Definition

Noun A unit of measurement that expresses the fuel efficiency of a vehicle. It indicates the number of miles a vehicle can travel using one gallon of fuel (gasoline or diesel).

Usage

This term is used to quantify and compare the fuel economy of motor vehicles. A higher number indicates better fuel efficiency (the vehicle travels further on the same amount of fuel).

Examples

• Noun:
  • The new hybrid car gets an impressive 55 miles per gallon on the highway.
  • When shopping for a used truck, always check its average miles per gallon.
  • Official miles per gallon figures are often higher than real-world driving results.

Advanced Usage

• "to get [number] mpg": This is the most common construction for stating a vehicle's fuel efficiency.
  • My compact sedan gets about 35 mpg in the city.
• "mpg rating": Refers to the official fuel efficiency figure assigned to a vehicle, often by a government agency.
  • The car's combined mpg rating is 42.

Variants and Related Words

• MPG: The standard abbreviation for "miles per gallon."
  • The sticker on the window shows the car's MPG.
• Fuel economy: A more general term for the relationship between distance traveled and fuel consumed.
• L/100km (liters per 100 kilometers): The metric unit for measuring fuel consumption, commonly used outside the United States. It is the inverse of miles per gallon (a lower L/100km number indicates better efficiency).

Synonyms

• Fuel efficiency: The general ability of a vehicle to use fuel effectively.
• Gas mileage: An informal synonym commonly used in everyday speech.
  • What's the gas mileage like on this model?

Related Phrases

• Miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe): A unit of measurement used for electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles to compare their energy consumption to that of traditional gasoline vehicles.

Noun

1. the distance traveled in a vehicle powered by one gallon of gasoline or diesel fuel