| Favorites |
| |||
 | |||
| Gas Mileage Comparison Formula: Cost Per Trip = ( Miles Traveled / MPG ) * Cost Per Gallon | |||
Gas Mileage Comparison Definition Our free gas mileage comparison calculator will allow you to compare the difference in costs between two cars that have different fuel efficiency ratings. Aside from a vehicle’s base price, its fuel efficiency rating, which is often referred to as its gas mileage, is the largest factor that determines the overall cost to operate the vehicle. Gas mileage is a big factor you need to take into consideration when you are deciding which vehicle to buy. It will cost you hundreds or thousands of dollars per year to put gas in your new vehicle, and the difference of a few miles per gallon can keep you in your budget or put you over it. Fuel Efficiency Ratings The gas mileage rating on a new or used car is an estimate developed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It is an estimate only and varies by the owner’s driving patterns and maintenance habits. Highway driving is more fuel-efficient than city driving, for example, and keeping a vehicle’s tires properly inflated also improves gas mileage. The Gas Mileage Comparison Calculator will calculate what the difference in costs will be between any two of the vehicles you are considering. You will need the following inputs: Car 1 MPG: This is the estimated fuel efficiency of the first car. You can find this either on the car’s window, if it is at a dealer, or using the Internet. The fuel efficiency ratings from the EPA are actually three different numbers: the estimated fuel efficiency for city driving, the estimated fuel efficiency for highway driving and a combined number. For purposes of this calculation, you will probably want to use the combined number if it is available, unless you will drive exclusively in the city. Gas mileage ratings are usually written in the following manner: 22/27 (25) The first number is the city number, the second is the highway number and the third is the combined number. Dealers will usually have this explained on their tags. Car 2 MPG: Again, you will probably want to use the combined gas mileage number if it is available. Regardless, make sure you use the same number for both cars or the calculator will not be accurate. Cost Per Gallon: This is the cost per gallon for gasoline in your area. It varies from region to region, so do not just use the national average. You want to use the yearly average if you can, but if you do not know it, simply plug in the current price. Miles Traveled: Next, type in the number of miles you will travel each year. This is just an estimate, but try to be as accurate as possible. If you drive more than 10,000 miles per year, leave out the comma. After you have filled out all the fields, hit calculate and the calculator will tell you the gas costs for each car. For example, if Car 1 gets 25 MPG, Car 2 gets 20 MPG, gas costs $3.20 per gallon and both cars will be driven 10,000 miles per year, Car 1 will cost $1,280 and Car 2 will cost $1,600. The difference is enough to pay for at least one car payment. The difference is even more astonishing for cars with very dissimilar gas mileage ratings. In the scenario above, if one car had a rating of 30 mpg and the other had a rating of 10 mpg, the cost difference would be nearly $2,000. Check out some of the other similar calculators like the MPG Calculator and the Drive to a Cheaper Gas Station Calculator How to Calculate Gas Mileage Comparison Let's be honest - sometimes the best gas mileage comparison calculator is the one that is easy to use and doesn't require us to even know what the gas mileage comparison formula is in the first place! But if you want to know the exact formula for calculating gas mileage comparison then please check out the "Formula" box above. |