2021 Hyundai Santa Fe MPG and Fuel Cost

The 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe gets up to 26 mpg combined with a gas engine and up to 34 mpg as a hybrid, across 6 EPA-tested versions.

EPA fuel economy

2021 Hyundai Santa Fe · 6 EPA-tested versions

Best gas version

26MPG combined

25 city 28 highway

$2,500 a year to fuel

Fuel economy score5/10

2.5L 4-cyl · FWD · 8-speed automatic

Best hybrid version

34MPG combined

36 city 31 highway

$1,900 a year to fuel

Fuel economy score7/10

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

Best version saves $2,000 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 $1,900 to $2,700 a year. New for 2021: a hybrid version.

Every 2021 Santa Fe 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
1.6L turbo 4-cyl hybrid · AWD · 6-speed automated manual · Blue Best EPA listing: Santa Fe Hybrid Blue	34 mpg	36 / 31	$1,900
1.6L turbo 4-cyl hybrid · AWD · 6-speed automated manual EPA listing: Santa Fe Hybrid	32 mpg	33 / 30	$2,050
Gas
2.5L 4-cyl · FWD · 8-speed automatic EPA listing: Santa Fe FWD	26 mpg	25 / 28	$2,500
2.5L turbo 4-cyl · FWD · 8-speed automated manual EPA listing: Santa Fe FWD	25 mpg	22 / 28	$2,600
2.5L 4-cyl · AWD · 8-speed automatic EPA listing: Santa Fe AWD	24 mpg	22 / 25	$2,700
2.5L turbo 4-cyl · AWD · 8-speed automated manual EPA listing: Santa Fe AWD	24 mpg	21 / 28	$2,700

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
1.6L turbo 4-cyl hybrid · AWD · 6-speed automated manual · Blue	$1,906	$159	$9,529
1.6L turbo 4-cyl hybrid · AWD · 6-speed automated manual	$2,025	$169	$10,125
2.5L 4-cyl · FWD · 8-speed automatic	$2,492	$208	$12,462
2.5L turbo 4-cyl · FWD · 8-speed automated manual	$2,592	$216	$12,960
2.5L 4-cyl · AWD · 8-speed automatic	$2,700	$225	$13,500
2.5L turbo 4-cyl · AWD · 8-speed automated manual	$2,700	$225	$13,500

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

Hyundai Santa Fe MPG by model year

The best-rated version in each model year; the highlighted year is this page. Gas: 23 to 26 mpg (every year from 2016 to 2026); highest in 2021. Hybrid: 34 to 36 mpg (2021 to 2026); 36 since 2024.

Best gas version
Best hybrid version

2021: gas 26 mpg · hybrid 34 mpg

Show as a table

Hyundai Santa Fe best combined mpg by model year
Model year	Best gas version	Best hybrid version
2016	23	–
2017	24	–
2018	24	–
2019	25	–
2020	25	–
2021	26	34
2022	26	34
2023	26	34
2024	24	36
2025	24	36
2026	24	36

How the 2021 Santa Fe compares

2021 midsize 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.

2021 model	Best combined	Best gas	Fuel / year
Kia Sorento Best: hybrid	37 mpg	26 mpg	$1,750
Toyota Highlander Best: hybrid	36 mpg	24 mpg	$1,800
Hyundai Santa Fe This page Best: hybrid	34 mpg	26 mpg	$1,900
Lexus RX Best: hybrid	30 mpg	23 mpg	$2,650
Ford Explorer Best: hybrid	27 mpg	24 mpg	$2,400
Chevrolet Blazer Best: gas	25 mpg	25 mpg	$2,600
Ford Edge Best: gas	24 mpg	24 mpg	$2,700
Kia Telluride Best: gas	23 mpg	23 mpg	$2,800
Honda Pilot Best: gas	23 mpg	23 mpg	$2,800
Subaru Ascent Best: gas	23 mpg	23 mpg	$2,800
Hyundai Palisade Best: gas	22 mpg	22 mpg	$2,950
Jeep Grand Cherokee Best: gas	21 mpg	21 mpg	$3,100
Chevrolet Traverse Best: gas	21 mpg	21 mpg	$3,100
Dodge Durango Best: gas	21 mpg	21 mpg	$3,100

Kia Sorento vs Hyundai Santa FeMPG, fuel cost, recalls and crash tests side by side

2021 Santa Fe recalls and complaints

NHTSA lists 8 safety recalls and 186 owner complaints for the 2021 Santa Fe.What they cover, and crash test ratings

Questions

Does AWD lower the 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe's gas mileage?

Yes. On versions that differ only in drive, AWD lowers the combined rating by 1 to 2 mpg: the 2.5L 4-cyl gets 26 mpg combined with front-wheel drive and 24 with AWD.

How much fuel does the 2021 Santa Fe hybrid save?

Comparing AWD or 4WD versions at EPA's assumptions (15,000 miles a year, $4.32 a gallon), the hybrid costs $1,900 a year to fuel against $2,700 for the gas model: $800 a year, or $4,000 over five years.

Does the 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe need premium gas?

No. EPA lists every 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe version on regular gasoline.

How does the 2021 Santa Fe's MPG compare with the 2020?

For 2021, the best gas version is rated 26 mpg, up 1 from 25.

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.