Hyundai Santa Fe Real World MPG

js06gv

Made a quick trip from Dallas to Austin and back for the UT game a couple of weekends ago (go Horns!) and decided to take the wife's SF to squeak out a few more MPGs than my Avalanche. Averaged 24.9 real world for the entire trip - computer showed 26.1. It is refreshing to beat the EPA for a change, as mine is rated at 24 and I believe the 2008-up model is down to 23 now with the new rating system. At steady 70-80 for the highway portion I wasn't feather footing it either, or I'm sure I could have done much better. All in all, I was very satisfied given that this is a relatively tall and heavy vehicle.

omar6575

Has anyone notice the difference in mpg when driving with the ESC off ?
i have a 08 santa fe ltd AWD, it only has 3,500 miles on it, according to the mpg computer when driving in the city with the ESC it averages around 12 mpg. But when i turn it off the ESC it average around 15.1 mpg. has anyone experience this issued? also at what mileage after break-in does the mpg goes to 17, i mean thats what the EPA estimates. But the strangest thing that surprises me that out of most mid size suvs with a v6 engine the santa fe is considered one of the best in regards of fuel economy with the 3.3L , it makes me wonder how those other suvs with the 3.5L engines perform when it comes to real world fuel economy.

scottl

Does anyone have a US-spec 2.7L 5-speed manual Santa Fe? I want to know what kind of mileage you are getting, and if there are any issues or quirks.

LisaD

Just bought the car (3.3L Ltd) 7 days ago. It now has 40 miles on it. Started at 9 mpg. Now 11. I know it's not supposed to be good mpg initially but geez. Does this seem normal?

stever

Way too early to worry I think. Give it a couple thousand miles and a half dozen tanks at least. You probably won't see your best mileage until you approach 10,000 miles. Some people see good mpg right off the bat, but I've not had that pleasure.

I suggest keeping track with the old fashioned pen and paper method for the first ten or so tanks too. That'll tell you if the mpg readout is accurate (most are these days), and you'll probably see a few awful tanks and a few pretty decent ones as things break in.

LisaD

Steve - what did yours start out at and end up at? I just fear my 9 and 11 mpg avg is TOO low even for 'brand new car low'.

I'll try to look around for instructions on how to get accurate MPG averages.

stever

I got a new minivan in '99 (EPA rating was 18 combined).

First tank was 16.7, then 19 (yippie), then 14, then two tanks at 11, and the next two at 12. Then a pop to 20 and then back down to the mid teens.

My lifetime mpg went from that first 16.7 to mostly 14 and 15 for the first 2900 miles. Then it hovered in the 16s and 17s until my average hit 18 at 6200 miles.

I hit my highest average at 117,020 miles (21.50) and it's been falling off a bit since then. I was hitting ~21 consistently at 64,000 miles.

What I do is fill the tank up to the first click (any more risks damaging the vapor recovery system anyway). It's best to use the same station and the same pump, but I rarely do. The errors will average themselves out over time.

Then I take the miles traveled since my last tank and divide by the number of gallons pumped in. I like to write that down and put the numbers in a spreadsheet every few months. If you track your miles, if you do have a few bad tanks in a row, that can indicate something wrong with your engine.

Mostly it's just a bad habit I fell in to though.

Oh yeah, check your tire pressure ... just in case. We Test the Tips has some other suggestions.

LisaD

Thx. I'll try calculating that way. I hope nothing's wrong.

zoeandmel

My 2.2 auto diesel cdx (uk) 5 speed, 5 seat, 2009 model, extra urban (freeway), manafacturer quotes 42.2mpg (uk gallon), upto 8,000 miles from new, achived 26.269 mpg (uk gallon), writen to manefacturer many times, explained do same journey, 160miles, twice a week, and each time, reply reads, if engine is cold, or many stops and starts, if will effect the fuel consumption considerably, we highlighted this is an 80 mile one way journey, without stops, and then the return.

have heard there is a 6 speed transmision series to be launched soon, wonder if this will get better fuel consumption

thegraduate

This is my girlfriend's car; she averages 20-21mpg in a mix of city and highway (her work commute is short with stop signs everywhere, but her school commute involves driving 20 minutes on Birmingham, AL interstates. She's not great at anticipating lights, coasting, or driving for economy's sake. In strict city, she'll get 17-18mpg, but on the highway with the cruise set, at 60MPH the thing gets right at 26mpg, at 70, its closer to 24. 80mph pulls you into the low 20s.

Considering its size, it isn't bad, but the 2.7L really needs to be wound up for any substantial power; it's not that torquey. It drives like a 4-cylinder but sounds (and drinks gas) like a V6.

denvertrakker

Around town (small town, not that much stop-and-go) usually between 21-22 MPG. On the highway at a steady 65 (even if the speed limit's 75), I've gotten as much as 27, but usually around 24.

(SE, 3.3 w/automatic)

davidcoca

YES! We bought a new '09 Santa Fe (3.3L, FWD) in November 09. Took it on it's first long trip over Christmas (~1100 miles). Was disappointed with the mileage (about 18.5 average) and kept smelling hot brakes when we stopped. After the first 700 miles or so, I thought about the ESC, turned it off, and saw an immediate increase. Over the rest of the trip, the average went up about 3 mpg.

I've searched the Internet about the problem and yours is the first post I've seen addressing it.

LisaD

I'd be thrilled with 18.

I have 425 miles on mine and get 12.3 or so.

lisalee2

I too would be thrilled with 18. I bought a used 2007 Santa Fe GS from the dealership. I get about 11 mpg! I just purchased the car 3 months ago and it's still under warranty. But I don't know if the dealership would do anything. Any suggestions for increasing the mpg?
I'll look for the ESC as someone else suggested and see if that has an effect..

cj8drummer

I have had an '09 Santa Fe and don't have quite 1K miles on it yet. I've been really disappointed with the actual mpg. I'm getting maybe 16 per gallon mixed city/hwy. I live near DC and it has been cold but the last tank was in milder weather and it was still between 16 and 17 mpg. The avg mpg reading is accurate.
I'm going to run thru this tank and then try turning off the ESC and see what the results are after a few tanks with that turned off.

hlcastelo

I have a 2008 with V6 with about 15,000 miles. In city the best mileage (in South Florida) is consistently 18. In pure highway driving 65 to 70 miles my best has been 23 without air conditioning. Would be interest to read what others are experiencing.

ejv2

Bought the vehicle used with about 25,000 KM, (15,000 miles), on the odometer. The first two fill-ups I got about 14.5 MPG, (U.S. gallon). Then the car quit and had to be transported back to the dealer where they "replaced a faulty TH sensor, and did an ECM upgrade", all under warranty. No idea what a TH sensor does, or what what was involved in a ECM upgrade, but my mileage shot up to just over 19 MPG, (U.S. gallon), after the next two fill-ups. All MPG for combined city/highway driving.
My 2004 Buick gave me about 25 MPG, but all in all I'm quite happy with the Santa Fe. Although the ride is quite a bit firmer than the Buick and took a little getting used to.

pat100

I have a 2007 with 50,000km with similar low gas mileage. We seem to be getting about 400km on a tank of 80liters with mixed city/highway. Can you tell me what it cost you to have these replaced?

ejv2

All work was done at no charge under the Hyundai warranty. The only note on the work order referring to cost was $98.00 for a "diagnostic test" This fee was subsequently waived as well.

bobg7

I bought a 2009 Sante fe Ltd June 2009 and been getting poor mileage since I bought it. Dealer keeps saying wait and it will get better .. but it is not happening. I have over 10K Kilotmeters on it (about 6500 miles) and just came back from 1000 mile trip. Travelling at 110 km/hour or 70 miles per hour I averaged 19.5 MPG (US gallon) . The best per tank was 21.5 MPG and the worst was 17.5 MPG. This was strickly highway with no city mixed in and the car warmed up and I never drove over 70 Miles an hour. The first half of the trip was with a headwind and the return trip was wirth a tailwind so it averaged out. In Canada the car is rated at 8.4L per 100 KM or 26 MPG (US gallon). The only time I got close to 24 MPG was summer driving with no air on and averaging 55 miles per hour with a tailwind. The car great other than the very poor mileage.. and based on what others are posting it won't get better !! A firend of mine has a RAV4 V6 and at 70 Miles per hour consistently gets 25-26 MPG much closer to the rating. If you do a lot of highway driving son't buy the car !!!

rick2456

If this is just city driving and you have a lead foot, then maybe not that unusual. But if it is highway driving mostly, it does sound a bit low. I would do as previously suggested. Check the computers mileage against your own calculations. If still low, have the dealer take a look at it.

rick2456

Your mileage is about what I get on my 07 SE AWD. By the way, the SF is a lot heavier than the RAV4. And you didn't mention whether if that was a AWD version of the RAV4. It does make a difference. I now have 38000 miles on my SF and the last trip to FL I took, I got about 22mpg driveway to driveway. So it might get a bit better when broken in. Good luck.

hlcastelo

Members, what is considered good city/ highway mileage. I can see the RAV4 has better mileage but it has considerable weight advantage. I'm curious what others are getting.

len101

Hi All -
I'm not very pleased with the MPG on my 2009 SE 2WD- W/ 3.5K miles, in service about 4 months.
I do drive conservatively 90 % of the time and find it impossable to achieve the stated MPG numbers!!
With out getting too exact, My "city" is less than 16 and hwy. at best 22.

I was wondering if there is a mico chip that can be replace that would change Xmission shift patterns or engine timing issues?
Also is there a consensus that this product - engine/ trans. is unsificated for its time .

My expecitations because of the driving style I use would at least hit the top end of the stipulated ??
Comments ??

clamminfrank

I just bought a 2009 Santa Fe. The owner's manual and the dealer says it has a 19.8 gallon capacity but when the fuel light goes on, it only takes 15 gallons and the range says 320 miles. The dealer's service dept. says "maybe it only has a 17 gallon tank". What the heck is going on? I wouldn't have bought the car with the shorter range. Why can't I find out what the actual fuel tank capacity is?

len101

Hi, I don't think so ? at 19.8 gallons with gas $2.50 per gallon that would be $50 per fill-up!! I don't remember ever having a gas reciept for that much. It is usually about $35 bucks, which should be about right considering 4 to 5 gallons felt in the tank - don't you think ??
len

maddog611

Just bought a 2009 Santa Fe GLS 2.7L. It has 1800 miles on it. I've been getting 15-16 mpg city, 18-19 suburban driving, 21-22 highway. Dealership led me to believe I would at least get EPA estimates of 18/20/24 when I bought it. Took my Santa Fe to service department and they said nothing was wrong with it. I am strongly considering filling a formal complaint with Hyundai USA about false claims on the Santa Fe mileage. Anyone care to share a testimony?

yellowvette

I have a 2009 Santa Fe Limited, same problem. Owners manual says 19.8 us.gal and 16.5 imp.gal. also. On empty we only get around 15 gallons back in. Get 23-24 mpg with combined driving. Going to call dealer here and ask questions, will post when I find out.

clamminfrank

Thanks for you response. Will be anxiously awaiting to hear whatever you learn. Good luck talking to the dealer....the one here in FL was no help.

godeacs

Uh, why complain to Hyundai if the EPA is responsible for the mpg estimates???.... :confuse:

disclosed

Welcome aboard.....My 2009 Santa Fe gets at best 14MPG City and 19 on the highway. I live in Florida and I have been checking this mileage for 12000 miles now. I have complained to the dealership each time I take the vehicle in for service and the service advisers are the ones who tell me that's about what they get. I have challenged them every time service is completed. No check engine light-nothing wrong. 3 separate service advisers have told me the same thing. They have gone further to say that there is a discrepancy between the sticker EPA and the actual fuel mileage. Really! I have been in contact already with Hyundai USA and they told me to break the vehicle in and call them back at 12000 miles. The service advisers think this is ridicules and I completely agree with them. I have worked in marine propulsion R&D engineering and spent many years running fuel flows, building engines and testing them too. We at Outboard Marine Corportaion knew to the ml what the fuel consumption of every engine we produced at every RPM and load. I challenged Hyundai's engineering department that they know what these vehicles get regarding fuel consumption. Also, I worked on a developing project with computerized engines and fuel consumption readouts were based on a computer program. I am confident that the vehicle that Hyundai delivered to the EPA might have had a program that was bumped up to put it bluntly. What ever happened to miles driven divided by fuel placed into the tank on a fill up. Would you believe me that the customer service representative at Hyundai USA asked me if I knew how to make the simple calculation. To make a long story short, the only way to get the sticker stated 24MPG highway and consumers could expect to get 22 to 27 MPG is to drive 50 MPH on the highway. In Florida, you will be run right off the raod at that speed. I am not brave enough to even try that estimation. We dont have hills in South Florida and the Turnpike and I95 are basically straight. Here is how I tested. Fill up before getting on the turnpike. Drive 120 miles on cruise control at 70 MPH. Park at the airport. Return home at 70 MPH on cruise control and fill up at the same station that I filled up before I left. Guess what Miles/Gallon s = 19.2 MPG. I would have never purchased the vehicle if I knew that MPG was that bad. I have promised to take this to my congressman, Obama, the newspapers and I tell everyone I come in contact with. Overall, totally disappointed with Hyundai USA's response to my complaint. I have also asked them how they would fell about a class action law suit against the corporation. All I want them to do is repurchase this vehicle from me for what I paid for it. That's it.

disclosed

There is such as thing as ethics and truth and morales in business. If the engineering department for Hyundai knows what these vehicles fuel consumption is and it is very different from the EPA's estimates, then the company should be called out to explain to Santa Fe owners why there is such a difference. Did Hyundai know that the MPG that the EPA states is not true. Disclosure will solve the problem. Engineering has all the records from fuel flows and if they dont run fuel flows on their products then they should be driven out of North America with their vehicles. I grow tired of being taken advantage of and being given misleading information. If the EPA does not test under normal conditions then the EPA should be changed and quickly.

tenpin288

If the EPA does not test under normal conditions then the EPA should be changed and quickly.

Just in case you want to know how they test, here is a link to the EPA web site that details their test procedures. (And no manufacturer would dare send them a "rigged" vehicle for testing. The fines would be enormous and the publicity even worse!)

http://fueleconomy.gov/feg/fe_test_schedules.shtml

I have a 2008 SF Ltd AWD here in south central PA and I can tell you that during the winter my mileage is terrible (15-16mpg) but during the summer I usually get 19-19.5 mpg in all-around driving here in our hilly and pot-holed trails that are sometimes called roads. When I do take it out for a longer drive and keep my speed to 70 or less I will usually get 21-23 mpg. I can live with those numbers.

stevedebi

"Overall, totally disappointed with Hyundai USA's response to my complaint. I have also asked them how they would fell about a class action law suit against the corporation. All I want them to do is repurchase this vehicle from me for what I paid for it. That's it. "

I've never heard of anyone winning one of these fights. The window stickers are pretty clearly marked - take a look at the "expected range" that is below the Highway MPG. What is the low value? The EPA is very careful, and I seriously doubt that Hyundai changed their programming before running the test and then changed it back after the test. Such an action would open them to big fines from the EPA.

The EPA tests are not very good indicators of MPG, in my experience. The heavier the vehicle, the worse it will be in actual use. As it says just below that on the window sticker, "your mileage may vary".

Good luck!

maddog611

Hi all,

I started a case with Hyundai and they said they have no control over how a dealership sells cars. Totally ridiculous. They directed me back to the dealership to battle it out. The general manager refused to give me even close to a fair deal on taking the vehicle back. This is not what I paid for. Car had 2700 miles and still getting same poor mpg, 15.3 city 17.1 overall 21.2 hwy. I traded it in for a 2010 Tucson at another dealership which is behaving as expected.

I just finished the deal and plan on taking additional action. I refuse to work with the 1st dealership again. I plan on filing a complaint with the Better Business Bureau about their exaggerated claims on the Santa Fe's mileage and trying to cheat me on a trade-in. Once that is done I will resume my case with Hyundai and demand an inquiry be made on the Santa Fe's fuel economy. I never saw the middle or upper end of the estimated mpg. Always the bare minimum!!!

amperstam

I'm in the same boat with my new 09 Elantra.
I'm getting 17 mpg when it should be WELL over twenty the way I drive.
On mine, the RPM's are too high at shift.
Its an automatic.
Its new. 4k miles.
Took it in last week. They tested it, then showed me the Dyno printout.
The service manager said all the shift RPM values were in line with factory specs. I said, "Yes, they are." Then I told him the Dyno misread EVERY shift. Showing them at between 1 and 2K RPM's, but my never shifts sooner than 3K RPM's. Which makes for a disgusting gas HOG!
So their machine lied, and I now have the printout to prove factory spec. All an investigator needs to do is look at the printout, then drive my car to see what liars these guys are, and that their Dyno equipment is rigged to give false values.
My car will not shift below 3K RPM's no matter what I do, or how I drive. I can drive slow, fast, medium. I can gun it a bit, then take my foot off the gas in an attempt to force a shift. Nada. It just stays in the low gear and winds down, consuming unreal amounts of fuel compared to label claims.
It seems I'm reading more and more of these bad MPG posts with Hyundai.
There is something funky up, and I'm ready to fight. Particularly now that even their Dyno has proved disgustingly innacurate, and I have the proof right here on my desk.
I welcome any and all emails. I am going to the states attorney with this. I am in California, and they tend to be tough on these sorts of things here.
The more people I can show experiancing this, the better.
John

wetsfee

I just bought a 2010 sante fe and am having the same problem. The internet says 19.8 gallon fuel tank and the standard operating book i got with the car said 17.96. Based on the trip thing, when i fill up, I have 280 miles. at 20 mph, that would be a 14 gallon tank. I too bought the car because it had a 19.8 (or i thought it did) gallon tank. Does anyone know what's going on here and what the true capacity of the tank (2010) is?????

clamminfrank

Wow, finally someone who is experiencing the same frustration that I am. The dealer has been no help and neither has Hyundai Customer Service. This alone is enough to make me avoid future Hyundai purchase. I'm watching this thread closely for some clarification and explanation. Thanks Wetsfee!

obkt

I too am disappointed in the gas mileage. I have a 2010 limited FWD with the 4 cylinder. Here in southern New Mexico, the speeds are 75MPH (in West Texas it's 85MPH) I attribute the poor mileage to the 4 banger working hard to keep up with traffic. I recent run to Tucson gave me 19.7MPG. My V-6 Entourage did better than that. But in town I average around 24MPG.
One thing I found is driving in the manual mode. Transmission doesn't down shift at the slightest hill which keeps the RPM down.
Another thing to contemplate is the wheel size. I have 18" wheels on my Limited. I found that my speedo is dead on accurate. I've never owned a car where the speedo was dead on. Usually there's a 4-5 MPH difference in the reading verses what the car is doing. I doubt that Hyundai changes the final drive gear to compensate for the wheel size, so a Fe with the 17" wheels might be giving you a slightly false reading. We all need to get out the pencil and paper to figure out the mileage. Can't trust those computers.
As an aside, what's the big deal about the gas tank size? My bladder is only good for about 200 miles. Then I empty one tank and fill the other.

wetsfee

The big thing about the gas tank is about 100 miles. I too stop at rest stops but they don't always have gas stations. Also, most of my trips are in the 300+ range, not 280 miles. Besides that, the car should have what the book says it has. Dealer told me it has 17.96 gallons. Seems more like it might be 14.5. Will wait till I fill it up. Getting over 22 mpg around town.

lil_doc

I too, in an earlier post, questioned the volume of the tank. Brought it to the attention of my dealer (he is in another state.) Stated that, in fact, the tank is the stated 19.8 gal. It was stated that there is about 3-4 gal remaining in the tank when the low fuel light comes on. As I don't want to test the theory, by running my tank dry, I will take his word for it, but watch carefully when the tank gets low. Looking at my "miles remaining" meter, it does appear that, based on 20 mpg I do have about 60-70 miles left on the tank.

If anyone hears differently, I am still interested to know if the stated volume is correct. Keep us all posted. Maybe someone here will actually run their tank empty and give a true fill-up. Not me, though.

clamminfrank

LOL, not me either. I am so tempted to run the tank empty but a mechanic friend of mine advised against saying that I could very well have a problem restarted. So for now, I'll just cringe everytime I fill the tank and see that my range is only 330 miles or so. :mad:

wetsfee

My dealer called me back yesterday and stated that the tank is 17.96 gallons. That is the same that is quoted in the book that I received with the car. I will be interested to see what happens when I let it go to empty, how many miles I actually got on a tank of gas. I am getting 22+ mpg around town, so I should be getting around 395 miles per tank. The range on the trip thing says 280. Quite a big difference. Over 100 miles difference. I also wondered if there were 4 gallons left in the tank. I know my old truck had about 2-3 gallons left in it after the needle went down to empty. (Folks may be wondering why I would let this happen - around here the local supermarket gives you anywhere from 10cents to 2.00 off per gallon, so you want to get all you can. Everyone drives in there on fumes.)

wetsfee

I agree. I also read where you could have a problem restarting. I'll let you know what happens when I fill up. My car is the GLS 4cly and otherwise I just love it. We have lots of hills here in PA and the mileage is pretty good.

rubeus

Jsut finished my first tank and I got

11.7 L/100km in mixed city driving. probably about 40% highway.

That converts to about 20.1 mpg US.

If I can get that up to 22-23 after the break in period I'll be real happy
with my vehicle decision.

wetsfee

Have new 2010 4 cyl Santa Fe with about 5,000 miles. Getting 22.7 mpg in and around town. This includes some stops, hills but not "in the city stop & go" traffic. Hills are steep though. I am very very happy with my car. Also I use the green economy light and find that I basically drive economical all the time.

obkt

Just got back from a nice day trip into the mountains and thought I'd share my mileage record. The trip started out at 3900 feet, with a peak of 7500 feet. The drive was probably 70% highway, with speeds between 55 and 80. The rest was in town and in the 25-30 MPH range. A little stop and go. A/C was on about half of the time.
Just before arriving back home, I stopped for gas. Took 10.25 gallons. I drove 276 miles, and had 136 miles left in range. Computer said I got 26.3 MPG. My calulations show 26.9 MPG. I'm not complaining. So far I'm very happy with our choice of vehicle.
BTW, total mileage on the vehicle is 3556.

edgarheil

I'm in exactly the same boat... My wife and I bought a 2007 3.3 Limited SF 2WD and driving in very light traffic + highway here in CA, we rarely get anything over 18 MPG (driving for economy), which is totally unacceptable given the EPA ratings for this car . As others in this forum have done, I have complained to Hyundai dealer's to no avail (that's just how it is, it will get better, etc.). Now the car has almost 20K miles and nothing has changed so I feel cheated and open to joining a class action suit on this...

wetsfee

I bought a 2010 4 cyl. Hyundai Santa Fe that was to get 18 to 21 mpg in the city. I have been getting 22 to 23 but I am a careful driver. No stepping on the gas to pull away fast. We do have hills here so there is a mixture of flat and hills. 4 cyl is plenty of power and doesn't struggle on the highway.

mickwildcat

Hi, just bought a used 2003 SF (3.5L, AWD) with 70k miles, and I'm getting 10mpg in the city, no joke. I drive very slowly and don't rev the engine. What could be causing this terrible performance, and would a warranty cover such an issue? I have a full warranty.

Please help!

Thanks,