Reviving this thread... Third time I've bought a new car (all three of them BRAND new this time) since this thread died out. I want this "Initial Fill-Up" option. :)

I understand the inaccuracies of the gas gauges and such all along the way, but factored out over tens of thousands of miles, they fade into the background. All I want is a very simple way to say "start counting from here as this is when my first full tank was established." Even if the option were simply PART of the process of adding a vehicle: Add vehicle... "Is this a newly purchased vehcile?" Yes... "Is the fuel tank currently full?" Yes.... "Would you like to input the current odometer reading?" Yes...

Pretty easy

We've discussed it in the past and do plan on implementing something for users that are going off the assumption the tank is full when they pick it up off the lot. It's just, we've been busy with mobile app integration as of late.

I'll check again to see if there's something we can push out sooner rather than later.

If you use miles since last fillup instead of odometer you will track that first tank full.

Wrong.

Unless I have a way to input that I start at whatever number with a full tank (which is essentially what I'm asking for), there's no way to calculate mileage based on one fill-up. It may be true that I drove X miles and added Y amount of fuel. But, not knowing that the tank was full at some base odometer number means there's no way to calculate the MPG.

This is a complete non-issue IMHO. Fuelly calculates mpg and costs based on fill-ups to full. If you want to track costs right from the start with your new car, fill it as soon as you buy it, zero the trip counter (or note odometer) and then fill up next time as normal... input the miles travelled to Fuelly and fuel used, bingo! You have the mpg stats from the get go.

With you on that, why are people making a huge drama over this. When I bought my new car, it had no fuel in it, so I simply drove it to the nearest petrol station and filled up. Then did nothing for the next 700 miles or so until I was empty again, added another full tank, took note of the trip miles and hey presto there's your first fuel up, miles driven and fuel used. Simple.

Well, if my new vehicle had "no fuel" in it, it wouldn't go anywhere. It's customary for a new car to have a full tank when you pick it up (new, or "new to me").

A car will have hundreds of fill ups in the time it is in someone's possession. Getting 100% accuracy on the data from the first fill up made by the dealer, that itself may not be truly filled, isn't going to have a meaningful impact on the car's lifetime fuel efficiency data. Considering most people need some time behind the wheel before getting their better fuel economy, some may not even want that data included.

Different countries, different fuel costs, different deals. You have to work hard to get a free tank of fuel here, it costs a fair bit to fill a tank over here, hence why not many people do! ;)

Yeah, kind of figured that it was a geographical thing. I remember when some dealers used to put a "line item" on the window sticker for the tank of gas. It drove customers away to other dealers that didn't advertise that you were paying for the tank and that practice stopped on its own.