1975-1983 Volvo 240 — MPG & Fuel Facts NO OFFICIAL EPA RATING

The EPA's public fuel-economy dataset only goes back to 1984 — the 1975-1983 Volvo 240 predates it, so there is no government-rated MPG number for this car anywhere, including here.

Estimated 16–31 MPG combined.

Genuine EPA figures bookend this range: the fuel-injected 2.0L 1975 240 was rated 16 city/26 highway in the EPA's first Gas Mileage Guide, while the larger 2.1L engine used from 1976 on returned anywhere from 19-20 city to 24-31 highway across different transmission and emissions-calibration combinations in the EPA's 1978 guide.

This is our estimate, not an EPA rating — built from the period road tests, marque-specialist guides and corroborated owner reports cited below, hedged where sources vary. Treat it as a ballpark for planning, not a spec to rely on.

The 240 replaced Volvo's 140 series for MY1975 and initially carried over the outgoing 2.0L B20 engine (with Bosch continuous fuel injection) before switching to the larger 2.1L B21 for MY1976 onward - this engine change is the main reason the EPA figures shift between the 1975 and 1978 guides we reviewed directly.

EPA/FEA's 1975 Gas Mileage Guide lists the '240' sedan (121 cu in / 2.0L four, fuel-injected) at 16 city / 26 highway, and the '245' wagon at 17 city / 24 highway.

EPA's 1978 Gas Mileage Guide lists the '240' four-cylinder sedan (130 cu in / 2.1L, listed generically as 'Volvo Sedan') across six different manual/automatic and 3-way-catalyst/oxidation-catalyst combinations, ranging from 19 city / 24 highway (automatic, catalyst) up to 20 city / 31 highway (manual, 3-way catalyst) - 19 to 24 combined mpg depending on configuration. We excluded the six-cylinder rows listed on the same page, which belong to the related but distinct Volvo 260/264, not the 240.

Real-world owner-logged data (Fuelly, roughly 250 Volvo 240s) centers on the low-to-mid 20s combined, consistent with the EPA's mid-run figures once you average across city and highway.

Sources: EPA/FEA, 1975 Gas Mileage Guide for New Car Buyers, via Internet Archive · EPA, 1978 Gas Mileage Guide (2nd ed., Feb 1978), via Internet Archive · Fuelly, "Volvo 240 MPG" (owner-reported)

All classics Search Volvo 240 on FuelFacts (in case a later model year is in our 1984+ EPA data)