What Is Fuel Efficiency?

Why Fuel Efficiency Is Important

Fuel efficiency is a frequently cited statistic for many vehicles. It shows drivers how far they can travel on a single gallon of gas. This is a popular spec for two main reasons: travel time and pit stops.

When your vehicle has a more efficient engine and a higher overall fuel efficiency rating, you can go further on each tank of gasoline. That lets you spend more time driving and less time searching for a fuel station. As far as pit stops go, you save time and money at the pump when you can skip fueling stops.

How To Improve Fuel Efficiency

There are multiple ways to get the most MPG out of your car. The easiest way to improve this stat lies in your driving habits. Accelerating and braking smoothly and steadily will ensure less gas is wasted. Conversely, jamming on the brakes and slamming down on the accelerator will burn up fuel that otherwise could have been conserved.

There are other things to keep in mind to get better fuel efficiency, including:

• Keep windows up when traveling at a high speed
• Ensure tires are properly inflated
• Remove unnecessary weight from the vehicle

By keeping these hints in mind, you can work on improving your fuel usage day in and day out!

Which Drives Are Most Fuel Efficient

Fuel efficiency is split into three measurements: city, highway, and combined miles per gallon (MPG). Typically, the highway MPG is the larger of the figures—and here’s why.

City MPG numbers factor in the typical traffic conditions you come across during local drives. Traffic jams, stop signs, red lights, and other reasons to slow down all come into play when determining your vehicle’s city MPG. As you’d expect, this means you’ll use more fuel to accelerate again.

Highway MPG figures reflect how many miles you can drive under typical highway conditions. While you’re moving faster, you’re also maintaining that speed, with fewer stop-and-go patterns. When possible, driving on the highway will typically be the more fuel-efficient choice.

What’s Considered Good Mileage for a Used Car or Truck?

Over time, auto designers have placed more emphasis on fuel efficiency. It’s something everyone can get behind, thanks to the time and the money savings—along with fewer emissions, for the eco-conscious. The more recent the model year of the vehicle, the greater the fuel mileage can be.

Combined MPG takes the average of both the city and highway measurements. These days, you can get a great ride out of a used car or truck with a combined 23 MPG or more. Larger vehicles will have lesser fuel efficiency ratings, so keep that in mind as well!

How To Calculate Used Car or Truck Efficiency

Not sure what a particular used vehicle’s MPG is? You can do some quick math to find out! First, look up your specific model’s fuel tank capacity. After filling it with gas, reset the trip meter, if you have one. Otherwise, take note of the mileage on the odometer.

After you’ve driven until the fuel tank is nearly empty, divide the number of miles traveled—as indicated by the trip meter or the odometer—by the number of gallons of fuel burned. This will give you a rough estimate of your car’s MPG, given your typical driving habits.