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2016 Chevrolet Sonic

Fuel economy, running costs, emissions and safety · from U.S. EPA and NHTSA data

The 2016 Chevrolet Sonic is sold in the U.S. with gasoline power. The EPA lists 12 configurations for this model year, with combined economy from 28 to 32 MPG and an estimated annual fuel cost of $2,050 to $2,300 at 15,000 miles.

Key numbers

Model year2016
Vehicle classCompact Cars
Fuel type(s)Gasoline
Combined economy28-32 MPG
Best / worst combined32 / 28 MPG
Annual fuel cost$2,050-$2,300
Tailpipe CO₂276-321 g/mi
EPA smog rating6-8 / 10
NHTSA overall5 / 5 stars

What it costs to fuel

Across its configurations, the 2016 Sonic costs about $2,050 to $2,300 a year to fuel at the EPA's 15,000-mile basis, averaging roughly $2,217. Over five years that is about $11,083 in fuel alone before maintenance, insurance and depreciation — which is why the running cost, not just the price, decides what a car really costs.

Relative to an average new vehicle, the most efficient Sonic configuration saves about $1,250 in fuel over five years; less efficient versions spend more.

For context, the average combined economy of compact cars in this dataset is about 29 MPG. The Sonic sits roughly 1 MPG above that mark at its midpoint, making it more efficient than average for its EPA class.

Configurations and fuel economy

VersionEngineDriveTransFuelCombinedAnnual fuel
Sonic1.4L 4-cyl turboFront-WheelManualGasoline32 MPG$2,050
Sonic 51.4L 4-cyl turboFront-WheelManualGasoline32 MPG$2,050
Sonic1.4L 4-cyl turboFront-WheelAutomaticGasoline30 MPG$2,150
Sonic 51.4L 4-cyl turboFront-WheelAutomaticGasoline30 MPG$2,150
Sonic RS1.4L 4-cyl turboFront-WheelManualGasoline29 MPG$2,250
Sonic1.8L 4-cylFront-WheelManualGasoline29 MPG$2,250
Sonic 5 RS1.4L 4-cyl turboFront-WheelManualGasoline29 MPG$2,250
Sonic 51.8L 4-cylFront-WheelManualGasoline29 MPG$2,250
Sonic RS1.4L 4-cyl turboFront-WheelAutomaticGasoline28 MPG$2,300
Sonic1.8L 4-cylFront-WheelAutomaticGasoline28 MPG$2,300
Sonic 5 RS1.4L 4-cyl turboFront-WheelAutomaticGasoline28 MPG$2,300
Sonic 51.8L 4-cylFront-WheelAutomaticGasoline28 MPG$2,300

Emissions, safety and size

The 2016 Sonic records tailpipe CO₂ of 276-321 g/mi, an EPA smog rating of 6-8 out of 10, a 5-star NHTSA overall crash rating. The EPA classifies it as compact cars.

Compare this car

Open the comparison tool to line this 2016 Sonic up against any other vehicle in the database, or jump to other years and trims from the 2016 Chevrolet Sonic overview.

← All Chevrolet Sonic years ← All Chevrolet models

Data: U.S. EPA FuelEconomy.gov (public domain) and NHTSA SafetyRatings. Figures are EPA estimates; real-world results vary.