Guides
Practical answers about fuel tanks, range and fill-ups, plus rankings built from our data.
How to Find Your Car's Gas Tank SizeThe owner's manual, a quick lookup, the window sticker, or a fill-up from the low-fuel light: where to find your fuel tank capacity and which source to trust.
Why the Pump Never Puts In Your Tank's Full CapacityEven with the fuel light on, a fill-up comes in under the rated tank size. Reserve fuel, the filler neck and the pump's auto shut-off explain the gap.
How Far Can You Go on a Tank of Gas?Range is tank size times miles per gallon. How to work it out for a full or partial tank, and why the number on the trip computer runs short.
How Far Can You Drive Once the Gas Light Comes On?There's no universal number. How to find your own car's reserve, what the distance-to-empty readout really means, and why running on fumes is a bad habit.
How Much Does It Cost to Fill Up a Gas Tank?Gallons times price per gallon, with a worked example, and why a normal fill-up costs less than a full tank from empty.
Regular or Premium: Which Gas Does Your Car Need?Octane is about knock resistance, not power or cleanliness. What 'premium required' and 'premium recommended' mean, and when regular is fine.
Flex-Fuel and E85: What Changes, and What Doesn'tA flex-fuel vehicle can burn E85, gasoline or any mix of the two. The tank stays the same size, but range on E85 drops.
Tank Size in Gallons and Liters (and Imperial Gallons)Convert fuel tank capacity between US gallons, liters and UK imperial gallons, with a reference table of common tank sizes.
Why the Same Model Can Have Different Gas Tank SizesCab and bed length, engine, drive type and optional long-range tanks can all change the fuel tank within one model year. Real examples from our data.
The Biggest Gas Tanks You Can BuyRecent cars, trucks and SUVs ranked by their largest available fuel tank, with sizes in gallons and liters.
Cars With the Smallest Gas TanksRecent models ranked by their smallest fuel tank. Plug-in hybrids and small economy cars lead the list.
Which Vehicles Go the Farthest on a Tank?Recent models ranked by EPA highway range on a full tank. Big-tank trucks and efficient hybrids both make the list.
Do Hybrids Get Smaller Gas Tanks?Side-by-side tank sizes for recent models sold in both gas and hybrid versions. Sometimes smaller, often the same.
Do Diesel Trucks Get Bigger Fuel Tanks?Tank sizes for diesel and gas versions of the same recent trucks and SUVs. They're closer than most people think.
Plug-In Hybrid Gas Tank Sizes: Small Tanks, Long TripsWhy plug-in hybrids carry smaller gas tanks, how far they go once the battery is used up, and the tank on every recent plug-in.
When Should You Fill Up?Why a lot of drivers refuel at a quarter tank, how to plan stops on a road trip, and what to do with the tank before storing a car.