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Hyundai Santa Fe Real World MPG

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Comments

  • sirvagabondsirvagabond Member Posts: 51
    Keep in mind your acceleration speed and avg speed play a SIGNIFICANT role in mpg. During my break-in period of the first 1500 miles, I accelerated softley and kept it no more than 70mph. I averaged 22mpg. Now I'm past the break-in (2500), avg'ing about 75-80mph, accelerating a big quicker and Im down to 19mpg. I use 87octane unleaded, no gas treatment and factory oil.

    These numbers being thrown out here seem to be judged negatively without the proper elements to the equation. Weather conditions, steep grades, windy roads, car loads, gas quality, oil type, tire pressure, ODOM readings, etc, ALL play a part in performance and mpg. Keep those in mind when posting and we'll all have a better idea of what our SF's are actually getting.
  • kg325kg325 Member Posts: 57
    Yes, I am careful on acceleration and cruising speed,and around town driving habits.
    Like I said in an earlier --the sservicemanager threw out a figure of 8000 to 10,000 miles for break in. Almost like he was trying to buy some time for the poor performance of my vehicle.
    Thanks
  • rutan74rutan74 Member Posts: 20
    O.K. here are my latest numbers. It is a mixed bag to say the least.

    First leg of trip which was 170 miles all highway, I got 19mpg! Wife driving around 80mph. I took over after we topped off, and managed on second leg to get 26mpg! I drove between 65-75mph.

    I saw the same numbers on a previous trip too. It seems that my SF has a sweet spot which is between 65-75mph. Over that and the mileage goes way down. On our first trip, I got like 20mpg and my wife was driving around 80. On the way back, with me driving and slowing down, we got 27 which is a huge difference.

    So on our return trip, first leg managed 22.3 with wife driving around 75. Again, I took over for the second leg of the return trip and the numbers are not in as of right now, but I suspect them to be around 23-24mpg.

    So, it looks like on our 900 mile trip, we averaged about 22-23 mpg which isn't that good IMO, but it is better than the 15's I've seen in here.

    But something is amiss IMO. The difference in rpm from 70 to 80 is only like 200rpm and that should not create a 5mpg difference in mileage. So something is not right. Temperature was very near the same and the road was the same, so there has to be some explanation why we get 5-6mpg more when driving 70 than say at 80mph. I would expect a difference, but not one that big.

    jg
  • kg325kg325 Member Posts: 57
    I see what you mean---you wouldn't think that 500 rpm would make a difference like that.
    I topped off tonight and am looking at 15.1.
    last time it was 16.2 and the time before 12.93. All at 160 miles on the trip odom.
    I still think I have an awful drag in the transmission
    Thanks
  • thunderbirdthunderbird Member Posts: 26
    I know this is a mpg discussion but I am 30 days away from buying a santa fe. Please elaborate on your last sentence about the awful drag in the trans please. Is yours a 4 or 5 speed auto trans or which engine size will tell me. Thanks.
  • davesuvdavesuv Member Posts: 149
    Nothing is amiss in your MPG experience. You just aren't taking into account the significant effect that wind resistance plays in gas mileage. Remember that the force required to overcome wind resistance changes by the square of the velocity. So if you double your velocity, your wind resistance goes up by 4 times. This translates into significant decreases in MPG the faster you drive.

    I see a drop of at least 1 MPG when I drive 70 instead of 65. If a driver speeds and goes 80, they should experience a drop in gas mileage of at least several mpg over someone within the speed limit at 70. Prevailing winds can also change your mileage by 1 or 2 mpg depending on whether they are a head wind or a tail wind.

    Remember, the tachometer is only telling you how fast the engine is turning, not how much gasoline needs to be squirted into the cylinders to keep the engine turning at this speed.

    Here is an interesting article that talks about what is the best speed to drive for maximum MPG. Generally this is about 40 to 60 mph and depends on the vehicle. See Maximum fuel efficiency

    2007 Santa Fe Limited AWD with Touring and Premium packages
    23 to 25.5 mpg on freeways (up to 29 with a strong tail wind)
  • kg325kg325 Member Posts: 57
    I have a new 2006, 2.5, four speed automatic.
    if you are getting a 2007, this situatin may not even effect you.
    Even at low speed(10-20mph) it feels like the vehicle wants to slow itself down. Like something is holding it back.
    It also downshifts very noticibly at 32mph and 19mph.
  • motorman409motorman409 Member Posts: 3
    Hi all. Just back from a ski trip into the mountains. 3.3L AWD 5 SPD Auto. 225 miles roundtrip. Speed was 70 - 80 mph, temperature was 20 degrees, snow and wind, averaged 25 mpg. This was with 1500 miles on the speedo. My experience with vehicles is that they are not really broken in until they have 6-7000 miles on them. Currently my engine is tight, you can feel it when you let off the gas, the vehicle slows easily. I expect that, and also expect that to continue as long as the engine is in good condition, it just means that the engine compression is good. It has a side benefit too, you don't use your brakes as much. Another thing to consider is that if you have changed from a completely different vehicle, (I switched from an 03 Avalanche) it takes some time to get used to the way the new vehicle works, and is set up. I still find myself, after a month of ownership, having difficulty with the wipers, as they are on the opposite side of the steering column from the Avalanche. Give the vehicle 6-8 months, 8-10000 miles, and everything will iron itself out.
  • kg325kg325 Member Posts: 57
    Thanks for your note---my mileage per gallon could still be better
    Happy New Year
  • davesuvdavesuv Member Posts: 149
    Just back from a short trip to a neighboring town (about 50 miles away). I decided to try a little experiment on the way back since traffic was extremely light. All fairly flat expressway with speed limit of 70 mph. Did the return trip using 4 different speeds (set on speed control), each for a 10 mile stretch. MPG was calculated using the on-board computer, with the reset pressed after each change in speed.

    70 mph - 23.3 mpg
    65 mph - 25.5 mpg
    60 mph - 27.1 mpg
    55 mph - 28.4 mpg

    At the end of the trial, I went back to 70 mph and got about the same 23.3 mpg. Granted, this is a very crude test, subject to numerous errors (subtle variations in terrain for instance). Ideally, if you had a long enough time, you would cycle through these speeds for 3 or 4 rounds to get error calculations for the estimates. In the end, I think the results shown here would be fairly valid. This nicely illustrates the changes in wind resistance with speed and how it effects your mileage.

    2007 Santa Fe Limited AWD with Touring and Premium packages.
    2200 miles on odometer.
  • kg325kg325 Member Posts: 57
    I shoud have got a 2007. Sounds like you did pretty good.
    I've got 3550 on mine.
  • dlm820dlm820 Member Posts: 31
    OK, so I've had my 2007 Limited 3.3 for about 3 months now. On the trip computer I've been averaging between 15 and 17 MPG mix of city and highyway. Mostly city though. I just filled up a couple of days ago and put in about 13 gal, Sunoco, unleaded 87 octane. I never let the gas get below a quarter of a tank.

    I've gone through a quarter of a tank already and got about 80 miles out of that. Taking into account that I usually fill up with a quarter of a tank left, that comes out to about 18 MPG mostly city with some highway thrown in. (13 Gal/3 * 80 Miles) That's nowhere near what the trip computer says. The trip computer has my avg at 15.5.

    I know that the trip computer takes into account your acclearation and how much you start and stop, but is there THAT much of a difference or am I doing something wrong in my manual calc?

    I just find it hard to believe that after 3 months and 2,800 miles that I'm still only getting about 15 MPG. Should I be looking for something wrong, or are these numbers accurate and the problems are all in my head?

    Also, when I fill up, the Range indicator usualy tops off at around 270 miles until empty. Is this low? I was just reading another post on one of the other threads and he said that his went up to 364???!!!! What's up with that??

    Thanks
  • davesuvdavesuv Member Posts: 149
    Hi dlm820,

    I'm also averaging about 18.2 mpg overall with mostly city driving. This is pretty much what I expected based on the EPA estimates of 19 city and 24 highway for the Santa Fe Limited. Remember, their city estimate is based on a warmed up engine. If you routinely take shorter trips (less than 10 miles), you will get less because a cold engine is not as efficient and will burn more gas (and pollute more). When I first start off with a cold engine, I usually get about 15 to 16 mpg. After it thoroughly warms up, I get about 18 to 19 mpg with all city driving.

    Your on-board MPG computer may be off. There was another post here indicating that the flow meter could have up to a 20% variance from the true gas flow. Since the Range indicator is based on the MPG computer, it will also be off. You also cannot use the gas gauge to accurately reflect how much fuel you've used, since they usually don't have a linear response and they don't take into account the "reserve" that is present when it reads empty. I find I have about 4 gallons left in the tank when my gauge reads empty.

    The best thing to do is to fill up the tank at the pump until the nozzle clicks off (don't top it off). Record your mileage at this first fill-up and reset your MPG computer. Now for the next 3 or 4 fill-ups, fill up the tank in exactly the same way (ideally using the same gas pump). Record your mileage and the number of gallons you've put in each time you fill up. Don't reset your MPG computer during this time.

    Using your first fill-up as the zero point (i.e. don't count the number of gallons you put in for the first fill-up), calculate the total number of gallons you've put in after the first fill-up. Also calculate the total number of miles you've driven between your first and most recent fill-up. Divide the miles by the gallons to get your average MPG. Now see how that compares to your on-board computer MPG. You should be able to calculate the percentage difference between your computer MPG and your actual MPG. This will allow you to mentally correct your computer MPG readings.

    Have fun in your Santa Fe. I love mine :shades:
  • dlm820dlm820 Member Posts: 31
    Thanks dave. I will surely try that. I love mine also. On the highway alone the gas mileage is great. Going around 70 I can get almost 24 MPG out of it which I'm very happy with. It's the city driving that kills me. I do do very short trips too. My drive to work in the morning is maybe 7 miles so I don't really give it a chance to warm up. I also leave my house late so I can't wait the 2-3 minutes to warm it up everyday. I'm sure if I did I would see a difference.

    Anywho, I'll try what you suggested and see how much the trip computer is really off.

    Thanks again, and I'll post after my test is done.

    :)
  • kg325kg325 Member Posts: 57
    I don't have a trip computer but I use the trip odometer and reset it everytime I fill up.
    That is how I compute my MPG
    Ed
  • srdriversrdriver Member Posts: 48
    Have just over 1000 miles on my 2007 FWD 3.3 Liter Santa Fe and gas mileage using unleaded regular on the last tank was 21.1 in mixed driving on secondary roads and in town.

    I have checked by both methods (trip meter and mileage indicator).

    If you will check by checking the mileage and dividing the gallons into it, make use you use the same pump at the same station and stop pumping when the pump clicks off.

    Owners manual recommends that you stop fueling when the pump clicks off and don't try and top it off.

    Have good luck here using any major brand of regular unleaded.

    The colder weather along with the "winter blend" of gasoline can cause less mileage too.
  • kg325kg325 Member Posts: 57
    Yes, I am aware of all that----I just get lousey mileage on this 2.7 engine.
  • jennafljennafl Member Posts: 5
    Car has 430 miles on it in three weeks (yeah, yeah, I know, I don't drive much. My work commute is 5.3 miles).

    I am getting 19.5MPG in town!!! I am ecstatic.! :blush:

    My Ford Taurus wagon got 17 at most in town.. 22 highway... we will see about highway trips...

    jenna
  • kg325kg325 Member Posts: 57
    Great----
    Ed
  • cliffymoncliffymon Member Posts: 5
    Absolutely thrilled with 07 Santa Fe 3.3 Litre.
    Just got back from trip from home in So. Carolina to South Florida. At 71mph, I get 26mph on the open road. I'm very happy about that. Getting 20-22 in combo driving around home. I am easy on the gas pedal.
  • kg325kg325 Member Posts: 57
    Glad to hear it---
    Mine wasin the dealerdhip a week ago and they said they got 24 mpg on a 44 mile highway trip and 13 on a 38 mile around town trip. I brought it back to my place and fueled up the next day and got 13.9. I have been in touch with Hyundai and we'll see what is going to happen.(probably nothing---that is my luck)
    They didn'd do anything to the vehicle but put it on the computer---so they say.
    It's the 2.7 engine. I still think it isn't shifting properly
    Ed
  • bkirk1bkirk1 Member Posts: 21
    Hi I have 900 miles on my Santa Fe. I love the car but I am concerned about the gas milage. I only get 16 miles per gallon. The dealer says I have break it it in more?
    Any Ideas??
  • kg325kg325 Member Posts: 57
    Good Luck----I have 5200 on my 2006, and I get 15.1 mpg. I get a surge in the transmission at 32 and 19 miles per hour when I am slowing down. I think it is shifting at the wrong time.
    The regional manager will be looking at it soon.
    I can let you know how things go if you want
    egaworecki@yahoo.com
    The 3.5 they let me use didn't act at all like the 2.7. It was nice
    Ed
  • gwillygwilly Member Posts: 51
    I am still breaking, 2500 miles+ , AWD SE touring+ultimate and get what your getting. I had hoped for mileage that some say they get, but knew that was just pie in the sky kind of thinking. We get anywhere from 13.9 to 16 in the city.

    I probably should have gotten the 4 runner but my wife loves the car, and our luck we would have gotten the 4 runners that have the drivetrain noise at 55 to 65 miles per hour. Overall the car has been great, minus the MPG.
  • kg325kg325 Member Posts: 57
    Do you have the 2.7 engine? You should be broken in already---ask them. That is what I have and my mileage is 15.1 average from last November . I am documenting it the way they wanted me to so there is no questions.(Even using 3/4 of a tank before filling up)---Then the dealer goes out and travels 44 miles and tell me it gets 24.7 MPG See what I mean----
    Have a nice day
  • bkirk1bkirk1 Member Posts: 21
    I have the same reply from my dealer in Manchester.
    They told me it takes 8000 miles before I see better milage.
    Somthing sounds fishy I have a 2007 2.7 Santa fe???
    B
  • bkirk1bkirk1 Member Posts: 21
    I have the 2.7 auto engine after 4 fillups I consistantly get per 15.1 to 15.5 miles per gallon. we all can't be that far off.
    B
  • michaelw2michaelw2 Member Posts: 11
    8000 miles' break in is just a joke

    they should told you that you will get better mpg after 10000000 miles

    this kind of thing is hard to argue though.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Well, my minivan's mpg kept going up even beyond 10,000 miles - I keep a pretty detailed mileage log. But it was pretty close to the lifetime average after a few thousand miles.

    The way they manufacture engines these days with closer tolerances there's a lot of discussion about whether engines really need a break-in period at all.
  • kg325kg325 Member Posts: 57
    You have the same problem on the 2007? I am supposed to get 18 to 23 mpg.(normal driving)
    How does your transmission downshift and upshift? Is it smooth or is downshifting noticable at 32 and 19 mph. I feel like it is downshifting too soon too. And I can move along at 40 mph in second gfear at times---on the level road.
    I will let you know how I make out at the dealer's when the regional rep gets there next week. egaworecki@yahoo.com
    I'm haveing a hard time keeping the windshield clean of ice too---the heat doesn't seem to want to cover the whole windshield. It ices up on the top half whenI have the wipers on when it's around 20 degrees or below out.
  • mrjb221mrjb221 Member Posts: 1
    I've only filled mine up twice but I'm getting 22mpg with mostly highway driving (80%hwy/20%city). I bought an 07 SE and though I haven't had it long I've been very impressed.
  • kg325kg325 Member Posts: 57
    Good for you. You must have the 3.5 engine then, right?
  • pelican19pelican19 Member Posts: 323
    3.3
  • jcspohrjcspohr Member Posts: 97
    07 SF Limited FWD 3.3

    I'm getting a combined mpg around 21 mpg. My lead footed wife gets around 20.

    The worst I have seen is when my wife drives it city - 18.x mpg

    The best mpg we have seen was 27+ in pure highway driving at 65mph (cruise control) with A/C.

    We bought it on Aug 1, 06 and now have about 6200 miles on it. I run pure synthetic oil. I don't think it made much of a difference though. Our mileage improved slightly after the first few tanks of gas but has remained pretty consistent since then.

    We LOVE this vehicle!
  • kg325kg325 Member Posts: 57
    Mine is the 2.7 2006----It sounds like you ahve a nice vehicle.
    The 07 they let me take while mine was in the shop was nice too. Nothing like mine
  • bkirk1bkirk1 Member Posts: 21
    My shifting is real smooth both shifting up and down. Is yours the automatic? The gas milage is the only concern I have let me know what the regional manager says> I'm keeping a spread sheet with my milage records.
  • tinydog1tinydog1 Member Posts: 83
    I own a 3.3 Limited and have consistently gotten 20.6 to 21.4 mpg with a 50/50 mix. Now at 6500mi and doing great. Love this vehicle.
  • kg325kg325 Member Posts: 57
    I do have the automatic and the 2.7 engine.
    I will keep you guys posted on what the regional rep. does.
    Yes--keep a record/documentation when you fill up---how much gas and mileage at the time. I put the odometer reading and the actual miles in case they(the dealer) wants to get porky.
    I just don't trust them now.
  • dealmaker22dealmaker22 Member Posts: 3
    2007 Limited FWD 3.3 L. First two tanks show an average of 18.8 mpg. I'll switch to synthetic on the first oil change but I always wonder if I'm getting synthetic or just overpaying for regular oil. Any way to tell? I change my own on my other cars but I don't want to void the warranty. Any experience with this issue?
  • kg325kg325 Member Posts: 57
    The Factory Rep had an excuse for all my concerns.
    He too---took the vehicle on a short road trip.(I would have ridden with him if I had known) Coincedently enough I had traveled the same road(NY Thruway) a few days earlier coming back from Syracuse. My mileage-17.8, his 24.3. This is straight driving and no stop and go. Not your "normal" driving. Something seems fishy here but like the dealer told me in November---short trips aren't accurate. My 15.2 mpg is a 2 month record.
    My transmission still revs and doesn't downshift to smooth.
    Have a nice day
  • westvirginiawestvirginia Member Posts: 15
    The first couple of tanks around town averaged 17.8 mpg. We took a trip to Columbus, OH this weekend, mostly 4-lane with speed around 60-70 plus some city driving around Columbus. On the way up the average was 24.4 and on the way back we got 25.2 mpg. I double checked the trip meter with what I gas put in and it was real close. This was with a full load of 5 people and luggage and I'm still below 1000 miles.
  • pelican19pelican19 Member Posts: 323
    Sweet.
  • kg325kg325 Member Posts: 57
    It sounds like you are doing pretty good.
    I have the 2.7 2006 model. Igot it on 9/28.
    The factory rep was useless to talk to----he is an extension of rthe factory and must be told what to say. I have been averaging 15.2 before the cold weather and he and the service foreman each took a 50 mile trip and told me they got around 24.6(mI can't remember the exact) The scale on the sticker is 18 to 23.
    I traveled the same road(NYS Thruway I-90) a few days earlier and got 17.8 or so. Mine was a 140 mile trip. And open road only.
    How can he get 7 mpg more???
    I hav ebeen documenting the mileage since the end of October.
    The little guy almost always looses.
    Ed
  • gwillygwilly Member Posts: 51
    I too must have one of those lemon MPG winners. Our SE AWD w/3row gets 15-17 average MPG with just one person driving in sunny southern california. We're at about 4000 miles on the ODO.

    I keep saying I should have bought a 4-runner to replace the old 94 4-runner we had. The mileage would have been the same.

    But my wife and I had wishful thinking, hoping the mileage would be near the higher end of the MPG range. I can't wait till the new MPG standards are put on new vehicle's window stickers in the next year. Forget 19-26, how 'bout 13-19. ;)
  • colonel717colonel717 Member Posts: 20
    Make sure that you check tire pressure. I brought mine home last week and found the tire pressure 8lbs too high on 3 wheels and 9.5lbs higher on another. The cold psi s/b 30lbs per the sticker inside the door.
  • kg325kg325 Member Posts: 57
    Yes, I have checked the pressure. Mine were all high too when I picked it up---along with and empty radiator resevoir aand mud under the hood No one ever looked it over before I got it. That's the dealer in Utica NY. I'm still waiting for the window sticker.
  • kg325kg325 Member Posts: 57
    All you can do is keep on taking it back to them---
  • davesuvdavesuv Member Posts: 149
    I've had my 2007 SF AWD Limited for almost 6 months now and have just over 6000 miles on it. I've kept detailed records at each fill-up and use a spreadsheet to keep a running mileage both per fill-up and overall since purchase.

    Overall MPG since purchase is 20.13
    Highest MPG with single tankful is 25.14 (during a vacation)
    Lowest MPG with a single tankful is 16.5 (in town with short trips)

    Obviously, there is going to be significant error in the single tankful calculations. The overall MPG should be quite accurate. Your mileage may vary significantly depending on your driving style, length of your trips, weather conditions, etc.

    2007 Santa Fe AWD Limited with touring and premium packages
    Dark Cherry Red with beige leather interior
  • roudy1roudy1 Member Posts: 36
    I've had my Santa Fe for two months and have nearly 6000 miles. My mpg is pretty similar to the above:

    Overall MPG: 22.09
    Highest MPG: 26.47
    Lowest MPG: 18.74

    I haven't gone on an extended trip yet; most of my driving is on trips of 25 to 100 miles with some city driving.
  • kg325kg325 Member Posts: 57
    Sounds like you are doing OK
    Not only the dealer but the factory represenative used a 44 and 52 mile ride respectively, to question my 2 + months of
    documentation.
    Do you think that maybe they want to avoid a situation about miles per gallon? ha I'm getting around 15.2
    I bought the Sante Fe new in Utica, NY at the end of September.
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