1986 Mitsubishi Truck 4WD: MPG and fuel economy
The 1986 Mitsubishi Truck 4WD is rated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency at 19 combined MPG, with 18 MPG in the city and 21 MPG on the highway. That sits a little below the average car in the Small Pickup Trucks class for the same model year.
This page collects every fuel-economy figure the EPA publishes for the 1986 Mitsubishi Truck 4WD. 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 Small Pickup Trucks class for the 1986 model year is the Nissan Truck 2WD at 25 MPG.
- The Mitsubishi Truck 4WD has lost 8 MPG since its first rated model year, the 1984 Mitsubishi Truck 4WD at 25 MPG. That is often a sign of larger engines or heavier curb weights in newer generations.
- EPA estimates this car costs around $5,000 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 1986 Mitsubishi Truck 4WD. 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 | 19 MPG |
| City MPG | 18 MPG |
| Highway MPG | 21 MPG |
| Annual fuel cost | $3,150 |
| Tailpipe CO₂ | 468 g/mi |
| Fuel type | Regular |
How the 1986 Mitsubishi Truck 4WD compares
The 1986 Mitsubishi Truck 4WD returns 19 combined MPG. Cars in the Small Pickup Trucks class for the same model year average 21 MPG, which puts this car behind the class average by about 10%.
The most efficient car in the Small Pickup Trucks class for the 1986 model year is the Nissan Truck 2WD at 25 MPG. The bar chart below puts the Mitsubishi Truck 4WD 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.
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 789.5 gallons (the car's annual consumption at the rated MPG).
| Driving pattern | Estimated annual fuel cost |
|---|---|
| Light driver, 7,500 miles per year | $1,575 |
| Average driver, 15,000 miles per year | $3,150 |
| Heavy driver, 25,000 miles per year | $5,250 |
Year-over-year MPG for the Mitsubishi Truck 4WD
The EPA has rated the Mitsubishi Truck 4WD across 12 model years, from 1984 Mitsubishi Truck 4WD through 1995 Mitsubishi Truck 4WD. 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 1984 Mitsubishi Truck 4WD returned 25 MPG. The most recent 1995 Mitsubishi Truck 4WD returns 17 MPG. That is a drop of 8 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 17 MPG | 1995 Mitsubishi Truck 4WD |
| 1994 | 17 MPG | 1994 Mitsubishi Truck 4WD |
| 1993 | 18 MPG | 1993 Mitsubishi Truck 4WD |
| 1992 | 18 MPG | 1992 Mitsubishi Truck 4WD |
| 1991 | 18 MPG | 1991 Mitsubishi Truck 4WD |
| 1990 | 18 MPG | 1990 Mitsubishi Truck 4WD |
| 1989 | 17 MPG | 1989 Mitsubishi Truck 4WD |
| 1988 | 18 MPG | 1988 Mitsubishi Truck 4WD |
| 1987 | 18 MPG | 1987 Mitsubishi Truck 4WD |
| 1986 | 19 MPG | this page |
| 1985 | 26 MPG | 1985 Mitsubishi Truck 4WD |
| 1984 | 25 MPG | 1984 Mitsubishi Truck 4WD |
Compare against other Small Pickup Trucks for 1986
If you are cross-shopping the 1986 Mitsubishi Truck 4WD, the most useful comparison is against the other cars in the Small Pickup Trucks 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 Pickup 2WD leads this group at 32 MPG, 13 MPG ahead of the 1986 Mitsubishi Truck 4WD.
Specifications
The 1986 Mitsubishi Truck 4WD runs a 2.6-liter 4-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
- Small Pickup Trucks
- Engine
- 2.6L 4-cylinder
- Transmission
- Manual 5-spd
- Drivetrain
- 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
- Fuel type
- Regular
- Annual petroleum use
- 15.7 barrels per year
Common questions about the 1986 Mitsubishi Truck 4WD
Quick answers to the questions people most often search for when looking up the 1986 Mitsubishi Truck 4WD.
-
Is the 1986 Mitsubishi Truck 4WD fuel efficient?
Not particularly. The 1986 Mitsubishi Truck 4WD returns 19 combined MPG, which trails the average car in the Small Pickup Trucks class for the same model year by about 10%. -
What MPG does the 1986 Mitsubishi Truck 4WD get?
The EPA rates the 1986 Mitsubishi Truck 4WD at 19 combined MPG, 18 MPG in city driving, and 21 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 Mitsubishi Truck 4WD per year?
The EPA estimates an annual fuel cost of $3,150 for the 1986 Mitsubishi Truck 4WD. 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 Mitsubishi Truck 4WD use?
The EPA lists the 1986 Mitsubishi Truck 4WD as running on regular gasoline. Using a different grade than the manufacturer specifies can affect fuel economy and engine longevity. -
Has the Mitsubishi Truck 4WD become more fuel efficient over time?
Combined MPG has actually slipped. The first EPA-rated Mitsubishi Truck 4WD, the 1984 Mitsubishi Truck 4WD, returned 25 MPG, while the most recent 1995 Mitsubishi Truck 4WD returns 17 MPG. A drop of 8 MPG usually traces back to bigger engines or heavier curb weights in newer trims. -
How much CO₂ does the 1986 Mitsubishi Truck 4WD emit?
Tailpipe CO₂ emissions are 468 g/mi. Multiplied across a typical year of driving (15,000 miles) that works out to about 7,016 kilograms of CO₂. -
What is the difference between the city and highway MPG of the 1986 Mitsubishi Truck 4WD?
City driving returns 18 MPG and highway driving returns 21 MPG, a gap of 3 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 Mitsubishi Truck 4WD?
The 1986 Mitsubishi Truck 4WD has a 2.6-liter 4-cylinder engine (EPA description: (FFS)). -
What transmission and drivetrain does the 1986 Mitsubishi Truck 4WD have?
The 1986 Mitsubishi Truck 4WD 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 Mitsubishi Truck 4WD compare to the best car in its class?
The most efficient car in the Small Pickup Trucks class for the 1986 model year is the Nissan Truck 2WD at 25 combined MPG. The Mitsubishi Truck 4WD returns 19 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.