2016 Hyundai Sonata MPG and Fuel Cost

The 2016 Hyundai Sonata gets up to 31 mpg combined with a gas engine and up to 41 mpg as a hybrid, across 8 EPA-tested versions.

EPA fuel economy

2016 Hyundai Sonata · 8 EPA-tested versions

Best gas version

31MPG combined

28 city 36 highway

$2,100 a year to fuel

Fuel economy score8/10

1.6L turbo 4-cyl · FWD · 7-speed automated manual

Best hybrid version

41MPG combined

39 city 42 highway

$1,600 a year to fuel

Fuel economy score9/10

2.0L 4-cyl hybrid · FWD · 6-speed automated manual · SE

Best version saves $3,500 in fuel over 5 years vs the average new vehicle (EPA)

Fuel cost: 15,000 miles a year at EPA's $4.32 a gallon (regular gas).

Data: US EPA, fueleconomy.govUpdated Sep 27, 2026

At EPA's price assumptions, fuel costs $1,600 to $2,700 a year. The plug-in hybrid adds 27 miles of electric range and 99 MPGe on electricity.

Every 2016 Sonata version

EPA's ratings for each version it tested. Fuel cost is EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year at its current prices; for plug-in hybrids it assumes typical charging.

Version	Combined	City / Hwy	Fuel / year
Hybrid
2.0L 4-cyl hybrid · FWD · 6-speed automated manual · SE Best EPA listing: Sonata Hybrid SE	41 mpg	39 / 42	$1,600
2.0L 4-cyl hybrid · FWD · 6-speed automated manual EPA listing: Sonata Hybrid	40 mpg	38 / 41	$1,600
Gas
1.6L turbo 4-cyl · FWD · 7-speed automated manual EPA listing: Sonata	31 mpg	28 / 36	$2,100
2.4L 4-cyl · FWD · 6-speed automatic EPA listing: Sonata	29 mpg	25 / 36	$2,250
2.4L 4-cyl · FWD · 6-speed automatic · Sport Limited EPA listing: Sonata Sport Limited	28 mpg	25 / 35	$2,300
2.0L turbo 4-cyl · FWD · 6-speed automatic EPA listing: Sonata	26 mpg	22 / 31	$2,500
2.0L turbo 4-cyl · FWD · 6-speed automatic · Limited EPA listing: Sonata Limited	24 mpg	21 / 30	$2,700
Plug-in hybrid
2.0L 4-cyl plug-in hybrid · FWD · 6-speed automated manual EPA listing: Sonata Plug-in Hybrid · 99 MPGe on electricity · 27 mi electric range · MPG shown is running on gas	40 mpg	38 / 41	$1,150 with charging (EPA); gas only $1,600

Fuel cost at your prices

EPA's annual cost uses 15,000 miles a year, 55% city driving and its current prices: $4.32 a gallon for regular gas. Change the numbers to match your driving.

Version	Per year	Per month	5 years
2.0L 4-cyl hybrid · FWD · 6-speed automated manual · SE	$1,580	$132	$7,902
2.0L 4-cyl hybrid · FWD · 6-speed automated manual	$1,620	$135	$8,100
1.6L turbo 4-cyl · FWD · 7-speed automated manual	$2,090	$174	$10,452
2.4L 4-cyl · FWD · 6-speed automatic	$2,234	$186	$11,172
2.4L 4-cyl · FWD · 6-speed automatic · Sport Limited	$2,314	$193	$11,571
2.0L turbo 4-cyl · FWD · 6-speed automatic	$2,492	$208	$12,462
2.0L turbo 4-cyl · FWD · 6-speed automatic · Limited	$2,700	$225	$13,500
2.0L 4-cyl plug-in hybrid · FWD · 6-speed automated manual (on gas)	$1,620	$135	$8,100

At the default settings the results match EPA's annual cost before EPA rounds it to the nearest $50. Plug-in hybrids are calculated running on gas only.

Hyundai Sonata MPG by model year

The best-rated version in each model year; the highlighted year is this page. Gas: 29 to 32 mpg (every year from 2016 to 2026); highest in 2020. Hybrid: 41 to 52 mpg (every year from 2016 to 2026); highest in 2020.

Best gas version
Best hybrid version

2016: gas 31 mpg · hybrid 41 mpg

Show as a table

Hyundai Sonata best combined mpg by model year
Model year	Best gas version	Best hybrid version
2016	31	41
2017	31	42
2018	31	42
2019	31	42
2020	32	52
2021	32	52
2022	32	52
2023	32	52
2024	29	47
2025	32	47
2026	32	51

How the 2016 Sonata compares

2016 midsize sedans covered on this site, ranked by their best combined rating. Fuel cost is for each model's cheapest version to run, at EPA's prices.

2016 model	Best combined	Best gas	Fuel / year
Chevrolet Malibu Best: hybrid	46 mpg	30 mpg	$1,400
Hyundai Sonata This page Best: hybrid	41 mpg	31 mpg	$1,600
Toyota Camry Best: hybrid	40 mpg	28 mpg	$1,600
Kia Optima Best: hybrid	37 mpg	31 mpg	$1,750
Nissan Altima Best: gas	31 mpg	31 mpg	$2,100
Honda Accord Best: gas	30 mpg	30 mpg	$2,150

Hyundai Sonata vs Toyota CamryMPG, fuel cost, recalls and crash tests side by side

2016 Sonata recalls and complaints

NHTSA lists 9 safety recalls and 883 owner complaints for the 2016 Sonata.What they cover, and crash test ratings

Questions

How much fuel does the 2016 Sonata hybrid save?

Comparing two-wheel-drive versions at EPA's assumptions (15,000 miles a year, $4.32 a gallon), the hybrid costs $1,600 a year to fuel against $2,100 for the gas model: $500 a year, or $2,500 over five years.

Does the 2016 Hyundai Sonata need premium gas?

No. EPA lists every 2016 Hyundai Sonata version on regular gasoline.

Sources and method

US EPA and Department of Energy fuel economy data (fueleconomy.gov), file dated Sep 18, 2026.
EPA fuel price assumptions: regular $4.32, midgrade $4.93, premium $5.32, diesel $6.29 a gallon; electricity $0.15 per kWh.
Recall and complaint counts: NHTSA recall file dated Sep 27, 2026 and complaint file dated Sep 26, 2026.

Ratings are EPA estimates. Real-world mileage depends on how, where and in what weather you drive. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.