly easily with the help of an Internet-based mileage calculator, or you can perform these simple calculations yourself. All you need to do is keep track of the amount of gasoline you put in your car and the number of miles you drive. Once you've assembled this information, it's time to start figuring out your fuel mileage.
You can use one of these online calculators to help:
- MilesGallon.com has a tool to help you calculate your car's gas mileage and also the amount of money you spend on gas. You'll also find many helpful tips for improving fuel economy.
- AAA Fuel Cost Calculator can help you compute the cost of a road trip, based on your car's fuel efficiency and the cost of gas in the places you plan to travel.
- Road Trip America has a simple fuel economy calculator that will help you determine your gas mileage in gallons or liters. It will also use miles or kilometers in the calculation.
- GasDandy is a useful service that does more than just calculate your fuel economy. It also helps track your gas mileage over time, and it prompts you when it's time for car maintenance like oil changes and tire rotations.
You can also calculate your gas mileage on your own. To do this, simply divide the number of miles you've driven by the amount of gasoline you put in your tank.
How to Use This Information
If you track your mileage long enough, you'll find that there is some significant variation in your car's fuel economy. This is largely due to environmental conditions and your driving habits. In addition to your fuel economy, consider keeping track of the following:
- Relative hilliness of the road surface
- Icy, snowy, or muddy road conditions
- Stop-and-go traffic
- Aggressive driving, including sudden braking and acceleration
- Tire wear
- Typical speeds travelled
- Amount of cargo you're carrying
- Number of people in the car
- Items on the roof rack
This data may help you determine which driving habits and routes contribute to a decline in your car's overall fuel economy. Using this information, you can make changes that will save you money.
Tips for Saving on Gas
Now that you know how to keep track of your driving habits and fuel economy using a gas mileage calculator, you may find that the following tips will help you save gasoline:
- Go the speed limit, or even a little under it. Many cars get the best gas mileage at around 45 to 55 miles per hour.
- Carry as little cargo as possible to make sure you reduce your car's weight.
- Avoid anything that presents an aerodynamic drag. Remove roof racks, extra lights, and unnecessary accessories.
- Avoid hills and other strenuous terrain. The less your car has to work, the less gas it will use.
- If possible, avoid stop-and-go traffic. If you frequently encounter bad traffic on your commute, consider changing your travel time.
