*The values used in this article are as of 2022-2023.
In this article, we’ll examine whether 22 MPG, or 10.69 L/100 km, is a reasonable fuel economy for a general automobile, and then we will discuss 22 MPG for specific vehicle types.
The focus will be on combined fuel economy. We will, however, briefly discuss city and highway fuel economy.
Is 22 MPG Good?
For the average passenger vehicle, 22 miles per gallon is a slightly below-average gas mileage. A car with 22 MPG gets 4.35% less gas mileage than the median car, which gets 23 MPG. For specific vehicle types, 22 MPG is good for large SUVs, pickup trucks, sports cars, and full-size sedans.
The table below shows how good 22 MPG is for different types of vehicles.
| Vehicle Type | Median Fuel Economy | 22 MPG is | 22 MPG/Median Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All Automobiles | 23 | Somewhat Acceptable | – 4.35% |
| Sedan | 28 | Very Bad | – 21.43% |
| Small SUV | 27 | Very Bad | – 18.52% |
| Large SUV | 21 | Standard | + 4.76% |
| Sports Cars | 19 | Good | + 15.79% |
| Pickup Truck | 18 | Excellent | + 22.22% |
As we can see in this chart, 22 MPG is above the 50th percentile for 6 of the major vehicle categories: full-size SUVs, full-size pickup trucks, sports cars (coupes), mid-size pickup trucks, mid-size SUVs, and full-size sedans.
The median is a better measure of assessing whether or not 22 MPG is good. Electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids can significantly inflate average gas mileage values.
For example, we calculated that the average MPG for a pickup truck is 20.6 miles per gallon. However, 20.6 MPG is above the 70th percentile for all pickup trucks. That means for every 10 pickup trucks, 7 get lower gas mileage than the average of 20.6.
The median MPG, or 50th percentile, much better reconciles the large efficiency gap between electric and gas-powered vehicles.
22 MPG City
22 MPG in the city is considered good. It is 2 MPG, or 10% better than the gas mileage of the median car (50th percentile), which gets average gas mileage of 20 MPG in the city.
However, for a car with a regenerative braking system, 22 MPG in the city is slightly substandard. The 50th percentile city fuel economy for a hybrid (MHEV/HEV) is 23 MPG.
Typically, city fuel economy is lower than highway fuel economy. Full-hybrid cars, on the other hand, are often more efficient in the city than on the highway because of regenerative braking systems.
22 MPG Highway
22 MPG on the highway is a poor fuel economy. It is considerably lower than the 50th percentile of highway fuel economy, which is 27 MPG. That’s a difference of 5 miles per gallon. For most vehicles, 22 MPG on the highway translates to 19-20 MPG combined (city and highway), which is also considered poor.
The cost of 22 MPG
A car that gets only 22 MPG is going to cost you more money to drive than the average car.
At $5.00 per gallon, a vehicle that gets 22 MPG will generally cost you $0.23 per mile. A 15-mile commute to work will cost you $3.43 in gas.
When driving 15,000 miles per year, the annual cost of fuel for a car that gets 22 MPG is $3,409. At 22 MPG, you spend $148.22 more on gas than the median car.
How many miles is 22 MPG
MPG indicates how many miles your car can travel on one gallon of fuel. If your vehicle gets 22 MPG, it can travel 22 miles for each gallon of fuel. A vehicle with a fuel tank capacity of 15 gallons and a gas mileage of 22 mpg can travel up to 330 miles before needing to refuel.
22 MPG in L/100 km
22 MPG is 10.69 L /100 km. That means you burn 10.69 liters of fuel for every 100 kilometers driven.
At 10.69 L/100 km, you can go 9.35 km with one liter of gas.
22 MPG on SUVs
In general, a gas mileage of 22 MPG is considered decent for large SUVs and poor for small SUVs. But, just like with any other type of vehicle, there are a lot of things to consider before determining if 22 MPG is a good fuel economy for any given SUV.
For instance, 22 MPG might be great for a mid-size SUV with a V6 engine but terrible for a mid-size hybrid SUV with only 4 cylinders.
There are 2 main categories and 4 subcategories for SUVs: full-size and mid-size SUVs fall into the large SUV category, while compact and subcompact SUVs fall into the small SUV category.
To get a better idea of what you can consider good fuel economy for an SUV, please check out our articles covering the fuel economies of large SUVs and small SUVs.
We’ll take a look at each subcategory.
Full-size SUVs:
22 MPG is excellent fuel economy for a full-size SUV. That’s 23.5% more miles per gallon than the median for the segment, which is 17 miles per gallon. They are the least fuel-efficient type of passenger vehicle. A full-size SUV that gets 22 MPG is better than 95% of full-size SUVs.
22 MPG or above is usually seen in the most fuel-efficient full-size SUVs, typically fitted with diesel engines.
The 3.0 L, 6-cylinder diesel-engine Cadillac Escalade (4WD) is one of the few full-sized SUVs that can achieve an average gas mileage of 22 MPG.
Mid-size SUVs:
For a mid-size SUV, 22 MPG is considered slightly above average. It’s generally what you would expect a mid-size SUV to do.
22 MPG is usually seen in 4-cylinder mid-size SUVs. The median fuel economy for 4-cylinder mid-sized SUVs is 23 MPG.
The 2.4 L, 4-cylinder Volvo XC90 B6 AWD is an example of an SUV that gets 22 miles per gallon.
Compact SUVs:
For compact SUVs, gas mileage of 22 MPG is considered poor. It is 12% lower than the average fuel economy of the median compact SUV and is below the 25th percentile. The median fuel economy for this segment is 25 MPG.
22 MPG is most often seen in 6-cylinder compact SUVs. The average gas mileage for a 6-cylinder crossover is 21 MPG.
An example of a compact SUV that gets 22 MPG is the Jeep Cherokee X, which carries a 3.2 L 6-cylinder engine.
Subcompact SUVs:
22 MPG is the worst gas mileage you can get on a subcompact SUV. There are few to no subcompact SUVs that are supposed to get 22 MPG or lower.
If you are getting 22 MPG or less on a subcompact SUV, it is likely due to driving habits or conditions. If you are a careful driver and still get 22 miles per gallon, then you should have the subcompact inspected in a garage.
The subcompact SUV with the lowest gas mileage is the 2.0 L 4-cylinder Mercedes-Benz AMG GLA45 4matic, which gets 22 MPG.
22 MPG on Pick-up Trucks
22 MPG is a good gas mileage for the average pickup truck. As we can see in the chart above, 22 MPG is between the 75th and 99th percentile of fuel economy for all pickup trucks.
However, the type of pickup truck you drive has a significant impact on whether or not 22 MPG is a good MPG for your vehicle. For example, the median mid-size gasoline pickup truck is 16 percent more efficient than the full-size counterpart.
Typically, larger engines in pickup trucks are expected to have lower fuel efficiency than smaller engines in pickup trucks.
To get a better idea of what you can consider good fuel economy for pickup trucks, please check out our articles covering the fuel economies of mid-size and full-size pickup trucks.
Full-size trucks:
22 MPG is an exceptional fuel economy for a full-size pickup truck. A full-size pickup doing 22 miles per gallon is 22.22% more fuel-efficient than the median full-size pickup truck, which does 18 MPG.
22 MPG is generally seen in full-size pickup trucks that have 4-cylinder engines or 6-cylinder hybrid engines. The average 4-cylinder pickup truck gets 20.5 MPG.
An example of a full-size pickup truck that gets 22 MPG is the 2023 Toyota Tundra I-Force Max, which houses a 3.4 L, hybrid 6-cylinder engine.
Mid-size trucks:
22 MPG is a good fuel economy for a midsize pickup truck. It is at the 75th percentile of the gas mileage for all midsize pickup trucks.
22 MPG is usually seen on mid-size trucks with 4-cylinder engines. An example of a mid-size pickup truck that gets 22 MPG is the 2.5 L, 4-cylinder Chevrolet Colorado.
The absence of V8 engines in mid-size pickup trucks is primarily responsible for the significant difference between full-size and mid-size. A large proportion (40-50%) of full-size pickup truck models are equipped with V8 engines, which have very low gas mileage, averaging 16 miles per gallon.
However, when fitted with the same engine, mid-size pickup trucks have very similar fuel economy as their full-size counterparts despite the weight difference.
Full-size pickup trucks have a much larger market share than mid-size pickup trucks, and as a result, more effort is put into making them as fuel-efficient as possible.
22 MPG on Sedans
As we can see in the above chart, which illustrates the different percentile ranges for sedans, 22 MPG is considered bad gas mileage for a sedan in general.
Of course, the answer will vary depending on the type of sedan being driven. For example, 22 MPG could be great for a large, luxurious, V8-powered sedan, but terrible for a small sedan with a four-cylinder engine.
To get a better idea of what you can consider good fuel economy for sedans, please see our article covering the fuel economies of every type of sedan vehicle.
Full-size sedans:
22 MPG is considered standard gas mileage for full-size sedans. It is very close to the median MPG for the segment, which is 21 miles per gallon. Full-size typically get gas mileage between 19 and 25 MPG (25th and 75th percentiles). Anything below this range is bad, while anything above is great.
You can generally expect 6-cylinder luxury full-size sedans to do 22 MPG.
An example of a full-size sedan that does 22 miles per gallon is the 3.0 L, 6-cylinder Audi A8 L Quattro.
Mid-size sedans:
22 MPG is considered bad for a mid-size sedan. The median fuel economy for a mid-size is 26 MPG, which is 18% higher than 22 MPG.
Most mid-size sedans that get 22 MPG are 6-cylinder luxury cars. An example of this would be the 2023 3.0 L, 6-cylinder Cadillac CT5.
Small sedans (including hatchbacks):
22 MPG is horrible fuel economy for compact sedans or hatchbacks. These cars normally do between 28 and 35 miles per gallon, with the median being 31.5 miles per gallon. Getting 22 MPG with a small sedan is likely due to poor driving habits.
Much like subcompact SUVs, most small/compact 4-5 door cars should not be getting 22 MPG.
An example of a compact car that gets 22 MPG is the 3.5 L, 6-cylinder Lexus IS 350 AWD (which is considered a mid-size sedan by some).
22 MPG on Sports Cars
22 MPG is in the 75th percentile for sports cars, which is considered excellent gas mileage. The median sports car does 19 miles per gallon.
22 miles per gallon is great for sports vehicles with large engines like the V8, V10, V12, and W16; slightly above average for 6-cylinder sports cars; and poor for ones with 4-cylinder engines. A 6-cylinder sports car’s average fuel economy is 20 mpg.
A sports car that gets 22 MPG is the 2.4 L 4-cylinder Subaru BRZ.
Conclusion
Whether or not 22 MPG is a good fuel economy largely comes down to the type of vehicle you are driving. In a general sense, 22 MPG is an acceptable fuel economy for most, as it is only 1 MPG lower than the median for all automobiles.
For full-size pickup trucks, full-size SUVs, and sports cars, 22 MPG is considered to be excellent; for mid-size pickup trucks, full-size sedans, and mid-size SUVs, it is considered to be appropriate.
