2021 Nissan Sentra MPG and Fuel Cost

The 2021 Nissan Sentra is rated 32 to 33 mpg combined across 2 EPA-tested gas versions; the best is the 2.0L 4-cyl · FWD · CVT.

EPA fuel economy

2021 Nissan Sentra · 2 EPA-tested versions

Best EPA rating

33MPG combined

29 city 39 highway

$1,900 a year to fuel

Fuel economy score7/10

2.0L 4-cyl · FWD · CVT

Best version saves $1,500 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 $1,900 to $1,950 a year. Ratings for the best versions are unchanged from 2020.

More complaints than a typical Sentra year

The 2021 drew 70 owner complaints in its first three years, against about 64 for a typical Sentra year.

Years to avoid: 2013; best year: 2023. Based on owner complaints, not adjusted for sales.

Every Sentra year ranked The 2021 Sentra's recalls and problems

Every 2021 Sentra 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
2.0L 4-cyl · FWD · CVT Best EPA listing: Sentra	33 mpg	29 / 39	$1,900
2.0L 4-cyl · FWD · CVT · SR EPA listing: Sentra SR	32 mpg	28 / 37	$1,950

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
2.0L 4-cyl · FWD · CVT	$1,818	$152	$9,091
2.0L 4-cyl · FWD · CVT · SR	$1,875	$156	$9,375

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

Nissan Sentra MPG by model year

The best-rated version in each model year; the highlighted year is this page. Gas: 29 to 34 mpg (every year from 2010 to 2026); highest in 2024.

2021: gas 33 mpg

Show as a table

Nissan Sentra best combined mpg by model year
Model year	Best gas version
2010	29
2011	29
2012	29
2013	33
2014	33
2015	33
2016	33
2017	32
2018	32
2019	32
2020	33
2021	33
2022	33
2023	33
2024	34
2025	34
2026	33

Every Sentra year's ratings in one table

How the 2021 Sentra compares

2021 compact cars 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.

2021 model	Best combined	Best gas	Fuel / year
Toyota Prius Best: hybrid	56 mpg	–	$1,100
Hyundai Elantra Best: hybrid	54 mpg	37 mpg	$1,150
Toyota Corolla Best: hybrid	52 mpg	35 mpg	$1,200
Honda Civic Best: gas	36 mpg	36 mpg	$1,750
Kia Forte Best: gas	35 mpg	35 mpg	$1,800
Volkswagen Jetta Best: gas	34 mpg	34 mpg	$1,850
Nissan Sentra This page Best: gas	33 mpg	33 mpg	$1,900
Mazda3 Best: gas	31 mpg	31 mpg	$2,000

2021 Sentra recalls and complaints

NHTSA lists 3 safety recalls and 133 owner complaints for the 2021 Sentra.

Owners most often describe suspension problems (18 complaints, 14%), then phantom braking (7). NHTSA's overall crash rating: 5 stars.

See the 2021 Sentra recalls and problems

Questions

Does the 2021 Nissan Sentra need premium gas?

No. EPA lists every 2021 Nissan Sentra version on regular gasoline.

How does the 2021 Sentra's MPG compare with the 2020?

For 2021, the best gas version is rated 33 mpg, the same as the year before.

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.