1996 Honda Del Sol: MPG and fuel economy

This page collects every fuel-economy figure the EPA publishes for the 1996 Honda Del Sol. Below you will find the headline combined, city, and highway MPG, the estimated annual fuel cost at three different driving levels, the tailpipe CO₂ emissions, and a full breakdown of the engine and drivetrain. The EPA rates 5 separate variants of this car (different engine, transmission, or drivetrain combinations), and you can compare them side by side in the trims table. If you want to know whether this generation got more or less efficient over the years, the year-over-year table further down covers every model year the EPA has rated.

Fuel economy at a glance

These are the EPA's official ratings for the 1996 Honda Del Sol. The numbers come from a standardised laboratory test cycle and are the same figures that appear on the window sticker of every new car. Real-world mileage varies with driving style, weather, fuel quality, and how heavily loaded the car is.

When the EPA tests several variants of the same nameplate (for example, a front-wheel-drive version and an all-wheel-drive version), each gets its own rating. The figures shown here are the headline variant, taken as the configuration with the best combined MPG. The trims table further down covers all 5 variants side by side.

Combined MPG is a 55/45 weighted blend of the city and highway test cycles. The EPA uses it as the single number you can compare across the entire dataset, including hybrids and EVs (which use the equivalent MPGe figure).

How the 1996 Honda Del Sol compares

The 1996 Honda Del Sol returns 32 combined MPG. Cars in the Two Seaters class for the same model year average 17.7 MPG, which puts this car ahead of the class average by about 81%.

Within the Two Seaters class for the 1996 model year, the Honda Del Sol is the leader. No other car in the same class beat its 32 MPG rating. The bar chart below shows it alongside the class average and the average new car for some additional context.

For broader context, the average new car of the 1996 model year (across all classes) returns 19.2 MPG. Larger vehicles pull the all-cars average down, so do not use that figure on its own to judge a small car or a hybrid. The full list of the most efficient cars of the 1996 model year is on its own page.

Trim variants rated for 1996

The EPA rates 5 separate variants of the 1996 Honda Del Sol. The differences come from the engine size, transmission type, and drivetrain (front-wheel drive, all-wheel drive, and so on). The same nameplate can land several MPG apart depending on the configuration you actually buy.

The most efficient configuration on this page returns 32 MPG, while the least efficient returns 25 MPG. That is a spread of 7 MPG between trims of the same nameplate.

Annual fuel cost across driving patterns

The headline annual fuel cost the EPA publishes assumes 15,000 miles of driving per year and a fuel mix of 55% city and 45% highway. The dollar figure is calculated using the EPA's current reference price for regular gasoline, which is $3.99/gallon. EPA updates that reference periodically rather than tracking live pump prices, so treat it as a window-sticker estimate rather than today's pump number.

The table below scales the EPA's number to three common driving patterns. The combined MPG and the reference fuel price stay constant, only the annual mileage changes. To get a current-prices estimate, take your local gas price and multiply by 468.8 gallons (the car's annual consumption at the rated MPG).

Year-over-year MPG for the Honda Del Sol

The EPA has rated the Honda Del Sol across 2 model years, from 1996 Honda Del Sol through 1997 Honda Del Sol. The numbers below are the best combined MPG figure the EPA published for each year, which lets you see when the car was at its most efficient and how recent generations stack up.

Combined MPG has stayed in roughly the same range across the run, hovering close to 31 MPG.

Compare against other Two Seaters for 1996

If you are cross-shopping the 1996 Honda Del Sol, the most useful comparison is against the other cars in the Two Seaters class for the same model year. The list below shows the highest-MPG peers, ranked from most to least efficient. Click any of them to open its full page.

Specifications

The 1996 Honda Del Sol runs a 1.6-liter 4-cylinder engine paired with a manual 5-spd, sending power through front-wheel drive.

Engine, transmission, and drivetrain together drive most of the variation in fuel economy across trims. A larger engine moves the car with less effort but burns more fuel. A turbo lets a small engine punch above its weight, often without much MPG penalty. All-wheel drive adds traction and weight, and usually costs a couple of MPG compared with two-wheel drive of the same engine.

Vehicle class

Two Seaters

Engine

1.6L 4-cylinder

Transmission

Manual 5-spd

Drivetrain

Front-Wheel Drive

Fuel type

Regular

Annual petroleum use

9.3 barrels per year

Common questions about the 1996 Honda Del Sol

Quick answers to the questions people most often search for when looking up the 1996 Honda Del Sol.

• Is the 1996 Honda Del Sol fuel efficient?

  Yes. The 1996 Honda Del Sol returns 32 combined MPG, which beats the average car in the Two Seaters class for the same model year by about 81%.
• What MPG does the 1996 Honda Del Sol get?

  The EPA rates the 1996 Honda Del Sol at 32 combined MPG, 29 MPG in city driving, and 35 MPG on the highway. Real-world numbers depend on your driving style, the weather, and how loaded the car is.
• How much does it cost to fuel a 1996 Honda Del Sol per year?

  The EPA estimates an annual fuel cost of $1,850 for the 1996 Honda Del Sol. That figure assumes 15,000 miles of driving per year, a 55% city and 45% highway split, and the EPA's published average fuel price for the rated fuel grade.
• What fuel does the 1996 Honda Del Sol use?

  The EPA lists the 1996 Honda Del Sol as running on regular gasoline. Using a different grade than the manufacturer specifies can affect fuel economy and engine longevity.
• How much CO₂ does the 1996 Honda Del Sol emit?

  Tailpipe CO₂ emissions are 278 g/mi. Multiplied across a typical year of driving (15,000 miles) that works out to about 4,166 kilograms of CO₂.
• What is the difference between the city and highway MPG of the 1996 Honda Del Sol?

  City driving returns 29 MPG and highway driving returns 35 MPG, a gap of 6 MPG. A spread that wide is typical of cars with conventional automatic or manual transmissions, where stop-start city traffic eats more fuel than a steady highway cruise.
• What engine is in the 1996 Honda Del Sol?

  The 1996 Honda Del Sol has a 1.6-liter 4-cylinder engine (EPA description: (FFS)).
• What transmission and drivetrain does the 1996 Honda Del Sol have?

  The 1996 Honda Del Sol comes with a manual 5-spd transmission and front-wheel drive.
• Is the 1996 Honda Del Sol the most efficient car in its class?

  Yes. Among cars in the Two Seaters class for the 1996 model year, the Honda Del Sol returns the highest combined MPG at 32 MPG. No other car in the same class beats that figure.
• How much does the 1996 Honda Del Sol save on fuel compared to an average car?

  The EPA estimates that over five years, the 1996 Honda Del Sol will save you about $1,500 in fuel compared with an average new vehicle of the same model year. That figure uses the same 15,000 mile per year and EPA fuel-price assumption as the annual fuel cost.

Source: U.S. EPA fuel economy dataset. Annual fuel cost figures assume 15,000 miles of driving per year and a 55% city, 45% highway split. Real-world mileage varies with driving conditions, vehicle maintenance, fuel quality, and driver behaviour.