BMW Z3
The headline figure for this car is 20 MPG, but the EPA rates 6 different versions of it, from 19 to 21 MPG. Which engine and drivetrain you order is worth $186 a year in fuel — a decision made once at the dealership and paid for every week afterwards.
Your cost per mile
Every version, 2002
| Version | Combined | City | Highway | Fuel | EPA annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.0L 6cyl · RWD · Manual 5-spd | 21 | 19 | 26 | Premium | $3,650 |
| 3.0L 6cyl · RWD · Manual 5-spd | 21 | 19 | 26 | Premium | $3,650 |
| 3.0L 6cyl · RWD · Automatic 5-spd | 20 | 17 | 25 | Premium | $3,850 |
| 2.5L 6cyl · RWD · Manual 5-spd | 20 | 18 | 25 | Premium | $3,850 |
| 2.5L 6cyl · RWD · Auto S5 | 20 | 17 | 24 | Premium | $3,850 |
| 3.0L 6cyl · RWD · Automatic 5-spd | 19 | 17 | 23 | Premium | $4,050 |
6 configurations, 19–21 MPG.
Every model year
| Year | Combined | City | Highway |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 23 | 20 | 29 |
| 1997 | 23 | 20 | 29 |
| 1998 | 23 | 20 | 28 |
| 1999 | 19 | 17 | 24 |
| 2000 | 19 | 17 | 24 |
| 2001 | 20 | 17 | 24 |
| 2002 | 20 | 17 | 25 |
Straight from the EPA certification database, one row per model year, showing the best-rated version of each. Trims with identical figures are collapsed.
What owners report
| Year | Owners | Average reported | Spread |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 2 | 29.7 | 30–30 |
| 1997 | 1 | 25.8 | 26–26 |
| 1998 | 1 | 29.5 | 30–30 |
| 1999 | 1 | 24.0 | 24–24 |
| 2000 | 1 | 20.0 | 20–20 |
| 2001 | 1 | 22.5 | 23–23 |
7 owners filed these through the EPA's own My MPG tool. That is a sample, not an average — read them as anecdotes. They are here because they are the only owner-reported figures in public federal data.
Cars people put next to this one
Cars the EPA groups with this one
Federal class: two seaters.
More from BMW
Every BMW the EPA has rated.
How this is worked out
Cost per mile is the fuel price over the combined MPG of the version you pick, at the price and mileage you enter. Where a version requires premium, it is costed at the premium price — that is a real and permanent difference between two cars wearing the same badge.
Every figure comes from the U.S. EPA's public fuel economy data. We add no estimates of our own; a missing number shows as a dash rather than a guess.
Add your numbers
Federal data has at most a handful of owners per car and nothing at all on servicing. If you own one, send what you actually get. It goes on this page with the sample size next to it.
Your car's real number
Every figure on this page is an EPA lab rating. What your car actually does depends on your roads, your right foot, and its maintenance history. Carvico calculates your true MPG from your own fill-ups — kept completely private on your iPhone and iCloud.