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If you've been shopping for a new or used car, you've probably seen the term MPG on vehicle listings, reviews and manufacturer websites. But what does MPG actually mean, and why is it important when choosing a car?
MPG stands for Miles Per Gallon and is used to measure how efficiently a vehicle uses fuel. Put simply, the higher the MPG figure, the further a car can travel using the same amount of petrol or diesel.
Understanding MPG can help you compare vehicles, estimate running costs and choose a car that suits your budget.
Eden Motor Group are the experts in wranging this number into something that makes sense to you!
MPG stands for Miles Per Gallon.
It measures how many miles a vehicle can travel using one imperial gallon of fuel.
In the UK:
For example:
| MPG | Fuel Efficiency |
| 30 MPG | Lower efficiency |
| 50 MPG | Good efficiency |
| 70 MPG | Excellent efficiency |
MPG gives drivers a quick way to compare fuel efficiency between vehicles and estimate how much they are likely to spend on fuel.
A higher MPG figure can mean:
MPG can also indirectly affect the amount of Vehicle Excise Duty (road tax) and company car tax you pay. This is because vehicles that use more fuel typically produce higher CO₂ emissions, which are used to determine many tax bands and Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) rates.
For drivers covering high annual mileage, choosing a car with strong fuel economy can save hundreds of pounds each year in running costs.
A small city car such as the Hyundai i10 has an official figure of around 67mpg. If you are looking at plug-in hybrid cars such as a Vauxhall Astra or MG HS then it gets a little more complicated, as the official MPG figure includes some driving with electric assistance. This means it may look unusually high – an Astra’s official combined MPG is 256, for example.
Traditionally, diesel cars have offered better fuel economy than petrol models.
For example:
However, modern petrol, hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles have significantly narrowed the gap. When comparing vehicles, it's important to look beyond MPG alone and consider:
Let's use a practical example. Imagine:
One gallon contains 4.546 litres.
Cost of one gallon: £1.35 × 4.546 = £6.14
At 50 MPG: £6.14 ÷ 50 = 12.3p per mile
If you drive 10,000 miles per year:
10,000 × 12.3p = £1,230 annual fuel cost
This simple calculation can help compare running costs between different vehicles.
Obviously pure electric cars like the MG4 or Hyundai Kona Electric don’t use petrol or diesel at all, but it is still possible to compare the fuel efficiency using official, independently tested figures. The most common measure is miles per kWh (m/kWh) which measures the distance travelled using one kilowatt of energy. This can be worked out easily by dividing the official WLTP range figure by the battery size. Again, if you need any help understanding the figures then just ask an Eden expert.
MPG stands for Miles Per Gallon. It shows how many miles a car can travel using one gallon of petrol or diesel.
Yes. A higher MPG means the car uses less fuel to travel the same distance, which can help reduce your fuel costs.
For most modern cars, 40 to 50 MPG is good, while anything above 50 MPG is very efficient. Smaller cars and hybrids usually achieve higher MPG than larger SUVs.
Your real MPG can be affected by driving style, traffic, weather, tyre pressure, vehicle weight and whether you mostly drive in town or on motorways.
MPG does not directly decide road tax, but it is linked to CO2 emissions. Cars that use more fuel usually produce more CO2, and CO2 emissions are used to calculate Vehicle Excise Duty for many vehicles.
Electric cars do not use MPG because they do not run on petrol or diesel. Instead, efficiency is usually measured in miles per kWh, which shows how far the car can travel using one kilowatt hour of electricity.
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