Types Of Gas A Hyundai Elantra Takes (All Generations)

On this blog, we’ve written extensively about the Hyundai Elantra and its various features. Today we’re going to take a deeper look into what kind of gas this popular sedan uses in the North American region. However, before we do that it’s probably a good idea to start with a short answer:

All generations of the Hyundai Elantra manufactured between 2000 – Present-day that have a gasoline engine or a hybrid drivetrain use regular unleaded gasoline with an octane rating of 87. The use of premium gasoline with an octane rating of 91 or higher is not recommended since it will have no benefit over regular gasoline.

Having said that you must know that that answer certainly doesn’t cover the full topic. Below we’ll discuss different kinds of gasoline and whether or not they are compatible with the Elantra. We’ll also take a look at the fuel mileage and the tank size of the Elantra. Read on!

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Infographic explaining the different fuel types for a hyundai elantra.

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Gasoline With Ethanol Or Methanol

When refilling the Hyundai Elantra, it’s crucial to keep in mind what kind of fuels can and cannot be used. One of the aspects of fuel that you have to be careful with is ethanol. Ethanol is mixed in regular gasoline and, in small quantities, does not form a threat to your engine. However, keep the following in mind:

Hyundai Elantra’s manufactured between 2000 – 2016, can use fuel with a maximum 10% ethanol (E-10). Hyundai Elantra’s manufactured after 2016 can use fuel with a maximum ratio of 15% ethanol (E-15). No generation of the Elantra can handle E-85 fuel, which is a mix of 15% regular gasoline and 85% ethanol. Exceeding these benchmarks will result in severe engine damage that’s not covered under any warranty.

Furthermore, it’s essential to keep in mind that no Elantra can run on methanol and that doing so will result in engine damage that’s not covered under warranty.

Using Fuel Additives

Using fuel additives is not recommended. You also should not mix different octane gas. Most fuels that are bought from TOP TIER retailers already contain all the additives the Elantra should need. TOP TIER fuel retailers can be found on toptiergas.com.

If TOP TIER gas is not available in your region, it’s recommended to add one bottle of additive to the fuel tank according to the maintenance schedule of your specific Elantra. What kind of additive you need is something the Hyundai dealer can tell you. Hyundai does not give recommendations for this in the owners’ manuals.

Using fuels with:

Silicone fuel additive
Ferrocene (iron-based) fuel additive
Other metallic-based fuel additives

May result in cylinder misfire, poor acceleration, engine stalling, damage to the catalyst, or abnormal corrosion,
and may cause damage to the engine resulting in a reduction in the overall life of the powertrain.

Gasoline With MMT

Using fuel with manganese-based fuel additives such as MMT (Methylcyclopentadienyl Manganese Tricarbonyl) is strictly advised against. Using fuels with this additive will damage the fuel system and engine and is not covered under warranty.

What To Do If You Hear A Knocking Noise After Refueling?

Hearing a slight knocking noise after refueling is generally nothing to be concerned about. However, if the volume of the knocking noise increases and becomes loud, then it’s advised to stop the car immediately and call the dealers.

In this case, there’s a good chance that you’ve used fuel with an octane rating that’s lower than 87. As we’ve mentioned in other articles about the Hyundai Sonata, among many other models, continuing to drive with this fuel will cause severe damage to the fuel system of the car, and this is not covered under warranty.

Fuel Mileage Of The Hyundai Elantra

Throughout the years the fuel economy of the Elantra has been very consistent. Of course, there have been improvements over the year but most Elantra’s will generally have a combined MPG between 24 – 30. Some variations and some generations do a lot better, especially the generation that was manufactured from 2020 onwards and which also has a hybrid option. There can also be variations depending on how you use your vehicle, for example, towing with your Hyundai Elantra can affect fuel economy.

Year	Engine	Combined MPG	City MPG	Highway MPG
2000 – 2003	2.0	25	21	30
2003 – 2006	2.0	24	21	29
2006 – 2010	2.0	28	25	33
2010 – 2014	1.8	32	28	38
2014 – 2016	1.8	31	27	37
	2.0	28	24	35
2016 – 2018	1.4	35	32	40
	1.6	29	26	33
	2.0	32	28	37
2020 – Present-day	1.6	31	28	36
	2.0	37	33	43
	2.0 Hybrid	50	49	52

Fuel Tank Size Of The Hyundai Elantra

Hyundai Elantra manufactured between 2000 – 2006 have a fuel tank capacity of 14.5 gallons (55 liters). The 2006 – 2010 Elantra’s have a slightly smaller capacity of 14 gallons (53 liters), whereas the 2010 – 2016 Elantra’s have a capacity of 12.68 gallons (48 liters). From 2016 – 2018 Elantra’s had a fuel tank capacity of 14 gallons (53 liters). From 2020 – Present-day Elantra’s have a capacity of 12.41 gallons (47 liters).

How Much Does A Full Tank Cost?

At the time of writing a gallon of gasoline costs, on average, $3.394 in the United States. This means the following:

It will cost $49.21 to fill up a 2000 – 2006 Hyundai Elantra whereas the 2006 – 2010 Elantra will cost $47.52. The 2010 – 2016 Elantra will cost $43.04 to fill up and the 2016 – 2018 will cost $47.52. The 2020 – Present-day Elantra costs $42.12 to fill up.

Closing Thoughts

Hyundai Elantra models produced from 2000 to the present day, equipped with either a gasoline engine or a hybrid drivetrain, are designed to run optimally on regular unleaded gasoline with an octane rating of 87. Utilizing premium gasoline with a higher octane rating does not offer any additional benefits for this vehicle.

We hope this discussion has been insightful, providing you with the knowledge needed when choosing the right gasoline for your Elantra, as well as offering a glimpse into its fuel mileage and tank capacity. If you want to learn more about the Elantra, including the most common problems, check out this article. Thank you for reading!

Sources

Stefan K.

Hi! My name is Stefan; I’m the owner and lead writer at TheDriverAdviser.com.

I’m an active writer on this blog myself, as well as a novice car mechanic. For the really technical stuff, I find writers with experience as a mechanic or who have studied mechanical engineering.

Read more about our fantastic team on our about page!

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