1986 American Motors Corporation Eagle: MPG and fuel economy

This page collects every fuel-economy figure the EPA publishes for the 1986 American Motors Corporation Eagle. Below you will find the headline combined, city, and highway MPG, the estimated annual fuel cost at three different driving levels, the tailpipe CO₂ emissions, and a full breakdown of the engine and drivetrain. The EPA rates 2 separate variants of this car (different engine, transmission, or drivetrain combinations), and you can compare them side by side in the trims table.

Fuel economy at a glance

These are the EPA's official ratings for the 1986 American Motors Corporation Eagle. The numbers come from a standardised laboratory test cycle and are the same figures that appear on the window sticker of every new car. Real-world mileage varies with driving style, weather, fuel quality, and how heavily loaded the car is.

When the EPA tests several variants of the same nameplate (for example, a front-wheel-drive version and an all-wheel-drive version), each gets its own rating. The figures shown here are the headline variant, taken as the configuration with the best combined MPG. The trims table further down covers all 2 variants side by side.

Combined MPG is a 55/45 weighted blend of the city and highway test cycles. The EPA uses it as the single number you can compare across the entire dataset, including hybrids and EVs (which use the equivalent MPGe figure).

How the 1986 American Motors Corporation Eagle compares

The 1986 American Motors Corporation Eagle returns 17 combined MPG. Cars in the Special Purpose Vehicles class for the same model year average 17.8 MPG, which puts this car behind the class average by about 4%.

The most efficient car in the Special Purpose Vehicles class for the 1986 model year is the Isuzu Trooper at 25 MPG. The bar chart below puts the American Motors Corporation Eagle alongside the class best and the class average so you can see the full picture.

For broader context, the average new car of the 1986 model year (across all classes) returns 19.8 MPG. Larger vehicles pull the all-cars average down, so do not use that figure on its own to judge a small car or a hybrid. The full list of the most efficient cars of the 1986 model year is on its own page.

Trim variants rated for 1986

The EPA rates 2 separate variants of the 1986 American Motors Corporation Eagle. The differences come from the engine size, transmission type, and drivetrain (front-wheel drive, all-wheel drive, and so on). The same nameplate can land several MPG apart depending on the configuration you actually buy.

Annual fuel cost across driving patterns

The headline annual fuel cost the EPA publishes assumes 15,000 miles of driving per year and a fuel mix of 55% city and 45% highway. The dollar figure is calculated using the EPA's current reference price for regular gasoline, which is $3.99/gallon. EPA updates that reference periodically rather than tracking live pump prices, so treat it as a window-sticker estimate rather than today's pump number.

The table below scales the EPA's number to three common driving patterns. The combined MPG and the reference fuel price stay constant, only the annual mileage changes. To get a current-prices estimate, take your local gas price and multiply by 882.4 gallons (the car's annual consumption at the rated MPG).

Compare against other Special Purpose Vehicles for 1986

If you are cross-shopping the 1986 American Motors Corporation Eagle, the most useful comparison is against the other cars in the Special Purpose Vehicles class for the same model year. The list below shows the highest-MPG peers, ranked from most to least efficient. Click any of them to open its full page.

The Isuzu Trooper leads this group at 25 MPG, 8 MPG ahead of the 1986 American Motors Corporation Eagle.

Specifications

The 1986 American Motors Corporation Eagle runs a 4.2-liter 6-cylinder engine paired with a manual 5-spd, sending power through 4-wheel or all-wheel drive.

Engine, transmission, and drivetrain together drive most of the variation in fuel economy across trims. A larger engine moves the car with less effort but burns more fuel. A turbo lets a small engine punch above its weight, often without much MPG penalty. All-wheel drive adds traction and weight, and usually costs a couple of MPG compared with two-wheel drive of the same engine.

Vehicle class

Special Purpose Vehicles

Engine

4.2L 6-cylinder

Transmission

Manual 5-spd

Drivetrain

4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive

Fuel type

Regular

Annual petroleum use

17.5 barrels per year

Common questions about the 1986 American Motors Corporation Eagle

Quick answers to the questions people most often search for when looking up the 1986 American Motors Corporation Eagle.

• Is the 1986 American Motors Corporation Eagle fuel efficient?

  It is in line with the rest of the class. The 1986 American Motors Corporation Eagle returns 17 combined MPG, and the average car in the Special Purpose Vehicles class for the same model year sits at 17.8 MPG.
• What MPG does the 1986 American Motors Corporation Eagle get?

  The EPA rates the 1986 American Motors Corporation Eagle at 17 combined MPG, 15 MPG in city driving, and 20 MPG on the highway. Real-world numbers depend on your driving style, the weather, and how loaded the car is.
• How much does it cost to fuel a 1986 American Motors Corporation Eagle per year?

  The EPA estimates an annual fuel cost of $3,500 for the 1986 American Motors Corporation Eagle. That figure assumes 15,000 miles of driving per year, a 55% city and 45% highway split, and the EPA's published average fuel price for the rated fuel grade.
• What fuel does the 1986 American Motors Corporation Eagle use?

  The EPA lists the 1986 American Motors Corporation Eagle as running on regular gasoline. Using a different grade than the manufacturer specifies can affect fuel economy and engine longevity.
• How much CO₂ does the 1986 American Motors Corporation Eagle emit?

  Tailpipe CO₂ emissions are 523 g/mi. Multiplied across a typical year of driving (15,000 miles) that works out to about 7,841 kilograms of CO₂.
• What is the difference between the city and highway MPG of the 1986 American Motors Corporation Eagle?

  City driving returns 15 MPG and highway driving returns 20 MPG, a gap of 5 MPG. The two figures are close enough that the car will hold its rated efficiency well across most driving patterns.
• What engine is in the 1986 American Motors Corporation Eagle?

  The 1986 American Motors Corporation Eagle has a 4.2-liter 6-cylinder engine (EPA description: (FFS)).
• What transmission and drivetrain does the 1986 American Motors Corporation Eagle have?

  The 1986 American Motors Corporation Eagle comes with a manual 5-spd transmission and 4-wheel or all-wheel drive. All-wheel-drive variants typically read 1 to 3 MPG lower than the front-wheel-drive equivalent of the same engine, since the extra hardware adds weight and parasitic loss.
• How does the 1986 American Motors Corporation Eagle compare to the best car in its class?

  The most efficient car in the Special Purpose Vehicles class for the 1986 model year is the Isuzu Trooper at 25 combined MPG. The American Motors Corporation Eagle returns 17 MPG, a gap of 8 MPG. If you are comparing on fuel economy alone, the class leader is worth a look.
• How much more does the 1986 American Motors Corporation Eagle cost in fuel compared to an average car?

  The EPA estimates that over five years, the 1986 American Motors Corporation Eagle will cost about $6,750 more in fuel than an average new vehicle of the same model year. The difference accumulates because the car uses more fuel per mile, not because of any one-off charge at the dealership.

Source: U.S. EPA fuel economy dataset. Annual fuel cost figures assume 15,000 miles of driving per year and a 55% city, 45% highway split. Real-world mileage varies with driving conditions, vehicle maintenance, fuel quality, and driver behaviour.