Weather-adjusted fuel cost calculator
Estimate fuel use and cost from your vehicle, route distance, expected conditions, and the price at the pump.
This free calculator compares what a drive would cost in label conditions with what it may cost in the weather you expect. Use it to budget a road trip and to see which conditions make the biggest difference for your vehicle.
What you enter
- Vehicle. Pick a common car, SUV or truck, such as the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, Subaru Outback, Toyota Prius, Volkswagen Jetta, Ford F-150 EcoBoost, Chevrolet Suburban or Ram 2500 Cummins Diesel. City and highway fuel economy fill in automatically, and you can edit them.
- Distance and fuel price. Enter the length of the trip and what you expect to pay at the pump.
- Weather conditions. Choose dry, rain or snow, then set the outside temperature and the headwind or tailwind you expect.
What you get
- An estimated trip cost for the conditions you entered, next to a baseline cost for label conditions.
- Your estimated fuel economy for the trip, in mpg or L/100 km.
- A list of what is changing your cost, such as a cold engine, air conditioning in hot weather, headwind drag, a tailwind, or a wet or snowy road.
- A one-line summary of the extra cost, or the saving, compared with label conditions.
How to read the results
The baseline is what the trip would cost if your vehicle matched its rating. The weather-adjusted figure is an estimate for the inputs you chose. It does not include traffic, elevation gain or fuel quality, so leave room in your budget. Prices also change from station to station along a route.
Example
The calculator opens with a Honda CR-V on a 600-mile trip at $3.50 per gallon, on a dry day at 70°F with no wind. Those inputs are close to label conditions, so the estimate is about $62, the same as the baseline. Lower the temperature, add a headwind or switch the road to snow, and the calculator shows how much each change adds to the cost.
Tips to keep fuel costs down in bad weather
- Check tire pressure when tires are cold and use the pressure your vehicle maker recommends.
- Remove roof boxes and racks you do not need for the trip.
- Combine short errands so the engine spends less time cold.
- On windy days, compare departure times; the wind on your route can change over a few hours.
Common questions
Does cold weather really make a car use more fuel?
Yes. A cold engine, longer warm-up and heater use all add to fuel use. Set a colder temperature in the calculator to see the effect for your vehicle.
Does the calculator work for diesel vehicles?
Yes. Choose a diesel vehicle from the list. Diesel engines respond to cold a little differently from gasoline engines, and the estimate accounts for that.
What about electric vehicles?
EVs need a different estimate that considers the battery and cabin heating. Use the cold-weather EV range calculator instead.
Can I see the cost for my actual route?
Yes. Plan a trip with your route, vehicle and departure time to review the forecast along the way. Fuel analysis features vary by plan.
Add your route, vehicle and departure time to review the forecast for your own drive.
See how a trip plan comes together.
Explore a saved route, inspect its weather, or compare recorded EV departure estimates.
Saved examples, not current forecasts. Exploring a demo does not use your trip allowance.