Shelf order · Midsize-Large Station Wagons
Most efficient
Most efficient
midsize-large station wagons
21 models ranked on the EPA's own combined figure — no manufacturer claims, no road tests, no paid placement. Topped by the Dodge Aries Wagon at 23.3 MPG.
Ranked on the test sheet, best first
| # | Model | Combined | Fuel/yr | Per mile | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dodge Aries Wagon | 23.3 MPG | $2060 | $0.137 | 1984–1988 |
| 2 | Plymouth Reliant Wagon | 23.3 MPG | $2060 | $0.137 | 1984–1988 |
| 3 | Chevrolet Celebrity Wagon | 21.5 MPG | $2233 | $0.149 | 1984–1990 |
| 4 | Buick Century Wagon | 21 MPG | $2286 | $0.152 | 1985–1996 |
| 5 | Chrysler Town and Country Wagon | 21 MPG | $2286 | $0.152 | 1984–1988 |
| 6 | Eagle Summit Wagon | 21 MPG | $2286 | $0.152 | 1992–1996 |
| 7 | Pontiac 6000 Wagon | 20.5 MPG | $2341 | $0.156 | 1984–1991 |
| 8 | Mitsubishi Expo | 20 MPG | $2400 | $0.160 | 1992–1996 |
| 9 | Oldsmobile Cutlass Cruiser | 20 MPG | $2400 | $0.160 | 1986–1995 |
| 10 | Ford Taurus Wagon | 19 MPG | $2526 | $0.168 | 1986–2005 |
| 11 | Mercury Sable Wagon | 19 MPG | $2526 | $0.168 | 1986–2005 |
| 12 | Volvo 960 Wagon | 18.5 MPG | $2595 | $0.173 | 1992–1996 |
| 13 | Audi 5000S Wagon | 18 MPG | $2667 | $0.178 | 1984–1988 |
| 14 | Buick LeSabre/Electra Wagon | 18 MPG | $2667 | $0.178 | 1985–1989 |
| 15 | Buick Roadmaster Wagon | 18 MPG | $2667 | $0.178 | 1991–1996 |
| 16 | Ford LTD Crown Victoria Wagon | 18 MPG | $2667 | $0.178 | 1984–1991 |
| 17 | Mercedes-Benz 300TE | 18 MPG | $2667 | $0.178 | 1988–1993 |
| 18 | Mercury Grand Marquis Wagon | 18 MPG | $2667 | $0.178 | 1984–1991 |
| 19 | Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser | 18 MPG | $2667 | $0.178 | 1986–1992 |
| 20 | Peugeot 505 Station Wagon | 18 MPG | $2667 | $0.178 | 1984–1992 |
| 21 | Chevrolet Caprice Wagon | 17.5 MPG | $2743 | $0.183 | 1984–1993 |
Current model-year figures, $3.20/gal fixed JUL 2026, 15,000 miles a year. Electric models are rated in MPGe and are not directly comparable on fuel cost.
SOURCE·US EPA fuel-economy test data·FUEL ASSUMED AT $3.20/GAL FROM JUL 2026·REVIEWED JUL 2026
How this is worked out
- Start from the EPA combined figure for the model year — a laboratory test cycle run to a fixed procedure, not a road result. Where a year sold several engines or drivetrains, the trims are averaged and the trim count is printed beside the row so you can see how much averaging is behind it.
- Fix a pump price. This site keeps one reference price, $3.20 a US gallon, fixed JUL 2026 and printed next to every dollar figure it produces. It is an assumption with a date on it, not a quote — put your own price in.
- Fix an annual distance. Every annual figure on this site uses 15,000 miles a year, roughly the US average. A cost per year with no stated distance is not a number, it is a mood.
- Divide distance by economy for gallons, multiply by price for the year's fuel, divide price by economy for one mile. The per-kilometre line is that last figure divided by 1.609344 — the same money, in the unit most of the world drives in.
- Stop there. No depreciation, no tyres, no insurance, no servicing. This is the fuel line of the ledger and it is labelled as one; depreciation usually dwarfs everything on it.
gallons/yr = miles/yr ÷ MPG fuel $/yr = gallons/yr × $/gal cost $/mi = $/gal ÷ MPG cost $/km = cost $/mi ÷ 1.609344
The full method, the licence note, and what a test figure cannot tell you →
