Hyundai Tucson Real World MPG

9394 · May 2009

I'm seriously considering getting a new Tucson 4cyl AT 2wd, can someone comment on the gas mileage of this vehicle and also, does it have enough power (trying to avoid the V6 for better fuel economy).
thanks!

smartsally · May 2009

I have a 2007 Tucson, 4 cyl front wheel drive and am getting 23/24 mile per gallon consistently. I drive a combination of highway and city and most of the roads are pretty flat. I have all the power I need. I do have to push the pedal down some if I want some quick acceleration and it is a noticeable difference than a 6 cylinder. But my husband was surprised by its power when he first drove it. I am very happy with the vehicle.

sjfrank · July 2009

Hello:

I got a 2007 Tucson V6 in Nov. 2007 and have about 16K miles on it now. The MPG has never been better than 15 mpg. My wife usually drives it local so I understand the "city" range, though 15 is terrible. Is this common? Any ideas to boost it?

Thanks.

Steve

stever · July 2009

The first thing I'd recommend is to make sure you have the basics covered - the smart driving part of the equation may be the biggest factor.

We Test the Tips - What Really Saves Gas? And How Much?

We Test the Tips Part II - Save Gas with Smart Driving and Slick Aerodynamics

ulltron · July 2009

I also have the 2007 Tucson with V6 and about 15,000 miles. I'm getting 20.5 mpg driving normally with mostly city driving and about 22 mpg if I manual shift. When manually shifting, I start off in 2nd gear, shift to 3rd as soon as it will just over 20 mph, and 4th as soon as it will at around 40 mph. I still drive about 5 over the speed limit but try to anticipate stops and down shift to help break the vehicle. Since I live near the coast, it is very flat here and my city commute is not bad. Mileage will drop quickly with heavy stop and go driving and/or hard acceration I'm getting around 25 mpg highway driving around 70 mph. Highway mileage is a little better driving at 60 and gets worse driving faster then 70. I'm very satisfied with my Tucson performance and I think the mpg is what you can expect for a small truck with V6 gasoline engine.

mikdee · February 2010

To All here, IMO, There are 2 issues with the Tucson.
1) Is the ESP (elect. stabilization. program), that applies the brakes independently, & invisibly, of the driver, at any, or all speeds, & conditions, as it sees fit, that is killing the gas milage, but I can't prove it. I believe it still is engaged somewhat even though I shut it off each time I remember, and gain 1 or more mpg. Just think soon this gas hogging device will be on every car, I like to drive my own car, not have it governed by a robot!

2) Is the AWD system designed by Borg-Warner, I think there is some unecessary drag incorporated in this! The earlier (Porsche/Audi) 4WD design (Stereur/Puch) used on the early (1st generation design) Santa Fe's like the 2002 model I had, worked fine, and I believe had less drag, because the gas milage was always better on my Santa Fe, then the Tucson could ever do, with both having the same 2.7 V6 engine.

So this is your 2nd gas hog.

songbird54 · March 2010

I have 22,400 miles on my tucson 2WD and according to my trip computer I get 20.5 MPG.
I think that kinda stinks. even though I am a conservative driver I do live in a cold climate and do a lot of stop and go driving, very little highway.

content · March 2010

I have 30,000miles on my 2007 v6 4wd tucson now. i drive in town, short trips mostly (< 10miles) and i average 16.5mpg.

My solution is to drive my 1998 honda crv has 160,000miles on it and still gets 20 mpg doing the same driving.

I looked at trading in the tucson, but what the person posted above about how much more it actually costs per year in gas for the tucson and what a rav4 or crv would cost is exactly why i didn't trade it in. Unfortunately i've had my fair share of built on a friday problems and my hyundai dealer's service is terrible so i won't be buying another hyundai.

9394 · March 2010

the 2010 tucson is mated with a 6 speed A/T and rated at 23mpg city and 26 combined. anyone with real world figures ?

.

ulltron · March 2010

I assume you have the V6 engine. I have about the same miles on my Tucson and I am also getting about the same mileage with mostly city driving. I consider this about normal mileage for a small inexpensive SUV with V6 4 speed auto transmission. I have had zero defect with mine and the Tucson is better then most SUVs I checked before buying for these reasons: full size spare stored inside (not on rear door or under frame), rear seats go flat with push of button, many extras included at no extra charge, least expensive full featured SUV, and very comfortable. This has been a much better vehicle for me then the Volvo V40 I had before that cost me $8000 more, was no where near as comfortable, had many issues, and had high maintenance costs. I guess it is the glass half full or half empty deal. WWW.fueleconomy.com lists the 2007 Tucson at 18 mpg city and the Honda CRV at 20 mpg city. I like Honda but it cost a lot more. If you drive the Tucson for 100,000, it will use 555 gallons more then the CRV costing you $1,665 more in fuel costs (at $3/gallon). The CRV costs about $6000 more to purchase then the Tucson. Even after 100,000 miles the Tucson is still $4,345 cheaper.

suetalk · May 2010

I also have the 2010. I get about 21-22 city and 26 highway. I'm averaging about 24 mpg. I have had 28 mpg on a roadtrip with little or no city driving. Window sticker is 23 city and 31 hwy. They are just plain lying about the 31 mpg. If you get about combined you are doing well. I'm about 25 and I'm fine with that.

nortsr1 · May 2010

I just purchased a 2010 Tuscon Ltd. and city highway so far is 24 to 25/gallon. I read in another forum that once you hit about 2000 miles on the new ones, the gas mileage does increase.

dhouse3 · September 2010

I purchased a 2010 Tucson base model with the 2.4 engine and 6 speed auto. I have 6500 miles on it since June 1st. Do mostly city driving and easily get 24/25 mpg without trying. Have gotten 31 on highway loaded with 4 large adults and vacation luggage. Had great passing exceleration and high speed driving. Comfort a plus with roomy interior and no back aches with the lumbar support in seats. Handles great with small turning area needed. I love this vehicle! great price, great comfort good millage for vehicle size and weight.

mwatocean · October 2010

I have a 2005 Tuscon and am getting over 21 mpg city. They did a recall on my car soon after I bought it and adjusted the esp sensor. The mileage went up after. It's hard to prove, but I know that was causing the low mpg at the beginning.

9394 · October 2010

i have a Rondo 2.4L which has similar EPA rating as the 2.0L Tucson, in the city, according to the trip computer, the first mile (from a cold engine) gets about 12mpg, as the engine warms up, the overall FE will improve to around 21mpg after 5 miles. if you only drive short distance, 12mpg is reasonable (it could be worse in colder weather) and it is same with any vehicle.

.

sporin71 · November 2010

The EPA does the testing, independent of the manufacturer, and puts the numbers on the Window stickers.

stever · November 2010

It used to be that the EPA published the specs and the manufacturers did the testing, and the EPA did some spot checks to keep them honest. The EPA does more testing now, but manufacturers can still submit their own test data to EPA, with oversight by the EPA.

EPA's website isn't specific on how much testing is done in house and how many manufacturers submit results.

Same difference though - mpg numbers are "certified" by the EPA, not the automakers. If you're getting less than the sticker, check out some of these tips to try to rule out some things:

What Really Saves Gas? And How Much?

We Test the Tips Part II

As the first link says though, "Our tests showed that the most significant way to save gas is: you".

9394 · November 2010

According to my observation (with the help of trip computer), the traffic condition has a much higher impact on fuel economy than driving habit (i'm not talking about the extreme cases like weaving through traffic and flooring the gas pedal just to get 2 cars ahead in the line) and other factors like tire pressure...etc. On the same route, same driver and same driving habit, but different time of day (peak vs. off peak) the difference on fuel economy can be up to 50%. (Hybrid and electric excluded)

The other factors that can affect fuel economy are:
-driving short trip all the time
-cold weather
-snowy, icy conditon

The EPA testing is done in a controlled lab environment so the result is usually optimal.

.

stever · November 2010

Interesting observation and yeah, I could see heavy traffic hammering the mpg pretty good.

So, did you wind up with a Tucson then or are you still shopping? (Don't see a recent post of yours off-hand saying whether you got a Tucson or not).

9394 · November 2010

we bought the Rondo a year ago because the wife insisted 7 passenger is a good thing. my cousin just bought the Santa Fe, V6 mated with the 6 speed tranny and it has the same EPA FE rating as my 2.4L Rondo (but the V6 has 276hp), that's when i got interested in the new Tucson (also with the 6 speed tranny).

if i lost my company van (i wouldn't be surprised with all these budget cuts), i would definitely test drive the new Tucson first.

.

stever · November 2010

If you are interested in how the Tucson stacks up against the Kia Rondo, please follow this link.

steve_, "Hyundai Tucson v Kia Rondo" #1, 8 Nov 2010 11:48 am

CapeCod · January 2011

I am getting discouraged at how little traffic this forum is getting....

Does anyone have REAL WORLD MPG for the 2011 2.4L Sportage or Tucson with automatic?
Every time I test drive one I make sure to "punch" the button to get the average MPG reading. So far the readings have been horrible... range of 16 to 22 mpg. Granted this includes zero turnpike travel but still the MPG reading are kind of scary. A Golf buddy gets an average of 26 with his 2010 Equinox... shouldn't I at least expect to get that many mpg?
In the past KIA's and Hyundai's have had some pretty awful numbers. I rented a 2008 Sportage for a week while on vacation and never got better than 18 mpg and that did include highway driving. I had thought the new engine was going to be better ???

Also any big difference between the Tucson & Sportage interiors???

tulsatucson · January 2011

I have a 2010 Tucson and am highly disappointed with the gas mileage. I am only getting 17 in town and 24 on the highway. I have taken it in to be looked at and have been told three times that everything is within specs an there is nothing they can do. Anyone know where I can go to get help??

tulsatucson · January 2011

I have a 2010 which has 8000 miles on it and am only getting 17 in town and 24 on the hwy. 25% below what the EPA says.

content · January 2011

sorry to say, you're stuck with it. i have a 2007 that gets slightly worse mileage through the winter months. i'm on pace for about 14mpg this tank. my mileage is better in the summer when its warmer. there is obviously something out of the ordinary in the cold. I can smell rich fuel in the exhaust everytime i start the car in the winter, regardless of whether the car is warm or not.

I tried dealing with two different local dealers in my area and hyundai canada, their stance is no test drives or fuel mileage testing in the winter months.

In the summer i get closer to 18mpg and 22mpg.

CapeCod · January 2011

These posts of poor gas mileage are exactly what I was worried about. Yes, all vehicles will likely get poorer mpg during the winter, but Hyundai and Kia models often seem to be outside the posted mpg... year round. I had thought the 'new' engine was going to overcome this... I guess not.

crkyolfrt · January 2011

Well the 2011 has the direct injection engine, which, in the Sonata, apparently gets very good FE.

But the older Tucsons here we don't know if they are 4 or 6 cylinders. I suspect they are 6's and Hyundai's old 2.7 V6 was a known gas guzzler. So were the 3+ litre V6's that replaced it, even tho it is still used in the Kia Rondo. Apparently in that vehicle and with the gearing and no AWD, it does ok. So this tells me they are sensitive to the vehicle it is in, gearing, weight, 2 or 4 WD, and even exhaust configuration affects FE.

Seems to me earlier in this thread, 2011 owners were happy with their FE. Go back and check.

t676236 · January 2011

My 2011 Tuscon LTD (with under 1000 miles) gets 15 - 17 city and 21-23 highway in cruise control. Pretty pathetic. I always get 2 mpg above bold sticker price. But not with this. Its a pretty package on the outside but vacant under the hood. I expected 23 city and 29 highway at the very least. Sad to say, I traded my dream car (V8) in for this because I needed to downsize transportation & gas expenses. The ONLY way this car will get 30 MPG is downhill or on the back of a flatbed!

If enough of us disappointed owners got together, we could file a class action suit. Any takers? :lemon:

kmw1977 · January 2011

I bought my wife a 2011 Tucson for Christmas, and she LOVES it. I have noticed with her commute (30 miles oneway) which is about 55% highway and 45% city that she's averaging about 23-24mpg. She's not overly happy about that but I think that reasonable. The one thing I noticed about her car is that it's zippy, and if you're not careful you can go well over the speed limit when on the highway. With that being said like with most Gas Engines anything over 65mph and your car stops buring gas by the gallon. So maybe this summer we will take a road trip (300+ miles) and I can really see what the MPG's are. BTW her's in the AWD model..

ulltron · January 2011

My 2007 V6 front wheel drive Tucson gets 20mpg city and mid 20s highway which is perfectly acceptable for a small SUV. Good to see the mileage improving in their new model and it will get better after the break in period which can take several thousand miles. At 27,000 miles I have had 0 defect and enjoy the vehicle as much today as the day I purchased it. The only complaint is original OEM tires don't last very long.

jlflemmons · January 2011

I would not worry over gas mileage on any engine until it has at least 3K miles on it. Yes, things are built to tighter tolerances than they used to be, but you still need to give that motor time to settle in.

With regard to Tucson mileage specifically, our 2010 will only meet the EPA rating if you really soft pedal it. It is very zippy, and the wife seems to be having a lot of fun with it. She quit complaining when I drove it and immediately got several MPG higher economy. :shades:

thundercat3 · February 2011

I have a 2011 Tucson GLS AWD with 4,000k on it and I get 19.7 mpg HIGHWAY. Surprisingly not much worse in town. I have had it to the dealership without any satisfying answers. I called Hyundai and they had the dealership take it out and on a road trip, with it on cruise control at 65 mph, and they somehow got 23 mpg. So I was told that nothing was wrong and I was dismissed. I have tried cruise controlling as low as 55 mph and have never gotten above 20 mpg. And that's not just what the trip computer hads told me, that's with my calculations with filling the tank up. I adore this car, except for the mileage and as gas prices continue to rise, I am going to have to trade it in. It's a shame that Hyundai has made such a wonderful suv with such lousey mileage. I have never had a vehicle not get the estimated mileage. Maybe a class action suit would make them take this more seriously instead of dismissing you from their dealership!

crkyolfrt · February 2011

How many miles (or kms?) per year do you do?

Apprx how many miles do you go before refueling? Do you always reset the trip meter? And about how many gallons (US or Cdn?) do you usually add.
I'll do some redundant math with you just to check your calculator.
6 sp auto right? Roof racks with a Thule or similar cargo box up top?
Do you use a remote starter? Or idle the vehicle more than 60 seconds anywhere?

9394 · February 2011

>I have never had a vehicle not get the estimated mileage.

I have never had a vehicle getting (not even close) the EPA mileage in winter time.

It is not hard to see the reason why if you have a trip computer, reset it first thing in the morning, you will see extremely poor fuel economy in the first couple miles, it will quickly improve after that. Once the car is warmed up to normal operating temperature, reset the trip computer again and you will see very close to EPA mileage as long as you are driving on bare road during non peak hours.

.

2011tucson · February 2011

I have a 2011 AWD Tucson and I have gotten a wide range of MPG results... highest for high driving has been 36.5, for city & Highway 24-27, for city only 20-22. One thing people forget is that a new vehicle needs to break in properly before it gets expected MPGs. Also don't expect great MPGs if you can't drive conservatively, the eco light is there to help you. Use it!

thundercat3 · February 2011

I drive concervatively and yes, I am using the eco light. I am not an idiot. I have even driven the 18 miles to work on the highway at 55mph (the speed limit here is 70) on cruise control, and will not get above 20.5 mpg.
There is something wrong with my car that Hyundai has blown me off on.

Since I first posted here, I made a 190 mile round trip and did get 22 mpg. The car was on cruise control at 65 for half of the way then on 55 once I crossed the state line. This is the highest mpg that I have gotten since I purchased my car in August. I do not get more than 240 miles per tank. I have 4800 miles on my car. From everything that I read, that "break-in period" does not really appply to today's new cars which are percision made. As I said earlier, there is something wrong with my car. Maybe not all Tucson's, but I do see many people complaining about their fuel economy in the tucson, so there is something going on. Oh and yes, I know that speed, tempurature, and road conditions affect my mileage. Again, not stupid.

9394 · February 2011

>From everything that I read, that "break-in period" does not really appply to today's new cars which are percision made

agree, i've been getting consistent FE after the first 200 miles.

22mpg for extended hwy driving is way too low, you have a lemon.

.

mixologist72 · March 2011

I couldn't agree more! I just purchased the '11 FWD Limited a month ago & after all of the rants on different sites I have to say I'm not really freaked out by the 20-24 city & 24-29 highway I've been getting. It's based on my driving, road conditions & the weather. So far I LOVE the car.

11disappointed · March 2011

I bought a 2007 tucson with only 33K in Dec. I am very happy with it other than the gas milage which was supposed to range between 23-28mpg. This is a 4cylinder with out AWD and I get about 20mpg city and 23-24mpg highway. I live in Texas where winters are fairly mild but I have noticed better milage in warmer weather with other vehicles I have owned. I consider myself a conservative driver and I calculate my mpg each time I fill up usually at the same station and many times at the same pump. Obviously, Hyundai has exagerated the gas milage performance of its vehicles. Perhaps we should tell them we are dissaticefied.

buerkletucson · March 2011

I dunno........
First tank through my brand new 2011 GLS AWD was 25.5MPG. This is in winter conditions here in Minnesota and combination driving.
I'm a happy camper.

mp124 · March 2011

**********
Original Milage for Tucson 2010 is 14 MPG ...

I bought a tuscon 2011 .. looking at the milage , For 1000 Miles ...it was 25 MPG...... Then @ 1500 miles , you will start crying for buying this ******... The milage will be 14 mpg AFTER 1500 mILES ON YOUR CAR

buerkletucson · March 2011

mp124,
Your content makes no sense.......if your Tucson was running 25MPG then dropped to 14MPG there is something definitely something wrong with it.
No car does that........MPG usually gradually increases as it breaks in. Not drop 11MPG in one tank.
Take it back and have them fix it under warranty but don't piss and moan on the forum and tell others it's a POS until you take some action to find out the issues and have the dealer fix it.
Telling others their vehicle will do the same is just plain wrong......

thundercat3 · March 2011

I have never gotten more than 245 mi a tank. I always re-set the trip computer. It's an automatic AWD PZEV - 4 cylinder. No I don't have roof racks with anything on them. No remote starter. It may idle more than 1 minute from time to time. I drive 18 mi each way to work, all highway miles, (except for the 1 mi to get to the highway from home), on cruise control with the eco on. I have tried cruise control at 55mph and 60 mph and 65 mph. Not much of a difference on any of them. At 55 the only thing that happens is a lot of dirty looks from others having to pass me (speed limit here is 70).

buerkletucson · March 2011

Here you go...........real numbers!
2011 Hyundai Tucson AWD GLS
(80% Highway miles)

Tank #1 = 24.5MPG
Tank #2 = 25.9MPG
Tank #3 = 26.8MPG
Tank #4 = 27.1MPG

All verified by computer and manual calculation (always within .2MPG of each other)
Still cold temps here........mighty happy with the gas mileage on the Tucson.
I expect to easily hit the published 28MPG (all hwy) when the temps warm up a bit and I get a few more miles on the vehicle.

Soooo, "MP124" how is your POS doing? Cat got your tongue?

mi55ourian · March 2011

Just purchased about 3 weeks ago, current milage 1524.
yes it has a roof rack, cross bars not on, air temp 60

first few tanks of gas I have been averaging between 22-25mpg mostly highway driving.
Tried something new on the way home tonight. Roughly 26.2 mile drive from work to home
1. reset mpg average
2. set cruise at 65mph
3. use auto stick to force 6th gear

Highest MPG right off the bat on flat pavement 35mpg, but since roads are not all flat (sigh) I did notice the mpg drop when going up hill. Dropped to around 27 MPG. Steep hills did dog the engine a bit, dropped about 4 MPH but nothing to stressing. Off highway now to county road. Still using auto stick and shifting at no more than 2600 rpm and now at 55mph with MPG on the rise again.
Settling into park in the driveway and average for the trip home *30.3MPG* (^_^)

Small shift in driving habits netted me an extra 5-7 mpg!
Am ordering K&N Air filter for it this coming weekend, and plan to switch to a full synthetic on my first oil change

9394 · March 2011

don't hold your breath if you are hoping to improve FE by switching to full synthetic.

i switched over a year ago and observed absolutely no difference in FE (according to trip computer), i even pick the same route at non peak time for comparison so that the traffic pattern wouldn't affect FE measurement.

i just assume it would provide better cold start protection otherwise it wouldn't justify the higher cost.

let me know if the air filter works better.

.

stever · March 2011

Ditto the air filter I'm thinking.

Some people do get good mpg out of the gate like you are getting; it took way more than 4 tanks for the mpg in my last new car to settle down to a "dependable" number.

After 3,000 miles I started trusting the mpg numbers. The mpg went up pretty good over the first 10,000 miles and even went up by little increments over the next 100,000.

Enjoy the new Tucson - sounds like a nice ride!

samm43 · March 2011

May I make a suggestion for your brand new car? Even if it was an old used car?

Do NOT switch out you OEM air filter! OEM air filters are designed with intense R&D. There are a lot of variables as to how your engine takes its air in, everything from filter material, shape, air box shape, airbox volume, track lengths etc etc etc.
One of the worse things you can do to your engine is install a filter by any aftermarket brand that claims more fuel economy and hp and torque. You must ask yourself, how can they do that? They do it by letting more air in, and by default of that it is letting more dirt in. As the filter becomes clogged with dirt it actually starts to filter better, but quickly also starts to strangle the engine of air creating worse fuel economy and less hp and torque. Many (MOST) of these aftermarket oiled filters get installed with the owner's intention of being diligent with the maintenance hungry intervals it requires to clean and reoil it using their special detergents and oils. And if it is not done correctly you actually force dirt deeper into the filter so that as it becomes more clogged the next time, the engine starts trying to pull that dirt into it. These special filters may work on a race track where it is not as dusty and dirty as our freeways and gravel roads and where engines never rack up a lot of miles between teardowns and rebuilds, but in the real world, a knowledgeable person will value your used car that had a K&N or other similar airfilter, considerably less than the same car that always used an OEM filter. If it was me, that is an immediate deal-breaker.

And to ensure you are understanding some of this, changing out the OEM air filter will affect the engine management tuning tech that has been designed into your car at the rpm ranges and speeds the average user encounters and it will probably be an undesirable effect. If not when brand new, it sure will be after only a few thousand miles as it starts to plug.

While you might find this to be considered a controversial topic, use your own common sense to come to your own conclusions. It is simple really. Any filter medium that lets more air in, HAS to let more dirt in right along with it.

A case can be made for 100% synthetic oils if you drive in extremely hot or cold climates. Avoid 'synthetic blends'. Biggest rip off in automotive history because they charge almost as much for it as a full 100% synthetic, yet has a disproportionate percentage of synthetic content.

Sam

buerkletucson · March 2011

Bravo!

That's got to be one of the best posts I've seen here in a long time.
I agree 100%
I normally shy away from discussing air filters, oil, and women. LOL.
Always seems to turn into a pissin match........I usually let the "home-brewed experts" find out the truth for themselves.

Thanks for not shying away from the truth and not being afraid to post it.

mi55ourian · March 2011

Sam, thank you for voicing concerns about the K&N filters.

I will post back in a few weeks with mpg ratings with the K&N for those that are interested.

I also agree that if it is not cleaned correctly you actually force dirt deeper into the filter. But on the other hand, I have had 2 vehicles with K&N filters, the ones that fit into the factory air-box, not the "ricer" style cone filters. The first vehicle being a 1991 Honda CRX dx with 340000 miles and counting. Used as a daily driver when the wife and I cant carpool to work. The other was the 2007 Hyundai Elantra with 75000 miles, which we traded in for the new Tucson. On the Elantra it did improve the fuel economy by about 2mpg. On the CRX it made almost no difference in MPG. 36-38 with rapid acceleration, 42-44 with economy driving.

Personally I plan on running the factory filter in the winter when the roads are at their dirtiest, and the K&N the rest of the year, cleaned annually.

It is not my intent to try to sway vehicle owners into using one product or the other. It is up to each individual to do their own research and ultimately choose to use a after-market brand or not.

Hyundai Tucson Real World MPG

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