Gas mileage should be an important consideration when buying a
car. Your fuel costs can differ by hundreds or even thousands of
dollars each year, depending on the vehicle and the distances
you drive. Gas mileage is determined by how many miles a car can
operate on one gallon of gas, usually abbreviated MPG (M-P-G),
or miles per gallon. If the miles per gallon are high, the
vehicle gets 'good' gas mileage. If the miles are low, it gets
'bad' gas mileage. New-car stickers indicate two separate
figures regarding the MPG of each automobile: the first number
is gas mileage when driving in the city; the second number is
gas mileage on the highway. The highway gas mileage is usually
higher because there are less starts and stops that reduce fuel
efficiency. Both numbers are based on the average miles per
gallon for each vehicle, so the gas mileage of each car may
differ somewhat from the posted figures. In general, the size,
weight, and transmission of the vehicle determine the gas
mileage. Smaller cars typically h