BMW averages 21.6 mpg combined across 97 petrol and diesel models (1989–2027). The best on record does 39 mpg, the thirstiest 12 — a yearly fuel gap of about $2,215. Its 5 electric models sit apart at 106.7 MPGe — 31.6 kWh per 100 miles, about $645 a year to charge, which is $1,133 less than the average BMW costs to fuel.
What that actually costs
What a BMW costs to feed, at 12,000 miles a year and $3.20 a gallon.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Average combined | 21.6 mpg |
| Fuel per year | $1,778 |
| Most frugal on record | 39 mpg — $985 a year |
| Thirstiest on record | 12 mpg — $3,200 a year |
| Its electric models | 106.7 MPGe — $645 a year to charge |
BMW models by gas mileage
From the most frugal down. The yearly figure is what the fuel actually costs at 12,000 miles.
| Model | Average mpg | Best / Worst engine | Fuel per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| BMW 328d | 36 / 35 | $1,073 | |
| BMW i3 | 39 / 31 | $1,097 | |
| BMW 228 | 31 / 30 | $1,259 | |
| BMW 535d | 30 / 30 | $1,280 | |
| BMW 540d | 30 / 30 | $1,280 | |
| BMW 330e | 31 / 27 | $1,338 | |
| BMW 230i | 30 / 27 | $1,338 | |
| BMW 430i | 31 / 27 | $1,347 | |
| BMW M440i | 30 / 26 | $1,357 | |
| BMW 320i | 28 / 28 | $1,371 | |
| BMW i8 | 28 / 27 | $1,386 | |
| BMW 228i | 28 / 27 | $1,396 | |
| BMW 530e | 29 / 26 | $1,412 | |
| BMW X2 | 28 / 26 | $1,417 | |
| BMW M235 | 27 / 27 | $1,422 | |
| BMW 428i | 27 / 27 | $1,422 | |
| BMW 335d | 27 / 27 | $1,422 | |
| BMW M340i | 29 / 25 | $1,438 | |
| BMW 330i | 31 / 21 | $1,455 | |
| BMW 440i | 29 / 25 | $1,460 | |
| BMW M235i | 27 / 24 | $1,488 | |
| BMW X1 | 28 / 21 | $1,488 | |
| BMW M240i | 26 / 24 | $1,524 | |
| BMW 530i | 31 / 18 | $1,530 | |
| BMW 340i | 26 / 23 | $1,536 | |
| BMW 435i | 25 / 24 | $1,555 | |
| BMW 750e | 25 / 24 | $1,567 | |
| BMW 640i | 26 / 23 | $1,567 | |
| BMW 550e | 25 / 24 | $1,567 | |
| BMW 840i | 25 / 24 | $1,574 | |
| BMW Z4 | 28 / 19 | $1,580 | |
| BMW 318ti | 24 / 23 | $1,627 | |
| BMW 528i | 27 / 20 | $1,634 | |
| BMW 328i | 27 / 20 | $1,670 | |
| BMW ActiveHybrid 7 | 25 / 20 | $1,670 | |
| BMW 318i | 24 / 21 | $1,684 | |
| BMW X3 | 30 / 17 | $1,684 | |
| BMW 335i | 26 / 20 | $1,684 | |
| BMW 540i | 28 / 17 | $1,699 | |
| BMW X4 | 25 / 17 | $1,730 | |
| BMW 128i | 22 / 22 | $1,745 | |
| BMW 740i | 28 / 16 | $1,745 | |
| BMW 328Ci | 22 / 21 | $1,770 | |
| BMW 135i | 23 / 20 | $1,770 | |
| BMW Z3 | 24 / 19 | $1,803 | |
| BMW 330Ci | 22 / 21 | $1,803 | |
| BMW M2 | 26 / 19 | $1,811 | |
| BMW 325Ci | 22 / 21 | $1,811 | |
| BMW 328iC | 22 / 20 | $1,811 | |
| BMW 740Li | 22 / 20 | $1,811 | |
| BMW 335is | 21 / 21 | $1,829 | |
| BMW 328iS | 21 / 20 | $1,837 | |
| BMW 330xi | 21 / 20 | $1,873 | |
| BMW 535i | 24 / 16 | $1,873 | |
| BMW X7 | 23 / 17 | $1,882 | |
| BMW 328xi | 20 / 20 | $1,920 | |
| BMW 335xi | 20 / 20 | $1,920 | |
| BMW 525i | 22 / 18 | $1,920 | |
| BMW 525xi | 20 / 20 | $1,920 | |
| BMW 528xi | 20 / 20 | $1,920 | |
| BMW 530xi | 20 / 20 | $1,920 | |
| BMW 325xi | 20 / 20 | $1,920 | |
| BMW 535xi | 20 / 20 | $1,920 | |
| BMW 325iS | 22 / 18 | $1,930 | |
| BMW M550i | 20 / 19 | $1,939 | |
| BMW 325i | 22 / 15 | $1,939 | |
| BMW 650i | 21 / 18 | $1,959 | |
| BMW M850i | 20 / 19 | $1,969 | |
| BMW M4 | 20 / 19 | $1,969 | |
| BMW X5 | 27 / 14 | $1,990 | |
| BMW X6 | 24 / 15 | $2,010 | |
| BMW ALPINA B8 | 19 / 19 | $2,021 | |
| BMW 545i | 19 / 19 | $2,021 | |
| BMW 745i | 19 / 19 | $2,021 | |
| BMW 745Li | 19 / 19 | $2,021 | |
| BMW 645Ci | 19 / 19 | $2,021 | |
| BMW 550i | 20 / 18 | $2,043 | |
| BMW 325iC | 20 / 18 | $2,065 | |
| BMW 760i | 21 / 16 | $2,087 | |
| BMW Alpina | 20 / 17 | $2,098 | |
| BMW M3 | 21 / 16 | $2,098 | |
| BMW 750i | 21 / 12 | $2,110 | |
| BMW 325ix | 18 / 18 | $2,133 | |
| BMW 750Li | 19 / 17 | $2,145 | |
| BMW 740iL | 18 / 16 | $2,182 | |
| BMW M8 | 17 / 17 | $2,259 | |
| BMW 635CSi | 16 / 16 | $2,400 | |
| BMW M760i | 16 / 16 | $2,400 | |
| BMW 840Ci | 17 / 15 | $2,430 | |
| BMW 850i | 20 / 13 | $2,510 | |
| BMW 760Li | 16 / 15 | $2,510 | |
| BMW M5 | 17 / 13 | $2,526 | |
| BMW M6 | 17 / 12 | $2,543 | |
| BMW Z8 | 15 / 15 | $2,560 | |
| BMW XM | 14 / 14 | $2,743 | |
| BMW 750iL | 15 / 13 | $2,783 | |
| BMW 850CSi | 13 / 13 | $2,954 |
The electric BMWs, measured differently
BMW has 5 models that never visit a filling station, averaging 106.7 MPGe. That figure looks four times better than the 21.6 mpg the petrol BMWs manage, but the two are not the same unit — so we keep them apart and price the electric ones in kilowatt-hours.
MPG is a number. Dollars per year is the answer.
- Fuel profile built from your actual mileage and local prices
- Fuel tracker: what you really spend, month by month
- Insurance and fuel folded into 5-year cost to own
- Compare any two cars on total cost, not sticker price
- No ads, no tracking — and much more
How we count
BMW rests on 925 EPA ratings covering 97 models from 1989 to 2027, plus 5 electric ones counted separately in MPGe. The laboratory numbers are EPA's and go in unchanged; the money is ours, at 12,000 miles a year and $3.20 a gallon. Full method.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average BMW gas mileage?
21.6 mpg combined across 97 models and 925 EPA ratings, from 1989 to 2027 — 38 model years in one figure, which is why it sits below what a new BMW does today.
Which BMW model is the most economical?
The BMW 328d at 35.8 mpg, about $1,073 a year in fuel, against the 850CSi at 13.0 mpg and $2,954 — a gap of $1,881 a year between the two ends of the same badge.
How much does a BMW cost to run?
About $1,778 a year in fuel, at 12,000 miles and $3.20 a gallon. Over five years that is $8,890, before a single service.
Does BMW make anything electric?
Yes — 5 models, rated 106.7 MPGe rather than in mpg, which works out to 31.6 kWh per 100 miles and roughly $645 a year at the socket. That is $1,133 less than the average petrol BMW, though the two ratings are not in the same unit.
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