FuelFacts

1998 Saab 900S Convertible MPG & Specs — Real-World vs EPA, All Trims

Every trim takes regular — no premium needed.

20–22
MPG combined (18–20 city / 24–26 hwy)
$2,591–$2,850
est. fuel / year (today's prices, 15k mi)
Regular
gas type

Is the 1998 Saab 900S Convertible good on gas?

At up to 22 MPG combined, the 1998 Saab 900S Convertible is about average for a Subcompact Cars — that class averages about 22.8 MPG across 5,756 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 1998 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 $2,591/year (roughly $216/month, about $17.27 per 100 miles) at the EPA's assumed 15,000 miles/year, using an estimated 682 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 →

1998 Saab 900S Convertible trims & fuel economy

Trim (engine / transmission)FuelMPGFuel/yr (today's price)
2.3L 4-cyl, 5-spd manual, FWDREGULAR22$2,591
2.3L 4-cyl, Automatic 4-spd, FWDREGULAR20$2,850

1998 Saab 900S Convertible specs

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

Engine options2.3L 4-cyl
Transmission5-spd manual · Automatic 4-spd
Drive typeFWD
EPA body classSubcompact Cars
FuelRegular

Similar cars (Subcompact Cars)

1998 BMW 318i/318is1998 Eagle Talon1998 Pontiac Firebird/Formula1998 Saab 900SE Convertible1998 BMW 328i/328is1998 Lexus SC 300/SC 400

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

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