How Cheaper Gas Detour Calculator Works?
This tool works by subtracting the fuel cost of driving to a cheaper station from the money saved at that station. The detour fuel is priced at 25 miles per gallon (MPG) and $3.60 per gallon.
Enter the price discount
Type how much less the cheaper station charges per gallon, for example $0.20.
Enter gallons pumped
Type the gallons you plan to buy, for example 12 gallons (45.4 L).
Enter detour miles
Type the extra round-trip miles to reach the station, for example 6 miles (9.7 km).
Read the net saving
A positive result means the trip pays off. A negative result means the detour costs more than it saves.
Cheaper Gas Detour Calculator Formula
The formula is Net Savings = (Discount × Gallons) − ((Detour Miles ÷ 25) × $3.60).
Net Savings = (Discount × Gallons) − ((Detour Miles ÷ 25 MPG) × $3.60)Formula variables
- Discount × Gallons
- Money saved at the cheaper pump.
- Detour Miles ÷ 25
- Gallons burned on the detour at 25 MPG.
- $3.60
- Fixed price per gallon for detour fuel.
Worked example
- Price Discount per Gal: $0.20/gal
- Gallons Pumped: 12 gal
- Detour Round-Trip Miles: 6 miles
- Pump saving: $0.20 × 12 = $2.40.
- Detour fuel: (6 ÷ 25) × $3.60 = $0.86.
- Net saving: $2.40 − $0.86 = $1.54.
Result: $1.54 ($ net savings)
The break-even detour in this example is 16.7 miles (26.8 km). Longer round trips cost more fuel than the $0.20 discount saves on 12 gallons.
Cheaper Gas Detour Calculator Conversion Table
The table shows net savings for 4 discounts and 4 detour distances, based on 12 gallons pumped.
Rows: Price Discount per Gal ($/gal). Columns: Detour Round-Trip Miles (miles). Cells: $ net savings.
| $/gal | 2 miles | 6 miles | 12 miles | 20 miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $0.05/gal | $0.31 | -$0.26 | -$1.13 | -$2.28 |
| $0.10/gal | $0.91 | $0.34 | -$0.53 | -$1.68 |
| $0.20/gal | $2.11 | $1.54 | $0.67 | -$0.48 |
| $0.30/gal | $3.31 | $2.74 | $1.87 | $0.72 |
Values held constant: Gallons Pumped = 12 gal.
A $0.05 discount with a 20-mile detour loses $2.28, while a $0.30 discount with a 2-mile detour saves $3.31.
What is Cheaper Gas Detour Calculator?
The Cheaper Gas Detour Calculator is a tool that shows whether driving to a cheaper gas station saves money after the extra fuel burned. The tool answers a common pump-side question.
Price apps show stations a few cents cheaper across town. The saving depends on the discount, the gallons bought, and the miles driven to get there.
The tool fixes the detour MPG at 25 and the price at $3.60 to keep inputs short. Time and wear add more cost on top of fuel.
What are the uses of Cheaper Gas Detour Calculator?
There are 4 main uses of the Cheaper Gas Detour Calculator: deciding on a station, testing price-app deals, planning warehouse club fill-ups, and setting a personal detour rule.
Deciding on a station
Drivers check whether a cheaper station is worth the drive.
Testing price-app deals
Drivers test deals from apps like GasBuddy before turning off.
Planning warehouse club fill-ups
Members check whether a club station is worth a special trip.
Setting a personal detour rule
Drivers set a maximum detour distance for a given discount.
Need every metric in one place? Open the main MPG Cost Calculator or browse all 101 fuel calculators.