Fuel Saving & Economy MPG

What is a good miles per gallon?

CheckFuelPrices Editorial Expert Written • 4 industry sources

Reviewed by Jonathan Mathews VERIFIED

LinkedIn Articles 5+ Yrs Peer Reviewed

For a petrol car, 40 MPG or above is generally considered good, while 50 MPG or more is excellent. Diesel cars typically return higher figures, and hybrids can exceed 60–70 MPG in mixed driving — but what counts as 'good' depends heavily on your vehicle type and how you drive.

MPG Benchmarks by Fuel Type

Petrol cars: A good real-world figure for a petrol car is 35–45 MPG for an average family hatchback. Anything above 50 MPG is considered excellent for a petrol engine. 2

Diesel cars: Diesel engines are more fuel-efficient by nature. A good diesel figure is 45–55 MPG, with efficient models capable of exceeding 60 MPG on longer runs. 2

Hybrid cars: Full hybrids and plug-in hybrids can achieve 60–80 MPG in mixed driving, though real-world figures depend significantly on how much electric-only driving is involved. 3

Manufacturer figures vs reality: Official manufacturer MPG figures are measured under lab conditions and are typically 10–25% higher than what drivers achieve in the real world. 2

What Affects Your MPG

Driving style: Smooth acceleration and early gear changes are the single biggest factors under your control. Harsh braking and rapid acceleration can reduce MPG by 20% or more. 4

Speed: Fuel consumption rises sharply above 60 mph. Driving at 70 mph uses up to 9% more fuel than at 60 mph, and up to 15% more than at 50 mph. 3

Vehicle size and age: Larger, heavier vehicles naturally return lower MPG. Older engines without modern efficiency technology will also underperform compared to newer equivalents.

Tyre pressure and load: Under-inflated tyres increase rolling resistance and can reduce fuel economy noticeably. Removing unnecessary weight from the boot also helps. 4

How Fuel Price Changes the Equation

MPG matters more when prices are high: The higher fuel prices are, the more difference each MPG makes to your running costs. A car achieving 50 MPG instead of 40 MPG saves around £350 a year at typical UK pump prices. 1

Compare pump prices to maximise savings: Even with the same MPG, paying less per litre makes a significant difference over a year. CheckFuelPrices shows live prices at 4,000+ UK stations so you can fill up at the cheapest local option. 1