Saturn SL

1991–2002 · Gasoline

The headline figure for this car is 27 MPG, but the EPA rates 4 different versions of it, from 26 to 29 MPG. Which engine and drivetrain you order is worth $148 a year in fuel — a decision made once at the dealership and paid for every week afterwards.

27 mpg Combined ~~EPA rated~~

24 mpg City

34 mpg Highway

$2,300 EPA annual fuel ~~at 15,000 mi~~

Your cost per mile

Every version, 2002

Version	Combined	City	Highway	Fuel	EPA annual
1.9L 4cyl · FWD · Manual 5-spd	29	25	36	Regular	$2,150
1.9L 4cyl · FWD · Automatic 4-spd	27	24	34	Regular	$2,300
1.9L 4cyl · FWD · Manual 5-spd	27	23	34	Regular	$2,300
1.9L 4cyl · FWD · Automatic 4-spd	26	22	32	Regular	$2,400

4 configurations, 26–29 MPG.

Every model year

Year	Combined	City	Highway
1991	27	23	34
1992	26	23	32
1993	26	23	33
1994	26	23	32
1995	25	21	31
1996	25	21	31
1997	25	21	31
1998	25	21	31
1999	27	23	33
2000	27	23	34
2001	27	24	34
2002	27	24	34

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
1991	2	35.3	33–38
1992	1	29.5	29–29
1993	3	33.8	30–39
1994	2	25.4	24–27
1995	5	27.7	21–35
1996	3	31.5	30–36
1997	8	31.6	26–39
1998	6	30.7	28–34
1999	7	34.0	30–40
2000	7	33.1	25–37
2001	6	30.3	25–37
2002	13	31.2	25–42

63 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.

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.