A lot of people find themselves needing to top their car up with gas several times per week. But how many gallons of gas does a car hold? Read on to discover everything you need to know.
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How Many Gallons Of Gas Does The Average Car Hold?
The size of your gas tank will depend on the size of your vehicle. For example, a small car will typically hold around 12 gallons of gas, whereas large vehicles can hold as much as 15 gallons of gas, and sometimes even more.
It is important to remember that the capacity of your gas tank does not have much to do with MPG. The bigger the tank, the more miles you are going to be able to drive before you need to stop for fuel. However, this is not going to have any impact on your fuel mileage, so do keep this in mind.
Plus, the weight of the gas tank is going to increase when it is larger. It could be more efficient to make the tank smaller yet increase the MPG slightly, as opposed to going for a big tank. You want to make sure it weighs as little as possible to enhance fuel efficiency.
What size is an average car fuel tank?
The average gasoline tank capacity is between 13 and 16 gallons. For example, a Ford Focus holds 13.5 gallons of gas, the Hyundai Elantra will hold 14 gallons of gas, and the Mazda 3 can have a tank between 14.9 and 15.9 gallons, depending on the model.
Car reserve tank capacity
In the majority of vehicles, the low fuel warning light will be triggered whenever the gas tank reaches reserve levels. The reserve fuel level tends to be between 10 and 15 percent of the actual tank capacity.
Let’s look at the 2013 Toyota Corolla as an example. This vehicle can hold 13.2 gallons. So, with a 10 percent reserve, you would have 1.3 gallons left in your fuel tank when the light comes on. This equates to 37.7 miles when you use the vehicle’s average MPG estimates.
Engine Size Vs. Fuel Capacity
The larger the size of the engine, the more space there is for fuel and air inside it.
The size of your engine will be determined based on the volume (amount of space) there is in an engine’s cylinders. This is where the mixture of air and fuel is ignited to create the energy that is needed to turn the wheels.
Cumulatively, the volume between all of the cylinders will determine the size of the engine.
The number of cylinders within an engine also differs considerably, ranging from two to 12 cylinders. We have even seen some cars that have 16 cylinders. However, the higher numbers tend to be associated with large UTEs and supercars.
Generally, the smaller the size of the engine, the smaller the engine capacity, and therefore, the more fuel-efficient your vehicle is going to be.
Let’s take a look at the average size of gas tanks based on engine size to get a better understanding:
How many gallons of gas does a 2-cylinder car hold?
A two-cylinder vehicle will typically hold around 11 – 12 gallons of gas. Examples of two-cylinder cars include:
- 2018 Morgan 3 Wheeler
- Volkswagen XL Sport
- 2014 Alfa Romeo Mito
- Maruti Suzuki Celerio
- Tata Nano.
How many gallons of gas does a 4-cylinder car hold?
A four-cylinder vehicle will typically hold around 14 – 15 gallons of gas.
Examples of four-cylinder cars include:
- Ford Mustang EcoBoost
- Honda Civic Type R
- Subaru WRX STI 305-HP
- Chevrolet Malibu
- Honda Accord.
How many gallons of gas does a 6-cylinder car hold?
A six-cylinder vehicle will typically hold around 15 – 16 gallons of gas.
Examples of six-cylinder cars include:
- 1996 Ford F-150 XL
- 207 BMW 335i
- 1993 – 2002 Toyota Supra Mk
- Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio
- Ford Taurus SHO.
How many gallons of gas does an 8-cylinder car hold?
An eight-cylinder vehicle will typically hold 16 gallons of gas or more.
Examples of eight-cylinder cars include:
- Dodge HEMI Series
- Lotus Type 918
- Koenigsegg Spyker V8
- Ford Cosworth DFV
- Buick 215.
What Is The Highest Fuel Tank Capacity Car In Liters & Gallons?
You may be wondering what sort of vehicle is going to enable you to cover the most gas mileage without needing to top up your car. Larger cars tend to have a larger average gas tank size. Here are some of the best cars out there in terms of fuel tank capacity:
- Ford Expedition EL – 33.5 gallons
- GMC Yukon XL – 31 gallons
- Infiniti QX80 – 26 gallons
- Dodge Durango – 24.6 gallons
- Bently Bentayga – 22.5 gallons
- Audi Q7 – 22.5 gallons.
What Car Has Smallest Gas Tank?
There are a number of different makes and models of vehicles that have gas tanks on the smaller side. The Hyundai Ioniq Blue is a prime example. This vehicle has an 11.9-gallon fuel tank.
How Many Gallons Of Gas Does A Smart Car Hold?
Smart cars are known for being affordable, efficient, and reliable. They deliver excellent gas mileage of approximately 40 MPG. They also weigh less than virtually any other American car, weighing 700 pounds.
Considering the size of a Smart car, you would assume that the fuel tank is on the small side, since smaller cars generally have a smaller average gas tank size. You would be right; most Smart cars have a tank capacity of 8.7 gallons.
How Many Gallons Of Gas Does A Race Car Hold?
A race car’s gas tank will typically hold 22 gallons. To make sure that teams do not add additives, the gas comes from a central tank.
The gas cans used to refill race cars typically hold 11 gallons and weigh approximately 70 pounds when they are full.
