How to calculate mileage

Vehicle mileage is the distance travelled divided by the fuel consumed. Enter the kilometres driven and litres of petrol or diesel used to calculate your vehicle's fuel efficiency in km/l.

Example mileage calculation

If a car travels 300 km using 20 litres of fuel, its estimated mileage is 300 ÷ 20 = 15 km/l. For a more representative figure, calculate mileage over several trips rather than relying on one short journey.

Use mileage to estimate fuel cost

Knowing your km/l makes trip planning easier. Use your result with the Fuel Cost Calculator to estimate petrol or diesel expenses, or use the Trip Cost Calculator for a broader road-trip estimate.

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Measure real-world mileage accurately

The basic formula is distance travelled in kilometres ÷ fuel consumed in litres = km/L. For example, if you travel 420 km and use 28 litres, your mileage is 420 ÷ 28 = 15 km/L.

Tank-to-tank method

Fill the tank to the same pump's first automatic cut-off when practical; avoid repeatedly topping up.

Reset the trip meter and drive normally.

Refill using the same method and record the litres added and distance travelled.

Divide distance by litres. Repeat over several fills to smooth out small measurement differences.

Short trips, traffic, tyre pressure, driving style, load, weather and fuel-pump variation can affect the result. A dashboard estimate may differ from a tank-to-tank calculation. To estimate fuel expenditure for a planned route, use the Fuel Cost Calculator.