Why do we use the miles per gallon system in the UK?

Wouldn’t it make sense for manufacturers and dealers to quote fuel consumption in miles per litre rather than miles per gallon?

Asked on 6 July 2013 by JH, London N12

Answered by Honest John
No, because this would be mixing Imperial and Metric measurements. The only sensible alternative measure is litres per 100 kilometres, which is the standard in Europe. Other countries such as Australia and Thailand adopt kilometres per litre. It will take a very long time for UK motorists to relate to either. So, though we buy petrol in litres, we stick to ‘miles per gallon’.
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