FuelFacts

2002 GMC Sonoma 2WD MPG & Specs — Real-World vs EPA, All Trims

Every trim takes regular — no premium needed.

16–17
MPG combined (14–15 city / 20 hwy)
$3,353–$3,562
est. fuel / year (today's prices, 15k mi)
Regular
gas type

Is the 2002 GMC Sonoma 2WD good on gas?

At up to 17 MPG combined, the 2002 GMC Sonoma 2WD is worse than average for a Small Pickup Trucks 2WD — that class averages about 20.5 MPG across 517 EPA-tested versions, so it's on the thirsty side for its size.

Real-world MPG vs the EPA number

The EPA figures above come from a standardized dynamometer test, not the open road — real-world MPG typically runs a bit lower depending on your driving, climate and terrain. That's true of every car on this site, old or new.

This 2002 model was originally EPA-tested under the pre-2008 2-cycle method, which didn't account for highway speeds over 60 mph, air-conditioner use, or cold starts. When EPA overhauled the test for model year 2008, city ratings fell by about 12% and highway by about 8% on average industry-wide — and EPA retroactively adjusted every 1984-2007 rating to the stricter standard so old and new cars could be compared fairly. The MPG above is already on that modern scale — the window sticker on this car when it was new likely showed a higher, pre-2008-method number.

At today's AAA national average price — $3.80/gal for regular gas as of 2026-07-05 — the most efficient trim runs about $3,353/year (roughly $279/month, about $22.35 per 100 miles) at the EPA's assumed 15,000 miles/year, using an estimated 882 gallons a year. We don't estimate a cost-per-fill since exact tank size isn't in the public EPA dataset, but the per-100-mile figure scales to any tank. Current national average gas prices →

2002 GMC Sonoma 2WD trims & fuel economy

Trim (engine / transmission)FuelMPGFuel/yr (today's price)
4.3L 6-cyl, Automatic 4-spd, RWDREGULAR17$3,353
4.3L 6-cyl, 5-spd manual, RWDREGULAR16$3,562

2002 GMC Sonoma 2WD specs

What the EPA test-car listings record for this model year — every combination sold is a row in the trims table above.

Engine options4.3L 6-cyl
TransmissionAutomatic 4-spd · 5-spd manual
Drive typeRWD
EPA body classSmall Pickup Trucks 2WD
FuelRegular

Other years of the GMC Sonoma 2WD

2003 GMC Sonoma 2WD2001 GMC Sonoma 2WD2000 GMC Sonoma 2WD1999 GMC Sonoma 2WD1998 GMC Sonoma 2WD1997 GMC Sonoma 2WD1996 GMC Sonoma 2WD1995 GMC Sonoma 2WD

Similar cars (Small Pickup Trucks 2WD)

2002 Chevrolet S10 Pickup 2WD FFV2002 GMC Sonoma 2WD (FFV)2002 Isuzu Hombre Pickup 2WD (FFV)2003 Chevrolet S10 Pickup 2WD2001 Isuzu Hombre Pickup 2WD1998 Chevrolet S10 Electric

Cars that take premium · Cheapest cars to fuel · Where fuel grade depends on the trim · Fuel guides

2 trim(s) · EPA FuelEconomy.gov data retrieved 2026-07-24 · fuel prices AAA national average as of 2026-07-05.