KIA Sportage Real World MPG

tidester

Please report on your KIA Sportage mileage in this discussion. Please include city/highway, odometer, driving style or similar comments that you think may be helpful. Thanks,

tidester, host

pao1

I have a 2005 Sportage EX, V6 automatic. There are a little over 3500 miles on it - I do mostly city driving. I'm getting 14.1 mpg. The dealer says that the vehicle will get much better mileage after its "broken in" at about 4500 to 5000 miles. I had the ECM adjustment when I was notified by Kia. Anyone have experience with low gas mileage or other comments about gas mileage? Thanks.

petec1

I have an 06 Sportage automatic EX V-6 as well with about 4300 miles on it and have the same complaints that you do with the mileage. Took it to the dealer who handed me a brochure on EPA testing and basically told me "live with it, it doesn't get any better". I'm getting what you do and drive like you do (mostly city). One poster here said he had good luck by switching to a harder Goodrich tire ........that's not a workable solution when you have only 4300 miles. I change vehicles often and unless something dramatic is done with the transmission (doesn't know what gear it's supposed to be in) and/or the engine, I will not buy another. That's really too bad, because I really love this car in every other respect.

mikdee

What we really need to do, is send a barrage of letters, phone calls, & e-mails to Kia, & Hyundai, to get on the stick, and fix this widely known major problem! That they refuse to acknowledge!

I traded in a perfectly good 2002 Santa Fe LX 2.7 V6 4WD Auto. That gave me 20-24mpg around town, & 24-30mpg on the highway, for over 3yrs, & 87K miles, that was completely stock, except for using 10-30W, winter, 10-40W summer, Quaker State synthetic blend oil, changed every 3-5K miles, for this similarly equipped, lighter, more aerodynamic, GAS HOG! What Did They Do Wrong?!?!?!

14milo

What is the ECM adjustment? Haven't heard from Kia!
:mad: I too only get 14 mpg city but there have been others on in this forum reporting 17. That sounds more like what we should expect when you take into consideration the EPA overstatement.

1jacques

last winter I wrote sevral articles about how lousy my 2006 4wd Sportage was ....I estimated about 10 miles to a US gallon at the worst of it in -20F temp.

at mid point on my gas gauge I was hitting 100 km (60 miles with 25 liters or 5 imp. gallons gone in the tank !!

Summer is here now I can get 200km on a half tank or...
about 24 miles to one imp. gallon (19.2 miles to a US gallon)

City driving issue was closed shut when I did a 100KM run with Kia mecanic he did 50 km I did Km we both refilled to the top and total consumed was 13.5 liers
(within kia spec for city driving) except I never drive 100km straight in twn... I go to walmart and back, i get groceries and come back etc...

The kia test met he specs So I stopped complaining although the issue ...doing 10mils per US ga;llon in twon in winter will come back next winter !

pretty lousy if you ask me,

right now...24miles to a Imp. gallon highway driving well what Can I say it is not so bad but by dodge Caravan gave me 30-32 miles to an Imp. gallon going to Florida.

But hey!! In snow on 4wd... it is a real safe car to drive !! it just sucks a lot

bhmr59

That's surprising. My '05 Sonata with the 2.7L engine averages about 18 mpg year round in mostly "city" driving. Lowest I've gotten was 16.something when it was very cold and the highest was 19.something in warm weather. If I do even a little as 50 miles on the highway, the increase in mpg is noticable. I drive 2.7 miles to work, up & down hills, with 2 stop signs the 2 traffic lights (usually only have to stop at one light) and the last 1/2 mile is stop & go due to a traffic light 1/4 mile after my office's parking lot. With 40% highway adn 60% city I've gotten 23+ mpg. The last time I drove a full tank of gas on the highway I got 28+, and that was with only 1100 miles on the car and having to stop for tolls on the Garden State Parkway.

Don't estimate your milage based on the gas guage reading...you'll likely be way off. Maybe you're heavy on the accelerator, maybe you spend a lot of time stopped in traffic (which gives you ZERO mph when stopped).

1jacques

been using the same foot since I was 20.. now 56
been driving the same roads in the same city for 36 years
Been enduring winter after winter

the only vatiable is a awd 2.6L v6 Kia Sportage

I use the odometer to calculate the miles (KM) and the meter on the gas pump to calculate gas quantities and my wallet says OUCH ! :mad: everytime I fuel up

14milo

I have an '05 EX auto w/ 5,300 miles and get 14 mpg in city driving. I just use the computer in the dash to figure it out. If I'd known, I wouldn't have bought the car.

daddye

I have an 05 EX 4WD 2.7.

I too, thought it got bad gas mileage early on.

Now, the car has about 16,000 miles on it. I have had the computer traction control recall work done.

The mileage has gotten noticably better: I do a combination of city/highway, and it gets about 21 MPGs. My feeling is that the EPA rating is right on: if all I was doing was going to get grocercies, errands, etc (lots of stop and go parking lot driving) i think it would get about 19 MPGS. On the highway, it can get 23 or so.

One change I have made that I would recommend is getting a different air filter. I went with the K&N air filter after I looked at the stock air filter that came with the Sportage: The design is poor: the dirt spots on the air filter indicate that most of the air is being forced through only part of the filter, thus probably restricting air flow.

I have been really happy with the sportage. I also own a 2001 Optima that has about 130K miles on it. Mostly, it has needed only regular maintenance.

-e

artgpo

My wife's 2005 V-6 4 x 4 Sportage has about 17,000 miles. She averages 19 city, 21 highway. The MPG has not changed much since she bought the car new in April, 2005.

crazedcommuter

Hey gang, I'm new to the Kia site. Today I drove home my new 06 Kia Sportage LX 4 WD with the 2.7 6 cyl. Olive green paint with the beige interior. Options that we got are keyless entry, mats, and the tonneau cover with an out the door price of $21,000. According to the research that my wife and I did prior to purchase, this seemed like a good deal. Any thoughts from the members? Is there a break-in period for the vehicle? Any other tips you guys can pass on would be appreciated.

heiman

2005 Kia Sportage EX 4x4. I use this vehicle for meter reading with lots of stops and idling. I got about 18 MPG during the time that I read meters with it. When my wife drives it she gets about 20-21 MPG with about 50/50 city/highway driving. Currently has about 15,000 miles on it.

mikdee

Hey Craze, That's the color, and model I wanted!,,, But, after looking at a new 2005 last year, I told the salesman I had to have the heated leather seats, & sunroof, with it, he said it wasn't available in that color combo, only dark grey, or black cherry, I told him good bye,,, I chose a 2005 Nautical Blue Tucson LX instead, with all the options I wanted, I'm very happy, except for poor gas milage, 24mpg is the best I've ever got, but I still have a soft spot in my heart for that Olive green, & Tan, Sportage
By the way, I was quoted close to that figure on the Sportage LX a year ago, so I think you did good! Mike

boltguy

June of last year I bought an '05 LX 4WD 2.7L Olive Green Sportage with the black interior. Still love it except for the mileage. Hovering right around 20 mpg with 50/50 driving. I paid $20,000 out the door, but don't have the keyless or the tonneau cover. So the price sounds about right. I would try not to go much over 65 mph for the first 1200 or so miles. But you should vary your speed when you can and try to avoid the cruise control for awhile. It's in your owners manual I believe.

crazedcommuter

Mikdee,
Thanks for the info. I originally looked at the jade green/gray in a 2wd v6 model but liked the olive/tan setup better. The olive was in the showroom and was the AWD model. I drove the 2wd along with wife and she really wanted the jade. I said to wait a week until the end of the month draws closer and we'll talk price then. Long story short, we got the AWD olive/tan combo with the options for less $$ than originally quoted for the 2wd jade Sportage. I'm glad to hear that your price quote was close to what I paid and it seems like a fair price. Last weekend we drove it on a mini road trip following my 2 oldest son's soccer careers from the mountains of western Maryland, thru West Virgina, and out to the DC area. Our milege at fillup after was at 20.4 mpg. That was the 3rd tank of gas for the vehicle. I would be happy to get 24-25 mpg after break in. My 95 Blazer only got 17 mpg. BTW, I like the nautical blue Tucson. We looked at an 06 ex and it is a nice clor combo with the leather package.

crazedcommuter

Hey Bolt,
Thanks for the info. It was the best vehicle for the $$$ that both the wife and I could agree on. I had not driven the new style sportage and was amazed at the quality and the improvements over the older model. It just feels so solid from the "thunk" of the door closing to the ride and engine sound. Your advice is sound for the break-in period and we'll take caution not to exceed 65 mph. I strongly suggested that wifie read the owner's manual from cover to cover on this car. It's mainly going to be her daily driver and she drives a whole 2.5 miles each way to work. I drive 56 miles one way to work in my Scion XB. When it snows I'll take the Sportage to work and follow my kids soccer games from its comfortable cockpit.

boltguy

Funny, I live in Western Md. The best mileage I ever had was 24.5 mpg on a 350 mile trip. I do have a little of the steering wheel vibration, but have yet to get a proper tire balancing done.

crazedcommuter

I live in the WV's Eastern Panhandle and am in Western Md. often, so we should get similar gas mileage after mine breaks-in. I don't have any of the vibration in the steering. Will a tire balance fix the issue? My Sportage came stock with the Goodrich T/A Traction Specs, what about yours? I bought the performance T/A Traction's 3 years ago as replacements for my work car and they were an excellent all around tire. I have read a few reviews on Tirerack.com about the T/A Specs wearing out at 20k miles. How have your's held up?

boltguy

I'm hoping a tire balance will fix the problem. The steering wheel shimmy gets worse when I'm braking hard. I hope that doesn't mean the brake rotors are warped. As for the T/A Specs, I think they're about average. I may make 40K on them, maybe. From what I've heard, the Specs aren't nearly as good as the original T/A Tractions. I'll definitely be looking for a different model tire when the time comes.

crazedcommuter

No problems at 1850 miles. Last tank mileage was 18 mpg in all city driving. We're off to a college soccer game in Columbia, Md. this weekend and we'll get a good concentration of highway miles.
My wife took it to Hersey, Pa. last weekend and claimed that the steering was pulling to the right on I-81, but I checked it out and didn't find the problem. Maybe the wind? It was blowing pretty good that day. Our friend went with us to the Prime Outlets last week and commented about how much nicer the interior of the Sportage is as compared to his Jeep Grand Cherokee along with a better ride. He's in the market for a new suv and said that he will test drive the Kia's 1st to see if the other suv's can measure up.

boltguy

I've also had passengers comment on how smooth the ride is in my '05. A little more insulation in the floor area, and this cute ute would be extremely quiet. Its already pretty nice. My steering was a little off when I first bought it, and had an alignment done under warranty, the only warranty item I've had so far.

jamieanne

I have an 05 AWD Sportage with lots of extras. I love the car with the exception of the mpg. I live in a valley with flat long roads mostly 50 mph. I work in a small town, not too much stop and start or waiting at lights so I wouldn't consider this city driving. I'm an easy on the car driver. My mileage is only 18.5 tops - lower if I go to the city or into the mountains. I complained to Kia - they responded with a brochure about how to drive efficiently. When I call the dealer, they tell me to change to premium gas which contradicts advice in the users manual. They also point to the small print on the sticker saying I should expect 16 to 29 mpg, so I am in the range. They also say, contrary to the advice of another poster that I must use the Kia filters no matter where I get my oil changed. hmm. Really, I feel stonewalled by the Kia dealership and the company. In my opinion they need to fix this problem.

I also see that the new advertising for the Sportage claims high fuel economy. Phooey!!

crazedcommuter

Well I guess Kia is advertizing the "good" mileage of the Sportage compared to the Nissan Armada, Chevy Tahoe, or the Ford Explorer. I have friends with those vehicles and they are real gas hogs. The friend with the Armada is chomping at the bit to get rid of it due to the 10-12 city mpg. The loan is upside down so they are stuck with it for a few years. I hadn't heard about the Kia filter issue. I've run Purolator and Mobil 1 filters for years and testing shows these 2 filters to be top notch.

Did Kia tell you that the warranty is void if you use another brand name filter?

I knew before I bought it that the Sportage was not the greatest mpg suv. It is on a par with the Honda Element, CRV, Ford Escape, etc. The ride and interior are nicer than my Chevy Blazer and my friend's Grand Cherokee. I really want a hybrid suv but will wait for the prices and the technology to improve.

csandste

"Did Kia tell you that the warranty is void if you use another brand name filter?"

Having just bought an Optima this certainly caught my eye.

Do they give you the filter free? If not, that practice would be a blatant violation of Magnuson-Moss.

crazedcommuter

I just hit the 3,000 mile mark on the Sportage. I have not yet changed the oil as the owners manual states 7,500 for the change, but I have traditionally dropped the oil on new vehicles at 3,000. I usually do all my oil changes with synthetic. As far as the exclusive use of KIA filters is concerned, I will call my neighbor who is the manager of the dealer from where i bought it. I will post his response. How do you like the new Optima?

mkennett

just wanted to let you know the dealer cannot make you use any certain product and cannot void your warrenty for not using a Kia filter it is federal law in the United States. Look up "magnuson-moss warranty act" for more information and if the dealer still claims that you have to use a Kia filter i would call your state attorney because they are trying to scare you and being dishonest.

renzo07

Hi Im Renzo, I'm from Albuquerque, NM and we just recently bought a brand new 2006 Kia Sportage EX 4WD, Fully loaded, Leather Interior, Sunroof, And We Love it, but It does terrible on gas, We Have to fill it up almost every 2-3 days and it's just not working for us, but we love it to pieces, its comfortable the ride is impressive and incredible, but I need advice in the Gas, Do I need to use Premium Gasoline, Or What Do I do? Also I need to take it in monday for a defective tire!!! Thanks!!! :confuse:

tidester

You didn't say what your mileage is but with the 2.7 L (6 cylinder) version at the low end of the EPA numbers (i.e. mostly city) that adds up to about 300 miles per tank (15.3 gallons). It sounds like you're doing some heavy duty driving. I'm guessing that's an Albuquerque-Santa Fe commute.

tidester, host

renzo07

Hi, Well I don't do a Albuquerque-Santa Fe Commute, I guess it's because I drive It Alot, but Still It Waste To much Gas!!!! Well Thanks anyway!!!!

crazedcommuter

Renzo07
Your MPG will improve slightly as you break it in. Make sure your tires are inflated to 33-35. We have 4600 miles on our 06 LX 4x4 and ours is steadily improving. My wife uses it mostly in city driving so I have no highway numbers yet, but the last tank was 20.562 mpg.