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Gas Price Calculators

projectmayhemprojectmayhem Registered User regular
edited July 2008 in Help / Advice Forum
Basically, I am trying to find out how much, round trip, it will cost me in gas to drive from northwest arkansas to abilene texas.

I found http://www.geobytes.com/CityDistanceTool.htm and http://www.roadtripamerica.com/fuel-cost-calculator.php while searching for things, but I need to be 100% sure as possible.

I figure it's about 500 miles from Bentonville Arkansas to Abilene Texas with Gas averaging about 4$ a gallon. I will be driving a van that should get about 18-20 highway miles to the gallon. By my estimates I am looking at roughly 125$ one way.

Any help would be ever so fantastic.

projectmayhem on

Posts

  • TehSpectreTehSpectre Registered User regular
    edited July 2008
    H/A :arrow:

    TehSpectre on
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  • DevoutlyApatheticDevoutlyApathetic Registered User regular
    edited July 2008
    ..........I don't even understand what he's missing. 500/20=25 gallons a way, 100 dollars....

    DevoutlyApathetic on
    Nod. Get treat. PSN: Quippish
  • MendrianMendrian Registered User regular
    edited July 2008
    Basically, I am trying to find out how much, round trip, it will cost me in gas to drive from northwest arkansas to abilene texas.

    I found http://www.geobytes.com/CityDistanceTool.htm and http://www.roadtripamerica.com/fuel-cost-calculator.php while searching for things, but I need to be 100% sure as possible.

    I figure it's about 500 miles from Bentonville Arkansas to Abilene Texas with Gas averaging about 4$ a gallon. I will be driving a van that should get about 18-20 highway miles to the gallon.

    Any help would be ever so fantastic.

    Isn't this a pretty basic math problem?

    Assuming a worse case scenario, getting 18 MPG for 500 milles, that means you'll be using about 27.7 gallons of gas.

    At 4.15 a gallon (a relatively high price for gas), you're looking at about $116 as a worst case scenario.

    You can probably tack on another ten or so dollars in case your street driving is significant enough to warrant the extra mileage.

    Or is this problem more complicated than that?

    Mendrian on
  • ElkiElki get busy Moderator, ClubPA Mod Emeritus
    edited July 2008
    To H/A you go.

    Elki on
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  • Dr Mario KartDr Mario Kart Games Dealer Austin, TXRegistered User regular
    edited July 2008
    I've been hearing a lot lately about saving gas if you drive slower.

    "Once you get above 55 mph, almost all cars are losing fuel economy," said David Greene, an analyst with the U.S. Department of Energy. "It is going to decline about 7 to 8 percent per five miles of increased speed."

    From http://www.fueleconomy.gov

    On average, a car that gets 25 miles a gallon at 55 mph will get only about 21 miles a gallon at 65.

    Increase that car's speed to 75 mph, and its gas mileage could drop below 18 miles per gallon.

    That seems pretty significant.

    Dr Mario Kart on
  • projectmayhemprojectmayhem Registered User regular
    edited July 2008
    Whoops. That I was in H/A.

    Thanks for the post so far. Yes, it would seem a simple math problem but I...well, math is my lex luther.

    projectmayhem on
  • NatheoNatheo Registered User regular
    edited July 2008
    I've seen the results from these tests involving particular cars gas mileage at given speeds, but making a blanket statement like that just doesn't seem wise for them, to me.

    Saying something like "You get better gas mileage going 55 mph" seems to completely overlook each individual vehicles gearing, volumetric efficiency, etc.

    But I really don't want to derail this thread since I've been in this e-argument a thousand times. Anyways, figuring out the gas price for a trip is simple math. I'd estimate that your van will get about 12 mpg in town, and don't forget to include any driving around you'll be doing at your destination.

    Natheo on
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  • DevoutlyApatheticDevoutlyApathetic Registered User regular
    edited July 2008
    Yea, so this seems to indicate you shouldn't expect any major changes in gas prices along the way. So, 17 mpg, 500 miles is about 30 gallons, or around $120 each way. This was rounded up and using the worst numbers at each step but it's far better to get home with five gallons left than to be stuck a hundred miles away and broke...

    Edit: Also be aware of how much your tank holds and when you should expect to fill up. My first real road trip I had to go to a gas station in the middle of PA with gravel surrounding the pumps because otherwise I would have been stuck there. If you stop for food and go a little ways away from the interstate you also might find cheaper gas but if you don't know the area it's unlikely to be worth the difference in price.

    DevoutlyApathetic on
    Nod. Get treat. PSN: Quippish
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