Car odometer and dashboard representing short trips and cold starts that can reduce fuel economy

Short Trips vs Long Trips: Why Cold Starts Use More Fuel

February 23, 2026 9 min read

Quick Summary Short trips often have worse MPG because engines spend a bigger share of the drive warming up and running less efficiently. DOE’s fuel economy guidance notes that taking several short trips from a cold start can use significantly more fuel than taking one longer trip that covers the same distance. If you want an easy way to reduce fuel use without changing vehicles, combining errands is one of the most reliable tactics.

Repeated cold starts can increase fuel use compared with one longer trip (DOE).
Combining errands reduces cold-start “overhead.”
Cold weather can compound the effect (NHTSA and DOE guidance).

What We Know (Sourced)

DOE’s fuel economy guidance explains that several short trips from a cold start can use significantly more fuel than one longer trip that covers the same distance. See: DOE — Fuel Economy.

Cold weather can make winter driving tougher on vehicles in general. NHTSA’s winter driving guidance emphasizes preparing for winter conditions (including tire checks), which can indirectly affect efficiency and safety. See: NHTSA — Winter Driving Tips.

Why Cold Starts Cost Fuel

At a high level, cold starts cost fuel because the vehicle is not yet at an efficient operating state. For short trips, that warm-up period is a larger fraction of total driving time, so the “startup overhead” is bigger.

This is one reason you may see a big gap between City MPG and Highway MPG on the label, and why many drivers notice winter MPG drops. For a label-oriented explanation, see: Highway vs City MPG.

Practical takeaway: If you drive 3–5 miles at a time, your MPG is likely to look worse than someone who drives 30 miles at a time, even in the same car.

What to Do Next

If your driving is dominated by short trips, the best “efficiency hack” is usually not a gadget—it’s logistics:

Combine errands so you have fewer cold starts per day.
Plan routes to reduce unnecessary stops and backtracking.
Keep tires properly inflated (cold weather can lower pressure; see cold-weather tire pressure).

We cover the planning side in detail here: Combine errands to save fuel.

How to Estimate the Cost for Your Driving

To estimate the cost impact, you can compare:

Fuel cost for your normal “many short trips” pattern
Fuel cost for a “combined errands” pattern (same total miles, fewer cold starts)

Even if you don’t know your exact MPG difference, you can run scenarios using a conservative MPG range and your local gas price. Try:

Why It Matters

If you are trying to spend less on fuel, short-trip efficiency is one of the most overlooked levers. Many drivers chase small improvements (like a different fuel brand) while ignoring the larger, consistent overhead of repeated cold starts.

Estimate Your Weekly and Monthly Fuel Cost

Use your miles, MPG, and gas price to budget your real fuel spending.

Use the Commute Gas Cost Calculator

Frequently Asked Questions

Do short trips really waste fuel?

DOE notes that taking several short trips from a cold start can use significantly more fuel than taking one longer trip that covers the same distance. See DOE — Fuel Economy.

Is this why my MPG is worse in winter?

It can be a major reason, especially if you take many short trips. Cold weather and winter conditions also affect vehicles in other ways. NHTSA provides winter prep guidance on Winter Driving Tips.

What’s the easiest fix if I can’t avoid short trips?

Combine errands when possible, keep tires properly inflated, and drive smoothly. Even small planning changes can reduce the number of cold starts per week.

How can I compare two driving patterns in dollars?

Run two scenarios using miles, MPG, and gas price. Our Fuel Cost Calculator is a fast way to do this.