1997 Chevrolet Blazer AWD: MPG and fuel economy

This page collects every fuel-economy figure the EPA publishes for the 1997 Chevrolet Blazer AWD. 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.

Fuel economy at a glance

These are the EPA's official ratings for the 1997 Chevrolet Blazer AWD. 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).

How the 1997 Chevrolet Blazer AWD compares

The 1997 Chevrolet Blazer AWD returns 16 combined MPG. Cars in the Special Purpose Vehicles class for the same model year average 16.9 MPG, which puts this car behind the class average by about 5%.

The most efficient car in the Special Purpose Vehicles class for the 1997 model year is the Toyota RAV4 2WD at 23 MPG. The bar chart below puts the Chevrolet Blazer AWD alongside the class best and the class average so you can see the full picture.

For broader context, the average new car of the 1997 model year (across all classes) returns 18.9 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 1997 model year is on its own page.

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

Year-over-year MPG for the Chevrolet Blazer AWD

The EPA has rated the Chevrolet Blazer AWD across 11 model years, from 1996 Chevrolet Blazer AWD through 2026 Chevrolet Blazer AWD. 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 1996 Chevrolet Blazer AWD returned 16 MPG. The most recent 2026 Chevrolet Blazer AWD returns 24 MPG. That is an improvement of 8 MPG over 30 model years, the kind of gain that usually comes from smaller engines, hybrid systems, or aerodynamic redesigns.

Compare against other Special Purpose Vehicles for 1997

If you are cross-shopping the 1997 Chevrolet Blazer AWD, 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 Toyota RAV4 2WD leads this group at 23 MPG, 7 MPG ahead of the 1997 Chevrolet Blazer AWD.

Specifications

The 1997 Chevrolet Blazer AWD runs a 4.3-liter 6-cylinder engine paired with a automatic 4-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

4.3L 6-cylinder

Transmission

Automatic 4-spd

Drivetrain

4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive

Fuel type

Regular

Annual petroleum use

18.6 barrels per year

Common questions about the 1997 Chevrolet Blazer AWD

Quick answers to the questions people most often search for when looking up the 1997 Chevrolet Blazer AWD.

• Is the 1997 Chevrolet Blazer AWD fuel efficient?

  It is in line with the rest of the class. The 1997 Chevrolet Blazer AWD returns 16 combined MPG, and the average car in the Special Purpose Vehicles class for the same model year sits at 16.9 MPG.
• What MPG does the 1997 Chevrolet Blazer AWD get?

  The EPA rates the 1997 Chevrolet Blazer AWD at 16 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 1997 Chevrolet Blazer AWD per year?

  The EPA estimates an annual fuel cost of $3,750 for the 1997 Chevrolet Blazer AWD. 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 1997 Chevrolet Blazer AWD use?

  The EPA lists the 1997 Chevrolet Blazer AWD as running on regular gasoline. Using a different grade than the manufacturer specifies can affect fuel economy and engine longevity.
• Has the Chevrolet Blazer AWD become more fuel efficient over time?

  Yes. The first EPA-rated Chevrolet Blazer AWD, the 1996 Chevrolet Blazer AWD, returned 16 combined MPG. The most recent 2026 Chevrolet Blazer AWD returns 24 MPG, an improvement of 8 MPG over the run.
• How much CO₂ does the 1997 Chevrolet Blazer AWD emit?

  Tailpipe CO₂ emissions are 555 g/mi. Multiplied across a typical year of driving (15,000 miles) that works out to about 8,332 kilograms of CO₂.
• What is the difference between the city and highway MPG of the 1997 Chevrolet Blazer AWD?

  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 1997 Chevrolet Blazer AWD?

  The 1997 Chevrolet Blazer AWD has a 4.3-liter 6-cylinder engine (EPA description: (FFS) (MPFI)).
• What transmission and drivetrain does the 1997 Chevrolet Blazer AWD have?

  The 1997 Chevrolet Blazer AWD comes with a automatic 4-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 1997 Chevrolet Blazer AWD compare to the best car in its class?

  The most efficient car in the Special Purpose Vehicles class for the 1997 model year is the Toyota RAV4 2WD at 23 combined MPG. The Chevrolet Blazer AWD returns 16 MPG, a gap of 7 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.