Hyundai Sonata Real World MPG

tja526

How do I determine this, please..? I will try anything.
Thank you kindly.

kmckinnon

Did you try just doing highway driving for more than 20 miles. When we do local driving in our sonata the MPG are in the high 20's but on highways we can close to 40MPG. Even in our 06 acura tsx, using regular gas, we average 32-36MPG highway driving. I think your Hyundai service team are wrong.

backy

A couple of things: 1) make sure the gear indicator (which is on the dash, yes?) says "D" and not a number (like "5"). 2) If you want to make absolutely sure you are in 6th gear when cruising on the highway, you can use the autostick to shift for yourself and then check the gear indicator to make sure it says "6" when on the highway.

Also watch your RPMs. I would expect them to be around 2000 at 65 or so--varies by car, but I recall some Sonata owners reporting 1800 RPM at 60, so 2000 at 65 sounds about right. If it's much over that, the car is likely not in 6th gear.

And as someone else suggested, you can take the car on a longer highway stint, resetting the average mpg meter when you get to highway cruising speed. Pick a day that isn't too cold or windy, with dry roads. (And drive the road in both directions to negate effects from hills and wind.) Find a stretch of road that isn't too hilly and where you don't need to stop or even change speed. Stick to the speed limit, and put the cruise on to rule out "lead foot" by the driver. If the speed is 65 mph or less, I would be very surprised if that test doesn't return at least mid-30s mpg. If it still gets mid-to-upper-20s even under those conditions, I would suspect something amiss with the car. FWIW, I can easily get mid-30s on my 2007 Sonata under conditions like that, and its powertrain is not nearly as efficient as the 2011 Sonata's.

cpeny

With less than 1500 miles on a new 2011 Sonata, I have yet to see anything close to 35 mpg. I took two 250 mile highway only trips and could only get 27 mpg. This is not funny to me, nor is some the replys I have seen on this form to people who are deeply concerned about this issue. There are full sized cars and mini vans getting better gas mileage. What happen to the new standards the feds put on place to get more realistic gas mileage before putting it on the window stickers. I do know this, if my mpg does not go up in the next 6 months. Rest a sure I will go back to Honda with no chance of returning to Hyundai

kmckinnon

We owned a 05 honda civic ex-se and also a 05 hyundai elantra GT, both with MT and bought new. The civic was a P.O.S.-one annoying problem after another. We traded it at 36,000 miles (when the warranty was over) for our 06 acura tsx-(yes I know it is a honda)which has been excellent after 120,000+problem free miles. We traded our elantra with 100,000+problem free miles for our '11 sonata. Owning a honda no longer guarantees you to a problem free car.

tja526

I have had 6 Honda's and never had one problem with them. From a Civic to the Fit and then several Accords. It was the sleek fluid style of the Sonata AND the MPG that attracted me to look into this car. It took 6 months for me to "let go" of the Honda name and take a "chance" with a car that was SO-NATA Honda.
I am disappointed and feel the advertising is just so false and if I did not lease this car, it would be gone at these 3 months that I have had it.
I agree with you about the fact that there are bigger cars that do better with MPG.
Thanks for your reply..

hankster8

Is your car an automatic? I keep hearing these claims of 35 plus miles per gallon. I have the same 2011 4 banger (4cyl.), travel 30 miles on the highway to work at a steady 62 mph for 95% of the trip and can't record a trip mpg indication above 28mpg. I am in NY subburbs. What am I doing wrong?

cpeny

After reading the replys to my post. I can only conclude that there are some real coolaide drinkers in the Hyundai forum. Hyundai has come a long way from the one I drove in the early 90's. Is it a Honda...I don't think so. It does not have the track history like Honda. There is a much higher percentage of Honda's on the road trouble free getting the stated mileage than Hyundai's. I am all for getting max for my money and appreciate the extra items like Bluetooth etc., but don't think you can trade that for essentials like dependability, gas mileage, and so on. All I can say is that in my job I come in contact with an average of 30 people a day broken down on the road and Hyundai appears to be at the top of the list. I hope this 2011 Sonata last, but I am prepared if it doesn't, and if Hyundai exaggerated about the mpg, I can only guess what else

ryster

I have a 2011 Sonata GLS, automatic, now with 11,500 miles on it. My car averages 28mpg (manually calculated) in day-to-day driving. I commute 30 miles to work, a mix of suburban driving and maybe 5 miles at 55mph.

Usually the computer indicates an average speed of 30 miles per hour when I fill up...I reset it at every fill up. So my commute isn't all that "efficient", but I am very pleased wth my gas mileage.

I took an extended highway trip at an average speed of 65mph and easily achieved 32mpg over the course of 200 miles.

The other night I filled up on the way home from work, and after driving 15 miles home the computer showed an average of 38 miles per gallon, and an average speed of 36mph.

I keep the ECO light on as much as possible. My early build 2011 doesn't have the "Active ECO" feature of the mid-year and newer Sonatas. I just have the ECO light that lets you know if you are driving economically. The car is geared such that you should be able to easily drive 95% of all traffic situations with the light illuminated and not feel like the car is bogging down or not keeping up with traffic.

I find the car to be meeting my expectations with regards to fuel economy. Incidentally, my engine air filter was noticeably dirty a couple weeks ago. I rotated the filter so the clean part of the filter was over the air inlet, and fuel economy has increased 10% over the past couple of tanks of gas. This car seems to be very sensitive to engine air filtration.

The airbox in this car isn't the best design. The filter area over the inlet gets dirty, but the other half of the filter stays perfectly clean. You can basically just rotate the filter to get the clean side over the inlet and keep running the filter until that side gets dirty.

klockboy

Yes, Automatic Sonata Limited - Non Turbo. I just filled up for first time and put in 12.1 Gallons with 342 Miles on Trip Computer - works out to a little better than 28 MPG. This was with approx. 70% City and 30% Highway Driving. I did achieve, twice, approximately 36-38 MPG on the highway setting cruise control to 65-70 mph. Overall, I am very happy with mpg's given the fact that it is a brand new car and I am still using the winter mix of gas/ethanol. I hope I continue to be as lucky in the coming months/years. My driving habit is conservative, always keeping the ECO button on and not revving the engine much past 2K RPM's. This is all I am doing...Good Luck.

cpeny

Come on by and I will give you the keys and put the gas in it. Or I will meet you at any Dealership that will let you take one off the lot and I can see it for myself. I will gladly post the actual evidence. I am saying I doubt you but there seems to be a lot of people posting info that's hard to believe without evidence. So once again I will state everyone that I ask on the road that have actual names are no where close to that.

kmckinnon

We owned a 88 hyundai excel gls. It has over 250,000 problem free miles when it was totaled by a red-light runner. It still had the original engine, transmission, clutch, etc. My daughter has a 98 Honda accord V-6 which originally was my parents. My mom gave it to her (my daughter help my mom with housecleaning, cooking, etc so this was her payment) when she bought a 08 accord v-6. My daughter is very bad on maintaining the car (does get the oil changed but it is always late) The car had 79,000 miles when my daughter became the owner. It has about 110,000 now. Pass the koolaid-

zincster

Unfortunately, the driving I've been doing since my Sonata was new (bout 1300 miles so far) has been mostly urban and small city driving. The average I seem to achieve is 18 mpg. I drive with the eco on. I don''t have a lead foot. Like to think my driving is pretty conservative. One thing against me here though: Alot of hills in and around where I live. Perhaps those getting 28+ mpg live where it's entirely flat and have very few lights to contend with, don't know. For the record, I'm not very enthusiastic about the 18.

ostracized

Calculating MPG is a joke, and not a good one. I have tracked my 2008 Sonata GLS (2.4) MPG over the past 3 months. At first I kept going to the same gas station, and I was (supposedly) getting ~20 to 21 MPG. Then I started going to a different gas station, and magically, now I'm at ~24 MPG! My driving habits and conditions have not changed one iota. My car has not changed either. The only possible explanation I can imagine is that the other gas station was exaggerating the volume of gas pumped.

tja526

I went to Hyundai last Monday, they came in my Sonata with me to the gas station, recorded my miles, the pump number and I filled it till it stopped. I go back this week, after 150-200 miles. We go to the same gas station, same pump, etc..and this is what the Hyundai dealer suggested after I wrote to Hyundai national. I only have a GLS...but all in all, so sorry to say, still getting no more than 26 now on the highway. 22 to 23 city.
I will post what they say. Sad thing is, the service guys said they have NEVER heard of a car ( at all) getting 35 mpg. If you would like to call them and just tell them you are not getting 35mpg on your sonata..they will say the same to you. I am more angry at that, than anything. These guys service Hyundai's for a living. Anyone who watches TV will see the advertising. They told me not to believe what I see on TV.
I appreciate all replies..thank you.

backy

There's another possibility: this new gas station doesn't happen to have ethanol-free gas, do they? That could easily account for the difference.

And another possibility is weather. When you measured 20-21 mpg over 3 months, it was the dead of winter. Now, maybe it's warming up where you live (it is where I live)? I've noticed a big mpg penalty in cold (below 30 or so) weather vs. warmer weather... especially if tire pressure isn't adjusted to compensate.

backy

You need to find a new dealer. The "service" people at this dealership are either incompetent, or liars. Either one is a reason to take your service business elsewhere, IMO.

ostracized

I considered the weather, but I live in NC and it has been mild for awhile now. The new station (which has given me better MPG for whatever reason) is Exxon. I didn't notice if the gas has ethanol, but don't they all have that sticker that says it may contain up to 10% ETOH?

kmckinnon

I also live in NC and was wondering that- None of the gas stations we go to have any messages that they use ethanol. When we go to the WaWa stations in VA and NJ they do have the contain 10% ethanol sign.

ostracized

I just found this interesting tidbit of info: "North Carolina did away with labeling requirements on pumps carrying ethanol blends in 2002." Nice. I also found this: http://pure-gas.org/index.jsp?stateprov=NC. Some people claim ETOH can reduce fuel economy by 25%. Even if they're way off that could account for my ~4 MPG reduction. :mad:

targettuning

Just a couple of comments:
Neither Hyundai nor ANY other manufacturer determines the official EPA fuel economy numbers posted on the window sticker. All they do is design the car to fufill a very large number of requirements. Among many (engine performance , NHV, safety, styling, hot and cold environment performance, quality, reliability, price point, etc...etc...etc) is good fuel economy. The car is submitted to the EPA for standardized testing. It is they who determine the numbers that are posted on that window sticker. Hyundai, like all manufacturers will absolutely capitalize on good numbers and use those EPA derived numbers in their advertising like any good company.
Exactly what job puts you into contact with 30 or more people broken down on the road daily? Tow driver, AAA person??? In any case, although I travel the Pa Turnpike weekly, and have for approx the last 5 years driving about 150 miles in each direction (west then returning east), also I-81 in Pa to a large degree I almost NEVER see a broken down car anymore and the ones I do see are 10-15 year old beater looking...dented and dirty like nobody cared. I frankly have seldom if ever have seen a new car, Hyundai or otherwise, along any road I travel. Besides how can you determine the amount of maintenance (if any) bestowed on those cars or how many miles they had or even the reason they are along the road ...flat tire? out of gas? driven without oil until they puke? So, if you are inferring that Hyundai is prone to more frequent breakdowns than others (Honda?) I would have to strongly disagree. For the record we own a 2006 Civic EX sedan bought new and it required new rear shocks by 2,000 miles (both leaked out) AND a new front driver seat cover before 8,000 miles due to the fact the original wore thin. Also, since I was unable to get the car in to have that cover replaced when it was originally scheduled (the dealer was holding the cover until I could reschedule) when I finally got it in the parts department was unable to find "my" cover. I was eventually told they had used it to recover another customers car with the same problem and they reordered it for me. So, at least two cars at this one dealership with the same problem. Honda is on a slide quality wise in my experience. Ours had a certain amount of "un-Hondalike" problems so I'm not up on Honda too much or their so-called great track record. I almost forgot the "extended warranty" info. Honda recently sent me (after much poor publicity about cracked engine blocks on 2006-08 Civics and the hoops Honda America had owners with the problem jump through e.g. provide proof of all Honda scheduled maintence at the dealership even though this crack developed due to poor casting and/or flawed design by Honda and nothing at all to do with customer oil changes, tire rotation and the like. Proven track record indeed!!!

ryster

"Perhaps those getting 28+ mpg live where it's entirely flat and have very few lights to contend with, don't know. For the record, I'm not very enthusiastic about the 18. "
---------------------------------------
I contend with hills each day, and literally 24 lights and 7 stop signs, on my 30 mile drive to work. I have no problem getting 28mpg.

ostracized

I get 48 MPG. There, that was easy--to say. The first mistake a person could make is to take everything 100% seriously when reading anecdotal reports. I've looked at fueleconomy.gov, fuelly.com, and a couple others. I have zero doubt that there are plenty of people who simply lie about their fuel economy. There's just no way, for example, a person is getting 36 MPG in city driving with the same exact vehicle I'm getting 21 MPG with. Motor oil, ethanol, weather--factor it all in, and the greatest factor will always be deception and miscalculation.

I don't know why people do it. A desire to feel superior? To make others feel bad? I don't know, but it's weird to be sure.

longo2

Yes you are right on about people who get on Car forums and other opportunities to post mpgs and come up with extraodinary numbers (both high and low)

The unrealastic 'low/bad' numbers are probably put on there by competing car company employees who are trying to create some brand smearing and create traffic in their own showrooms. the, 'high/unbelievable' numbers are probably from Trolls who love to sit back and watch the forum degnerate into Keyboard Wars from posters from both camps.

So, in using "Find a Car" or other such lists of user mpg's I think it's wise to cut off the highest number posted, and then do the same to the lowest and do your own Avg of the rest.

One of the worst Gas Guzzler cars I have ever owned is our 2007 Nissan Versa SL with the CVT powertrain but when I have posted my low mpg numbers on the Versa mpg Forum, I am immediately met by Versa FanBoys who are claiming 10 to 20% over even the inflated old window sticker numbers posted before the tests got more stringent and lowered everyones mpg rating by at least 3 to 6 %

There are things about that little car I still love, buy mpg's ain't one of them!

So Hyundai buyers, don't do as I did, (I ordered one special built) do a mpg test on the actual car you are interested in buying BEFORE you give the dealer ship your depost and sign the contract.
If it sucks gas like a gravel truck, jump in another one and go again. After 2 or 3 of these road tests you will get a reading about the mpg's that will probably be the best bench mark you will ever have.

I would shop around a few different dealerships and try the mpg test for this part of the buying process just to get a better idea of why some might be better or worse than others...(brand of gas would probably be different in each, some might have a few more test flight miles on it than the other) and so on.

Just make sure you duplicate the same route exactly, hit the reset button at the same spot, and make a note of any other factor that comes into the test drive....was the salesperson in the backseat an Ex Sumo Wrestler, was the wind howling from the front, or side, was the temp cold or warm ... dial in the cruise and let er run for at least 10 or 20 min at freeway speed.
YOu will get the best highway mpgs on this test run that the car is capable of, and know, once and for all, what to expect once you have it home in your driveway and the payments begin.....then you will avoid forever, forums like this.

ryster

Well, I am not lying about my fuel economy. Just posting my real world results in a forum entitled "Hyundai Sonata Real World MPG".

I have no reason to lie or "deceive". 28MPG on E10 is what I average on a regular basis. My car runs 5W-20 oil from the dealer, and I keep the tires at 34psi. The ECO function is also very beneficial to maximizing fuel mileage in these cars.

No need to attack others or accuse them of being deceitful just because they are reporting real world numbers that differ from yours.

There was conjecture in the forum that those of us getting 28+ mpg must be driving on flat terrain with a low amount of lights. My response was to clarify my personal experience with more details of my driving conditions.

There is no malicious intent when people comment they are getting a certain mileage number. It appears the fuel economy issue is a sensitive subject for some people, and positive comments are being taken the wrong way.

I am sorry that your Sonata is not meeting your expectations from a fuel economy standpoint. My 2011 Sonata has been disappointing for me in other areas and I by no means "love" the car, but it has met all of my expectations with regards to fuel economy.

For what it is worth, an associate at work rented a 2011 Sonata and complained of not being able to get more than 18MPG. When I relayed my personal experience with mine, he conceded that he was driving the car hard and only driving 3 miles to and from his hotel. He further stated that if he had driven it more sanely and had a longer commute he would have probably seen better numbers.

zincster

You know, that's exactly it. Though I do drive conservatively and all, my commute is full of hills and only 5 miles each way. And exactly 6 lights each way. So it would only make sense that the mileage per gallon be low. Glad you pointed out the rental situation ryster. This tank of fuel I'm on, averages 24 so far as I've driven a bit of freeway. Preciate your input sir.

Regards

ostracized

Switch to decaf. I didn't accuse you of deceit. I didn't name anyone, because I was making a general statement. I don't even know what an "E10" is, nor do I have any clue whether or not 28 MPG is a good or expected number for that vehicle.

I also didn't say I'm not happy with my Sonata's mileage. What I've found is that some gas stations give greatly different results than others (not enough to account for some of the MPG reports I've seen others post, though). I don't know yet if it's due to ethanol content, improper (i.e. exaggerated) gas pump readings, or what. The first few times I calculated MPG, I was disappointed. The most recent time, however, I was pleased.

backy

One more reason one gas station could give different results than another: there's a station near me that has pumps that for some reason click off far short of a full tank. Depending on the car, the pumps click off 1-2 gallons short of full. I can go down the street to a different station and get that much more gas in before the pumps click off. Depending on the size of the tank, that could make a significant difference in calculated fuel economy. (e.g., you think you "fill up" at this station, then you make your next fill at a station that does actually fill the gas tank.) That is one reason I tend to go by the mpg calculated by the trip computer. Those can be a little inaccurate also, but they avoid the variations in gas pumps at different stations.

Over the life of a car, these inconsistencies will even out, but if FE is measured over a relatively short time span, it could make a difference.

ryster

I don't drink caffeine. Your post was written as a direct reply to mine. Therefore I naturally assumed your comments were directed at me.

E10 is gasoline with 10% ethanol content. The federal government is pushing to make E15 the norm over the next few years. That is something we do not want to happen regardless of what the EPA claims.

cpeny

I had a reply to my previous post about poor gas mileage on my 2011 Hyundai sonata. I don't remember seeing any stop lights or enormous hills as I traveled the highway from Kansas city to st Louis Missouri. I didn't stop for hitch hikers, or run on flat tires, drive all the way in first gear, or reverse. I was not pulling a house boat, or a wind sail. I don't have a hole in my gas tank and aliens did not hypnotize me and force me to drive in circles. I didn't go off road, or roll the odometer back. I didn't crash the car or mistakenly put oil in the gas tank. I simply drove on the highway with my family and calculated the fuel mileage and posted to see how common of it occurs with others. Please forgive me being a little satirical about this (ok a lot) but some of the responses are just a little over the top.

Kirstie_H

Well, there is that one giant hill on I-70 around mile marker 166-168, but apart from that, that trip across the state is about as benign as you can get. I travel that route about every 6 weeks, and it's usually a solid indicator of what my best MPG is, in any particular vehicle.

The only thing I'd say is that I do better if I put my vehicle on cruise control.

However, with regard to what you might view as over-the-top questions/comments, you would be stunned at what some people do, or don't realize they do, and then are surprised by the results. Don't take it personally.

longo2

Just looked through your link to the list of stations selling ethanol free gas and thought I would post a big THANKS.
I just returned from a 3800 mile trip though 6 U.S. states and found my mpg's on the Honda Odyssey would swing wildly from 23.2 to 16.8 on the same day after fillups from different stations.
We used to get great mpgs and lots of power from Chevron regular, and now we find all their stations have switched to Ethanol blend and my great Chevron gas mpgs dropped through the floor.
With Ethanol Blend gas from Chevron the Odyssey now drives like a loaded lumber truck!
The oil companies and Govt. must love the stuff as it kills your milage and speeds up your next fillup least 50 miles sooner.
More spent of gas and more fuel taxes to the bottomless Govt money Pit. WOW everybody wins!

rickb56

I have owned a 2006 6cyl Sonata for 55,000 miles now. I always watch the onboard computer on trips and also check the actual mileage on fill-ups when I have a tank of highway use only. Bottom line the car gets 30 mpg only if 65 or less with no headwind or heavy trunkload or passengers. A tailwind can add about 1mph, a headwind might cost you 2mph. Cruising at 70-72 on interstates mileage drops to 28-29. Again..flat terrain, no wind factor. I use standard 5W-20 oil from the dealer. New allseason tires recently but they don't seem to impact mileage. Onboard computer seems accurate but it only measures average over the last few miles. I am looking forward to buying an additional Sonata, either standard GLS or possibly hybrid after they come out.

longo2

Good numbers from your 06 V6. From checking the above link I see that your car is right in the top numbers of believable mpgs.
Those with mostly highway miles are posting 27 to 28's just like your experience.

I wish all those on these mpg forums would post their numbers on the fueleconomy.gov site as it's a great place to get the newest numbers good and bad, without all the drama and personality clashes from forum posters.

It's easy to use and gives you the option of posting for mpgs from years back on just about any car ever built. You will find the most numbers posted on the vehicles that people expect the best mpgs from, and the least numbers from the most expensive exotic models.
I guess it's the old spin of, "if you can afford to buy it , then you don't care how much gas it uses"...with gas on its way up again, even that might change soon.

rickb56

I am thinking that a cash price of $25k or so on a Sonata Hybrid might be a solid deal on my second car. In addition to the 06 Sonata which just got paid for I own an older Jeep Cherokee that gets about 12 in town and most of the 12000 miles per year is in-town driving. If gas gets to $4 I would be spending around $4000/year for fuel versus about 1/3 of that if the Sonata gets 36 in-town as advertised. In fact if I save $200/month on gas I might be in a hybrid for a net $100 on a lease. New hybrid for net $100? I will own the next vehicle for 10 years...what will the average be for a gallon of gas over the next decade? More than $4 seems a good bet. I am already sold on the GLS as a possibility but I want to test-drive the hybrid to see if I like it. Anyone driven one or bought one already that can comment??

thegamper

I have been considering a Sonata turbo as my next car and I must say that I am rather disappointed by the stories of fuel economy on this blog. I currently drive a Mazdaspeed6 with similar hp and torque figures to the Sonata, but my car has AWD and manual transmission. I drive like a lunatic I am ashamed to say. Routinely hitting 100 mph on the way to work, sprint from stoplights, induce oversteer around fun corners, etc. In 80k miles I am on my 4th set of tires. Even with my less than stellar driving habits, I never dip below 20 mpg.......never. I was turned off by the FWD and automatic of the Sonata turbo but liked everything else....especially the estimated mpg in a car supposedly as powerful as the one I currently own. I had better do some more researching. Mpgs are a big selling point and Hyndai as well as other manufacturers better try for real world results, not just tune their cars for EPA results as a lot of unhappy customers will follow.

backy

You always get over 20 mpg on a car you thrash around in at 100 mph, plus you have AWD and a stick and Mazda zoom-zoom handling. WHY would you even give one second's thought to a Sonata?

thegamper

Shockingly, as it turns out, treating a car like that is rather hard on it. I bought 100k 5 year extended warranty that totally covers the car. Due to expire this summer when I fully expect the wheels to fall off. Much rather have car payments than pay for maintenance. Looking at Legacy GT but it appears they are the most difficult to find consumer good in the midwest.

backy

I have a feeling no warranty will cover repairs if caused by the kind of driving you described. Call me pessimistic.

You seem to prefer AWD, so the Sonata doesn't seem like a good fit for you.

rickb56

Recently switched to Mobil1 synthetic 5W20 oil at 59,000 miles and the engine continues to purr like a sewing machine. I have recently seen 33 mpg appear on the computer for extended distances of 30 miles or so at 62-65 mph on cruise control. I will try an actual tank topoff test at some point when I go a few hundred miles straight to check for accuracy but if true, it appears that the synthetic oil may be adding 7-8% mileage. At today's gas prices, that might be saving me $20/month on fuel which will more than pay for the extra cost of synthetic oil. Another note would be that I am at the end of the 'bumper to bumper' 60,000 mile warranty and only needed it once to replace faulty light switch recall. Still have 40K more warranty on drive train.

tja526

That is good to know. My 2011 Sonata GLS, avg mpg is 23-26.
Car feels like it holds back-any suggestions on this? I am getting oil changed this week as I hit 3k miles.
Weird thing happened to me this past week.
I filled my tank with regular Hess gas. I wasn't even across the street to the highway ramp when the MPG soared up to almost 33 mpg. I then went the 5 miles home on the highway and was up to 46.5 mpg average!
I was on cloud nine.
I have not seen that since. I drive the same exact way each day, never go over the 64 mph and often can use cruise.
Should I try the oil you recomended??

dudleyr

Tailwind is the most common reason for large mpg spikes.

rickb56

At 3000 miles , your car isn't even broken in yet. My friend has had his four months now and tells me he is getting 30mpg overall on his 2011 Sonata with both in town and highway included. I would run the standard recommended oil for quite some time before considering going to synthetic. I am not recommending synthetic per se...just making an observation that it seems to have and effect yet I am not convinced yet that it is helping mileage a lot. It won't hurt your car to run it but you might be spending $ you don't need to.
Your only true mileage will not be the computer reading but actually filling up and dividing miles driven by gallons used on each tank.

tja526

Thank you so much for that reply. It brings some light to my day. I am getting the oil changed and having the tire pressure checked, too. I will keep posting and hoping for great news. Thanks!

rickb56

I hope you don't buy a Sonata turbo with 274 horsepower as your habit of driving 100 routinely as you say as well as your other admitted dangerous driving habits put the general public at danger every day. There are more important things than gas mileage.

thegamper

One could argue that the general public puts me in danger. I would rather have them in my rear view. You obviously arent a car guy Rick as I can do more damage with the car I have now (which is currently in the shop for engine repairs incidentally) than with a Sonata Turbo. I do take the safety of myself and others into account, rest assured. Just pointing out some general disappointment with the fuel economy others have posted, I agree there are more important things than fuel economy, but if the Sonata doesnt deliver on economy, I just believe one of the key selling points has been removed. Still cant decide which way to go. My recent engine troubles in my current ride have prompted me to up the timeframe for my next purchase.

carmapolice

Disappointed by what I'm reading

Was looking at buying a 2011 Elantra but found with rebates and easier nego I could close the gap between an Elantra and Sonata to within $1500 or so (it is hard to get much of a savings on teh 2011 Elantra in Toronto, Canada at the moment).

However the discussion on fuel econ is giving me great pause. I'm moving on from my 2006 Honda Civic and the EnerGuide estimates seemed too good to be true (the same HWY fuel econ as Civic but about 15% worse in the city).

My timing just sucks blah.

niteflite888

I got around 31 mpg with the Eco drive off on straight highway at around 80 mph.

When reducing the speed to around 70 mph the mpg went up to slightly above 34, and some of the drive was with Eco drive on.

The tank is big - the gas light seems to come on when you hit the 30 miles remaining mark, and when i filled up around 20 miles after that light came on, 17.7 gallons were pumped into the tank. the 34.3 or so mpg i got after 150 miles of straight highway driving is now down to around 29 after an additional 160 miles of city/hwy driving. let's see what the final mpg is on this tank....

backy

Picked up my son from college today in my 2007 Sonata GLS 2.4L with the 4AT. About 150 miles each way. Weather was ideal, about 65 and light winds, so no A/C used. Most of the trip was highway at 65-70 mph, with maybe 10% in-town driving. I took different routes each way, but the fuel economy was almost the same: 35.8 mpg there, and 35.6 mpg on the return (went through more small towns, more stops and accelerating) for 35.7 mpg trip average. That's the highest FE I've had for a trip of any length on the car, probably because the weather was good. No special driving techniques used other than a light foot and keeping to speed limits. Had cruise on most of the way down, and off most of the way back. Terrain was flat to gently rolling, with a couple steeper climbs.

petdogdfw

True. My 2011 Sonata has 14K miles on it now. In combined city/hiway driving it averages around 25.7 mpg. On the highway, I can usually achieve around 33.

This past weekend, I drove from Dallas down to Austin, TX staying around 72 mph and it average around 32.8 mpg. During the return trip, I kept my speed at around the same 72mph and the car averaged 38.7 mpg which is awesome. I also tried to avoid heavy acceleration and used the cruise control as much as possible.

For some reason, the trips heading North back into Dallas on I-35 always produce better MPG. The wind usually blows out of the SE this time of year. I think it may be a factor.