How much is a full tank of gas

Posted by6 years ago

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I'm not from Aussie and my hosts have been excellent towards me. Would like to repay them with gas for their car ideally. Any idea how much a full tank will cost? Because I'm not sure if it costs a chunk and i only have so much cash on me. It's a sedan with maybe 30 litres?

edit: Got me answers, thanks for the help!

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level 1

Now, this depends, is it actual gas? (LPG) or what everyone else in the world calls Petrol?

level 1

Average tank load is 60l. Petrol is about $1.20/l

level 2

My bad. Don't know where i got 30L from. But thanks!

level 1

Fuel capacity surely more like 50-60l , usually $60 , $70 full tank

level 1

I can fill my car's tank with 60 litres and it costs me between $65 and $80 depending on the fuel price... closer to the lower amount at the moment. $70 should cover it.

level 2

Update: Filled up yesterday, 62 litres came out to $72, less $2-ish for using the Coles docket. My car is a Holden Commodore VE.

level 1

I doubt the fuel tank is only 30 litres, 50 or 60 litres would be more likely. If it's petrol, not gas, you should be able to fill the tank from basically empty for about $65 (56L x $1.15)

level 1

I have a 45L tank, and just filled up at 109.9, so a little cheaper than everyone else here. I only have a small engine sedan though. I assume the other commenter have utes or something...

The prices consumers pay at gas stations to fill their tanks can vary depending on their vehicle type, which is why it’s essential to understand national averages. Let’s dive into what price you can expect at the pump based on the number of gallons your car can hold. 

Car

The amount of gas a car holds depends on the vehicle’s size. Smaller cars generally have gas tanks that hold 12 gallons, while larger cars can hold 15 or 16 gallons. Let’s say gas in your area costs $3.85 a gallon; that means a car with a 12-gallon tank costs $46.20 to fill up, while a larger car with a 15-gallon tank costs $57.75. Depending on your commute to work and how far you drive for other purposes, the amount you spend at the pump can put a significant dent in your wallet. If you fill up once a week (and that’s a low-end estimate for some), the amount you spend can vary. Over the course of a year, you’ll spend approximately $2,400 with a 12-gallon tank when filling it weekly, and a 15-gallon tank will run closer to $3,000.

Truck

Much like cars, the size of the gas tank in a truck depends on the size of the truck. Let’s say the tank holds 25 gallons. To fill it up, you’re looking at just under $100. Over the course of a year, you’ll spend well over $5,000. Keep in mind these numbers are based on filling up only once a week. The numbers also don’t account for vacation trips or other long commutes that you’re more than likely to experience throughout a year.

Motorcycle

Motorcycle tanks come in all different sizes. Some can be as little as a 2-gallon tank, while others can be as big as 8 gallons. Let’s say your bike holds 5 gallons. You’ll spend approximately $20 for each fill-up. Over the course of a year, your total comes out to just over $1,000. If your main objective is to save money at the pump, a motorcycle is one way to go (weather permitting).

Prices of regular unleaded petrol have risen by nearly 30 per cent in six months – and for drivers of larger cars across longer distances, it can add up.

Regular unleaded petrol now costs nearly 30 per cent more than it did six months ago, as the latest fuel price increases bite, despite a government excise cut designed to decrease the cost of living.

The average price of 91-octane unleaded across Australia today (22 June 2022) was $2.13 per litre (via FuelPrice Australia), an increase of 28 per cent over the price on 22 December 2021, just six months ago.

While 95-octane premium unleaded has 'only' (in relative terms) increased by 23 per cent over the same period, the higher-quality fuel costs more at the bowser, retailing for an average of $2.19 per litre across the country.

The near-30 per cent rise in regular unleaded prices has had – perhaps unsurprisingly – a discernible impact on the price shown on the bowser after each tank of fuel.

Using the 91-octane fuel mandated on the filler cap, a petrol Toyota Corolla hatchback now costs $106.69 to fill up from empty to full – an increase of $23.56 – while a 2.5-litre petrol all-wheel-drive Mazda CX-5 costs $123.76, up $27.33.

Averaged per kilometre – using the claimed, lab-tested fuel economy figure – both cars cost four cents more to run if driven in the city, for totals of 16 and 20 cents worth of fuel per kilometre.

Over a short trip to McDonalds or the supermarket, it will only cost about 21 to 27 cents more, assuming a 6km return distance.

But across a greater distance of about 40km – such as Bondi Junction to Blacktown in Sydney, Chadstone to Tullamarine in Melbourne, or Ipswich to the city in Brisbane – it grows to between about $1.40 and $1.80, for a total cost of about $6.40 to $8.10.

For drivers of less fuel efficient cars requiring premium fuel, the situation looks even worse, with increases per kilometre of five cents – or up nearly $2 over a longer drive.

A Hyundai i30 N hot hatch – which claims to consume 11.9L/100km of 95-octane fuel in the city, vs the Corolla's 7.5L/100km of 91-octane petrol – costs $0.26 per kilometre to fuel (up from $0.21 in December), and $10.42 to drive across our benchmark 40km urban stretch.

Meanwhile, a Nissan Patrol V8 petrol four-wheel-drive – with an urban 95-octane fuel consumption claim of 20.2L/100km – costs $0.44 per kilometre to fuel in the city, which can be extrapolated to $17.70 across a 40km urban drive.

The aforementioned McDonalds 'run' would cost $2.65 in petrol, up from $2.16 six months ago – now enough to buy a standard cheeseburger, or a small fries.

The record fuel prices come only halfway into the Federal Government's six-month 22.1-cent-per-litre fuel excise cut – likely to result in sticker shock for Australian motorists come September 28, when the excise on fuel returns to its usual 44.2c/L.

Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family.

Read more about Alex Misoyannis

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