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One of the reasons why the gauges are a bit pessimistic in reporting distance to empty is very important to you.
The fuel pumps in nearly all modern cars are located inside the fuel tank. there's a host of reasons why this is a good idea, one of them being the reliability increase of the electric pump when it's located there.
Because the pumps is actually inside the tank, not attached to the outside, or inline to the engine, the electric motor is submerged in fuel. That means the pump motor is being cooled by the fuel, effectively negating the major cause of electric motor failure, heat.
When the fuel level gets low, or very low, the pump motor can be exposed to air, which does not dissipate heat as well as liquids, and the pump can experience higher than normal temperatures.
It's not a big deal right now, but find yourself in 100F+ ambient temps and there is some additional risk of wear to the electric pump motor. It will take quite a bit of that happening to cause any real problems, but it's easier for the OEM to urge you to add fuel early.
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