FuelFacts

1989 Jeep Cherokee/Wagoneer 4WD MPG & Specs — Real-World vs EPA, All Trims

Every trim takes regular — no premium needed.

16–19
MPG combined (14–18 city / 18–22 hwy)
$3,000–$3,562
est. fuel / year (today's prices, 15k mi)
Regular
gas type

Is the 1989 Jeep Cherokee/Wagoneer 4WD good on gas?

At up to 19 MPG combined, the 1989 Jeep Cherokee/Wagoneer 4WD is better than average for a Special Purpose Vehicles — that class averages about 16.8 MPG across 1,455 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 1989 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 $3,000/year (roughly $250/month, about $20.00 per 100 miles) at the EPA's assumed 15,000 miles/year, using an estimated 789 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 →

1989 Jeep Cherokee/Wagoneer 4WD trims & fuel economy

Trim (engine / transmission)FuelMPGFuel/yr (today's price)
2.5L 4-cyl, 5-spd manual, AWDREGULAR19$3,000
2.5L 4-cyl, 5-spd manual, AWDREGULAR19$3,000
2.5L 4-cyl, Automatic 4-spd, AWDREGULAR18$3,167
4.0L 6-cyl, 5-spd manual, AWDREGULAR17$3,353
4.0L 6-cyl, Automatic 4-spd, AWDREGULAR16$3,562

1989 Jeep Cherokee/Wagoneer 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 options2.5L 4-cyl · 4.0L 6-cyl
Transmission5-spd manual · Automatic 4-spd
Drive typeAWD
EPA body classSpecial Purpose Vehicles
FuelRegular

Other years of the Jeep Cherokee/Wagoneer 4WD

1988 Jeep Cherokee/Wagoneer 4WD1987 Jeep Cherokee/Wagoneer 4WD1986 Jeep Cherokee/Wagoneer 4WD1984 Jeep Cherokee/Wagoneer 4WD

Similar cars (Special Purpose Vehicles)

1989 Geo Tracker Hardtop 4WD1989 Suzuki Samurai Convertible1989 Suzuki Sidekick Convertible 4WD1989 Subaru Hatchback 4WD1989 Subaru Sedan/3 Door 4WD1989 Subaru Wagon 4WD

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

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