2018 Volkswagen Atlas: What's the Cost of a Fill-Up?
CARS.COM — The brand-new 2018 Volkswagen Atlas is an all-around capable family hauler, and our recent testing bears that out: Not only did it win our 2017 Three-Row SUV Challenge, it also features on our 2017 Cars.com Car Seat Honor Roll. There’s a lot to like about VW’s biggest SUV, but it’s not without flaws — notably, gas mileage.
Related: Which SUV Has the Best Third Row?
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Shop the 2018 Volkswagen Atlas near you
The four-cylinder variant of the Atlas gets an EPA-rated 22/26/24 mpg city/highway/combined, so we got to wondering: How much would a full tank of gas cost based on prices at the pump?
Well, according to the AAA Daily Fuel Gauge Report, the national average for regular gasoline this week was $2.51, up 5 cents from a week ago. The Atlas has a fuel-tank capacity of 18.6 gallons, so doing the math gets you a full tank at about $46.69.
That will differ depending on your region. The most extreme pump prices were in all the usual spots this week:
- Hawaii had the highest average for regular, $3.17, up 6 cents from a week ago — that means a full tank of fuel for $58.96 with the Atlas.
- In California, regular averaged $3.12 on Thursday, up 9 cents from a week ago because of a 12-cent fuel-tax increase that took effect Wednesday. Gas Buddy reported that regular was selling for around $3.18 in the Los Angeles area and more than $3.30 around San Francisco. That’s a full tank for anywhere between $58.03 and $61.38 with the Atlas.
- In Alabama, meanwhile, where the average price of fuel was at its nationwide lowest, $2.20, a full tank in the Atlas will run you $40.92. Mississippi at $2.21 and South Carolina at $2.22 trailed closely.
Gas prices rose in most states the past week, with the Great Lakes area experiencing the biggest increases. GasBuddy.com analyst Patrick DeHaan said the spikes were due to a combination of refinery maintenance, low gasoline inventories and a leak in a major pipeline that supplies oil from the Gulf Coast.
Regular rose by 12 cents in Ohio, 14 cents in Michigan, 15 cents in Illinois and 19 cents in Indiana. The average price for regular ranged from $2.60 to $2.72 in those states Thursday, but DeHaan warned in a blog post, “GasBuddy estimates prices could soon rise to $2.99 in Michigan, $2.95 in Indiana and $2.89 in Ohio and Kentucky. Prices in Illinois, mainly around Chicago, could exceed $3 per gallon.”
Premium gas was up 3 cents at $3.02 and diesel fuel was 2 cents higher at $2.76. Luckily for Atlas owners, regular is recommended.
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