It's one of the most searched fuel questions in the UK — and the answer depends on two things: what you're paying per litre and how efficient your car is. With petrol currently averaging around 161.6p per litre across the UK, here is exactly how far £10 of petrol will take you in different types of car.
How far will £10 of petrol get me? Quick answer by car type
At current UK petrol prices of around 161.6p per litre, £10 buys you approximately 6.2 litres of petrol. Here is how far that takes you in different types of car:
| Car type | Typical MPG | Miles per £10 |
|---|---|---|
| Small city car (e.g. Vauxhall Corsa, VW Polo) | 50 MPG | 51 miles |
| Family hatchback (e.g. Ford Focus, VW Golf) | 40 MPG | 41 miles |
| Family saloon (e.g. Ford Mondeo, Vauxhall Insignia) | 35 MPG | 36 miles |
| SUV (e.g. Nissan Qashqai, Kia Sportage) | 30 MPG | 31 miles |
| Large SUV / 4x4 (e.g. Range Rover, BMW X5) | 22 MPG | 23 miles |
| Van (e.g. Ford Transit, VW Transporter) | 25 MPG | 26 miles |
How is this calculated?
The maths is straightforward. At 161.6p per litre, £10 buys 6.41 litres of petrol (£10 ÷ £1.56). To convert litres to miles, multiply by your MPG and divide by 4.546 (the number of litres in a UK gallon):
Miles = (Litres ÷ 4.546) × MPG
For a 40 MPG car: (6.41 ÷ 4.546) × 40 = 56.4 miles — wait, that doesn't match the table above. The difference is because real-world MPG is typically 10-15% lower than official figures. A car rated at 40 MPG in lab conditions will typically achieve 34-36 MPG in real-world driving. The table above uses real-world MPG estimates.
How far will £10 of petrol go at different prices?
Petrol prices vary significantly across the UK — by as much as 15p per litre between the cheapest and most expensive nearby stations. Here is how that affects how far £10 takes you in a 40 MPG car:
| Price per litre | Litres for £10 | Miles (40 MPG) |
|---|---|---|
| 144p (cheapest stations) | 6.94L | 61 miles |
| 150p (supermarket average) | 6.67L | 59 miles |
| 161.6p (national average) | 6.41L | 56 miles |
| 163p (branded stations) | 6.13L | 54 miles |
| 185p (motorway services) | 5.41L | 48 miles |
The difference between filling up at the cheapest local station vs a motorway service station is 13 miles per £10 spent — or around £2.40 per 100 miles.
How far will £10 of diesel get me?
Diesel currently averages around 188p per litre in the UK, making it significantly more expensive per litre than petrol. However diesel engines are generally more fuel efficient, which partially offsets the higher price.
| Car type | Typical MPG | Miles per £10 |
|---|---|---|
| Small diesel (e.g. VW Golf TDI) | 55 MPG | 42 miles |
| Family diesel (e.g. Ford Focus TDCi) | 45 MPG | 34 miles |
| Diesel SUV (e.g. BMW X3, VW Tiguan) | 38 MPG | 29 miles |
What is the cheapest way to make £10 of fuel go further?
1. Find the cheapest petrol near you
The single biggest difference you can make is choosing where you fill up. Use Save at the Pump to find the cheapest petrol or diesel within your chosen radius — updated every hour from official Government data. In most areas, consistently using the cheapest nearby station saves the equivalent of 5-10 extra miles per £10 spent.
2. Drive more efficiently
Smooth acceleration, anticipating traffic and keeping to 60mph on motorways instead of 70mph can improve real-world fuel economy by 10-15%. Read our 15 MPG improvement tips for the full guide. You can also track whether petrol prices are rising or falling using our live fuel price chart — helpful for deciding whether to fill up now or wait.
3. Keep tyres properly inflated
Under-inflated tyres increase rolling resistance and fuel consumption by 1-3%. Check tyre pressure monthly — it takes two minutes and costs nothing.
4. Avoid motorway services
As the table above shows, filling up at a motorway service station instead of a supermarket costs you around 13 miles per £10. Read our guide on why motorway fuel is so expensive and how to avoid it.
5. Use the Worth the Drive Calculator
Before driving to a cheaper station, use our Worth the Drive Calculator to check whether the saving outweighs the fuel cost of getting there. At current prices, driving more than 3-4 miles each way to save 8p per litre on a small top-up often doesn't break even.
How do I know my car's MPG?
Your car's official MPG figure is in the handbook or on the manufacturer's website. However official figures are measured in lab conditions — real-world MPG is typically 10-20% lower. The most accurate way to calculate your actual MPG is to fill up completely, reset your trip meter, drive normally, then fill up again. Divide the miles driven by the litres used (multiplied by 0.2199 to convert to gallons) to get your true MPG.
Our Worth the Drive Calculator lets you enter your real-world MPG to get accurate fuel cost calculations.
Related guides
- Annual fuel cost calculator — how much do you spend on petrol per year?
- UK petrol and diesel price chart — track historic fuel prices
- How to improve your MPG — 15 proven tips
- Hypermiling — how to double your MPG
- E10 compatibility checker — is your car compatible?
- Find the cheapest petrol near you — live map
- UK fuel prices by region today
- Why fuel prices rise fast but fall slowly