Is the 1998 Buick Century fuel efficient?

It is in line with the rest of the class. The 1998 Buick Century returns 21 combined MPG, and the average car in the Midsize Cars class for the same model year sits at 19.6 MPG.

What MPG does the 1998 Buick Century get?

The EPA rates the 1998 Buick Century at 21 combined MPG, 17 MPG in city driving, and 27 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 1998 Buick Century per year?

The EPA estimates an annual fuel cost of $2,850 for the 1998 Buick Century. 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 1998 Buick Century use?

The EPA lists the 1998 Buick Century as running on regular gasoline. Using a different grade than the manufacturer specifies can affect fuel economy and engine longevity.

Has the Buick Century become more fuel efficient over time?

Combined MPG has stayed close to flat across the run. Both the earliest ( 1984 Buick Century , 25 MPG) and most recent ( 2005 Buick Century , 21 MPG) versions sit in the same range.

How much CO₂ does the 1998 Buick Century 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 1998 Buick Century?

City driving returns 17 MPG and highway driving returns 27 MPG, a gap of 10 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 1998 Buick Century?

The 1998 Buick Century has a 3.1-liter 6-cylinder engine.

What transmission and drivetrain does the 1998 Buick Century have?

The 1998 Buick Century comes with a automatic 4-spd transmission and front-wheel drive.

How does the 1998 Buick Century compare to the best car in its class?

The most efficient car in the Midsize Cars class for the 1998 model year is the Dodge Stratus at 27 combined MPG. The Buick Century returns 21 MPG, a gap of 6 MPG. If you are comparing on fuel economy alone, the class leader is worth a look.

1998 Buick Century MPG and Fuel Economy

This page collects every fuel-economy figure the EPA publishes for the 1998 Buick Century. 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 Cars class for the 1998 model year is the Dodge Stratus at 27 MPG.
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 1998 Buick Century. 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	17 MPG
Highway MPG	27 MPG
Annual fuel cost	$2,850
Tailpipe CO₂	423 g/mi
Fuel type	Regular

How the 1998 Buick Century compares

The 1998 Buick Century returns 21 combined MPG. Cars in the Midsize Cars class for the same model year average 19.6 MPG, which puts this car ahead of the class average by about 7%.

The most efficient car in the Midsize Cars class for the 1998 model year is the Dodge Stratus at 27 MPG. The bar chart below puts the Buick Century alongside the class best and the class average so you can see the full picture.

For broader context, the average new car of the 1998 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 1998 model year is on its own page.

1998 Buick Century

21 MPG

Class average, 1998

19.6 MPG

Class best, 1998

27 MPG

Average new car, 1998

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

The EPA has rated the Buick Century across 21 model years, from 1984 Buick Century through 2005 Buick Century. 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.

Combined MPG has stayed in roughly the same range across the run. The peak rating came with the 1985 Buick Century at 27 MPG.

Year	Combined MPG	Open year page
2005	21 MPG	2005 Buick Century
2004	21 MPG	2004 Buick Century
2003	21 MPG	2003 Buick Century
2002	21 MPG	2002 Buick Century
2001	21 MPG	2001 Buick Century
2000	21 MPG	2000 Buick Century
1999	21 MPG	1999 Buick Century
1998	21 MPG	this page
1996	24 MPG	1996 Buick Century
1995	20 MPG	1995 Buick Century
1994	24 MPG	1994 Buick Century
1993	23 MPG	1993 Buick Century
1992	22 MPG	1992 Buick Century
1991	22 MPG	1991 Buick Century
1990	23 MPG	1990 Buick Century
1989	23 MPG	1989 Buick Century
1988	24 MPG	1988 Buick Century
1987	23 MPG	1987 Buick Century
1986	23 MPG	1986 Buick Century
1985	27 MPG	1985 Buick Century
1984	25 MPG	1984 Buick Century

Compare against other Midsize Cars for 1998

If you are cross-shopping the 1998 Buick Century, the most useful comparison is against the other cars in the Midsize Cars 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 leads this group at 37 MPG, 16 MPG ahead of the 1998 Buick Century.

1998 Volkswagen Passat

37 MPG 1998 Dodge Stratus

27 MPG 1998 Plymouth Breeze

27 MPG 1998 Mazda 626

26 MPG 1998 Mercedes-Benz E300 Turbodiesel

26 MPG 1998 Chevrolet Malibu

24 MPG

1998 Buick Century

21 MPG

Specifications

The 1998 Buick Century 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 Cars
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 1998 Buick Century

Quick answers to the questions people most often search for when looking up the 1998 Buick Century.

Is the 1998 Buick Century fuel efficient?

It is in line with the rest of the class. The 1998 Buick Century returns 21 combined MPG, and the average car in the Midsize Cars class for the same model year sits at 19.6 MPG.
What MPG does the 1998 Buick Century get?

The EPA rates the 1998 Buick Century at 21 combined MPG, 17 MPG in city driving, and 27 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 1998 Buick Century per year?

The EPA estimates an annual fuel cost of $2,850 for the 1998 Buick Century. 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 1998 Buick Century use?

The EPA lists the 1998 Buick Century as running on regular gasoline. Using a different grade than the manufacturer specifies can affect fuel economy and engine longevity.
Has the Buick Century become more fuel efficient over time?

Combined MPG has stayed close to flat across the run. Both the earliest (1984 Buick Century, 25 MPG) and most recent (2005 Buick Century, 21 MPG) versions sit in the same range.
How much CO₂ does the 1998 Buick Century 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 1998 Buick Century?

City driving returns 17 MPG and highway driving returns 27 MPG, a gap of 10 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 1998 Buick Century?

The 1998 Buick Century has a 3.1-liter 6-cylinder engine.
What transmission and drivetrain does the 1998 Buick Century have?

The 1998 Buick Century comes with a automatic 4-spd transmission and front-wheel drive.
How does the 1998 Buick Century compare to the best car in its class?

The most efficient car in the Midsize Cars class for the 1998 model year is the Dodge Stratus at 27 combined MPG. The Buick Century returns 21 MPG, a gap of 6 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.