Mazda 323/323 Protege MPG by year — every rating on record
The Mazda 323/323 Protege has a combined EPA fuel economy rating for 2 model years, from 1990 to 1991. Across those years its best rated version returned 28 mpg (1990) and its thirstiest returned 21 mpg (1990). The EPA record holds 14 configurations for this nameplate, most recently a Compact Cars.
Year-by-year EPA ratings
| Model year | Configurations | Best combined | Worst combined | Class rank that year | Drivetrains | Fuel | EPA class |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 8 | 28 mpg | 21 mpg | #5 of 46 (91th pct) | Front-Wheel Drive, 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive | Regular | Compact Cars |
| 1991 | 6 | 28 mpg | 23 mpg | #7 of 60 (90th pct) | Front-Wheel Drive | Regular | Compact Cars |
Where it has stood in its class
Ranked against every other nameplate the EPA filed under the same class that year. The Mazda 323/323 Protege placed highest in 1990 at #5 of 46, and lowest in 1991 at #7 of 60. It spent 2 of its 2 ranked years in the top half of its class.
Every configuration on record
All 14 configurations EPA lists for this nameplate, newest first.
| Year | Configuration | Engine detail | City | Highway | Combined | Gallons/yr | Barrels/yr | EPA fuel cost/yr | CO2 g/mi | GHG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 1.8L 4-cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic 4-spd Regular | BPD (FFS) | 21 | 26 | 23 | 500.0 | 12.9 | $2,700 | 386.39130434782606 | n/a |
| 1991 | 1.8L 4-cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic 4-spd Regular | BPE (FFS) | 21 | 29 | 24 | 479.2 | 12.4 | $2,600 | 370.2916666666667 | n/a |
| 1991 | 1.8L 4-cyl Front-Wheel Drive Manual 5-spd Regular | BPD (FFS) | 22 | 28 | 24 | 479.2 | 12.4 | $2,600 | 370.2916666666667 | n/a |
| 1991 | 1.6L 4-cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic 4-spd Regular | (FFS) | 23 | 30 | 25 | 460.0 | 11.9 | $2,500 | 355.48 | n/a |
| 1991 | 1.8L 4-cyl Front-Wheel Drive Manual 5-spd Regular | BPE (FFS) | 24 | 33 | 27 | 425.9 | 11.0 | $2,300 | 329.14814814814815 | n/a |
| 1991 | 1.6L 4-cyl Front-Wheel Drive Manual 5-spd Regular | (FFS) | 25 | 33 | 28 | 410.7 | 10.6 | $2,250 | 317.39285714285717 | n/a |
| 1990 | 1.8L 4-cyl 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive Automatic 4-spd Regular | BPE (FFS) | 19 | 24 | 21 | 547.6 | 14.2 | $2,950 | 423.1904761904762 | n/a |
| 1990 | 1.8L 4-cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic 4-spd Regular | BPD (FFS) | 21 | 26 | 23 | 500.0 | 12.9 | $2,700 | 386.39130434782606 | n/a |
| 1990 | 1.8L 4-cyl 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive Manual 5-spd Regular | BPE (FFS) | 21 | 26 | 23 | 500.0 | 12.9 | $2,700 | 386.39130434782606 | n/a |
| 1990 | 1.8L 4-cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic 4-spd Regular | BPE (FFS) | 21 | 29 | 24 | 479.2 | 12.4 | $2,600 | 370.2916666666667 | n/a |
| 1990 | 1.8L 4-cyl Front-Wheel Drive Manual 5-spd Regular | BPD (FFS) | 22 | 28 | 24 | 479.2 | 12.4 | $2,600 | 370.2916666666667 | n/a |
| 1990 | 1.6L 4-cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic 4-spd Regular | (FFS) | 23 | 30 | 25 | 460.0 | 11.9 | $2,500 | 355.48 | n/a |
| 1990 | 1.8L 4-cyl Front-Wheel Drive Manual 5-spd Regular | BPE (FFS) | 24 | 33 | 27 | 425.9 | 11.0 | $2,300 | 329.14814814814815 | n/a |
| 1990 | 1.6L 4-cyl Front-Wheel Drive Manual 5-spd Regular | (FFS) | 25 | 33 | 28 | 410.7 | 10.6 | $2,250 | 317.39285714285717 | n/a |
What 323/323 Protege fuel costs over a year
At the EPA's 11,500 miles a year, the 1991 Mazda 323/323 Protege burns 411 to 500 gallons depending on configuration. Below is what that costs at three pump prices, and how much more the thirstiest configuration costs than the most efficient one.
| Pump price | Most efficient | Thirstiest | Spread |
|---|---|---|---|
| $3.00/gal | $1,232 | $1,500 | $268 |
| $3.50/gal | $1,438 | $1,750 | $313 |
| $4.00/gal | $1,643 | $2,000 | $357 |
EPA’s own estimate for the 1991 model year is $2,250 to $2,700 a year in fuel, or $1,250 more than the average new vehicle over five years.
How it compares with other Compact Cars
Across the 498 nameplates EPA classifies as Compact Cars, the median best combined rating is 26 mpg. At 28 mpg the Mazda 323/323 Protege is 2 mpg better the median, which is worth about $111 a year at $3.50 a gallon.
- All Compact Cars rankings — every nameplate in the class, best to worst.
Other Mazda nameplates
Every Mazda model compared → — all nameplates ranked by best combined rating, with what each one costs a year.