Calculate the exact fuel cost of any journey — road trip, daily commute or one-off trip — by distance, your car's MPG and today's pump price.
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Enter your journey details to calculate the fuel cost.
Track your actual fuel economy. A good OBD2 scanner plugs into your car and shows real-time MPG, fuel trim and fault codes — far more accurate than the car's estimate.
Litres needed = distance in miles ÷ MPG × 4.546 (litres per gallon). Cost = litres × fuel price per litre. If travelling in km: convert to miles first (÷ 1.609). For L/100km figures: convert to MPG = 282.5 ÷ L/100km. UK pump prices are typically quoted in pence per litre — check GasPrices.co.uk for live local prices.
The UK average is approximately 36–42 MPG for modern petrol cars and 45–55 MPG for modern diesel cars in real-world driving (not manufacturer figures). Small city cars achieve 45–60 MPG. SUVs typically get 28–38 MPG. Hybrids in mixed driving can reach 50–70 MPG. Manufacturer figures (WLTP) tend to be 10–20% better than real-world figures — use your own fill-up data with our MPG calculator for accuracy.
The biggest gains come from: driving smoothly (no harsh acceleration or braking), maintaining correct tyre pressure (under-inflation adds 3-4% fuel use), removing roof boxes/bike racks when not in use (adds 10-20% drag at motorway speeds), using cruise control on motorways, and avoiding excessive idling. Correct engine servicing (fresh oil, new air filter, new spark plugs) can add 5-10% MPG.