Empty Tank Report

The cars with the greatest range after the fuel warning light turns on

As the cost of living crisis continues, prices are rising everywhere from food to bills and fuel, making it more difficult to afford everything from car finance payments to central heating. These rising costs mean that you have to be careful with how much you are spending at the pumps and how far you can drive before you need to refuel.

Most of us forget to top up the tank before a long trip and panic when the fuel light comes on, warning us there’s only around 10% left in the tank. But which cars can get you the furthest after the fuel light comes on? We’ve taken a look at the most popular cars in the UK and around the world to find out. We’ve also looked into which cars can take you the furthest with just £10 of fuel.

Disclaimer: Never ignore your car's fuel warning light. Driving on an empty tank can cause mechanical problems to your vehicle, plus leave you stranded without fuel!

The cars with the longest fuel light range in the UK

Ford Mondeo
1.
Ford Mondeo

Miles left on an empty tank:

75.89

The Ford Mondeo takes first place as the car with the furthest range after the fuel light comes on. Now in its fifth generation, the Mondeo celebrates its 30th anniversary on the production line this year. Thanks to its huge fuel tank capacity, only two gallons behind a Land Rover Discovery, the Ford Mondeo has a range of a whopping 76 miles before finally grinding to a halt.

Mercedes E-Class
2.
Mercedes E-Class

Miles left on an empty tank:

71.14

Up next is the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, which is Mercedes-Benz’s best-selling model thanks to its durability, size and easily customizable nature making it popular with taxi drivers, ambulance services and businessmen alike. The E-Class has a range of 71.14 miles before you start running on fumes.

BMW 5 Series
3.
BMW 5 Series

Miles left on an empty tank:

65.52

Taking third place is the BMW 5 Series. The spacious executive saloon has been in the BMW lineup for more than five decades, with the current generation built on the 7 Series’ larger platform, making it even roomier and featuring a plug-in hybrid model for even more fuel efficiency. The current 5 Series has a range of 65.52 miles after the fuel warning light comes on.

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The UK’s most fuel-efficient cars

Toyota Yaris
1.
Toyota Yaris

Miles on £10 of fuel

11.51

Taking the top spot as the UK’s most fuel-efficient car is the Toyota Yaris. This Japanese supermini hatchback is one of the most reliable cars on the market, and features a hybrid option too, making its fuel consumption even more efficient. With a range of over 11 miles on £10 of fuel, the Yaris takes first place.

Volkswagen Golf
2.
Volkswagen Golf

Miles on £10 of fuel

10.97

In second place is the Volkswagen Golf with the current 8th generation having an estimated range of just under 11 miles on £10 worth of fuel. The VW Golf 15PS TDI in particular has an impressive mileage of 65.7 making it one of the most efficient cars currently on the UK market.

Honda Jazz
3.
Honda Jazz

Miles on £10 of fuel

10.49

Next up is the Honda Jazz. The latest generation of this supermini is only available with hybrid power in Europe, which could explain why it has such a high average miles per gallon of 62.8. Thanks to this high mileage the Honda Jazz has an estimated range of 10.49 miles on just £10 worth of fuel.

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The cars with the longest fuel light range around the world

Toyota RAV4
1.
Toyota RAV4

Miles left on an empty tank:

87.28

Taking the top spot as the world’s most popular car with the most miles left in the tank is the Toyota RAV4. With an average mileage of 49.6 miles per gallon and a tank capacity of 17.60 gallons, this Japanese compact crossover SUV boasts a range of 87.28 miles after the fuel warning light blinks on.

Fiat Egea
2.
Fiat Egea

Miles left on an empty tank:

77.67

In second place is the Fiat Egea, also known around the world as the Fiat Tipo, and the Dodge Neon in Mexico. The Egea is also the best-selling car in Turkey, which is the sole manufacturer of this model. The latest generation of this model can travel an estimated 77.67 miles on an empty tank thanks to its very efficient 70.62 mpg.

Chevrolet Onix
3.
Chevrolet Onix

Miles left on an empty tank:

68.42

Next up is the Chevrolet Onix with a range of 68.42 miles after the fuel warning light blinks on. This comes as no surprise as the Onix can achieve an impressive 57.6 miles per gallon and has a tank capacity of just under 12 gallons. The Onix is Brazil’s most popular car and was originally manufactured there solely for the South American market but has since expanded to developing markets in central Asia.

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The world's most fuel-efficient cars

Suzuki Swift
1.
Suzuki Swift

Miles on £10 of fuel:

12.54

Taking the top spot as the world’s most fuel-efficient car is the Suzuki Swift. Thanks to its lightweight construction the latest version of this supermini (from 2017 on) boasts an impressive fuel economy of 61.1 miles per gallon, making £10 of fuel stretch as far as 12.54 miles.

Chevrolet Onix Opel/Vauxhall Corsa
2.
Chevrolet Onix & Opel/Vauxhall Corsa

Miles on £10 of fuel:

11.82

Sharing second place is the Chevrolet Onix. This subcompact was first introduced in South America to replace the Chevrolet Corsa, an older Chevy-branded version of the Opel/Vauxhall Corsa. The current generation of the Onix has an average MPG of 57.6 making £10 of fuel last 11.82 miles.

The Opel Corsa also shares second place. Like the Chevrolet Onix, the current generation of Corsa boasts an impressive 57.6 miles per gallon thanks to its 1.2-litre three-cylinder engine, making £10 of fuel go as far as 11.82 miles.

Toyota Corolla
3.
Toyota Corolla

Miles on £10 of fuel:

11.80

Just 0.2 miles behind the Chevrolet Onix and Vauxhall Corsa is the Toyota Corolla. A perennial classic spanning 12 generations, the Corolla has been manufactured since 1966, making it one of the oldest car models still in production. The latest generation of this compact car can travel just under 12 miles on £10 of fuel thanks to its high mileage of over 57 miles per gallon.

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MPG (Miles per gallon) Miles on that amount

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The car brands with the longest fuel light range

1.
Toyota

Miles left on an empty tank:

68.48

Taking the top spot is Toyota with cars made by the Japanese manufacturer averaging 68.48 miles left on an empty tank. Thanks to their small engine size compared to other car brands and constant technological innovation with each generation, Toyotas are very fuel-efficient, with most new models also offering a hybrid option to stretch fuel efficiency even further.

2.
Chevrolet

Miles left on an empty tank:

62.45

Chevrolet takes the second spot when it comes to the car brands with the most mileage after the fuel warning light shows, clocking up an average of 62.45 miles between the two models on the list, the Onix and the Silverado.

The average is pushed up by the Onix due to its impressive fuel economy, although the Silverado’s huge fuel tank means it has one of the highest reserve fuel capacities and is still able to reach 56.49 miles before running out of fuel.

3.
Mercedes-Benz

Miles left on an empty tank:

58.71

Rounding up the top three is Mercedes-Benz with the brand averaging 58.71 miles left in the tank after the fuel warning light turns on. The E-Class leads the way in terms of fuel efficiency for Mercedes-Benz, averaging 71.14 miles per gallon, although the average is dragged down by the A-Class which barely manages 49 mpg.

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Methodology

  • Beginning with a list of the UK’s most common vehicles on the road, taken from the DVLA’s list of registered vehicles in the UK and the best-selling cars around the world according to list articles each vehicle was ranked according to the estimated number of miles each vehicle can travel after the check fuel light turns on.

  • The tank capacity for each vehicle was sourced from Parkers and divided by the average level at which the low fuel light shows on most modern cars, 10% of the overall fuel capacity according to Popular Mechanics to find the reserve capacity. This reserve capacity was multiplied by the miles per gallon for each vehicle according to Honest John to find the estimated range for each vehicle.

  • To find the range for each car brand, we took an average of two to three most popular models.

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