FuelFacts

2001 BMW Z3 Roadster MPG & Specs — Real-World vs EPA, All Trims

Every gas trim of this model takes premium.

19–21
MPG combined (17–19 city / 23–26 hwy)
$3,343–$3,695
est. fuel / year (today's prices, 15k mi)
Premium
gas type

Is the 2001 BMW Z3 Roadster good on gas?

At up to 21 MPG combined, the 2001 BMW Z3 Roadster is better than average for a Two Seaters — that class averages about 19.4 MPG across 2,500 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 2001 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 — $4.68/gal for premium gas as of 2026-07-05 — the most efficient trim runs about $3,343/year (roughly $279/month, about $22.29 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 →

2001 BMW Z3 Roadster trims & fuel economy

Trim (engine / transmission)FuelMPGFuel/yr (today's price)
3.0L 6-cyl, 5-spd manual, RWDPREMIUM21$3,343
2.5L 6-cyl, Automatic 5-spd, RWDPREMIUM20$3,510
2.5L 6-cyl, 5-spd manual, RWDPREMIUM20$3,510
3.0L 6-cyl, S5 automatic, RWDPREMIUM19$3,695
Where the EPA lists premium, that’s the fuel the maker specified for the mileage test — many such engines run on regular with slightly less power/MPG. Whether premium is required or just recommended is an owner’s-manual detail the EPA dataset omits, so we don’t guess it.

2001 BMW Z3 Roadster specs

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

Engine options3.0L 6-cyl · 2.5L 6-cyl
Transmission5-spd manual · Automatic 5-spd · S5 automatic
Drive typeRWD
EPA body classTwo Seaters
FuelPremium

Other years of the BMW Z3 Roadster

2002 BMW Z3 Roadster2000 BMW Z3 Roadster1999 BMW Z3 Roadster1998 BMW Z3 Roadster1997 BMW Z3 Roadster1996 BMW Z3 Roadster

Similar cars (Two Seaters)

2001 Nissan Hyper-Mini2001 Ford Th!nk2001 BMW M Coupe2001 BMW M Roadster2001 Plymouth Prowler2001 Lamborghini DB132/144 Diablo

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.