FuelFacts

2002 BMW 325i MPG & Specs — Real-World vs EPA, All Trims

Every gas trim of this model takes premium.

20–21
MPG combined (17–18 city / 24–27 hwy)
$3,343–$3,510
est. fuel / year (today's prices, 15k mi)
Premium
gas type

Is the 2002 BMW 325i good on gas?

At up to 21 MPG combined, the 2002 BMW 325i is worse than average for a Compact Cars — that class averages about 24.1 MPG across 6,481 EPA-tested versions, so it's on the thirsty side 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 2002 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 →

2002 BMW 325i trims & fuel economy

Trim (engine / transmission)FuelMPGFuel/yr (today's price)
2.5L 6-cyl, 5-spd manual, RWDPREMIUM21$3,343
2.5L 6-cyl, S5 automatic, RWDPREMIUM20$3,510
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.

2002 BMW 325i 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 6-cyl
Transmission5-spd manual · S5 automatic
Drive typeRWD
EPA body classCompact Cars
FuelPremium

Other years of the BMW 325i

2006 BMW 325i2005 BMW 325i2004 BMW 325i2003 BMW 325i2001 BMW 325i1991 BMW 325i

Similar cars (Compact Cars)

2002 Chevrolet Prizm2002 Saturn SL2002 Dodge Neon2002 Ford Escort2002 Infiniti G202002 Mercury Cougar

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.