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Hyundai Elantra Real World MPG 2011 MY and earlier

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Comments

  • m6userm6user Member Posts: 3,181
    edited December 2011
    BTW... that was kind of an odd response to my post. Aren't you in favor of someone who is experiencing lower mpg than expected to rule out a problem with the car as a cause, using controlled tests?

    Of course I am. My response wasn't meant to negate your suggestion as I didn't reference it at all. I was just pointing out further information in the discussion.

    If I remember correctly, I think this poster mentioned that he had driven his new Elantra even more conservatively than he did a previous car and couldn't achieve the mpg he had previously with the new Elantra that's rated substantially higher mpg. I have a 2007 Mazda6 2.3l auto which my wife drives about 52 miles round trip daily with a mixture of about 30city/70 hwy. She averages 28 mpg tank in tank out. She drives fast too(proven by a recent speeding ticket I may add). That avg is above what the EPA estimates the avg to be. If I bought an Elantra and I did not even average the city rating on the car I would be PO'd too. Especially if I knew of others that were getting a lot better mpg with their Elantras. You know what the dealers tell these people which just probably makes it worse.

    It seems to be clear that a small percentage of people are having problems getting close to estimates no matter how hard they try. I just think we should keep an open mind and consider there may be a problem with some of the cars and not the owners.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    That is exactly what my suggestion was about: rule out a mechanical problem with the car first. Then look at other factors than can impact FE, e.g. temperature, wind speed, number of stops, speed (top speed and average speed), hills, weight of cargo/passengers, gas pedal pressure (light vs. heavy), tire pressure, miles on the car/break-in, driving habits (e.g. coasting as much as possible), etc. etc.

    My wife would tell you she drives very "conservatively", and from what I've observed that's true in general. Although she occasionally runs up the speed without thinking and has had a couple speeding tickets. And for some reason she can't master using a light touch on the gas. Also, she drives a lot of short trips and likes to keep the engine running while she's waiting for our daughter at school etc. So while she believes she drives conservatively, she gets very poor FE while driving.

    I think someone could make a very good business for himself/herself if they could teach people how to drive for high fuel economy. There's driving classes for safety, for handling emergency conditions... why not for fuel economy?
  • litesong2litesong2 Member Posts: 44
    The EPA runs their mpg ratings tests on 100% gasoline without any ethanol blended into it. The ethanol industry admits that their 10% ethanol blend will cause 2% decrease in mpg. The EPA admits that mpg is reduced 3% to 4%. However, many many people determine the mpg has been reduced to a much greater extent. My three cars with mpg line graphs listed at fueleconomy.gov have mpg reductions of 4% to 7%. Seems that the 10% ethanol, which loses ~ 3% btus in the blend compared to 100% gasoline, also must lose the 'sweet spot' of which vehicles were manufactured to run best on 100% gasoline. Go to pure-gas.org for listings & maps of gas stations in your area selling ethanol-free gasoline.

    Also, some feather-foot training is due for many complainers who don't know how to drive efficiently. Funny how so many complainers expect they can match or excel the professionals driving the EPA mpg tests.
  • m6userm6user Member Posts: 3,181
    edited December 2011
    Then look at other factors than can impact FE, e.g. temperature, wind speed, number of stops, speed (top speed and average speed), hills, weight of cargo/passengers, gas pedal pressure (light vs. heavy), tire pressure, miles on the car/break-in, driving habits (e.g. coasting as much as possible), etc. etc.

    Yes, that's true but most of those things will average out over time and affect all drivers and vehicles pretty much equally. I have to assume that these unsatisfied owners are driving in a similar manner to which they drove their previous vehicles. If they bought the Elantra to save fuel they may even be driving more conservatively.....who knows?

    By the way, my wife is the opposite. She does not say she drives conservatively and from what I've observed she is right. Neither of us are in any shape or form hypermilers. I probably drive like I always have as I would guess that to really affect my mpg a whole lot I would really have to baby it and that would take out a lot of the fun of driving for me.
  • m6userm6user Member Posts: 3,181
    Also, some feather-foot training is due for many complainers who don't know how to drive efficiently

    I guess you are assuming that all the people that are complaining about their FE with the new Elantra are just stupid then. Driving to save gas in not brain surgery and the information is out there and easily attainable. I doubt if you asked any driver how they could save gas that they wouldn't know most of the methods. They just don't practise them. Kind of like leading a horse to water so to speak.

    I have ethanol mix year round here in Chicagoland and I alway meet or beat the EPA numbers. And I don't drive with a feather under my foot. Since 2008 when the EPA revised their numbers it has been pretty easy to meet or surpass their estimates unless you drive really hard in most cars. So when I read a lot of reports of people not even getting close to the EPA numbers even when they seem to be trying very hard, I'm not quick to assign labels to them like "complainers". That is a little condescending IMO.
  • litesong2litesong2 Member Posts: 44
    edited December 2011
    m6user 'guesses' that I assume ALL people complaining about Elantra FE are stupid, tho m6user even quoted my term, "many complainers'. Obviously, m6user doesn't translate my quote properly, that HE emphasized. Also, his 'stupid' comment, referring to my belief, is assumed & also in error.

    Looking at the extensive & accurate map of ethanol-free gas stations listed at pure-gas.org, I see that m6user is correct & I'm sorry no ethanol-free gas stations are in the Chicago area. But for those who do have ethanol-free gas stations, near you, I urge you to extensively test ethanol-free gasoline. Ethanol-free gas is NOT higher octane gas, but is gasoline without ethanol, & which is getting rare & even non-existent in many areas. In my own town, ethanol-free is unavailable, & I must go to the next town to purchase it. & a station with a good price on ethanol-free is in the next town, yet further from me.

    As stated in another post previously, tho the ethanol industry & Federal government admit to only a 2% to 4% loss in mpg from the use of 10% ethanol blend, my 3 cars show a 4% to 7% mpg difference. Many, many other people voice even greater losses from the use of 10% ethanol blends. Tho actual lost btus of energy are about 3% from the use of 10% ethanol blends, seems like many cars may be losing the sweet spot of efficient combustion from their individual cars which were designed to be at their best with 100% gasoline AND AS THE EPA TESTS ALL MANUFACTURERS VEHICLES FOR MPG.

    Along with urging people to use ethanol-free gasoline, make sure your tires are at proper pressures, specially in these times of cooling weather which may lower tire pressures. Studies have indicated millions of people have lost billions of gallons of fuel due to underinflated tires. Without regular monitoring of tire pressures, I've even found my tires underinflated at times. In my northern region of the country, I normally drive with a few extra pounds of tire pressure.
  • siskokbsiskokb Member Posts: 1
    First, let me say that I love my new 2012 Elantra. It's sleek design and compact yet roomy interior is cool. Car is very durable and strong as well. I've hit several major potholes and my car still runs like she just came out the showroom - SMOOTH! Very happy.

    However, honestly I am a little disappointed with the MPG I achieve in the city. My Elantra is a great highway car, I get pretty much 40mpg on long distance highway trips when going between 70-80mph on cruise. However, I commute to work in the city daily and the MPG rating is drastically different. I only get about 20-22mpg city driving. My gas seems to burn fairly quickly driving in the city as oppose to long distance highway trips. I can drive from Jersey to New York and back with still a full tank of gas in the car. Yet, when driving to work in the city (much shorter distance) my gas tank depletes rapidly.

    I know the Elantra is rated with a higher Highway mpg than city, but the advertise 29/40 should actually be 20/40. No matter how conservative I drive, with ECO on, slow accelation, no extra weight in the car, etc., I get no more than 21-22 mpg at best!

    I still love my car because it doesn't cost much to fill up, but IMHO, the Elantra is a highway vehicle more so than a city commuter. The best city commuter in my oppinon is the Ford Fusion Hybrid, that baby runs on pure battery if you stay below 47mph (no gas at all). I and most city commuters only do about 25-40 mph city driving. So the Fusion Hybrid wins. I almost bought the Fusion hybrid, but the Elantra's price and style won me over. However, now I believe for city commuter purposes solely, the Fusion Hybrid would've been the better choice. However, still love my Elantra. Just wish I could get that advertise mpg :(
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    You are correct; a gas-electric hybrid like the FFH or Prius or TCH will probably do much better in city driving than a gas-only car. For your type of driving, something like the Prius would likely have been a better choice (and the Prius is closer in size to the Elantra than the FFH).

    I've seen rumors on the 'net of an Elantra hybrid, but I haven't seen anything official on it. Hyundai certainly has the technology for it, since they have the Sonata hybrid. Just need to apply it to a smaller gas engine.
  • m6userm6user Member Posts: 3,181
    I would think that the type of "city" driving you describe is probably on the extreme end of city driving as tested by the EPA. Doesn't the EPA give a range for both city and hwy? It seems these ranges are quite broad and you may be getting the low end of the city range because of the heavy congested type driving you do. City driving in Des Moines would be substantially different than the city type urban driving in NY or NJ.

    In the average city type driving the EPA may be close although from what I've been reading here and other places the city rating of 29 has been difficult to reach for most drivers while the hwy mpg estimate seems to attainable for most drivers of the Elantra.
  • m6userm6user Member Posts: 3,181
    I stand corrected. You did not say "all". I still don't agree with labeling when one really doesn't know whether the people getting poorer than expected mpg with the Elantra are driving in a fuel efficient manner or not. Saying they are not is an assumption......probably correct based on averages but an assumption all the same.
  • rudy66rudy66 Member Posts: 26
    Try turning your Eco off. Car is more fun to drive and you will get a couple of more mpg. This is for city driving
    Dolf
  • dan_bdan_b Member Posts: 8
    I have a very light traffic in-town commute and average 22mpg if I drive as conservatively as possible, if I drive with the flow of traffic I get about 18mpg. My dealership told me that my car is preforming as it was engineered to and that no car will get epa rating and that I should switch from Costco to Chevron gas. My take is that they know that elantras are not meeting mpg claims.

    I note that a lot of people on this forum are having the same problem with in-town mpg as I am while other people seem to get the advertized mpg. It seems like this may be a production issue that is affecting only some elantras and maybe there will be a recall later?
  • steven39steven39 Member Posts: 636
    20 mpg in town seems kind of low..when i purchased my 2012 elantra gls base model in august i got on the first tank of gas about 26/city and about 38/highway.Now that i have a few thousand miles on the car the mpg's have improved as the car breaks in further.iam now getting about 29/city and 42/highway which is right about where the msrp sticker says i should be.Maybe as the car breaks in further the mpg will get even better but i am happy where it's at now.
  • pbm58pbm58 Member Posts: 16
    I too am only getting about 20 or so city--(and well less than 40 highway)...in discussion with dealer, I have received all sorts of "explanations" (such as "the cold weather" even though it is 50 degrees here) as well as insinuations about my inadequate driving skills. I have yet to make 300 miles on a tank...anyway, today I called the Hyandai consumer line for my region (these are listed in the addendum consumer affairs booklet that comes with the car). Lovely gentlemen did confirm that company IS aware of complaints from Elantra owners. So, if you are dissatisfied, please make a call--they appear to be treating this seriously, and perhaps will at some point acknowledge there is indeed a problem for some owners (inherent in the vehicle, NOT the driver) and maybe, rectify.
  • drew11mdrew11m Guest Posts: 85
    well im doing about 26 mpg in town and about 36 on highway for around 30 overall. this is at 15K miles. I am irritated enough to get an Accent hatchback

    I wonder if there is any connection to what plant the Elantras are assembled at. Mine is a 2011 Limited assembled at the Alabama plant
  • roadscholar3roadscholar3 Member Posts: 23
    Thanks for sharing that information. Would you mind posting the phone number you called? It would save time, allowing others to take action right away.
  • fushigifushigi Member Posts: 1,459
    Your economy is only about 10% less than the EPA sticker. That's well within a normal variance and can be due to several factors:
    - Ethanol content in the gas. If your area has "up to 10% Ethanol" in the gas you'll lose some fuel economy.
    - Short v. long trips. When the engine is first started it will run rich until fully warmed up. So for trips of only a few miles fuel econ with always be worse.
    - Weather conditions. AC usage (includes when using front defrost) can drag MPG down. Heavy use of electrical components like the rear defrost & wipers will cause the alternator/generator to work harder to keep the battery charged. That increases engine drag which imposes a slight econ penalty.
    - Vehicle condition, mostly the air filter and tire pressure. At 15K your engine air filter is probably about due for replacement.

    It's pretty easy to have 5 or 6 things that each degrade economy by 0.5-2%. Added together a 6-15% economy drop can easily be attributed to vehicle maintenance, available fuel, & the weather.

    And I'm a little confused by your next statement. If your Hyundai has irritated you so much, why would you reward them with another sale?

    FWIW, from those complaining about Elantra MPG I've yet to see anything that indicates the manufacturing plant as a differentiator. My wife's '12 Elantra is Korean.
    2017 Infiniti QX60 (me), 2012 Hyundai Elantra (wife)
  • g2iowag2iowa Member Posts: 123
    Would be most helpful to know how many total miles you've driven in your Elantra and the details of the type commute you drive (e.g., how far is it one way).

    Last 4 times I drove my Elantra I drove no more than about 1 mile in any one direction (to grocery store/Post Office). So I started up a cold car, drove it cold for 1 mile or so (no stop lights or stop signs). Shut it off. Then did same going back home. My mileage in such case is about 21-22 mpg, and that doesn't surprise me, esp. as outside temp is about 25-40 deg F and I've only got about 1,000 miles on her.
  • pbm58pbm58 Member Posts: 16
    While I agree that various factors are related to mileage of 10-15% below EPA, the fact remains that my '02 vehicle got 390 miles on 10.5 gallon fill-up whereas my brand new Elantra is currently getting 290 on anywhere between 10.2--10.6 gallons. Only one variable has changed in the past decade--not the terrain, the temperature, my weight, my driving techniques, the weight that I transport, nor the fuel, location, or gas pump. The only thing that has changed is my vehicle. I would expect my mileage to improve after a decade, not decline.
  • roadscholar3roadscholar3 Member Posts: 23
    edited January 2012
    I think there may be a bigger story here regarding this gas mileage issue. Here is an article that just came out about a woman who is suing Honda because her Civic Hybrid has been under-performing relative to the promised fuel savings. Much the same issue we've been discussing. She decided to forego the class action suit and go to small claims to recover her losses. And she's instructing others to do the same. It seems like the jig is up on the much touted fuel efficiency of these new models.
    They've apparently been telling us what we want to hear but there's little substance to it. Has our government been aware all along and looked the other way?
    Here's an excerpt and a link to the story -

    Heather Peters says her car never came close to getting the promised 50 miles per gallon, and as its battery deteriorated, it was getting only 30 mpg. She wants Honda to pay for her trouble and the extra money she spent on gas.

    Peters, a former lawyer who long ago gave up her bar card, has devised a unique legal vehicle to drive Honda into court — a small claims suit that could cost the company up to $10,000 in her case and every other individual case filed in the same manner.

    If other claimants follow her lead, she estimates Honda could be forced to pay $2 billion in damages. No high-priced lawyers are involved and the process is streamlined.


    http://news.yahoo.com/woman-takes-unique-road-sue-honda-over-mileage-084530601.h- - - tml

    And a video -
    http://www.latimes.com/videogallery/67016517/News/KTLA-Woman-Takes-Honda-to-Cour- - - - - - - t-Over-Gas-Mileage-Glen-Walker-reports

    These companies may have already calculated into their gains the potential losses that might be incurred from this problem, but I wonder if they've also calculated the anger and loss of trust and loyalty?
    In fact the general mood in this country seems to be that people are at the end of their rope with being gamed by the system and having their pockets picked everywhere they turn.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Hybrid car batteries have a long warranty. If the Civic's poor fuel economy is related to the battery failing prematurely, that should be a warranty claim first and foremost. And if Honda doesn't honor the warranty, then I could see a small claims court action on that score.

    OTOH, I work with a guy who's very happy with the FE he gets on his Civic hybrid (previous generation car). He routinely gets 50+ mpg. Another testament to the statement that the EPA makes about its FE estimates: "Your mileage may vary."

    I am getting only 27 mpg in mixed driving on my 2010 Sentra right now. That's the CITY EPA rating, not the mixed rating. I think I'll sue Nissan. Or maybe the EPA.

    Except... it's the middle of winter (temp this morning was 12 F), I make a lot of short trips (with some urban highway), and in warmer weather I easily get over 30 mpg mixed driving and upper 30s on the highway under 70 mph. Which exceeds the EPA ratings.

    I think the general mood in this country is that not enough people take time to read and understand the full story (e.g. on EPA fuel economy estimates), and also not enough people take personal responsibility for their actions and the effects of those actions. It's always someone else's fault when something doesn't work out as they think it should have.

    But... cars, especially hybrids, are complex machines, so they can malfunction and break, which can result in lower-than-expected FE. But these kinds of problems don't mean there's some kind of conspiracy by the manufacturer and/or EPA to design cars that don't meet their EPA estimates when driven similarly to how the EPA tests them.
  • m6userm6user Member Posts: 3,181
    Totally agree with you that any type of conspiracy theory is silly and the EPA estimates are what they are and apply equally to all manufacturers.

    However, please consider how you would react or feel if you bought a new car that was rated at substantially higher MPG than your present Sentra. You drove the same way and in the same conditions and couldn't achieve any better than the same MPG you currently get. Complaints to the dealer result in "sorry, performing within specs" and responses on line equate to "YMMV" or "you don't know how to drive". Since you're very knowledgeable about achieving good gas mileage I would imagine that it would be very frustrating. Not conspiracy material but very upsetting just the same.

    I personally think that this Elantra MPG issue is probably blown out of proportion relative to the vast numbers of Elantra sold. But from perusing these forums over the years and from what I read in other mediums, this issue seems to have some legs as it applies to a substantial number of Elantra owners.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    However, please consider how you would react or feel if you bought a new car that was rated at substantially higher MPG than your present Sentra. You drove the same way and in the same conditions and couldn't achieve any better than the same MPG you currently get. Complaints to the dealer result in "sorry, performing within specs" and responses on line equate to "YMMV" or "you don't know how to drive". Since you're very knowledgeable about achieving good gas mileage I would imagine that it would be very frustrating. Not conspiracy material but very upsetting just the same.

    I haven't yet purchased or leased a car that has a higher EPA FE rating than the Sentra (almost bought a Prius once but had to cancel the order), but I've driven a lot of them, as rentals and on test drives. Including Elantras, but many others. On some of these, I've achieved significantly lower than the EPA rating. On others, I've met or exceeded the EPA rating. The Elantras I've driven fall into the latter category.

    Each time I consider WHY I got the FE I did. What I've found over the years is this: when my driving is similar to what I do at home, under good conditions (NOT middle of winter), I have no problem meeting or exceeding the EPA numbers on any car I've driven and measured the FE on. But when I drive differently, e.g. very short trips in very hot or cold weather, I don't get the EPA rating for the car. It's a very consistent pattern.

    You may have noticed that when someone complains in these forums about not getting the FE they expect, I encourage them to do a controlled test to see if the car is CAPABLE of meeting or exceeding its EPA rating under controlled, near-ideal conditions. If it isn't, then I advise the owner to check into a problem with the car. No "you don't know how to drive", but an idea on how to get to the bottom of the FE numbers. I've given this advice dozens of times over the years. NEVER--not once--has anyone returned to say they did the controlled test and here's the results. I have to wonder about that.

    There's so many factors that can affect FE--I know you know that. I think it's prudent to investigate all of those areas first, before going down the conspiracy/lawsuit route.

    The other thing that I think is behind complaints on 40-mpg cars like the Elantra... expectations are higher. Also, consider that 10% of 40 is 4. 10% of 22 is 2. I have a feeling there's something psychological at work here. If someone expects to get 40 mpg, for example, and gets only 36, it sounds worse than if they expected 22 mpg and got 20.

    And if there's salespeople who are telling buyers, "Oh yes, you'll get 40 mpg in the Elantra, no doubt about it!"--shame on them! And btw, that IS grounds for a lawsuit IMO--material misrepresentation by an agent of HMA. Proving it in court could be tough though.
  • m6userm6user Member Posts: 3,181
    edited January 2012
    Agree with all with a "but". The number of complaints on the Elantra forums and in other media in comparison to other new high MPG cars seems to be substantially higher. I don't think that just Elantra buyers have this higher expectation you speak of and I somewhat agree with. Could it say something about the mindset in particular of Hyundai buyers? I don't have a clue and wouldn't want to go there anyway.

    If I had several cars which I consistently attained EPA numbers and then bought a car(drove it the same, same conditions, blah, blah) in which I couldn't get close to EPA numbers I would personally have a problem with that. It is people with stories like this that I think bear some investigation.

    As far as your test goes. I agree it will give you a very brief snapshot of HWY MPG and may well paint a more rosier picture which may explain why people don't report back being human nature and all. However, that is not how the EPA tests are done. My point is if I consistently averaged 28 mpg in my old car that was rated, say 27-29 avg, and then purchased a new car that EPA avg was 33 mpg but I could only achieve the same 28mpg avg, I would be questioning it like a lot of these people. That is well over 10% off and you would think everything else being equal you should be able to achieve at least a few more mpg from the new car.

    Many of these people are stating that even driving almost to the point of hypermiling they can't achieve the numbers. Like you, I have never had a problem getting the EPA numbers and if I were to drive a lot easier I'm sure I could surpass them. So this is puzzling to say the least.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Many of these people are stating that even driving almost to the point of hypermiling they can't achieve the numbers.

    I haven't seen that kind of comment from "many" people here. If someone does think they are "hypermiling" in any car and not seeing EPA ratings, I'd like to know what they consider "hypermiling" and what their driving conditions are.

    I don't come close to "hypermiling" but just use some basic fuel-saving techniques, e.g. light foot on the gas, anticipate stops, no long warmups, watch the speed on highways, and no long idling. And I had no trouble getting the EPA rating or above on the Elantra. So I know it CAN be done. But clearly not by everyone, under all conditions. And there's always the possibility of some kind of component problem affecting FE on some cars.
  • m6userm6user Member Posts: 3,181
    had no trouble getting the EPA rating or above on the Elantra

    I think the operative word above is "the". If I drove one and didn't get the EPA would you give it the same credence? As you said, there's always the possibility of some kind of component or even a programming problem in some cars which is really all I've been saying all along.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    If I drove one and didn't get the EPA would you give it the same credence?

    I made a simple statement of fact, from my experience. I know that not everyone gets EPA numbers. Heck, if I went out today (12 F) and rented an Elantra and drove it on short trips around town, I bet I wouldn't come close to its EPA rating. But I know it's possible to do, under a mix of city/highway driving in hot weather (summer, in Austin, TX). I have a feeling some folks believe it's impossible to get EPA numbers with the Elantra. That is not the case. But will everyone always get the EPA numbers? No way.
  • navyvet1navyvet1 Member Posts: 1
    I feel like I have been lied too and swindled. I brought the 2011 Elantra because of the 40 MPG. It gets below 30. The AVG MPG reads between 24 and 27. Never 30 and above. I told the dealership at my first oil change. I wish I could sue them and have them take my car back. I hate the hyundai dealership in San Diego. I hate the Hyundai Elantra. I hate Hyundai. I know I am an ordained minister who preaches no hate. Even prayer can't cure me of this hate. I will tell every active duty military not to buy this car because of false advertising and product not living up to the selling hype and published 40 mpg on the sticker. Does anybody know a good attorney in san diego ca. Hyundai I want my money back.
  • roadscholar3roadscholar3 Member Posts: 23
    I know it's frustrating and unresponsive dealerships can make matters so much worse. Let's just say Hyundai, like so many other car companies, haven't quite figured out what customer service is all about. It seems to end the moment after they've sold you the car...

    As far as process is concerned, you might try reading the article I posted Jan. 3 (above) about the woman who is suing in small claims over a similar issue with her Honda Civic. She's apparently an attorney and created a web site to explain the process. You don't need an attorney for small claims and the potential of actually getting financial compensation is greater than, say, a class action suit.
    I don't know if that's true or not.

    roadscholar3, "Hyundai Elantra Real World MPG 2011 MY and earlier" #575, 3 Jan 2012 2:32 am#MSG574
  • dan_bdan_b Member Posts: 8
    I think I'm going to do the same with my Elantra :( What a waste of money....
    I will never buy another hyundai in my life again.
  • eweinereweiner Member Posts: 36
    For those who are not getting above 30MPG on the Elantra....what does your trip computer indicate is your average miles per hour (MPH)?

    Right or wrong, if its not above 45 you'll never get 40 MPG and if its lower than 30 you wont even get 29 MPG.

    Somehow Hyundai has tuned these engines to achieve in road conditions that are illegal i most states (>55 MPH). High MPG is achievable if you drive above 60 for long periods of time.

    When consumers read 40MPG or even 33 MPG, that should be the typical result for average driving and not require extraordinary driving technique.
  • roadscholar3roadscholar3 Member Posts: 23
    I drive mainly highway miles where my speeds are between 65 - 75 mph. If I set my mpg calculator as I'm entering onto the highway and take a reading just as I'm getting off, I can usually show averages about or just above 34mpg. However if I include the short distances to get to the highway and then read the average at the end of a full day of driving which rarely if ever includes any stop&go, or bumper to bumper congestion, then I seem to average just at or below 30mpg. Again, most (about 85%) of my daily driving is on highways, and the rest is on noncongested roads. I've NEVER read 40mpg as an average (not even close), but have seen it briefly show up as I'm driving a small stretch of road while watching the mpg on the highway.
    My "average" usually hovers around 30mpg.

    What is your source for the information you are sharing relative to Hyundai's tuning of the engines?
  • roadscholar3roadscholar3 Member Posts: 23
    The woman who sued in small claims court WON!!! And she has a website that provides info on the process. I think a lot of the current claims by various car companies for 40mpg are bogus, so I expect to see a lot more lawsuits.

    Here's the article about her win (and her website):
    http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=146245852
  • mikeystoy5mikeystoy5 Member Posts: 56
    Not so fast, Honda said today they we're appealing it. Have to wait and see what happens. We took a trip yeasterday from Just north of Durham, NC to Portsmouth, VA.. I have a 2011 Elantra GLS and we we're getting 46.1 mpg. on the way up there on RT. 58. The speed limit is 55 and then sometimes 45, (i set the vruise at 59, their tuff up there on tickets) because ot the small towns you go thru. According to our mpg gauge, we were averaging 46.1 mpg.. We drove aroud there for a while, stopped and visted friends and started back home. I stopped(didn't have to and put put just over 7 gallons in it. According to my calculator, we averaged 40.4 mpg for the trip. I just can't beleive there are that many people who don't get close to the mileage. Around here I get 33-35, in the rural area we live in.
  • g2iowag2iowa Member Posts: 123
    edited February 2012
    Will be interesting to see if she can prevail upon a Honda's appeal. The judge's justification for the award is rather meager, and even he admits a carefully driven Civic Hybrid can achieve the EPA results! I'm betting on Honda to win this when all is said and done. Excerpt:

    "Peters opted out of the class-action lawsuit so she could try to claim a larger damage award for her 2006 Honda Civic's failure to deliver the 50 mpg that was promised. The proposed class-action settlement would give aggrieved owners $100 to $200 each and a $1,000 credit toward the purchase of a new car. Peters had hoped to inspire a flood of small-claims lawsuits by the other 200,000 people whose Honda Civic hybrids are covered by the proposed settlement. ... The commissioner noted that Honda had argued the way a car is driven might affect its gas mileage. He said that should have been explained in advertising and elsewhere. A
    Honda technical expert testified that the company was required to post a sticker with the Environmental Protection Agency's estimate of the highest mileage the car could get. But [judge] said in his ruling that "this does not seem to be the case." "Honda's own testing should be the guideline for how it advertises its vehicles' mileages, not the generalized work ... done by the EPA," he said. "Can a Honda hybrid driven in careful and tested ways achieve 50 mpg? No doubt. Did it happen with Peters' car? No."
  • snakeweaselsnakeweasel Member Posts: 19,290
    Honda is appealing the decision. I have a feeling that they will win that appeal. If not it sets up a bad environment for auto dealers who will face a damned if you do, damned if you don't senerio. If they advertise the EPA figures and the car doesn't get it they lose in court cases brought up by customers. If they say that the car gets the lower mileage they could get taken to court by the government for not following the law that says they have to give EPA figures.

    2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D

  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Yes, let's see what happens in a "real" court.

    Many years ago as a 25-year-old whippersnapper I took a large insurance company to small claims court regarding a claim that they said was covered under my policy's collision coverage (with a high deductible) vs. comprehensive coverage (with a very low deductible). I thought I had strong grounds based on basic contract law to win. And I did... in small claims court. The insurance company appealed to the "real" court. Where there are real attorneys. I represented myself (which makes me, what is that again?). Guess who won that one?

    Afterwards, the attorney for the insurance company told me he could understand my position. Also, the judge ruled that the insurance company could recover its legal fees from me if they wished. They declined to do that, even though it must have cost them some bucks for the attorney.

    Consequently, I still have my home and auto insurance with that company today. Even though I disagreed with them on the wording of their policy (which btw changed not that long after this case... hmmm....), I appreciated how they handled the matter.
  • atlanticoneatlanticone Member Posts: 19
    http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1072602_2012-hyundai-elantra-2012-ford-focus- -sfe-get-40-mpg-real-world-says-popular-mechanics

    Popular Mechanics tested the Elantra and they achieved close to 50 MPG on Highway and 35 in the City in real world driving conditions. I have been achieving 40 or above on my Elantra and in the low 30's city driving. This article backs it up.
  • yennhi2yennhi2 Member Posts: 11
    What is highway means? what is the speed? When I drive "normal" at 70 MPH I got only 34 MPG, to get 40 MPG, I have to keep it at 55 MPH, and at that speed on the freeway I will be "dead" soon.
  • Kirstie_HKirstie_H Administrator Posts: 11,147
    Rather than repeat everything I've said elsewhere, i'll just refer to my post in the 2012 discussion in response to the same article posting - maybe if our other owners who are dissatisfied with their MPG achievements owned the exact vehicle that was tested, their results would be similar to the test results. Or do you believe that about half of our Elantra drivers, unlike the drivers of ANY of the Elantra's competitors, just can't comprehend how to drive fuel-efficiently? It's JUST Elantra drivers, right? (and Equinox drivers too, as it turns out. But no other drivers).

    http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.f24916b/199#MSG199

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  • pbm58pbm58 Member Posts: 16
    Just filled up my 2012 Elantra (with 3700 miles on it). As I do at every fill-up, at the exact same gas station--same pump even (self-serve), I measured the mpg's and got 21.5. Since my former vehicle--over 9 yrs old--routinely got 30+ city, I beg to differ that the driver (s) are at fault. The only thing that differs for me now is the vehicle. I do not carry passengers, and I have yet to turn on the AC (nor would I dare to at this point). By the way, I have never gotten over 34 hway in this car at 62 mph.
  • spiffsterspiffster Member Posts: 1
    I am also getting poor mileage from my Elantra... I have a baseline to compare to as well. My wife drives the 2012 Elantra (Limited) and I have a 2012 Cruze ECO. Both are rated EPA avg 33mpg. My wife was complaining that she could not get above 30mpg in her Elantra, while I was averaging 44-47mpg in my Cruze. So I took the Elantra for a few weeks while she drove my Cruze... we reset the onboard calc on each... after a few weeks I managed to get 32mpg out of the Elantra (hypermiling as best I could with ECO mode enabled) and the Cruze was at 40mpg, it would appear that some Elantra's (Not all) are having major issues with efficiency... THIS IS A VERY REAL PROBLEM. I will say that driving the Elantra it feels like the car drags and lulls, while the Cruze feels like it coasts and sails.
  • g2iowag2iowa Member Posts: 123
    You don't provide much information to help evaluate your situation.

    - How long have you owned each car?
    - How many miles do you have on each car?
    - Are you relying entirely on the onboard computer for your mpg results?
    - Have you also calculated your FE using the actual fuel used for the miles actually driven? (If so,how does that result compare to computer?)
    - What is the average mph according to the computer before your fill ups?
    - Are you using the same fuel for both cars (ethanol or not)?
    - What kind of driving are you doing and what percentage of time & miles are you spending on the kind of driving (city, suburb, highway)?

    Believe the Elantra's combined EPA rating is about 33, so you're nearly achieving it. What is the highway EPA estimate for your Cruze ECO?
  • bhmr59bhmr59 Member Posts: 1,601
    So, in each car you get a few mpg better than your wife. Could be many things; like length of drive, amount of stop & go, traffic congestion, terrain, temperature when each drive starts and how quickly each driver accelerates. BUT, it shows that MPG will vary depending on how or where a car is driven.
  • johnvkaravitisjohnvkaravitis Member Posts: 9
    I've tried to start threads here, and haven't been able to, I don't know why. Anyway, I've been looking over this thread, and I would like to chime in with a related experience, that is, I own a 2012 Hyundai Accent with just under 7,000 miles. I would like to tell you how things have been going with my MPG.

    Initially, I got the 48 MPG on the highway, and a good 30 MPG in the city. I was understandably ecstatic. But, after I brought my Accent back to the dealer for the free oil change (@ 5,000 miles) I found that my gas mileage dropped precipitously. I don't want to sound paranoid or anything, but it['s weird that right after this my MPG fell. I get about 24 to 26 MPG in the city, and low 30s on the highway. There's not much I can do, it still gets way better mileage than my former car (1989 Chevrolet Caprice), but I feel a bit disappointed, even cheated, by the sudden fall in MPG. That is, I know that the 30 MPG city/40 MPG highway is really the extreme that's possible (and a bit of permitted marketing for Hyundai, per our laws), but I couldn't see myself suing Hyundai over this. In addition, based on my personal driving experience, I'm not seeing that my MPG "gets better" as I drive more miles. I personally find this claim by many people to be suspect. I also have a hard time believing the trip computer that I always have set to display the MPG.

    25 MPG city/low 30s on the highway is still good, even for a 2012 Hyundai Accent, yes? And has anyone else come to not believe their trip computer? I would like to hear your thoughts. Thanks. John V. Karavitis
  • Kirstie_HKirstie_H Administrator Posts: 11,147
    You can go to the Accent folder:
    http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/WebX/.f0bf2d1/

    and right above the discussion list, there's a link that says "add discussion." You are welcome to start one for 2012 Accent MPG if you like.

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  • debbishaw1debbishaw1 Member Posts: 6
    my 2011 hyundai elantra has exactly the same issues, i am very disappointed!i bought it for the advertised gas mileage which it does not have,what to do?
  • debbishaw1debbishaw1 Member Posts: 6
    actually i like the car but i am very disappointed that it averages 27 mpg. not 29 city 40 hwy as advertised and i drive 50/50 city highway so i figure i should be about 35mpg, not below advertised city epa rating. i feel cheated. its not that easy to just sell a newer car i will loose alot of money thanks for listening
  • debbishaw1debbishaw1 Member Posts: 6
    i will join you , i have the same problem, 2011 elantra getting well below EPA ratings and now broken in over 10,000 miles and still no better.
  • debbishaw1debbishaw1 Member Posts: 6
    i have the same problem with my 2011 elantra , what to do?
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