• The higher the MPG, the more efficient your car is, and the cheaper it'll be to keep it fueled.
• To determine how a change in gas prices will affect your budget, take the number of miles you expect to drive in a week (or a month, or a year) and divide it by your MPG. Then multiply that answer by the price of gas per gallon. By plugging in different prices, you'll see how much more - or less - you end up paying per week (or per month, or per year).
• Try calculating your MPG more than once to get a more accurate measurement. If you did more highway driving than normal, then your MPG will be a little higher. On the flip side, if you did a little extra city (stop and go) driving, your MPG will be lower.
• You can use the MPG to experiment with ways to increase fuel efficiency. For example, if you normally drive at an average of 70 MPH, then after calculating your MPG, try driving at 55 MPH and measure your MPG again - you'll probably see it go up.

Warnings

• Mileage will vary with different driving patterns, the less braking and acceleration will lead to better mileage. You will see higher mileage when taking highway trips than you will after a week of driving back and forth to work on city streets.

Sources and Citations

• FuelEconomy.gov - Find out the EPA Fuel Economy ratings for new and used vehicles, and learn more about how you can improve your MPG.
• Stop Static Report - A report issued by the Petroleum Equipment Institute regarding the recent rise in static-related gas station fires.
• TrackYourGasMileage.com - Keep a track of your vehicle's gas mileage.
• GasDandy - GasDandy is an easy-to-use tool that tracks a vehicle’s mileage and maintenance information, providing data that can be used for both business and personal purposes. By making these figures readily available, the program also gives the consumer the opportunity to save money and to proactively identify problems that can shorten the life of their vehicle(s). Download a free trial version of GasDandy today.

This article was orignally posted here.