2013 Kia Optima MPG and Fuel Cost

The 2013 Kia Optima gets up to 27 mpg combined with a gas engine and up to 37 mpg as a hybrid, across 5 EPA-tested versions.

EPA fuel economy

2013 Kia Optima · 5 EPA-tested versions

Best gas version

27MPG combined

24 city 34 highway

$2,500 a year to fuel

Fuel economy score7/10

2.4L 4-cyl · FWD · 6-speed automatic

Best hybrid version

37MPG combined

35 city 38 highway

$1,800 a year to fuel

Fuel economy score9/10

2.4L 4-cyl hybrid · FWD · 6-speed automated manual

Best version saves $3,000 in fuel over 5 years vs the average new vehicle (EPA)

Fuel cost: 15,000 miles a year at EPA's $4.47 a gallon (regular gas).

Data: US EPA, fueleconomy.govUpdated Sep 30, 2026

At EPA's price assumptions, fuel costs $1,800 to $2,600 a year. Compared with 2012, the best hybrid version is up 1 mpg.

One of the Optima years to avoid

The 2013 drew 148 owner complaints in its first three years, against 53 for a typical Optima year: 2.7 times as many.

Years to avoid: 2012 and 2013. Based on owner complaints, not adjusted for sales.

Every Optima year ranked The 2013 Optima's recalls and problems

Every 2013 Optima 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.

Version	Combined	City / Hwy	Fuel / year
Hybrid
2.4L 4-cyl hybrid · FWD · 6-speed automated manual Best EPA listing: Optima Hybrid	37 mpg	35 / 38	$1,800
2.4L 4-cyl hybrid · FWD · 6-speed automated manual · EX EPA listing: Optima Hybrid EX	36 mpg	35 / 38	$1,850
Gas
2.4L 4-cyl · FWD · 6-speed automatic EPA listing: Optima	27 mpg	24 / 34	$2,500
2.4L 4-cyl · FWD · 6-speed manual EPA listing: Optima	27 mpg	24 / 34	$2,500
2.0L turbo 4-cyl · FWD · 6-speed automatic EPA listing: Optima	26 mpg	22 / 33	$2,600

Fuel cost at your prices

EPA's annual cost uses 15,000 miles a year, 55% city driving and its current prices: $4.47 a gallon for regular gas. Change the numbers to match your driving.

Version	Per year	Per month	5 years
2.4L 4-cyl hybrid · FWD · 6-speed automated manual	$1,812	$151	$9,061
2.4L 4-cyl hybrid · FWD · 6-speed automated manual · EX	$1,863	$155	$9,313
2.4L 4-cyl · FWD · 6-speed automatic	$2,483	$207	$12,417
2.4L 4-cyl · FWD · 6-speed manual	$2,483	$207	$12,417
2.0L turbo 4-cyl · FWD · 6-speed automatic	$2,579	$215	$12,894

At the default settings the results match EPA's annual cost before EPA rounds it to the nearest $50.

Does the hybrid pay for itself? See the payback for every model sold both ways.

Kia Optima MPG by model year

The best-rated version in each model year; the highlighted year is this page. Gas: 25 to 31 mpg (every year from 2010 to 2020); 31 since 2016. Hybrid: 36 to 42 mpg (2011 to 2020); highest in 2017.

Best gas version
Best hybrid version

2013: gas 27 mpg · hybrid 37 mpg

Show as a table

Kia Optima best combined mpg by model year
Model year	Best gas version	Best hybrid version
2010	25	–
2011	27	36
2012	27	36
2013	27	37
2014	26	37
2015	26	37
2016	31	37
2017	31	42
2018	31	42
2019	31	41
2020	31	42

Every Optima year's ratings in one table

How the 2013 Optima compares

2013 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.

2013 model	Best combined	Best gas	Fuel / year
Toyota Camry Best: hybrid	40 mpg	28 mpg	$1,700
Hyundai Sonata Best: hybrid	37 mpg	27 mpg	$1,800
Kia Optima This page Best: hybrid	37 mpg	27 mpg	$1,800
Nissan Altima Best: gas	31 mpg	31 mpg	$2,150
Honda Accord Best: gas	30 mpg	30 mpg	$2,250
Chevrolet Malibu Best: gas	29 mpg	29 mpg	$2,300

2013 Optima recalls and complaints

NHTSA lists 10 safety recalls and 1,438 owner complaints for the 2013 Optima.

Owners most often describe stalling (215 complaints, 15%), then engine failure (187). NHTSA's overall crash rating: 5 stars.

See the 2013 Optima recalls and problems

Questions

How much fuel does the 2013 Optima hybrid save?

Comparing two-wheel-drive versions at EPA's assumptions (15,000 miles a year, $4.47 a gallon), the hybrid costs $1,800 a year to fuel against $2,500 for the gas model: $700 a year, or $3,500 over five years.

Does the 2013 Kia Optima need premium gas?

No. EPA lists every 2013 Kia Optima version on regular gasoline.

How does the 2013 Optima's MPG compare with the 2012?

For 2013, the best gas version is rated 27 mpg, the same as the year before and the best hybrid version is rated 37 mpg, up 1 from 36.

Sources and method

US EPA and Department of Energy fuel economy data (fueleconomy.gov), file dated Sep 29, 2026.
EPA fuel price assumptions: regular $4.47, midgrade $5.07, premium $5.48, diesel $6.38 a gallon; electricity $0.15 per kWh.
Recall and complaint counts: NHTSA recall file dated Oct 2, 2026 and complaint file dated Oct 2, 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.