FuelFacts

1997 Volkswagen Eurovan Camper MPG & Specs — Real-World vs EPA, All Trims

Every trim takes regular — no premium needed.

14
MPG combined (13 city / 17 hwy)
$4,071
est. fuel / year (today's prices, 15k mi)
Regular
gas type

Is the 1997 Volkswagen Eurovan Camper good on gas?

At up to 14 MPG combined, the 1997 Volkswagen Eurovan Camper is about average for a Vans — that class averages about 15.1 MPG across 1,141 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 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 $4,071/year (roughly $339/month, about $27.14 per 100 miles) at the EPA's assumed 15,000 miles/year, using an estimated 1,071 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 Volkswagen Eurovan Camper trims & fuel economy

Trim (engine / transmission)FuelMPGFuel/yr (today's price)
2.8L 6-cyl, Automatic 4-spd, FWDREGULAR14$4,071

1997 Volkswagen Eurovan Camper specs

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

Engine options2.8L 6-cyl
TransmissionAutomatic 4-spd
Drive typeFWD
EPA body classVans
FuelRegular

Other years of the Volkswagen Eurovan Camper

2003 Volkswagen Eurovan Camper2002 Volkswagen Eurovan Camper2001 Volkswagen Eurovan Camper2000 Volkswagen Eurovan Camper1999 Volkswagen Eurovan Camper1995 Volkswagen Eurovan Camper

Similar cars (Vans)

1997 Chevrolet Astro 2WD (cargo)1997 Ford Aerostar Van1997 Ford Aerostar Wagon1997 GMC Safari 2WD (cargo)1997 Toyota Previa1997 Toyota Previa All-Trac

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.