2016 Kia Optima Specs
3 powertrain configurations on federal record for the 2016 Kia Optima: 1.6L 4-cyl Regular Gasoline; 2.0L 4-cyl Regular Gasoline; 2.4L 4-cyl Regular Gasoline, rated up to 31 MPG combined by the EPA.
Source: EPA federal records (fueleconomy.gov) · Updated 2026-10-26 · By CarWhere Research
| Engine | Transmission | Drivetrain | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.6L 4-cyl Regular Gasoline | Automatic (AM7) | Front-Wheel Drive | 28 | 37 | 31 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl Regular Gasoline | Automatic (S6) | Front-Wheel Drive | 22 | 31 | 25 |
| 2.4L 4-cyl Regular Gasoline | Automatic (S6) | Front-Wheel Drive | 24 | 34 | 28 |
Optima by year
Buying a used Optima? Specs are the easy half.
Check which Optima years to avoid (federal complaint and recall records), then check the specific car: the Full VIN Report shows that VIN's factory build, recall record, and market history before you pay for it.
Frequently asked questions
What engines does the 2016 Kia Optima have?
3 engines on federal record: 1.6L 4-cyl Regular Gasoline; 2.0L 4-cyl Regular Gasoline; 2.4L 4-cyl Regular Gasoline, offered with Automatic (AM7), Automatic (S6) and Front-Wheel Drive. The full per-configuration table is above.
What gas mileage does the 2016 Kia Optima get?
EPA combined ratings run 25–31 MPG depending on configuration — the table above shows city/highway/combined for each engine, transmission, and drivetrain.
Is 2016 a good year for the Kia Optima?
Specs don't answer that — the federal complaint and recall record does. See the Kia Optima year-by-year reliability verdicts at carwhere.com/research/years-to-avoid/kia/optima, built from NHTSA data.
How do I get the specs for my exact VIN?
These are the federal-record configurations for the 2016 Kia Optima overall. For one specific vehicle — its exact engine, trim, factory options, and original window sticker — decode the 17-character VIN free at carwhere.com/tools/vin-decoder.
Where does this data come from?
The U.S. EPA's public vehicle dataset (fueleconomy.gov) — the federal record of every US-market configuration since 1984 — refreshed 2026-10-26. Public-domain data; republish with attribution to CarWhere (carwhere.com).