FuelFacts

1997 Honda CR-V 4WD MPG & Specs — Real-World vs EPA, All Trims

Every trim takes regular — no premium needed.

21
MPG combined (19 city / 23 hwy)
$2,714
est. fuel / year (today's prices, 15k mi)
Regular
gas type

Is the 1997 Honda CR-V 4WD good on gas?

At up to 21 MPG combined, the 1997 Honda CR-V 4WD is better than average for a Special Purpose Vehicle 4WD — that class averages about 16.6 MPG across 348 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 1997 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 $2,714/year (roughly $226/month, about $18.10 per 100 miles) at the EPA's assumed 15,000 miles/year, using an estimated 714 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 →

1997 Honda CR-V 4WD trims & fuel economy

Trim (engine / transmission)FuelMPGFuel/yr (today's price)
2.0L 4-cyl, Automatic 4-spd, 4WDREGULAR21$2,714

1997 Honda CR-V 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 options2.0L 4-cyl
TransmissionAutomatic 4-spd
Drive type4WD
EPA body classSpecial Purpose Vehicle 4WD
FuelRegular

Other years of the Honda CR-V 4WD

2005 Honda CR-V 4WD2004 Honda CR-V 4WD2003 Honda CR-V 4WD2002 Honda CR-V 4WD2001 Honda CR-V 4WD2000 Honda CR-V 4WD1999 Honda CR-V 4WD1998 Honda CR-V 4WD

Similar cars (Special Purpose Vehicle 4WD)

1998 Chevrolet Tracker 4WD Convertible1998 Chevrolet Tracker 4WD Hardtop1998 Suzuki Sidekick 2Door 4WD1998 Suzuki Sidekick 4Door 4WD1998 Toyota RAV4 Soft Top 4WD1998 Subaru Forester AWD

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

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