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Fuel Economy / MPG Check

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Fuel Economy and MPG Check

Enter a UK registration to see the recorded combined, urban and extra-urban MPG figures, and compare running costs before you buy, not after.

UK number plate inputFast checkoutClear report itemTrusted data sources
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Fuel economyGeneral comparison figure
Urban MPGLower-speed test context
Extra urbanHigher-speed test context
UK reg inputStart with the vehicle registration.
Focused report itemFuel Economy / MPG Check selected.
Fast checkoutBuilt to reduce checkout steps.
Trusted dataUses DVLA and DVSA source data where available.

Check MPG by registration

Enter the registration and the check returns the recorded fuel consumption figures held against that vehicle specification, alongside fuel type and engine size.

What the three MPG figures mean

Urban

Stop-start driving, low speeds, frequent gear changes. This is the lowest of the three and the one that matters most if your driving is short local journeys.

Extra-urban

Steadier, higher-speed running. This is the highest of the three and the one sellers tend to quote.

Combined

A weighted blend of the two. It is the figure used for comparison between cars, and the one to use when you are deciding between two vehicles.

Official figures and real-world figures are not the same

MPG figures come from a laboratory test cycle, not from the road. Older cars were tested under the NEDC cycle, which tended to produce optimistic numbers. Newer cars were tested under WLTP, which is stricter and lands closer to reality.

That matters when you compare two cars of different ages. A car tested under the older cycle can look more economical on paper than a newer one that is actually better on fuel. Compare like with like, or treat the older figure as the more generous of the two.

What moves real MPG away from the recorded figure

  • Short journeys from cold, where the engine never reaches efficient running temperature
  • Motorway speed, which costs more fuel than most drivers expect
  • Roof bars, towing and a loaded boot
  • Under-inflated tyres, and tyres of a different size or rating to the original
  • Condition, including a clogged air filter, tired injectors or a partly blocked diesel particulate filter
  • Driving style, which moves the number more than any of the above

Turning MPG into an annual running cost

The figure on its own decides nothing. What decides it is your mileage. Take your real annual mileage, divide by the combined MPG to get gallons, and convert to litres to reach an annual fuel cost at the pump price you actually pay.

Run that calculation on both cars you are choosing between. On a high-mileage year the gap between two similar vehicles can be worth more than the difference in their asking prices. On a low-mileage year it can be small enough to ignore, in which case buy the better car.

MPG, emissions and tax are three separate records

Fuel economy, CO2 output and the tax band are related but they are not the same field and they do not always move together. A car emissions check returns the CO2 figure and Euro standard. A car tax check returns the current tax status and expiry. Read all three before you call a car cheap to run.

MPG is recorded against the specification, not the individual car

The figure belongs to the model variant, not to the specific vehicle in front of you. Two cars on the same plate year can carry different figures if the engine, transmission or wheel size differs, so confirm the exact variant with a car spec check before comparing.

Fuel type changes what the figure is worth

Diesel usually returns the highest combined figure and holds it best on long runs, but it suffers on short cold journeys and carries the filter maintenance that comes with them. Petrol gives up some economy and asks for less. A petrol hybrid returns its best figures in town, which is the reverse of diesel, so a hybrid bought for motorway work often disappoints. An electric vehicle has no MPG figure at all and is costed on pence per mile instead.

Match the fuel type to the driving you actually do rather than to the highest number on the page. A diesel bought for a five mile commute will cost more to run than the figure suggests, not less.

Data availability

Fuel consumption figures are not held for every vehicle. Older cars, some imports and certain low-volume variants may return no figure. Where a value cannot be returned the result shows Not available rather than an estimate.

Compare running cost before you choose the car

Fuel is the cost you pay every week, so it is worth settling before the test drive rather than after the purchase. Check the asking price against the market with a valuation check, and run the history at the same time with the full pre-purchase check.

Compliance line

REGUP reports are data checks from available DVLA and DVSA sources, with trusted provider data for premium checks. Not legal, financial or mechanical advice. REGUP is not DVLA, DVSA or GOV.UK.

Fuel Economy / MPG Check FAQs

How do I check the MPG of a car by registration?

Enter the registration at the top of this page. The check returns the recorded combined, urban and extra-urban fuel consumption figures held against that vehicle specification.

Why is my real MPG lower than the recorded figure?

The recorded figures come from a laboratory test cycle rather than the road. Driving style, short cold journeys, motorway speed, load and vehicle condition all move the real number below it.

Which MPG figure should I use when comparing two cars?

Use the combined figure. It is the weighted blend of urban and extra-urban and it is the number intended for comparison between vehicles.

What is the difference between NEDC and WLTP figures?

They are two different laboratory test cycles. NEDC was used on older cars and tended to produce optimistic numbers. WLTP is stricter and sits closer to real-world results, so figures from the two are not directly comparable.

Why does my result say Not available?

Fuel consumption figures are not held for every vehicle. Older cars, some imports and certain low-volume variants return no figure, and REGUP shows Not available rather than an estimate.

Does MPG affect my road tax?

Not directly. Vehicle tax is calculated from CO2 output and registration date rather than fuel consumption, although the two usually move in the same direction.

Compare MPG before choosing the car

Review the supplied figures, estimate your own mileage and budget for real-world use rather than relying on the headline number.

Check MPG →
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