BMW 3 Series: MPG and fuel economy by year

The EPA has rated the BMW 3 Series across 5 model years, from the 1984 BMW 3 Series through the 1988 BMW 3 Series. The most recent 1988 BMW 3 Series returns 20 combined MPG. The most efficient model year was the 1984 BMW 3 Series at 24 MPG.

Pick a year below to open the full BMW 3 Series page for that model year. Each year page covers combined, city, and highway MPG, the trim variants the EPA rates separately, the annual fuel cost across three driving patterns, and a year-over-year comparison so you can see whether the car has improved.

Fuel economy by model year

Combined MPG, city MPG, highway MPG, and the EPA's estimated annual fuel cost for every model year of the BMW 3 Series. Click any year to see the full breakdown for that model year, including trim variants, the drivetrain, and a comparison against other vehicles in its segment.

Year	Model	Combined MPG	City	Highway	Annual fuel cost
1988	1988 BMW 3 Series	20 MPG	18 MPG	24 MPG	$3,000
1987	1987 BMW 3 Series	21 MPG	19 MPG	26 MPG	$2,850
1986	1986 BMW 3 Series	21 MPG	19 MPG	26 MPG	$2,850
1985	1985 BMW 3 Series	23 MPG	21 MPG	26 MPG	$2,600
1984	1984 BMW 3 Series	24 MPG	21 MPG	27 MPG	$2,500

How the BMW 3 Series compares against the Subcompact Cars class

Buyers usually compare the BMW 3 Series against other cars in the same EPA class. The list below shows the most efficient cars in the Subcompact Cars class for the 1988 model year, the latest year on this page. Each link opens the full page for that car.

Source: U.S. EPA fuel economy dataset. Annual fuel cost assumes 15,000 miles of driving per year and a 55% city, 45% highway split.