The Average Car Weight

Body Style

Across all body styles, the average vehicle weighs 4,329 pounds as of 2022. Cars are lighter, with an average weight of 3,695 pounds, while trucks are heavier, coming in at 4,714 pounds on average, according to data from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Additionally, there’s weight variation between types of cars and trucks, as you’ll see below.

Commercial Vehicles

For commercial vehicles, the United States Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration dictates weight standards.

Car Manufacturer and Model

The EPA also tracks car weights by manufacturer and vehicle type.

1. Check the car manual: Your car manual is one of the first places you should look to find out your vehicle weight.
2. Check the driver’s side door: Typically, you’ll find a sticker on the inside of the door that includes the car’s curb weight and gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR). Learn more about these measurement types below.
3. Check online: You can look on the manufacturer’s website for the weight.
4. Have your car weighed: Your last resort should be to physically weigh your car at either a junkyard or inspection center.³

Size does matter when it comes to cars.

Collision Damage

Whether you cause a car accident or are an innocent victim, large vehicles with heavier weights get less damage and fewer passenger injuries compared to smaller, lighter vehicles. In particular, vehicles with larger front ends protect passengers better in front crashes, continuing to move forward in the crash and subjecting the passengers to less force.

Data from the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety shows that the larger the car, the lower the driver death rate.

Cars with better vehicle safety ratings, which are based partially on crash test statistics, have lower average costs of car insurance compared to vehicles with worse safety ratings.

Fuel Consumption

While larger vehicles may perform better in crashes, typically they require more fuel per gallon than smaller cars.

That said, with the advent of electric cars, the tides are starting to turn, making both larger and lighter vehicles more fuel efficient.

There are a few different types of weight measurements. Here’s an overview of what they include, with more detailed information below.

• Curb weight: The curb weight is the closest thing to the actual weight of the vehicle, including a full tank of gas. You can calculate the curb weight by taking the GVWR (detailed below) and subtracting the payload, passenger, and cargo capacity.
• Gross vehicle weight rating: You can find the GVWR on the door jamb label, also known as the vehicle compliance label, which is on the inside of the driver’s side door.
• Gross combination weight rating (GCWR): The GCWR is the maximum weight of the vehicle’s cargo, passengers, and trailer combined. Also known as the gross combination rate, it includes the vehicle itself, its engine, transmission, optional equipment, axle ratio, and the type of trailer hitch it has, be it weight distributing or non-weight distributing, or a gooseneck.⁵
• Payload: Along with the GVWR, you should be able to find the vehicle’s payload on the door jamb label.
• Gross axle weight rating (GAWR): The GAWR measures how much weight you can put on a vehicle’s axle once it’s fully equipped.⁶
• Maximum load trailer weight: Think of the maximum load trailer weight as the GCWR combined with the weight of a fully loaded trailer.⁷

Vehicle weight is one factor you should consider when buying a new car, as it affects safety ratings and, therefore, the cost of car insurance. Learn more about average car weights with our FAQ below.