# Help our hosts settle a marital dispute

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-our-hosts-settle-a-marital-dispute/53021>\
**Category:** The Show\
**Created:** [August 5, 2010, 4:40pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-our-hosts-settle-a-marital-dispute/53021 "2010-08-05T16:40:32Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![StrongDreamsWaitHere](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/strongdreamswaithere/32/2014_2.png) [@StrongDreamsWaitHere](https://community.cartalk.com/u/StrongDreamsWaitHere)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2010, 9:56pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-our-hosts-settle-a-marital-dispute/53021/21 "2010-09-14T21:56:29Z")

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If the car does not have an MPG readout, and you really want to settle this, you can buy an OBD computer that will give you a mileage readout.

That said, it depends so much on the car and the size or steepness of the hill. My mid-size car gets about 28mpg on a flat highway at 55 mph, but less than 5 mpg climbing a moderate hill starting from a stop sign. For example, assume a small modern car that gets 30 mpg on the flat. It might get 10 mpg climbing a hill and 50 mpg going down. In which case, 1 mile up and 1 mile down uses 0.12 gallons and 2.5 miles on the flat uses 0.083 gallons, for a savings of 10 cents per trip. If it only got 5 mpg going up hill, you would save 38 cents on each trip if you stay in the flat.

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