What Is the Average Size of an Automobile Gas Tank?
by Josh BoydUpdated June 22, 2023
Many motorists find themselves questioning the exact size of their vehicle´s gas tank. This information is relevant for a number of reasons. One of the most valid of these reasons centers around determining how much it will cost to fill up a vehicle's gas tank, based upon current per-gallon fuel prices.
Unfortunately, there is no blanket size for automotive fuel tanks as a whole. Quite the contrary, the size of a gas tank can vary significantly from one vehicle to the next, with trucks and SUVs typically have much larger fuel tanks than the average sedan or compact car. Nonetheless, there are several base averages that can be used to determine approximate fuel tank size for most any vehicle.
The following guide will detail the average gas tank size, per sub-category of vehicle.
How Many Gallons Of Gas Does A Car Hold?
There tends to be a sizable variance in gas tank size, even between cars of somewhat similar size. Keeping this in mind, small compact cars still typically feature slightly smaller fuel tanks than the average mid-size sedan.
However, for the sake of comparison, the following table details the gas tank sizes of 5 of today's most popular sedans.
| 1 Model | 2 Tank Size |
| 1 Toyota Camry | 2 15.8 Gal |
| 1 Honda Accord | 2 14.8 Gal |
| 1 Nissan Altima | 2 16.2 Gal |
| 1 Chevy Malibu | 2 15.8 Gal |
| 1 Hyundai Sonata | 2 14.8 Gal |
How Many Gallons Of Gas Does An SUV Hold?
Most SUVs hold considerably more fuel than the average car. Of course, this comes as a necessity, as larger vehicles, featuring higher displacement engines, tend to burn much more fuel than smaller passenger cars.
The table below details the gas tank sizes for 5 of the hottest selling SUVs currently available.
| 1 Model | 2 Tank Size |
| 1 Jeep Grand Cherokee | 2 24.6 Gal |
| 1 Toyota 4Runner | 2 23 Gal |
| 1 Chevy Tahoe | 2 24 Gal |
| 1 Ford Expedition | 2 25 Gal |
| 1 Nissan Pathfinder | 2 18.5 Gal |
How Many Gallons Of Gas Does A Truck Hold?
Like SUVs, the majority of trucks on the road today feature much larger fuel tanks than those found beneath the average passenger car. However, it is also worth noting that most trucks feature similarly sized fuel tanks to the bulk of SUVs.
The following table details the gas tank sizes of 5 of the best selling full-size trucks over the past decade.
| 1 Model | 2 Tank Size |
| 1 Ram 1500 | 2 26 Gal |
| 1 Ford F-150 | 2 23 Gal |
| 1 Chevy Silverado 1500 | 2 24 Gal |
| 1 Toyota Tundra | 2 22.5-32.2 Gal |
| 1 Nissan Titan | 2 26 Gal |
| 1 | 2 |
Average Size Of Gas Tank
Based upon the fuel capacities detailed above, one can easily figure an average gas tank size for each type of vehicle on the road today. While these averages might not be identical to the exact size of your vehicle's fuel tank, they should be relatively close.
Nonetheless, if you intend to figure up the exact cost to fill your vehicle's fuel tank, you are highly advised to research the actual capacity of that specific fuel tank. This information can typically be found within a vehicle's owner's manual, or through a quick search of the internet.
- Average Sedan Gas Tank Size: 15.5 Gal
- Average SUV Gas Tank Size: 23 Gal
- Average Truck Gas Tank Size: 25.4 Gal
Writer Bio
Josh Boyd is an ASE certified, career automotive technician with an intense passion for all things of mechanical nature. Whenever Josh does not have a wrench in his hand, he can be found writing for multiple publications.
