How to Calculate Gas Mileage

When you’re shopping for a new car in the Costa Mesa area, you’ll see something called “EPA-estimated gas mileage.” The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) rates the fuel efficiency of every new vehicle in the city and on the highway and determines how many miles per gallon the vehicle gets. However, you’ll always see a disclaimer telling you that actual mileage may vary. So, how do you make your own gas mileage calculator to determine your specific ride’s fuel efficiency? It’s easier than you might think! The service team at Weir Canyon Acura has everything you need to know about how to calculate gas mileage for yourself in the guide below.

What is Good Gas Mileage?

There’s some conventional wisdom about what’s considered good mileage for a car, but the truth is it depends on the vehicle. Smaller cars usually get better gas mileage than their larger counterparts, so you’ll get better fuel efficiency from a coupe than from an SUV. If you want to truly maximize your fuel efficiency, consider upgrading to a hybrid vehicle, or doing away with gasoline entirely and going for something fully-electric. 

Gas Mileage Calculator

If you want to calculate your car’s gas mileage for yourself, just follow these simple steps:

1. Fill up your gas tank and reset your trip odometer, or record its exact mileage after you’ve refilled the tank. You should check your owner’s manual to see what your fuel tank capacity is.
2. Drive around Tustin as you would normally–any deviations in your normal driving habits will give you a different gas mileage number. 
3. Refill your gas tank again and record your gas mileage. It’s a good idea to drive around for a while before refilling, so you can capture a wider variety of driving conditions. 
4. Divide the number of miles you traveled on the odometer by the number of gallons your vehicle took to refill. 
5. If you forgot to check how many gallons you filled your car up with, you can go by where your tank was when you refilled it (¼, ½, or ¾ full). Then divide out your total tank capacity accordingly to determine the number of gallons refilled, and perform the calculation above.
6. You’re all set!

Turn to Weir Canyon Acura For All Your Service Needs!

If you’re interested in learning about the MPG ratings for specific Acura models, check out our blog posts on the fuel efficiency for the 2022 Acura TLX and the Acura RDX. Be sure to keep an eye on our other service tips and tricks for more ways to keep your vehicle running in top condition on the Montclair roads!