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Drove from Atlanta to Charleston, SC and back. The MPG when I pulled in the driveway was 23.3 mpg. Considering this includes some city driving and highway driving at 77mph with the AC on, I cannot complain. This is in a 2007 SE SF with AWD.
2007 Santa Fe Limited AWD, V6 3.3 liter Have about 6,000 mile on it. Use 87 octane. Been watching the average MPG since I bought this SUV: 18.5 MPG combined... and I have somewhat of a heavy foot for acceleration.
I have about 350 miles on my 07 SF Limited AWD and the first two fill-ups have given me 13 and 15... I was contemplating turning it in for either a Tucson (but maybe the same problem there) or even a hybrid of some sort. The fillups at $50 are a shock since I used to fill my 01 Subaru Forester for about $37. BUt ... I do have a heavy foot, I live at the top of the hill, and most of our drives are to take the dogs for a run in the Arboretum (Boston area) which is less than 5 miles roundtrip... so - what was I expecting!! SO thanks for all the tips from you guys and girls -- you're as good as "Car talk" for "talking me down" from my disappointment. I'll just be more patient! Other than the MPG, I DO love this car.... :shades:
Well don't feel bad with the 2.7 awd automatic I got about 16 the one time that I did check. Most of my driving during the week is on rt 128 and rt 2. If that wasn't enough to get any kind of safe merging and passing I need to use 89 or 93, it makes a difference, but not with gas mileage. $3.39 a gal on the highway in Newton today.
Incidently I'm at 10,000 miles on my 2007, the mileage check was at about 7000.
However you are doing much better as there is more traffic congestion in the Jamaica Plain area.
Hi Give it some time I was getting 15 t0 16 mpg until it was broken in about 2500 miles now I get 20 city and 25 hwy. I broke it in as per the manual I have a 2.7 fwd
Hi, I’m seriously looking in traiding in for the SF 3.3 AWD GL (CND) following the birth of our baby and running out of space with our current Civic. Our only concern is the mpg reviews usually reporting the only negative regarding this SUV is the mileage. I'd be commuting 40km (25 miles) daily to work plus monthly 8 hr trips to visit family. I'm aware my monthly gas bill would double but wondering if anyone else went thru the same thinking and regretted purchasing the SF. Thanks!
Check out a very informative web site at FuelEconomy.gov . This will show you how all vehicles compare. Based on this site's estimated gas costs for a typical 15,000 miles per year, the Santa Fe 3.3 costs $2190 in fuel costs per year. To put that in perspective, the best mileage SUV (Ford Escape Hybrid) costs $1420 per year. That's a difference of $770 per year. Now I don't consider the Escape to be in the same class as the Santa Fe. A better comparison might be with the Highlander Hybrid at $1666 per year ($524 difference). Seeing how the Highlander Hybrid costs several thousand more than the Santa Fe, it would take several years before you start seeing a savings.
Only you can prioritize how important gas mileage is to you when factored in with other vehicle parameters such as safety, price, ride quality, size, features, etc. I have the Santa Fe AWD Limited and average 20 mpg overall for the 8000 miles I've driven it since October. I'm very pleased with the mileage, which is what I expected for it. I'm extremely pleased with the vehicle itself. It's one of the safest SUVs you can buy, has plenty of inside room without being too big outside, and is FUN to drive. I'd buy this same vehicle again in a heartbeat. Of course, if they come out with a hybrid Santa Fe, I'll probably trade this one in for it; more for the environment than any cost savings.
hmm - the best i ever did was 17.1 and that was all hwy travelling between NJ and GA - but that was b4 it was broken in - now i only see between 15.xx to 16.xx and it's at 14k miles anything i should be worried about? i do have a heavy foot... i do use 93octane... synthetic oil - what to do?
Unless your traveling upwards of 90+ mph you should have it looked at. I also have a heavy foot and still get 19.2 to 22 on the highway with a short local stop in town on the way to work. Try this: On the next highway trip of 10 miles or more wait until your truck is at 55 to 60, set the cruise and re-set the mpg trip gauge. you should see a considerable change. If you see numbers in the 19 to 25 mpg range your in good shape. Otherwise have it looked at.
As I understand it, there is a complicated formula in the onboard computer memoryfor calculating the Avg. M.P.G., which takes more than just a few miles to adjust itself to an accurate reading.(several hundred?) The S.F. also has adaptive transmission feedback which adjusts to your driving style, which also affects the data readings. When you reset the Avg.M.P.G. trip then the whole process has to start over.
This may be the reason they say in the manual about a breaking in period of 750 miles for the engine and 1200 miles for towing with the Transmission. I've also found that when I try to use the fill-up technique for getting a more accurate reading ( set trip to 0, use half a tank, fill up 'til the vacuum trip stops the pump and read # of Gals. and miles done since last fill up) it gives some false readings too, as the vacuum lock sometime turns the pump off early. All in all, It's dififcult to get the same set of circumstances again and again. Accuracy is forf eited.
If anyone has driven the S.F.with a lead foot, hard from the start, then the readings and memory will be way off the usual mark. The only way to get anywhere near accurate m.p.g. is to reset and drive a whole range of speeds without using cruise control on road and Highway, until it eventually settles down. But that will probably take several weeks.
I found that out with my last Pontiac SUV with a 3.4L engine. It started of at 18.8, after a couple of months went up to 19.6, after 6 months or so, crept up to 20.2, then eventually crept up to 21.9 aftera year and a half, eventually settling on 22.1 after another few years. I expect the same with S.F.
5/27/07 Santa Fe limited FWD 3.3L engine - Just did a MPG check after a total ODO of 950 miles (highway 65-75 mph and town stop and start 40-50 mph ) - computer avg. showed 20.5 mpg - actual was 20.8 . That was 197.4 miles (1/2 a tank) used 9.481 gals. fuel. That's up from the last one which was around 18.9 or so. I noticed it reacted quickly to using a heavy foot and changing down to pass - immediately dropped from 20.5 to 20.3 - it returned to 20.5 aftera few miles of highway.
Thats Good---- Mine is still around 17.3----that's up after I regapped the front 3 plugs and changed the factory air filter. I asked the factory rep and the garage to regap the back 3 because of the removal of the necessaryof air duct but so far after 3 months they are not doing it. I also got fed up waiting and changed my rear brake pads because of the grinding noise. The noise was there when I bought the vehicle and the garage said they serviced them.(not a maintenance problem like the factory rep tried to imply) So far Carbones in Utica and Hyundai can go fly a kite.
~1800 miles. I live on the outskirts of a relatively large city and drive a mix of highway, city, suburban and bumper-to-bumper traffic. I'm averaging about 21 mpg combined, with a relatively light foot. One strange thing - I seem to get better mileage when I'm going 70-75, than when I'm doing 60-65. Doesn't make sense given my understanding of physics, but I fuel up less if I drive faster.
I seem to get better mileage when I'm going 70-75, than when I'm doing 60-65. Doesn't make sense given my understanding of physics, but I fuel up less if I drive faster.
The key word is "seem." How about methodically calculating your mileage under differing conditions?
I had the same problem of brake noise with my last SUV - it turned out to be a wheel drum at the rear that was out of round - after they turned it and sanded it down it went away - do you ever recall whether you hit a curb with the wheel hard enough to put it out of true?
It's because the formula they use to calculate "average mpg" is determined by how much Highway versus city miles you drive. The computer is attempting to Forward guess your driving style to calculate an average mpg.
As I stated in my previous post, i noticed that if I floored the accelartaor pedal to change down a gear to overtake, the mileage would immediately go down. Once I went back to normal street driving , the MPG would also increase, which is again, counter intuitive. It's the way they try to guesss the probable mileage under all conditions
FYI I've just passed the 1000 mile mark and noticed that avg. mpg also changed again to 20.7 from 20.5. There must be a measuring mileage interval in the formula somewhere.
In your previous post you said you fuel up less if you drive faster. That is higly unlikely unless there are some rather strange circumstances which is why I suggested a more methodical approach.
I don't doubt that it's an anomaly, which is why I included the word 'seems' and added the disclaimer about violating the laws of physics. I also think it's essentially impossible to accurately measure mileage comparatively in the real world as conditions are constantly changing.
That said, using my normal driving habits of commuting to work daily and running errands on the weekend, I've noticed I get slightly better mileage (measured both with the trip computer and verified with math at the pump) when I set my cruise control @ 70-75 mph on the toll-road section of my daily commute vs. 65 mph. Maybe the engine is more efficient at 2200 rpm instead of 2000? Maybe I'm more likely to drive 75 when I leave work early, which means less traffic and less wasted gas? I don't know the answer, but empirically, I get better mileage during periods when I drive a bit faster.
I've said this earlier in this forum (I think). When we took an over 700 mile trip to Louisiana, my husband also noticed that it "seemed" the mpg increased when we were running at 75 mph. It does seem odd and yes, contrary to everything we have learned.
During an unscientific test I did previously (see message #62 in this disscusion), I found that my mileage decreased as my freeway speed increased, as you would expect.
I've also noticed that wind direction and speed significantly effect my mileage. A good tailwind will give me and extra 2 to 3 mpg and unfortunately a headwind will decrease my mileage by the same amount.
Overall, I've gotten sligthly more than 20 mpg over the life of my car based on actual fuel usage and mileage. This is for my personal mix of driving conditions and driving style. Obviously, everyone's situation will be different.
2007 Santa Fe AWD Limited with Premium and Touring packages Dark Cherry Red with beige leather interior 8460 miles, 8 months
Over the holiday, I drove from Atlanta to Cocoa beach, FL. Driveway to driveway, my mpg was 23.7. This is better than my previous trip where it was 23.3. Of course then, I only had 750 miles on it. I now have 3800 miles. I drove 77mph with the AC on (fully loaded). Around town I avergage 18-19, so I am pleased with the highway mpg. So far, so good.
Well - a strange thing has happened on my trip computer and the average mileage......
When I first got my Santa Fe Limited FWD with 3.3L engine, my Avg.Mpg was around 19.5 mpg with a mix of Highway and city driving. This went up to 20.4 then settled at 21.5 which I thought was great - right in the middle of the range of 19-24.
Then the mechanic accidently reset the trip. avg.mpg to zero during my oil change. Since then it has gone all the way down to 17.1 mpg around the city. I checked it and sure enough it was 17 mpg. ?????
I have 700 miles on my Sante Fe Limited AWD. So far, I'm getting a pretty consistent 18-19 mpg around town (commuting to and from work, mostly, which is 10 miles each way in typical suburban traffic). On the two occasions that I went any distance on the highway, I saw 24-25 mpg.
Admittedly, I've been treating it fairly gently, i.e., no "flooring it" and keeping the speed at no more than 5 over the posted limit. If I drove it the way I did my last car, my mileage would probably be worse.
First, a recap of how the average fuel consumption computer works. When you press the reset button on your mpg computer, it zero's out both distance and gallons consumed. It then starts summing fuel usage and miles driven since the reset was pressed, and calculates the MPG, typically updating the display every half mile or so. When it is first reset, it doesn't have a very large data set to work with, so you'll see large changes with every update. If you happen to be sitting at a light when you reset it, you will likely notice that your first few readings will be very low. That's because you've used a lot of fuel to go very little distance.
I find the fuel consumption computer to be most helpful in telling me my instantaneous MPG reading under various driving conditions. Try this experiment. After your car is thoroughly warmed up (at least 15 minutes of driving), drive at a constant speed, lets say 40 mph, for at least 1 mile on a level stretch of road on a calm day. After you've accelerated to your constant speed, press the reset button on the MPG computer. See what kind of reading you get. I find I will typically get about 25 mpg or more. Now find a subdivision with lots of stop signs closely spaced. Press the reset button while stopped, then proceed through the subdivision, making frequent stops and starts. In this setting, I get 14 or 15 mpg.
Based on my actual fuel usage and miles driven (nearly 9000 so far), I've gotten 20.1 mpg overall since purchasing my Santa Fe. This is for my overall mix of city vs. highway vs. stop and go driving vs. acceleration habits vs. etc. Everyone's driving situation will be different, so everyone should expect their overall MPG to be different. Driving around the city with frequent starts and stops, 17 mpg seems about right based on my experiences. I find my mileage is more dependent on the number of stops and starts I perform than on any other factor. A cold engine also gets significantly less mileage until it warms up. I typically reset my MPG computer with every fill-up plus whenever I get the urge to experiment with my fuel usage. My highest MPG reading that I've gotten so far has been 110 mpg. This was coasting downhill in the mountains.
2007 Santa Fe AWD Limited with Premium and Touring packages Dark Cherry Red with beige leather interior
Update Just took a 1000 mile round trip from northern IL. to northern WI. Overall mileage was 24.9. Coming back,which was 400 miles 100 miles @ 60mph,and 300 @ 75mph mileage was 26.0 I did have a tail wind.
Well thanks for your input bhmr59 - I have read the owners manual and I do know how the trip computer works - I was referring to the Avg. M.P.G. computer readout in my post, not the trip miles.
A further update - I did do davesuv's suggested experiment and found the information to be very helpful. Once the engine was warmed up, I reset the Avg. M.P.G. readout and set out driving on the highway - in Phoenix - and yes,in answer to your previous post, there are some inclines on 101 as that was what I drove. I guess you must have made a false assumption.
When i came off the highway and did normal street driving, I noticed that the Avg M.P.G. began to increase, even though I am obviously using more fuel in stop and go traffic. I did notice that if I tried to accelerate too hard from a green light, then it immediately took down the Avg.M.P.G. rapidly. The easy foot gets better m.p.g.
After the M.P.G. went up from 17.1 to 24.1 on the highway, it began to rise to 25.4 in stop and go traffic, which is counter intuitive - then after street driving for a couple of days, it began to gradually lower again to 22.1 and has stayed there for 2 days and levelled off.
The computer must be sampling several revs/speed/distance ratios and then averaging them out against each other as davesuv had suggested. After sufficient samplings are taken over time to reduce anomalies, then it seems to become more stable.That is exactly how it worked in my last Auto.
I noticed that if The Avg. M.P.G. readout was reset cold and then you drive in stop and go, it delivers a lot less m.p.g than if you "trick it" by reseeting it warm and then travelling at steady highway speeds. I'm wondering if the Adaptive Transmission plays any part in that.
Anyone know how the adaptive transmission works, and how it adapts to your driving?
Here is my limited understanding of how adaptive transmissions work. Now that most cars have electronically controlled transmissions, many auto makers use on-board computers to dynamically alter how that transmission behaves as you are driving. Instead of the transmission blindly shifting gears at a certain speed, the computer looks at multiple factors such as: how quickly you press on the gas pedal, whether you release it quickly, driving resistance (heavy loads, driving uphill or downhill), turning (lateral acceleration), and many more. Based on all these factors, the computer, in its pre-programmed wisdom, will determine when to upshift or downshift the transmission.
The end result is that if the computer thinks you want to drive in a sportier fashion, it will shift at higher RPMs and give you better performance. If it thinks you are driving conservatively, it will shift at lower RPMs and conserve fuel. Most of these computers contain memory that remembers your particular driving style, so it biases its shifting pattern specifically for you. You can read more about adaptive transmissions here . Here is another older article about them in BMWs . Still another reason to love my Santa Fe
2007 Santa Fe AWD Limited with Premium and Touring packages Dark Cherry Red with beige leather interior
As I understand it, there is a complicated formula in the onboard computer memoryfor calculating the Avg. M.P.G., which takes more than just a few miles to adjust itself to an accurate reading.
Nothing complicated about the formula. The trip computer measures each drop of fuel consumed (more accurate than the gas pump)and each linear foot the car travels (it even works in reverse) and converts the fuel in gallons and the feet into miles. Then it divides the miles by the gallons to determine the average mpg.
If anyone has driven the S.F.with a lead foot, hard from the start, then the readings and memory will be way off the usual mark.
And that would be because when mashing the gas pedal they are getting lower gas milage. Remember, this is AVERAGE mpg reading. If you have driven 10 miles since the reset and are averaging 20 mpg and then floor it for 1/8th of a mile (660 ft) you will see your mpg drop. This is because you might be getting, for example, 2 mpg while floored. This 1/8th mile @ 2mpg is averaged with the other 10 miles @ 20 mpg.
The computer is attempting to Forward guess your driving style to calculate an average mpg.
No, the computer is showing the actual amount of fuel used compared to the actual distance traveled. The computer updates the calculations almost instantly, there is no measuring milage interval.
To get a more accurate idea of average mpg, go several hundred miles before resetting. More miles (and more gallons) reduces "rounding" affects.
I reset the Avg. M.P.G. readout and set out driving on the highway - in Phoenix - and yes,in answer to your previous post, there are some inclines on 101 as that was what I drove. I guess you must have made a false assumption.
From my post in the Azera forum: "It's a little over a year since I was in the Phoenix area, but as I recall, there isn't much of a slope on the Loop 101.
The land is pretty flat. Do any Phoenix area members agree or disagree?" Not an assumption, a statement that I recalled there isn't much of a slope and I did ask if others agreed or disagreed with my recollection.
I wasn't aware that the Santa Fe's 5-speed automatic was an adaptive transmission. What's the source of that info? I don't see it in any of the usual places (brochure, Hyundai.com).
Yes it is adaptive. My dealer confirmed it when I asked about break-in and trailering. There is an area in the begining of the manual that talks about break-in miles and then how many miles before trailering. The dealer said in the first 700 miles the transmission is learning your habits, then once you go trailering, it will again learn the load and shift points to what you are carrying.
I'm new to the forum and I see mostly people with Limiteds and/or the AWD writing in.
I'm considering either the GLS or SE FWD. Took the GLS overnight and thought it had plenty of get up and go, so thinking it should be better on gas mileage. I can't seem to find many threads pertaining to just these vehicles and the actual MPG they're getting.
Can you refer me to discussions I've missed pertaining to the GLS or SE, or anyone out there who owns them that can help me make a better decision based on MPG? I'm trying to decide between the SF or the Saturn Vue Hybrid. The VUE's are going fast so I'm under the gun to make a decision.
I've already been to some of the other topics, but I really am most interested in the real MPG of the SF. Thus the reason I posted here. I didn't see a topice for real MPG for just the GLS or SE. Did I miss that?
We have real world mpg for all the Santa Fes in one topic - you're in the right place. If you type "gls" into the search box at the top of this page you'll find a good number of reports for gls mileage.
The only difference between the GLS, SE and LImited S.F. models is the level of trim - the 2.7 Liter and 3.3. Liter engines choices are all the same, regardless of level of trim. The only difference that may occur in M.P.G. is if you have the 2WD version of transmission or AWD which increases the weight a little and therefore reduces the M.P.G. by 1 mile per gallon o/all.
Reading the posts on "Hyundai Santa Fe Realworld M.P.G" topic will give you all the info you need. The concensus seems to be anywhere from 17.6 mpg - 19mpg around town to 24 or better on highway , depending on 2.7 or 3.3L,AWD or not, how heavy footed you are, load and number of passengers you carry, hills or flat pavement ad nauseam......
The average seems to be anywhere from 19-22 for all types of driving, a little less than the 19-24 EPA mpg. estimates, but within range for the size of engines and a 2 ton vehicle. My current average has settled at 21.9 mpg on a 3.3L engine with a mix of highway and stop and go driving - the 2.7 L will give you a little more.
I appreciate your insite. I assumed all Limiteds were AWD since that's what I saw in most of the posts here; thus the reason I was looking only for info on the GLS's or SE's only. I'm only interested in 2WD.
My current vehicle (GMC Envoy XUV) gets about 16MPG and scanning thru 170+ posts here, I saw a lot of people stating their mileage was in the teens...again, it was hard for me to follow if those were 2.7L, 3.3L, AWD or 2WD. I don't want to get rid of a 16MPG vehicle and get another!
Are you happy with the 3.3L? I've driven both. The 2.7 seems to have plenty of power, but if the MPG is only 1 MPH different, maybe I should consider the 3.3 instead. My driving is a mix of around town and highway (a little more on the around town side) and a lot of short trips (most everything we need - Home Depot, grocery, etc. - is within 3 miles and I know that really cuts down on MPG).
All I can say is that my last vehicle had a Pontiac 3.4L V6 engine that eventually settled down to 22.1 M.P.G. o/all average after a couple of years. I thought that was pretty good for the size of the engine and weight of the SUV.
I am personally very happy with the Santa Fe 3.3L 2WD Limited, as it is giving me comparable mileage, and it's a great ride. I don't use it like a sports car and I tend to take it light on the accelerator.
Many of the S.F. owners here, like me, test drove a number of high end vehicles before buying our S.F.'s. The reason we were taken by the S.F. was how well it compared to them and the standard safety fetaures and toys it has for the price and of course the long warranty. M.P.G. was not the buying focus.
I personally drove a Lexus RX350 & 400h, Infiniti QX, Nissan Murano, Toyota Rav4 and the Honda CRV. I can't speak for the others, but the concensus seems to be we think of the S.F. as the "poor mans Lexus RX350". I repeat that for a 2 ton vehicle with a 3.3L engine, there really isn't any surprises on the M.P.G.
If the M.P.G. is a deal breaker for you then look at one of the Hybrids or smaller engined 4 in-line vehicles that are less quiet. A lot of the manufacturers in this bracket are switching back to the straight 4 engines because of better gas mileage but they tend to have less torque. Caveat Emptor and Good Luck with your decison.
I have around 1800 miles on my 3.3 liter AWD Limited. I don't make any special effort to drive it conservatively. On the highway I'm now getting 23 - 24 m.p.g. and I'm quite pleased with that. I expect it to go up a tad more as the engine continues to break in. According to Hyundai, the difference in fuel economy between the 2.7 and 3.3 liter engines is 2 m.p.g. (city and highway). For that, I'd take the added performance of the 3.3 any day.
The GLS model has the 2.7L engine. The SE and Limited have the 3.3L engine.
I have a 2007 Limited AWD (3.3L engine) that now has about 1,500 miles on it. I filled it up this morning, and it took 12.6 gallons. That was with 271 miles since my last fill-up, for an average of 21.5 mpg. The lowest I've seen for any fill-up so far has been 18.4 mpg, and that was with a lot of time spent crawling in traffic. The best I've seen was 24.7 mpg for a 300 mile trip on the highway, most of which I had the cruise set at 70 mph. I don't think you would have trouble beating the 16 mpg you report getting with your Envoy, especially with a 2wd, as the 2wd version of the Santa Fe should get 1-2 mpg better than the AWD.
Gosh Ed, hate to hear that since they are supposedly better on MPG. What year is your 2.7?
The reason I've been researching is that my thought has been that the weight of the SF might make it tougher on the 2.7L to achieve better MPG, thus the reason I'm still debating. Although I realize it always has to do with conditions, "lead foot" driving, hills, etc. I'm still researching.
MPG probably ranked about 3rd on the list I had for my car. The first was that it had to be a CUV (or as some call it: an XUV); second was a quiet and smooth ride; and then MPG. We had a Dodge Intrepid that averaged 22 mpg-city and highway. My SF gets about 20 mpg. I knew if I could stay within two or three mpg, that would be ok.
I am thoroughly happy with my SF in all aspects. It's the first car I ever felt excited about driving. It's fun, too. I liked all my other cars; but there's just something about this one.
Hi, I have the gls 2.7 fwd with an auto I get 21 city and 25 hwy. the santafe is a great car. but I do wish I got the Se for a couple of reasons on the highway the 2.7 revs at 3000 rpms at 75mph it has a 4 spd auto. the Se 3.3 has a 5spd auto it probably revs less at highway speeds.. The second reason is the timing belts the 2.7 is a belt and the 3.3 is a timing chain (less Maintenance). I bet the gas milage for the 3.3 is about the same.
Comments
Have about 6,000 mile on it.
Use 87 octane.
Been watching the average MPG since I bought this SUV:
18.5 MPG combined... and I have somewhat of a heavy foot for acceleration.
Rob M
Delanson, NY
Incidently I'm at 10,000 miles on my 2007, the mileage check was at about 7000.
However you are doing much better as there is more traffic congestion in the Jamaica Plain area.
Give it some time I was getting 15 t0 16 mpg until it was broken in about 2500 miles now I get 20 city and 25 hwy.
I broke it in as per the manual I have a 2.7 fwd
I have a 2007 SF AWD Limited, with about 6,000 miles on it. I am getting 18.5 mpg overall.
If you need better than that, I am not sure this is the SUV for you. Good luck!
Rob
Only you can prioritize how important gas mileage is to you when factored in with other vehicle parameters such as safety, price, ride quality, size, features, etc. I have the Santa Fe AWD Limited and average 20 mpg overall for the 8000 miles I've driven it since October. I'm very pleased with the mileage, which is what I expected for it. I'm extremely pleased with the vehicle itself. It's one of the safest SUVs you can buy, has plenty of inside room without being too big outside, and is FUN to drive. I'd buy this same vehicle again in a heartbeat. Of course, if they come out with a hybrid Santa Fe, I'll probably trade this one in for it; more for the environment than any cost savings.
Hyundai Santa Fe CRDi goes 1,100 miles on one tank of diesel
This may be the reason they say in the manual about a breaking in period of 750 miles for the engine and 1200 miles for towing with the Transmission. I've also found that when I try to use the fill-up technique for getting a more accurate reading ( set trip to 0, use half a tank, fill up 'til the vacuum trip stops the pump and read # of Gals. and miles done since last fill up) it gives some false readings too, as the vacuum lock sometime turns the pump off early. All in all, It's dififcult to get the same set of circumstances again and again. Accuracy is forf eited.
If anyone has driven the S.F.with a lead foot, hard from the start, then the readings and memory will be way off the usual mark. The only way to get anywhere near accurate m.p.g. is to reset and drive a whole range of speeds without using cruise control on road and Highway, until it eventually settles down. But that will probably take several weeks.
I found that out with my last Pontiac SUV with a 3.4L engine. It started of at 18.8, after a couple of months went up to 19.6, after 6 months or so, crept up to 20.2, then eventually crept up to 21.9 aftera year and a half, eventually settling on 22.1 after another few years. I expect the same with S.F.
Mine is still around 17.3----that's up after I regapped the front 3 plugs and changed the factory air filter. I asked the factory rep and the garage to regap the back 3 because of the removal of the necessaryof air duct but so far after 3 months they are not doing it. I also got fed up waiting and changed my rear brake pads because of the grinding noise. The noise was there when I bought the vehicle and the garage said they serviced them.(not a maintenance problem like the factory rep tried to imply)
So far Carbones in Utica and Hyundai can go fly a kite.
The key word is "seem." How about methodically calculating your mileage under differing conditions?
tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper
As I stated in my previous post, i noticed that if I floored the accelartaor pedal to change down a gear to overtake, the mileage would immediately go down. Once I went back to normal street driving , the MPG would also increase, which is again, counter intuitive. It's the way they try to guesss the probable mileage under all conditions
FYI I've just passed the 1000 mile mark and noticed that avg. mpg also changed again to 20.7 from 20.5. There must be a measuring mileage interval in the formula somewhere.
In your previous post you said you fuel up less if you drive faster. That is higly unlikely unless there are some rather strange circumstances which is why I suggested a more methodical approach.
tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper
I don't doubt that it's an anomaly, which is why I included the word 'seems' and added the disclaimer about violating the laws of physics. I also think it's essentially impossible to accurately measure mileage comparatively in the real world as conditions are constantly changing.
That said, using my normal driving habits of commuting to work daily and running errands on the weekend, I've noticed I get slightly better mileage (measured both with the trip computer and verified with math at the pump) when I set my cruise control @ 70-75 mph on the toll-road section of my daily commute vs. 65 mph. Maybe the engine is more efficient at 2200 rpm instead of 2000? Maybe I'm more likely to drive 75 when I leave work early, which means less traffic and less wasted gas? I don't know the answer, but empirically, I get better mileage during periods when I drive a bit faster.
Sorry about that!
tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper
I've also noticed that wind direction and speed significantly effect my mileage. A good tailwind will give me and extra 2 to 3 mpg and unfortunately a headwind will decrease my mileage by the same amount.
Overall, I've gotten sligthly more than 20 mpg over the life of my car based on actual fuel usage and mileage. This is for my personal mix of driving conditions and driving style. Obviously, everyone's situation will be different.
2007 Santa Fe AWD Limited with Premium and Touring packages
Dark Cherry Red with beige leather interior
8460 miles, 8 months
When I first got my Santa Fe Limited FWD with 3.3L engine, my Avg.Mpg was around 19.5 mpg with a mix of Highway and city driving. This went up to 20.4 then settled at 21.5 which I thought was great - right in the middle of the range of 19-24.
Then the mechanic accidently reset the trip. avg.mpg to zero during my oil change. Since then it has gone all the way down to 17.1 mpg around the city. I checked it and sure enough it was 17 mpg. ?????
Admittedly, I've been treating it fairly gently, i.e., no "flooring it" and keeping the speed at no more than 5 over the posted limit. If I drove it the way I did my last car, my mileage would probably be worse.
First, a recap of how the average fuel consumption computer works. When you press the reset button on your mpg computer, it zero's out both distance and gallons consumed. It then starts summing fuel usage and miles driven since the reset was pressed, and calculates the MPG, typically updating the display every half mile or so. When it is first reset, it doesn't have a very large data set to work with, so you'll see large changes with every update. If you happen to be sitting at a light when you reset it, you will likely notice that your first few readings will be very low. That's because you've used a lot of fuel to go very little distance.
I find the fuel consumption computer to be most helpful in telling me my instantaneous MPG reading under various driving conditions. Try this experiment. After your car is thoroughly warmed up (at least 15 minutes of driving), drive at a constant speed, lets say 40 mph, for at least 1 mile on a level stretch of road on a calm day. After you've accelerated to your constant speed, press the reset button on the MPG computer. See what kind of reading you get. I find I will typically get about 25 mpg or more. Now find a subdivision with lots of stop signs closely spaced. Press the reset button while stopped, then proceed through the subdivision, making frequent stops and starts. In this setting, I get 14 or 15 mpg.
Based on my actual fuel usage and miles driven (nearly 9000 so far), I've gotten 20.1 mpg overall since purchasing my Santa Fe. This is for my overall mix of city vs. highway vs. stop and go driving vs. acceleration habits vs. etc. Everyone's driving situation will be different, so everyone should expect their overall MPG to be different. Driving around the city with frequent starts and stops, 17 mpg seems about right based on my experiences. I find my mileage is more dependent on the number of stops and starts I perform than on any other factor. A cold engine also gets significantly less mileage until it warms up. I typically reset my MPG computer with every fill-up plus whenever I get the urge to experiment with my fuel usage. My highest MPG reading that I've gotten so far has been 110 mpg. This was coasting downhill in the mountains.
2007 Santa Fe AWD Limited with Premium and Touring packages
Dark Cherry Red with beige leather interior
Just took a 1000 mile round trip from northern IL. to northern WI. Overall mileage was 24.9.
Coming back,which was 400 miles 100 miles @ 60mph,and 300 @ 75mph mileage was 26.0 I did have a tail wind.
A further update - I did do davesuv's suggested experiment and found the information to be very helpful. Once the engine was warmed up, I reset the Avg. M.P.G. readout and set out driving on the highway - in Phoenix - and yes,in answer to your previous post, there are some inclines on 101 as that was what I drove. I guess you must have made a false assumption.
When i came off the highway and did normal street driving, I noticed that the Avg M.P.G. began to increase, even though I am obviously using more fuel in stop and go traffic. I did notice that if I tried to accelerate too hard from a green light, then it immediately took down the Avg.M.P.G. rapidly. The easy foot gets better m.p.g.
After the M.P.G. went up from 17.1 to 24.1 on the highway, it began to rise to 25.4 in stop and go traffic, which is counter intuitive - then after street driving for a couple of days, it began to gradually lower again to 22.1 and has stayed there for 2 days and levelled off.
The computer must be sampling several revs/speed/distance ratios and then averaging them out against each other as davesuv had suggested. After sufficient samplings are taken over time to reduce anomalies, then it seems to become more stable.That is exactly how it worked in my last Auto.
I noticed that if The Avg. M.P.G. readout was reset cold and then you drive in stop and go, it delivers a lot less m.p.g than if you "trick it" by reseeting it warm and then travelling at steady highway speeds. I'm wondering if the
Adaptive Transmission plays any part in that.
Anyone know how the adaptive transmission works, and how it adapts to your driving?
Here is my limited understanding of how adaptive transmissions work. Now that most cars have electronically controlled transmissions, many auto makers use on-board computers to dynamically alter how that transmission behaves as you are driving. Instead of the transmission blindly shifting gears at a certain speed, the computer looks at multiple factors such as: how quickly you press on the gas pedal, whether you release it quickly, driving resistance (heavy loads, driving uphill or downhill), turning (lateral acceleration), and many more. Based on all these factors, the computer, in its pre-programmed wisdom, will determine when to upshift or downshift the transmission.
The end result is that if the computer thinks you want to drive in a sportier fashion, it will shift at higher RPMs and give you better performance. If it thinks you are driving conservatively, it will shift at lower RPMs and conserve fuel. Most of these computers contain memory that remembers your particular driving style, so it biases its shifting pattern specifically for you. You can read more about adaptive transmissions here . Here is another older article about them in BMWs . Still another reason to love my Santa Fe
2007 Santa Fe AWD Limited with Premium and Touring packages
Dark Cherry Red with beige leather interior
Nothing complicated about the formula. The trip computer measures each drop of fuel consumed (more accurate than the gas pump)and each linear foot the car travels (it even works in reverse) and converts the fuel in gallons and the feet into miles. Then it divides the miles by the gallons to determine the average mpg.
If anyone has driven the S.F.with a lead foot, hard from the start, then the readings and memory will be way off the usual mark.
And that would be because when mashing the gas pedal they are getting lower gas milage. Remember, this is AVERAGE mpg reading. If you have driven 10 miles since the reset and are averaging 20 mpg and then floor it for 1/8th of a mile (660 ft) you will see your mpg drop. This is because you might be getting, for example, 2 mpg while floored. This 1/8th mile @ 2mpg is averaged with the other 10 miles @ 20 mpg.
The computer is attempting to Forward guess your driving style to calculate an average mpg.
No, the computer is showing the actual amount of fuel used compared to the actual distance traveled. The computer updates the calculations almost instantly, there is no measuring milage interval.
To get a more accurate idea of average mpg, go several hundred miles before resetting. More miles (and more gallons) reduces "rounding" affects.
I reset the Avg. M.P.G. readout and set out driving on the highway - in Phoenix - and yes,in answer to your previous post, there are some inclines on 101 as that was what I drove. I guess you must have made a false assumption.
From my post in the Azera forum: "It's a little over a year since I was in the Phoenix area, but as I recall, there isn't much of a slope on the Loop 101.
The land is pretty flat. Do any Phoenix area members agree or disagree?" Not an assumption, a statement that I recalled there isn't much of a slope and I did ask if others agreed or disagreed with my recollection.
There is an area in the begining of the manual that talks about break-in miles and then how many miles before trailering. The dealer said in the first 700 miles the transmission is learning your habits, then once you go trailering, it will again learn the load and shift points to what you are carrying.
I'm considering either the GLS or SE FWD. Took the GLS overnight and thought it had plenty of get up and go, so thinking it should be better on gas mileage. I can't seem to find many threads pertaining to just these vehicles and the actual MPG they're getting.
Can you refer me to discussions I've missed pertaining to the GLS or SE, or anyone out there who owns them that can help me make a better decision based on MPG? I'm trying to decide between the SF or the Saturn Vue Hybrid. The VUE's are going fast so I'm under the gun to make a decision.
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Also, look at the full list of Santa Fe topics here: Hyundai Santa Fe
tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper
Thanks.
tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper
Reading the posts on "Hyundai Santa Fe Realworld M.P.G" topic will give you all the info you need. The concensus seems to be anywhere from 17.6 mpg - 19mpg around town to 24 or better on highway , depending on 2.7 or 3.3L,AWD or not, how heavy footed you are, load and number of passengers you carry, hills or flat pavement ad nauseam......
The average seems to be anywhere from 19-22 for all types of driving, a little less than the 19-24 EPA mpg. estimates, but within range for the size of engines and a 2 ton vehicle. My current average has settled at 21.9 mpg on a 3.3L engine with a mix of highway and stop and go driving - the 2.7 L will give you a little more.
Thanks.
My current vehicle (GMC Envoy XUV) gets about 16MPG and scanning thru 170+ posts here, I saw a lot of people stating their mileage was in the teens...again, it was hard for me to follow if those were 2.7L, 3.3L, AWD or 2WD. I don't want to get rid of a 16MPG vehicle and get another!
Are you happy with the 3.3L? I've driven both. The 2.7 seems to have plenty of power, but if the MPG is only 1 MPH different, maybe I should consider the 3.3 instead. My driving is a mix of around town and highway (a little more on the around town side) and a lot of short trips (most everything we need - Home Depot, grocery, etc. - is within 3 miles and I know that really cuts down on MPG).
I am personally very happy with the Santa Fe 3.3L 2WD Limited, as it is giving me comparable mileage, and it's a great ride. I don't use it like a sports car and I tend to take it light on the accelerator.
Many of the S.F. owners here, like me, test drove a number of high end vehicles before buying our S.F.'s. The reason we were taken by the S.F. was how well it compared to them and the standard safety fetaures and toys it has for the price and of course the long warranty. M.P.G. was not the buying focus.
I personally drove a Lexus RX350 & 400h, Infiniti QX, Nissan Murano, Toyota Rav4 and the Honda CRV. I can't speak for the others, but the concensus seems to be we think of the S.F. as the "poor mans Lexus RX350". I repeat that for a 2 ton vehicle with a 3.3L engine, there really isn't any surprises on the M.P.G.
If the M.P.G. is a deal breaker for you then look at one of the Hybrids or smaller engined 4 in-line vehicles that are less quiet. A lot of the manufacturers in this bracket are switching back to the straight 4 engines because of better gas mileage but they tend to have less torque. Caveat Emptor and Good Luck with your decison.
I have a 2007 Limited AWD (3.3L engine) that now has about 1,500 miles on it. I filled it up this morning, and it took 12.6 gallons. That was with 271 miles since my last fill-up, for an average of 21.5 mpg. The lowest I've seen for any fill-up so far has been 18.4 mpg, and that was with a lot of time spent crawling in traffic. The best I've seen was 24.7 mpg for a 300 mile trip on the highway, most of which I had the cruise set at 70 mph. I don't think you would have trouble beating the 16 mpg you report getting with your Envoy, especially with a 2wd, as the 2wd version of the Santa Fe should get 1-2 mpg better than the AWD.
Ed
The reason I've been researching is that my thought has been that the weight of the SF might make it tougher on the 2.7L to achieve better MPG, thus the reason I'm still debating. Although I realize it always has to do with conditions, "lead foot" driving, hills, etc. I'm still researching.
I am thoroughly happy with my SF in all aspects. It's the first car I ever felt excited about driving. It's fun, too. I liked all my other cars; but there's just something about this one.
I have the gls 2.7 fwd with an auto I get 21 city and 25 hwy. the santafe is a great car. but I do wish I got the Se for a couple of reasons on the highway the 2.7 revs at 3000 rpms at 75mph it has a 4 spd auto. the Se 3.3 has a 5spd auto it probably revs less at highway speeds.. The second reason is the timing belts the 2.7 is a belt and the 3.3 is a timing chain (less Maintenance). I bet the gas milage for the 3.3 is about the same.