How to Compare Gas Mileage for a Van
Every mile per gallon you can save in fuel by buying the right van will be dollars in your pocket. What vans provide in storage space and versatility, they quickly give up in fuel economy when compared smaller, lighter, more aerodynamic vehicles. With gas prices skyrocketing--rising every time they've appeared to drop in recent history--fuel economy can make or break your personal or company budget.
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Instructions
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Manual Estimates
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Fill the van's gas tank completely and reset the odometer.
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Drive for as long as possible under what you'd consider to be average conditions. If you expect to do a lot of commuting in rush-hour traffic, you should drive the van during rush hour for this test. If you expect to do a lot of highway driving, stick to the highway. You can also conduct this test more than once, staying in the city one time, and moving out to the highway for the next. The farther you drive, the more accurate your gas mileage estimate will be.
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3
Return to the same gas station by the exact route you took away from it, or as close as you can manage. This is important because it ensures you'll be traveling back up every hill you came down, or down every hill you initially went up, and it keeps extended uphill or downhill travel from skewing your gas mileage.
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Write down the mileage on the odometer. Fill the van's gas tank again and note how many gallons it takes. Divide the miles driven by the gallons used to get your estimate of miles per gallon in that particular vehicle under those particular conditions.
Go Online
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Point your browser to FuelEconomy.gov, the direct link to current EPA estimates for all vehicles sold in the United States.
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Search for the vehicles you drive by model year and class (full-size van or minivan).
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Compare the EPA estimates for fuel efficiency against the actual numbers you got in your test drives. This will give you an idea of how your driving style translates the EPA estimates into actual numbers. You can also use the EPA website to research estimated MPG for vehicles you haven't had a chance to drive.
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Tips & Warnings
Most, but not all, contemporary vehicles have a trip computer that will calculate average miles per gallon for you. Just reset the trip computer instead of (or in addition to) the odometer before your test drive. Then check the trip computer at the end of the drive.
