FuelFacts

1988 Isuzu I-Mark MPG & Specs — Real-World vs EPA, All Trims

Every trim takes regular — no premium needed.

27–33
MPG combined (24–31 city / 30–37 hwy)
$1,727–$2,111
est. fuel / year (today's prices, 15k mi)
Regular
gas type

Is the 1988 Isuzu I-Mark good on gas?

At up to 33 MPG combined, the 1988 Isuzu I-Mark is better than average for a Subcompact Cars — that class averages about 22.8 MPG across 5,756 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 $1,727/year (roughly $144/month, about $11.52 per 100 miles) at the EPA's assumed 15,000 miles/year, using an estimated 455 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 Isuzu I-Mark trims & fuel economy

Trim (engine / transmission)FuelMPGFuel/yr (today's price)
1.5L 4-cyl, 5-spd manual, FWDREGULAR33$1,727
1.5L 4-cyl, 5-spd manual, FWDREGULAR31$1,839
1.5L 4-cyl, Automatic 3-spd, FWDREGULAR28$2,036
1.5L 4-cyl, 5-spd manual, FWDREGULAR27$2,111

1988 Isuzu I-Mark specs

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

Engine options1.5L 4-cyl · 1.5L 4-cyl turbo
Transmission5-spd manual · Automatic 3-spd
Drive typeFWD
EPA body classSubcompact Cars
FuelRegular

Other years of the Isuzu I-Mark

1989 Isuzu I-Mark1987 Isuzu I-Mark1986 Isuzu I-Mark1985 Isuzu I-Mark1984 Isuzu I-Mark

Similar cars (Subcompact Cars)

1988 Suzuki Forsa1988 Chevrolet Spectrum1988 Toyota Tercel EZ1988 Toyota Corolla FX1988 Chevrolet Spectrum Turbo1988 Yugo GV

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

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