FuelFacts

1985 Ford E250 Econoline 2WD MPG & Specs — Real-World vs EPA, All Trims

Every trim takes regular — no premium needed.

10–14
MPG combined (9–13 city / 10–15 hwy)
$4,071–$5,700
est. fuel / year (today's prices, 15k mi)
Regular
gas type

Is the 1985 Ford E250 Econoline 2WD good on gas?

At up to 14 MPG combined, the 1985 Ford E250 Econoline 2WD is about average for a Vans — that class averages about 15.1 MPG across 1,141 EPA-tested versions, so it's middle-of-the-road for its size.

Real-world MPG vs the EPA number

The EPA figures above come from a standardized dynamometer test, not the open road — real-world MPG typically runs a bit lower depending on your driving, climate and terrain. That's true of every car on this site, old or new.

This 1985 model was originally EPA-tested under the pre-2008 2-cycle method, which didn't account for highway speeds over 60 mph, air-conditioner use, or cold starts. When EPA overhauled the test for model year 2008, city ratings fell by about 12% and highway by about 8% on average industry-wide — and EPA retroactively adjusted every 1984-2007 rating to the stricter standard so old and new cars could be compared fairly. The MPG above is already on that modern scale — the window sticker on this car when it was new likely showed a higher, pre-2008-method number.

At today's AAA national average price — $3.80/gal for regular gas as of 2026-07-05 — the most efficient trim runs about $4,071/year (roughly $339/month, about $27.14 per 100 miles) at the EPA's assumed 15,000 miles/year, using an estimated 1,071 gallons a year. We don't estimate a cost-per-fill since exact tank size isn't in the public EPA dataset, but the per-100-mile figure scales to any tank. Current national average gas prices →

1985 Ford E250 Econoline 2WD trims & fuel economy

Trim (engine / transmission)FuelMPGFuel/yr (today's price)
4.9L 6-cyl, Automatic 3-spd, RWDREGULAR14$4,071
4.9L 6-cyl, Automatic 4-spd, RWDREGULAR13$4,385
4.9L 6-cyl, Automatic 4-spd, RWDREGULAR13$4,385
5.0L 8-cyl, Automatic 4-spd, RWDREGULAR12$4,750
5.8L 8-cyl, Automatic 3-spd, RWDREGULAR11$5,182
5.8L 8-cyl, Automatic 3-spd, RWDREGULAR10$5,700

1985 Ford E250 Econoline 2WD specs

What the EPA test-car listings record for this model year — every combination sold is a row in the trims table above.

Engine options4.9L 6-cyl · 5.0L 8-cyl · 5.8L 8-cyl
TransmissionAutomatic 3-spd · Automatic 4-spd
Drive typeRWD
EPA body classVans
FuelRegular

Other years of the Ford E250 Econoline 2WD

1992 Ford E250 Econoline 2WD1991 Ford E250 Econoline 2WD1990 Ford E250 Econoline 2WD1989 Ford E250 Econoline 2WD1988 Ford E250 Econoline 2WD1987 Ford E250 Econoline 2WD1986 Ford E250 Econoline 2WD1984 Ford E250 Econoline 2WD

Similar cars (Vans)

1985 Volkswagen Vanagon 2WD1987 Toyota Cargo Van 2WD1987 Toyota Van 2WD1987 Toyota Cargo Van 4WD1987 Toyota Van 4WD1987 Nissan Van(cargo)

Cars that take premium · Cheapest cars to fuel · Where fuel grade depends on the trim · Fuel guides

6 trim(s) · EPA FuelEconomy.gov data retrieved 2026-07-24 · fuel prices AAA national average as of 2026-07-05.