FuelFacts

2003 Nissan 350z MPG & Specs — Real-World vs EPA, All Trims

Every gas trim of this model takes premium.

19–20
MPG combined (17–18 city / 24 hwy)
$3,510–$3,695
est. fuel / year (today's prices, 15k mi)
Premium
gas type

Is the 2003 Nissan 350z good on gas?

At up to 20 MPG combined, the 2003 Nissan 350z is about average for a Two Seaters — that class averages about 19.4 MPG across 2,500 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 2003 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 $3,510/year (roughly $292/month, about $23.40 per 100 miles) at the EPA's assumed 15,000 miles/year, using an estimated 750 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 →

2003 Nissan 350z trims & fuel economy

Trim (engine / transmission)FuelMPGFuel/yr (today's price)
3.5L 6-cyl, 6-spd manual, RWDPREMIUM20$3,510
3.5L 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.

2003 Nissan 350z specs

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

Engine options3.5L 6-cyl
Transmission6-spd manual · S5 automatic
Drive typeRWD
EPA body classTwo Seaters
FuelPremium

Other years of the Nissan 350z

2008 Nissan 350z2007 Nissan 350z2006 Nissan 350z2005 Nissan 350z2004 Nissan 350z

Similar cars (Two Seaters)

2003 Mercedes-Benz SLK230 Kompressor2003 Morgan Plus Eight2003 Porsche Turbo GT22003 BMW Z82003 BMW Alpina Roadster V82003 Aston Martin DB AR1

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.