FuelFacts

1988 GMC K15 Pickup 4WD MPG & Specs — Real-World vs EPA, All Trims

Fuel grade varies by trim — see the breakdown below.

12–17
MPG combined (11–16 city / 13–20 hwy)
$3,562–$4,750
est. fuel / year (today's prices, 15k mi)
Varies by trim
gas type

Is the 1988 GMC K15 Pickup 4WD good on gas?

At up to 17 MPG combined, the 1988 GMC K15 Pickup 4WD is better than average for a Standard Pickup Trucks — that class averages about 15.2 MPG across 2,354 EPA-tested versions, so it's a good pick on fuel 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 1988 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 $3,562/year (roughly $297/month, about $23.75 per 100 miles) at the EPA's assumed 15,000 miles/year, using an estimated 938 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 →

1988 GMC K15 Pickup 4WD trims & fuel economy

Trim (engine / transmission)FuelMPGFuel/yr (today's price)
4.3L 6-cyl, Automatic 4-spd, AWDREGULAR16$3,562
4.3L 6-cyl, 5-spd manual, AWDREGULAR16$3,562
4.3L 6-cyl, 4-spd manual, AWDREGULAR15$3,800
4.3L 6-cyl, Automatic 3-spd, AWDREGULAR14$4,071
5.0L 8-cyl, Automatic 4-spd, AWDREGULAR14$4,071
5.0L 8-cyl, 5-spd manual, AWDREGULAR14$4,071
5.7L 8-cyl, Automatic 4-spd, AWDREGULAR13$4,385
5.7L 8-cyl, 4-spd manual, AWDREGULAR13$4,385
5.7L 8-cyl, 5-spd manual, AWDREGULAR13$4,385
5.0L 8-cyl, Automatic 3-spd, AWDREGULAR12$4,750
6.2L 8-cyl, Automatic 4-spd, AWDDIESEL17$4,218
6.2L 8-cyl, 4-spd manual, AWDDIESEL16$4,481

1988 GMC K15 Pickup 4WD specs

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

Engine options4.3L 6-cyl · 5.0L 8-cyl · 5.7L 8-cyl · 6.2L 8-cyl
TransmissionAutomatic 4-spd · 5-spd manual · 4-spd manual · Automatic 3-spd
Drive typeAWD
EPA body classStandard Pickup Trucks
FuelVaries by trim

Other years of the GMC K15 Pickup 4WD

1986 GMC K15 Pickup 4WD1985 GMC K15 Pickup 4WD1984 GMC K15 Pickup 4WD

Similar cars (Standard Pickup Trucks)

1988 Jeep Comanche 2WD1988 Jeep Comanche 4WD1988 Chevrolet T10 (S10) Pickup 4WD1988 GMC T15 (S15) Pickup 4WD1988 Chevrolet C10 Pickup 2WD1988 Chevrolet C20 Pickup 2WD

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

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