2023 Kia Sportage MPG and Fuel Cost

The 2023 Kia Sportage gets up to 28 mpg combined with a gas engine and up to 43 mpg as a hybrid, across 5 EPA-tested versions.

EPA fuel economy

2023 Kia Sportage · 5 EPA-tested versions

Best gas version

28MPG combined

25 city 32 highway

$2,200 a year to fuel

Fuel economy score6/10

2.5L 4-cyl · FWD · 8-speed automatic

Best hybrid version

43MPG combined

42 city 44 highway

$1,450 a year to fuel

Fuel economy score8/10

1.6L turbo 4-cyl hybrid · FWD · 6-speed automated manual

Best version saves $3,750 in fuel over 5 years vs the average new vehicle (EPA)

Fuel cost: 15,000 miles a year at EPA's $4.00 a gallon (regular gas).

Data: US EPA, fueleconomy.govUpdated Nov 12, 2026

At EPA's price assumptions, fuel costs $1,450 to $2,500 a year. The plug-in hybrid adds 34 miles of electric range and 84 MPGe on electricity. New for 2023: a hybrid version and a plug-in hybrid version.

One of the Sportage years to avoid

The 2023 drew 244 owner complaints in its first three years, against 36 for a typical Sportage year: 6.7 times as many.

Years to avoid: 2017 and 2023. Based on owner complaints, not adjusted for sales.

Every Sportage year ranked The 2023 Sportage's recalls and problems

Every 2023 Sportage 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
1.6L turbo 4-cyl hybrid · FWD · 6-speed automated manual Best EPA listing: Sportage Hybrid FWD	43 mpg	42 / 44	$1,450
1.6L turbo 4-cyl hybrid · AWD · 6-speed automated manual EPA listing: Sportage Hybrid AWD	38 mpg	38 / 38	$1,650
Gas
2.5L 4-cyl · FWD · 8-speed automatic EPA listing: Sportage FWD	28 mpg	25 / 32	$2,200
2.5L 4-cyl · AWD · 8-speed automatic EPA listing: Sportage AWD	25 mpg	23 / 28	$2,500
Plug-in hybrid
1.6L turbo 4-cyl plug-in hybrid · AWD · 6-speed automated manual EPA listing: Sportage Plug-in Hybrid · 84 MPGe on electricity · 34 mi electric range · MPG shown is running on gas	35 mpg	36 / 35	$1,250 with charging (EPA); gas only $1,800

Fuel cost at your prices

EPA's annual cost uses 15,000 miles a year, 55% city driving and its current prices: $4.00 a gallon for regular gas. Change the numbers to match your driving.

Version	Per year	Per month	5 years
1.6L turbo 4-cyl hybrid · FWD · 6-speed automated manual	$1,395	$116	$6,977
1.6L turbo 4-cyl hybrid · AWD · 6-speed automated manual	$1,579	$132	$7,895
2.5L 4-cyl · FWD · 8-speed automatic	$2,143	$179	$10,714
2.5L 4-cyl · AWD · 8-speed automatic	$2,400	$200	$12,000
1.6L turbo 4-cyl plug-in hybrid · AWD · 6-speed automated manual (on gas)	$1,714	$143	$8,571

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.

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

Kia Sportage MPG by model year

The best-rated version in each model year; the highlighted year is this page. Gas: 22 to 28 mpg (every year from 2010 to 2026); 28 since 2023. Hybrid: 42 to 43 mpg (2023 to 2026); highest in 2023.

Best gas version
Best hybrid version

2023: gas 28 mpg · hybrid 43 mpg

Show as a table

Kia Sportage best combined mpg by model year
Model year	Best gas version	Best hybrid version
2010	22	–
2011	25	–
2012	25	–
2013	25	–
2014	23	–
2015	23	–
2016	23	–
2017	26	–
2018	26	–
2019	25	–
2020	26	–
2021	26	–
2022	26	–
2023	28	43
2024	28	43
2025	28	43
2026	28	42

Every Sportage year's ratings in one table

How the 2023 Sportage compares

2023 compact SUVs 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.

2023 model	Best combined	Best gas	Fuel / year
Kia Sportage This page Best: hybrid	43 mpg	28 mpg	$1,450
Toyota RAV4 Best: hybrid	40 mpg	30 mpg	$1,550
Honda CR-V Best: hybrid	40 mpg	30 mpg	$1,550
Ford Escape Best: hybrid	39 mpg	30 mpg	$1,600
Hyundai Tucson Best: hybrid	38 mpg	28 mpg	$1,650
Nissan Rogue Best: gas	33 mpg	33 mpg	$1,900
Subaru Forester Best: gas	29 mpg	29 mpg	$2,150
Chevrolet Equinox Best: gas	28 mpg	28 mpg	$2,200
Subaru Outback Best: gas	28 mpg	28 mpg	$2,200
Jeep Compass Best: gas	27 mpg	27 mpg	$2,300
Volkswagen Tiguan Best: gas	27 mpg	27 mpg	$2,300
Mazda CX-50 Best: gas	27 mpg	27 mpg	$2,300
Mazda CX-5 Best: gas	26 mpg	26 mpg	$2,400
Ford Bronco Sport Best: gas	26 mpg	26 mpg	$2,400
GMC Terrain Best: gas	26 mpg	26 mpg	$2,400
Jeep Cherokee Best: gas	24 mpg	24 mpg	$2,600

Kia Sportage vs Hyundai TucsonMPG, fuel cost, recalls and crash tests side by side

2023 Sportage recalls and complaints

NHTSA lists 7 safety recalls and 313 owner complaints for the 2023 Sportage.

Owners most often describe stalling (40 complaints, 13%), then hybrid system warnings (31). NHTSA's overall crash rating: 5 stars for the versions it has rated.

See the 2023 Sportage recalls and problems

Questions

Does AWD lower the 2023 Kia Sportage's gas mileage?

Yes. On versions that differ only in drive, AWD lowers the combined rating by 3 to 5 mpg: the 1.6L turbo 4-cyl hybrid gets 43 mpg combined with front-wheel drive and 38 with AWD.

How much fuel does the 2023 Sportage hybrid save?

Comparing AWD or 4WD versions at EPA's assumptions (15,000 miles a year, $4.00 a gallon), the hybrid costs $1,650 a year to fuel against $2,500 for the gas model: $850 a year, or $4,250 over five years.

Does the 2023 Kia Sportage need premium gas?

No. EPA lists every 2023 Kia Sportage version on regular gasoline.

How does the 2023 Sportage's MPG compare with the 2022?

For 2023, the best gas version is rated 28 mpg, up 2 from 26.

Sources and method

US EPA and Department of Energy fuel economy data (fueleconomy.gov), file dated Nov 4, 2026.
EPA fuel price assumptions: regular $4.00, midgrade $4.61, premium $5.01, diesel $6.13 a gallon; electricity $0.15 per kWh.
Recall and complaint counts: NHTSA recall file dated Nov 12, 2026 and complaint file dated Nov 11, 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.