Is this true - per a kid working at the service depart. Re: MPG - new promise true or a lie?

whatfuture

Where else can I go but this forum to get answers from intelligent people. You're stuck with me, thank goodness.

I went to the dealer yesterday not expecting much but I was in the area. I walked around the lot. All Elantras are still displaying bogus mileage (including the 2014). This makes what the manager told me last week proof that again, he didn't know what he was talking about. I knew it. I wanted to be able to prove it.

1. I said the MPG displayed on the '13 was still 38/38. What happens with that since it's obviously a known issue. His response was for me to come back when I have more miles on the car (he said six months). Is the tiny reimbursement program still happening?
2. I said the MPG in the car that's displayed is wrong and gave him an example of manual calc vs what the car displayed. His response - drive it more and it will work its way out of the system.
   2a. This is telling an IT computer person, "Yes, it's in error but don't worry it will work its way out in time." What could happen (based on what y'all have said) is the MPG may improve as the car is broken in. But that has nothing to do with a bug working it's way out of the system. Unless someone who can clear up this mystery, I can't help but wonder if he knew what he was talking about.

Thanks.

Kirstie_H

At the end of the day, dealers are there to sell you a car, not to provide you with accurate technical information. Your expectations may be higher, and in some cases you will encounter a dealer who can and will do both. The sticker is placed there by the factory, so the dealership probably naturally assumes it's the manufacturer's responsibility to explain, not his.

Some low-MPG achievement issues do work themselves out after a break-in period, but that's not always the problem.

Kirstie_H

I guess I'm saying your final statement, "I can't help but wonder if he knew what he was talking about" is accurate. You should wonder

isellhondas

I have never owned a car that got the gas mileage posted on the sticker!

We have a 2013 CRV that has about 4500 miles on it and it's averaged 21 MPG since we got it.

I have a friend who has the same car and he swears he's getting 33 MPG.

I suspect he got 33 MPG ONCE on a trip so now, that's what he says he's getting.

Ours has never been on a trip.

I will say that Hondas always get better mileage after about 6-10,000 miles for some reason.

That said, I've never been one to check my gas mileage or fret over it. I figure I own the car and it's going to get what it gets.

stever

I would have thought they would have had to change the Monroney stickers to reflect the corrected EPA mileage estimates.

Hyundai, Kia reach $400-million settlement over inflated MPG claims (LA Times)

isellhondas

It's the EPA that does the gas mileage testing and they must do this under ideal conditions.

My customers would often ask "Is this the gas mileage I'll be getting?"

My answer was always "Probably not!"

The EPA should be the ones paying out the settlement dollars!

stever

The EPA makes the rules but the manufacturers do their own testing. The EPA then does spot checks.

whatfuture

Ah... I thought the EPA did the testing. I never trusted the rating but within reason. 20% off is very much off the mark.

isellhondas: You know what you're writing and I enjoy seeing answers by you. But, if the EPA is supposed to do spot checks based on manufacturers it's both who should be paying and not $500 or in my case nothing. Hyundai lied. The EPA bought it. I wouldn't be one of those consumers asking you if that's the mileage I'd be getting . But this big a diff. (sorry, I am repetitive) is lying.

whatfuture

@Stever@Edmunds said:
I would have thought they would have had to change the Monroney stickers to reflect the corrected EPA mileage estimates.

Hyundai, Kia reach $400-million settlement over inflated MPG claims (LA Times)All they need to do is put a small piece of white paper taped over the mileage rating that reflects the real approx. MPG. But they won't do it because some people will continued to be fooled. Hence, my dealer lying about it (I knew it and caught him) and 2013 and 2014 cars reflecting the bogus mileage.

whatfuture

@Kirstie@Edmunds said:
I guess I'm saying your final statement, "I can't help but wonder if he knew what he was talking about" is accurate. You should wonder

---

• Argh ... Ten years ago, I knew exactly what I was buying. I got what I paid for and while the car felt like a tin can (my Impreza), it lasted ten years and we should've kept it. I have never ever seen such nincompoops selling cars. When I bought my 1978 (or 79) Dodge Colt, I brought my sis for the beauty but I knew the car intimately. No salesman could mess with me but they tried. This time at Hyundai (not the other dealerships) no one appears to know the car and I have to deal with constant baloney.

Sooooo inaccurate average MPG showing in the computer. It's not getting fixed. Navigation system locking up. It's not getting fixed. I don't think they're capable. I'm the computer person and yep, the guy didn't know what he was talking about.

litesong2

Try to keep my 2013 Elantra out of traffic..... & city driving......& avoid accelerating as fast as almost all other drivers. Try to anticipate traffic lights but not the best at that driver knack. Tires are balanced & aligned superbly & pumped to 38-40psi. Fill it with 100% gasoline, E0, ethanol-free fuel. Drive highway speeds, except for 65-66mph on 70mph freeways. While others are averaging only 29-30mpg with Elantra, I'm AVERAGING 39+mpg with city driving at only 15%. Get some E0 fuel. I have years of accurate mpg records for 3 cars with 87 octane, 10% ethanol & E0, showing increases of 8%, 7% & 5% mpg for 87 octane E0. Try to get the ethanol out. Ethanol only works efficiently in an ethanol engine, which has high compression ratios of 15:1 to 16:1. Ethanol blends are usually 10% fuel fodder ethanol, which has collapsed energy production in a gasoline engine. pure-gas.org shows 8630 sources for E0, a jump of 16% in the last year. At that rate of increase, E0 should have 10,000+ E0 sources by the beginning of 2016. Often E0 is NOT available near large cities & very rare in many states.

stever

Pure-gas.org will tell you where the ethanol free stations are.

I tried a tank in my last van and mileage was a smidgen worse than usual. Go figure.

Gas prices right now are so cheap lots of places, I'm not sure that paying a premium for the ethanol free stuff would pencil out.

litesong2

I'm not sure that paying a premium for the ethanol free stuff would pencil out--stever......Agree with you because the EPA has driven E0 to rarity, which raises the price. Five years ago, if you looked for an E0 source with good prices, you could find one, fairly close to E10 prices with the same octane. However, EPA has penalties for NOT blending ethanol into gasoline & the (E0--E10) price gap has widened, the other day to 77 cents per gallon for 87 octanes. Despite the widening price gap, grassroots pure-gas.org now lists 9888 E0 sources. If 50,000 stations would pump E0, E0 would NOT be rare & the price would come down.

litesong2

Found the Q-Mart(Quinault tribe) ethanol-free(E0) station in Aberdeen, WA, selling both E0 AND E10 for the same price. Plus my 2016 Elantra(EPA highway-38mpg) gave its highest mpg ever, 46.2mpg, including ocean beach stops for photographs, beach walking, hilly terrain & I-5 stop & go traffic, but mostly heavy, but steady 60mph traffic.

stever

Interesting, and for the same price I'd go with the ethanol free stuff.

litesong2

Yeah, stever.....as shown from my upper posts. & just today, Q-Mart just dropped prices another 30cents to $2.60 for 87 octane(E0/E10). Doesn't sound so good for many states, but $2.60 for E0 in Washington state is excellent.

litesong2

As mentioned above, I advocate 100% ethanol-free gasoline(E0), the 2016 manual Elantra getting 46+mpg. However, both our 2016 manual & our 2013 auto tranny Elantras (same Venetian Red on both cars) can get pretty good mpg with E10, also. From northern Washington state, with 3 people, 2 smaller dogs, & luggage, the manual Elantra went to Seaside, OR for a sweet weekend of ocean viewing, pix & beach walking. Traveled along the Columbia R., going & Willapa Bay, returning, both over steeper hills & low mtns. After 360miles, still with 4 gallons remaining in 12.8 gallon tank, we got just under 41mpg. Still prefer the E0, but at $2.08/gal. for E10 in pricey Washington state, not bad. On the new quiet pavements, road & tire noise is low, & travel is smooth. My bad back holds up well with the non-lumbar driver's seat. A lumbar seat doesn't work for me. However, several times, my buns were very sore on long drives. pure-gas.org now lists 10,150 E0 stations.

carboy21

My 2015 Elantra Limited gives me 34MPG mixed and 42 MPG highway