FuelFacts

1986 Audi 4000 S MPG & Specs — Real-World vs EPA, All Trims

Every trim takes regular — no premium needed.

22–24
MPG combined (21–22 city / 24–28 hwy)
$2,375–$2,591
est. fuel / year (today's prices, 15k mi)
Regular
gas type

Is the 1986 Audi 4000 S good on gas?

At up to 24 MPG combined, the 1986 Audi 4000 S is about average for a Subcompact Cars — that class averages about 22.8 MPG across 5,756 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 1986 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 $2,375/year (roughly $198/month, about $15.83 per 100 miles) at the EPA's assumed 15,000 miles/year, using an estimated 625 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 →

1986 Audi 4000 S trims & fuel economy

Trim (engine / transmission)FuelMPGFuel/yr (today's price)
1.8L 4-cyl, 5-spd manual, FWDREGULAR24$2,375
1.8L 4-cyl, Automatic 3-spd, FWDREGULAR22$2,591

1986 Audi 4000 S specs

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

Engine options1.8L 4-cyl
Transmission5-spd manual · Automatic 3-spd
Drive typeFWD
EPA body classSubcompact Cars
FuelRegular

Similar cars (Subcompact Cars)

1986 Chevrolet Sprint Plus1986 Mercedes-Benz 1901986 Hyundai Pony Excel1986 Honda Accord1986 Ford Laser1986 Mercury Capri

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

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