Is the 1996 Buick Century Wagon fuel efficient?

It is in line with the rest of the class. The 1996 Buick Century Wagon returns 21 combined MPG, and the average car in the Midsize-Large Station Wagons class for the same model year sits at 21.3 MPG.

What MPG does the 1996 Buick Century Wagon get?

The EPA rates the 1996 Buick Century Wagon at 21 combined MPG, 18 MPG in city driving, and 26 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 1996 Buick Century Wagon per year?

The EPA estimates an annual fuel cost of $2,850 for the 1996 Buick Century Wagon. 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 1996 Buick Century Wagon use?

The EPA lists the 1996 Buick Century Wagon as running on regular gasoline. Using a different grade than the manufacturer specifies can affect fuel economy and engine longevity.

Has the Buick Century Wagon become more fuel efficient over time?

Combined MPG has actually slipped. The first EPA-rated Buick Century Wagon, the 1985 Buick Century Wagon , returned 26 MPG, while the most recent 1996 Buick Century Wagon returns 21 MPG. A drop of 5 MPG usually traces back to bigger engines or heavier curb weights in newer trims.

How much CO₂ does the 1996 Buick Century Wagon emit?

Tailpipe CO₂ emissions are 423 g/mi. Multiplied across a typical year of driving (15,000 miles) that works out to about 6,348 kilograms of CO₂.

What is the difference between the city and highway MPG of the 1996 Buick Century Wagon?

City driving returns 18 MPG and highway driving returns 26 MPG, a gap of 8 MPG. A spread that wide is typical of cars with conventional automatic or manual transmissions, where stop-start city traffic eats more fuel than a steady highway cruise.

What engine is in the 1996 Buick Century Wagon?

The 1996 Buick Century Wagon has a 3.1-liter 6-cylinder engine (EPA description: (FFS) (MPFI)).

What transmission and drivetrain does the 1996 Buick Century Wagon have?

The 1996 Buick Century Wagon comes with a automatic 4-spd transmission and front-wheel drive.

How does the 1996 Buick Century Wagon compare to the best car in its class?

The most efficient car in the Midsize-Large Station Wagons class for the 1996 model year is the Volkswagen Passat Wagon at 35 combined MPG. The Buick Century Wagon returns 21 MPG, a gap of 14 MPG. If you are comparing on fuel economy alone, the class leader is worth a look.

1996 Buick Century Wagon MPG and Fuel Economy

This page collects every fuel-economy figure the EPA publishes for the 1996 Buick Century Wagon. 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. If you want to know whether this generation got more or less efficient over the years, the year-over-year table further down covers every model year the EPA has rated.

Key takeaways

The most efficient car in the Midsize-Large Station Wagons class for the 1996 model year is the Volkswagen Passat Wagon at 35 MPG.
The Buick Century Wagon has lost 5 MPG since its first rated model year, the 1985 Buick Century Wagon at 26 MPG. That is often a sign of larger engines or heavier curb weights in newer generations.
EPA estimates this car costs around $3,500 more in fuel over five years than an average new vehicle of the same model year.

Fuel economy at a glance

These are the EPA's official ratings for the 1996 Buick Century Wagon. 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.

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).

Combined MPG	21 MPG
City MPG	18 MPG
Highway MPG	26 MPG
Annual fuel cost	$2,850
Tailpipe CO₂	423 g/mi
Fuel type	Regular

How the 1996 Buick Century Wagon compares

The 1996 Buick Century Wagon returns 21 combined MPG. Cars in the Midsize-Large Station Wagons class for the same model year average 21.3 MPG, which puts this car behind the class average by about 1%.

The most efficient car in the Midsize-Large Station Wagons class for the 1996 model year is the Volkswagen Passat Wagon at 35 MPG. The bar chart below puts the Buick Century Wagon alongside the class best and the class average so you can see the full picture.

For broader context, the average new car of the 1996 model year (across all classes) returns 19.2 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 1996 model year is on its own page.

1996 Buick Century Wagon

21 MPG

Class average, 1996

21.3 MPG

Class best, 1996

35 MPG

Average new car, 1996

19.2 MPG

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 714.3 gallons (the car's annual consumption at the rated MPG).

Driving pattern	Estimated annual fuel cost
Light driver, 7,500 miles per year	$1,425
Average driver, 15,000 miles per year	$2,850
Heavy driver, 25,000 miles per year	$4,750

Year-over-year MPG for the Buick Century Wagon

The EPA has rated the Buick Century Wagon across 12 model years, from 1985 Buick Century Wagon through 1996 Buick Century Wagon. The numbers below are the best combined MPG figure the EPA published for each year, which lets you see when the car was at its most efficient and how recent generations stack up.

The 1985 Buick Century Wagon returned 26 MPG. The most recent 1996 Buick Century Wagon returns 21 MPG. That is a drop of 5 MPG over 11 model years. Newer trims that grow heavier or carry larger engines tend to lose efficiency even as the rest of the lineup improves.

Year	Combined MPG	Open year page
1996	21 MPG	this page
1995	20 MPG	1995 Buick Century Wagon
1994	22 MPG	1994 Buick Century Wagon
1993	21 MPG	1993 Buick Century Wagon
1992	21 MPG	1992 Buick Century Wagon
1991	21 MPG	1991 Buick Century Wagon
1990	21 MPG	1990 Buick Century Wagon
1989	24 MPG	1989 Buick Century Wagon
1988	22 MPG	1988 Buick Century Wagon
1987	21 MPG	1987 Buick Century Wagon
1986	21 MPG	1986 Buick Century Wagon
1985	26 MPG	1985 Buick Century Wagon

Compare against other Midsize-Large Station Wagons for 1996

If you are cross-shopping the 1996 Buick Century Wagon, the most useful comparison is against the other cars in the Midsize-Large Station Wagons 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 Volkswagen Passat Wagon leads this group at 35 MPG, 14 MPG ahead of the 1996 Buick Century Wagon.

1996 Volkswagen Passat Wagon

35 MPG 1996 Subaru Legacy Wagon

24 MPG 1996 Eagle Summit Wagon

23 MPG 1996 Subaru Legacy Wagon AWD

22 MPG

1996 Buick Century Wagon

21 MPG

1996 Oldsmobile Ciera SL Wagon

21 MPG 1996 Toyota Camry Wagon

21 MPG

Specifications

The 1996 Buick Century Wagon runs a 3.1-liter 6-cylinder engine paired with a automatic 4-spd, sending power through front-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: Midsize-Large Station Wagons
Engine: 3.1L 6-cylinder
Transmission: Automatic 4-spd
Drivetrain: Front-Wheel Drive
Fuel type: Regular
Annual petroleum use: 14.2 barrels per year

Common questions about the 1996 Buick Century Wagon

Quick answers to the questions people most often search for when looking up the 1996 Buick Century Wagon.

Is the 1996 Buick Century Wagon fuel efficient?

It is in line with the rest of the class. The 1996 Buick Century Wagon returns 21 combined MPG, and the average car in the Midsize-Large Station Wagons class for the same model year sits at 21.3 MPG.
What MPG does the 1996 Buick Century Wagon get?

The EPA rates the 1996 Buick Century Wagon at 21 combined MPG, 18 MPG in city driving, and 26 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 1996 Buick Century Wagon per year?

The EPA estimates an annual fuel cost of $2,850 for the 1996 Buick Century Wagon. 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 1996 Buick Century Wagon use?

The EPA lists the 1996 Buick Century Wagon as running on regular gasoline. Using a different grade than the manufacturer specifies can affect fuel economy and engine longevity.
Has the Buick Century Wagon become more fuel efficient over time?

Combined MPG has actually slipped. The first EPA-rated Buick Century Wagon, the 1985 Buick Century Wagon, returned 26 MPG, while the most recent 1996 Buick Century Wagon returns 21 MPG. A drop of 5 MPG usually traces back to bigger engines or heavier curb weights in newer trims.
How much CO₂ does the 1996 Buick Century Wagon emit?

Tailpipe CO₂ emissions are 423 g/mi. Multiplied across a typical year of driving (15,000 miles) that works out to about 6,348 kilograms of CO₂.
What is the difference between the city and highway MPG of the 1996 Buick Century Wagon?

City driving returns 18 MPG and highway driving returns 26 MPG, a gap of 8 MPG. A spread that wide is typical of cars with conventional automatic or manual transmissions, where stop-start city traffic eats more fuel than a steady highway cruise.
What engine is in the 1996 Buick Century Wagon?

The 1996 Buick Century Wagon has a 3.1-liter 6-cylinder engine (EPA description: (FFS) (MPFI)).
What transmission and drivetrain does the 1996 Buick Century Wagon have?

The 1996 Buick Century Wagon comes with a automatic 4-spd transmission and front-wheel drive.
How does the 1996 Buick Century Wagon compare to the best car in its class?

The most efficient car in the Midsize-Large Station Wagons class for the 1996 model year is the Volkswagen Passat Wagon at 35 combined MPG. The Buick Century Wagon returns 21 MPG, a gap of 14 MPG. If you are comparing on fuel economy alone, the class leader is worth a look.

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.