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Hyundai Elantra Real World MPG 2011 MY and earlier

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Comments

  • sarah2175sarah2175 Member Posts: 76
    Thank you, you just provided some great information and advice! Thanks! :)
  • iluvmysephia1iluvmysephia1 Member Posts: 7,704
    edited May 2011
    fushigi's advice is sound on needing to wait until you get your '11 Elantra's engine "broken" in to start expecting better ghastly mileage. I am just glad you didn't give up on Hyundai and ya went with another one sort of like the other one. Good job.

    I would've flirted with getting a Kia Forte but I'm a Kia man and not a Hyundai man. They're really two different beasts. Actually I have wanted two Hyundai's before. One a 2003 Tiburon with the 5-speed transmission (glad I held off on that one!) and the other a 1999 Elantra in "red" that really looked orange to me. I had to ask the salesman again if Hyundai really called the orange on that 1999 Hyundai Elantra red. He said that "yes, that is a red Elantra you just test drove." Sure enough, according to the window sticker, it was red!

    Test drove an automatic red 1999 Hyundai Elantra in December of 1998 and really liked it. Mrs. iluvmysephia1 also took the test drive and well, didn't like it. Didn't want a new car at that time. So we drove off in our 1997 Ford Escort, purple with an automatic tranny.

    I took that '97 Escort to Jerry Smith Kia in Anacortes, WA, in May of 1999 and traded it in on a violet mist 1999 Kia Sephia. Only $7,995 with the 5-speed stick. No A/C, no radio but it had a steering wheel. :P

    The rest is, and was, as they say on TV, history. :shades:

    2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick

  • fushigifushigi Member Posts: 1,459
    Here's a good example why distance-to-empty isn't a good measure of fuel economy. After filling up this morning my car said DTE was 300 miles. I then drove 84 miles, of which about 80% were highway. DTE now says 340 miles. So I drive over 80 miles yet DTE is higher than when I started.

    Obviously the 300 number was based on the city-style driving I was doing before filling up. Once I hit the highway the DTE slowly went up, peaking @ 360 before dropping down to 340 on my last 8 or so non-highway miles on my way home.
    2017 Infiniti QX60 (me), 2012 Hyundai Elantra (wife)
  • miranda200miranda200 Member Posts: 15
    Thanks for the good tips. I'll check the tire pressure and calculate as you've recommended. And (sigh) be patient for another few thousand miles.
  • iluvmysephia1iluvmysephia1 Member Posts: 7,704
    are ya talking about your Mitsubishi Outlander? Because what you're describing also seems to occur in our 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer GTS and it's fuel remaining display. It displays more gas left as the trip on the freeway goes along. It did it today AAMOF!

    2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick

  • fushigifushigi Member Posts: 1,459
    Yep. But as you know, if you scan the forums there are others who talk about how their trip comps are inaccurate and it's due to the same reasoning. Many TCs count engine revs over time and compare that to miles driven over the same period. It knows how much fuel is used in a rev so it's a straightforward calculation to see you're getting x miles/gallon and hence have y miles left before you run out of gas.

    But sitting at a stoplight incurs engine revs - and fuel consumption - with no distance gained so DTE for anything other than sitting in traffic is skewed. That's why one trick hybrids use is to shut off the engine when the car stops.

    If you hit the highway at a reasonable speed your engine revs are fairly low while vehicle speed is comparably fast. You're in the car's zone where it gets optimal fuel economy. Optimal economy is achieved when you're at the lowest speed the engine can comfortably maintain in it's highest gear. That varies by car.

    My commute is 23 non-highway miles each way. It has plenty of stoplights. But it is "suburban" so the distance between lights is much greater than a city block and speed limits are 35-45. I speed a little so I'm usually doing 42-50 and a little above 42 just happens to be where my Outlander's sweet spot starts. It hits 6th gear and cruises at under 1300 RPM for those distances.

    Making this comment relative, :blush: , my wife's '01 Elantra is mostly used for her short 3 mile commute. She gets (relatively) horrible gas mileage. But on her drive the engine rarely reaches full operating temp, she hits several stop lights and some neighborhood driving (25 MPH limit), is often stuck behind school buses, and so on. Also, while not a true lead foot she is a bit heavy on the gas when taking off. She drives it harder than I do, which is odd as I'm more of a speeder (and I grew up within a stone's throw from the Indy 500 track so I'm environmentally conditioned to drive fast ;) ).

    She gets good highway mileage but if she only uses the car for commuting to work she only gets MPG in the 18-23 range.

    Oh, that brings up another fuel economy gotcha. Operating temperature. Folks might not realize it but when an engine is cold, the computer uses a richer fuel/air mix. More fuel is used until the engine is fully warmed up. So regardless of driving style or any other factor, an engine that isn't fully warmed up to normal operating temp will use more fuel.

    Likewise, some cars - I can't speak for all - do a similar same thing with the transmission. My last car wouldn't engage the torque converter lockup until the trans was fully warmed up. That's another efficiency loss that's mostly felt during just the first few miles of driving.
    2017 Infiniti QX60 (me), 2012 Hyundai Elantra (wife)
  • iluvmysephia1iluvmysephia1 Member Posts: 7,704
    yeah, I've heard that your car struggles to get decent mileage when you're never reaching a comfortable torque on the motor. It runs richer when cold. Makes sense.

    2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick

  • mcksmommcksmom Member Posts: 2
    My 2011 Elantra has 4,100 miles on it and my mileage keeps going down, down, down. My daily commute consists of 8 miles of steady stop/go (mostly non-stop) to the highway, where I drive another 16 miles on the highway at 65 mph. When I first bought my car, I got 36-37 mpg, but that's as high as it's ever been. Now I am down to 27 mpg and have taken back to Hyundai twice to ask why. They keep saying, "Just keep driving it. It will get better." WHEN? I'm afraid I've got a lemon.
  • fushigifushigi Member Posts: 1,459
    If it started good and got worse (and other factors haven't changed) then I'd suspect something along the lines of a clogged/dirty fuel or air filter.

    Also, we're just getting off the winter blend gas so if you live in the snow belt your economy should improve a bit.

    If you normally buy cheap gas, try a few tanks from a Top Tier provider ( http://www.toptiergas.com/retailers.html ) as it may have more detergents than the bargain stuff.
    2017 Infiniti QX60 (me), 2012 Hyundai Elantra (wife)
  • aviboy97aviboy97 Member Posts: 3,159
    Yikes! I hope nothing is wrong. Perhaps the engine is not breathing well enough? Check the air filter or air box. It is common in my neck of the woods to see mice build nests in them. It's happened to me in the past.
  • hhr06hhr06 Member Posts: 47
    join the crowd sarah i'm on a trip now heading from florida to branson mo HAVE YET TO SEE 40 MPG ON HI WAY DRIVING, AS A MATTER OF FACT HAVE YET TO SEE 40 ANY TIME, BEST I CAN DO HI WAY BETWEEN 65 AND 70 IS 34.5 MPG. SEEMS TO ME HUYNDAI HAS A PROBLEM WITH THERE ADVERTISING . NOW HAVE A LITTLE OVER 3000 MILES WITH AT LEAST 6 FILL UPS WHEN DOES THE MILEAGE GET BETTER?

    THE CAR IS GREAT OTHER WISE
  • tenpin288tenpin288 Member Posts: 804
    edited June 2011
    Keep in mind that the figures quoted by Hyundai, and all other manufacturers, come from the EPA testing. I looked at their site for the test parameters for the highway mileage test and here is the particulars:

    1. test time -- 765 seconds
    2. test mileage -- 10.26 miles
    3. test avg speed -- 48.3 mph! (with a peak of only 60mph for a brief spurt!)

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

    So basically, if you go over 60 mph for an extended period of time, or if your avg speed exceeds 48.3 mph, it is likely you will fall short of that 40 mpg. Is that Hyundai's fault? Sorry, no. Blame the EPA and their testing methodologies! :cry:
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    On your trip to Branson, try as hard as you can to treat the accelerator as if it were a raw egg. Anything other than a light touch will break it. Also, the more you touch it, the greater the chance of it breaking. Also try staying at the speed limits. And tell us how you do--in both directions (since you'll be going uphill to Branson, downhill home).

    My 2004 Elantra with 65k miles and the old iron block engine does over 35 mpg highway @ 65 mph without breaking a sweat. I am sure your 2011 can do better.
  • svensmorsvensmor Member Posts: 7
    2012 elantra mt 480 miles on odo.first tank of fuel averaged 39.83 miles per gallon.These are real calculations not on board computer calculated. The first tank had only about 60 miles hwy.On the highway i was getting between 48 and 49 with hills.Granted these hwy miles were done alternating between 60 and 62 miles an hour as to break the car in and not maintain a constant speed for too long as recommended by the manual for the first 600 miles.
    So far this car has been a commuter and that is where my mpg experience has been garnered thus far.My commute is 34 miles round trip it is 11 miles rural 4 miles suburban and 2 miles city with NO HWY.
    almost every day are 2/3 mile shopping or appointment side trips around town on the way home.At the beginning of my drive every morning i reset my trip cmptr and then check it when i get home.my lowest average mpg was 39.4 and my highest was 44.1.I have been driving thus far according to hyundais breaking in suggestions i.e. vary speeds keep the rpms between 2000 and 4000 and i have not been using the cruise.Once the break in period is complete i will cruise at a lower rpm and use cruise.I am accelerating slowly shifting when prompted and looking ahead to time lights.I hope these real world numbers can put to bed the high mpg non believers and i expect these numbers to improve once the break in period is complete.
  • dudleyrdudleyr Member Posts: 3,469
    Excellent mpg. A manual transmission is the only way to go for numbers like those - despite what the EPA may say.

    Wish they offer the stick on the higher trims.
  • mikeystoy5mikeystoy5 Member Posts: 56
    Just made our second tip from Duhram, NC, to Knoxville, Tn.. Gas mileage was great as far as I'm concerned. Averaged 38.79 which was mostly hwy. We have a 2011 Elntra GLS automatic, with 3200 miles on it. Felt real good about it, since we have to go up an down thru some mountains.( I call them hills, real mountains are west of Mississippi )
  • thfrazerthfrazer Member Posts: 20
    I've got just over a 1000 miles on my 2012 Elantra GLS A/T and I have yet to get anything over about 31mpg. I followed the supposed "break in" procedures. I go easy on the gas pedal during starts, etc. I do drive at a speed about 5-8mph over the limit, but I'm in Florida where it's flat for goodness sake! On one tank I drove around town, drove to work (30 mile one way, mostly highway) and took a road trip to Naples on I-75 and got 30.7mpg. When my 11 year old BMW with an Inline 6 cylinder and tons more horsepower can get 23-25mpg over the same routes with the same driver (me) I have got to wonder what the hell is going on.

    The fact is the break-in procedure as written in the book starts out with the comment that there is nothing special you have to do to break-in your new Hyundai. The sad part is it has gotten progressively worse each time I fill the tank. Another weird thing is that when the Range got to 30 miles-to-go it just went to dashes ---- and that was it! When I filled it up at that point I put in 10.7 gallons and the tank holds about 11.7 so go figure. I was at the dealer for another reason today and overheard another customer complaining about the decreasing gas mileage. While the EPA may be partly to blame for the numbers on the sticker it is Hyundai that is advertising the crap out of their "40mpg" Elantra.

    This is a nice car for the money, but I, and many others, probably bought the Elantra thinking we'd get at least 29mpg combined. It is truly disappointing to find out that is not the case. I should have stayed with Honda and gone with the Civic which every review says gets better than the estimated city/highway mileage. I'll keep an eye on this issue, but for now I'm going to say you should NOT buy this car based on estimated MPG. If my mileage gets to a minimum of 29 combined I will report back and perhaps change my tune.

    Sorry Hyundai! You've let me down and this was your first and possibly only chance to impress me.

    Tom
  • raerae15425raerae15425 Member Posts: 1
    I have had my Elantra since Feb, and have well over 6000 miles on it and my average MPG is 31.........I am really unhappy with this since I traded in an 04 with 104,000 miles on it and it got 35 miles to the gallon..........we just did 2 highway trips, and I got 30.1 MPG, and this was calculated by filling up before and after the trip. Really unhappy because now not only do I have a car payment........I'm going to have to take out a loan for the gas that I put in this car compaired to the old one. Not happy with this new car at all.......and the window sticker said 35 city and 40 highway...........false advertising if I ever saw it.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    edited July 2011
    Which Elantra did you buy? The window stickers of all Elantras sold in the USA say 29 city and 40 highway.

    Tell us more about your road trips. What was your average speed (trip computer can tell you)? Many stops? Cruise used? What kind of terrain? Temperatures? All these things affect fuel economy.

    I have an '04 Elantra and it will do 35+ mpg on the highway, at reasonable speeds. But not 35 mpg overall. If your '04 did 35 mpg over its lifetime, you must have done a lot of highway driving with it.
  • sarah2175sarah2175 Member Posts: 76
    Give it some time...you only have 1000 miles on your car. Also, when you are driving on the highway, how fast are you going?
  • thfrazerthfrazer Member Posts: 20
    Thank you all for your optimism. I hope I am proven wrong about the Elantra's MPG.

    I drive in south Florida where he roads are flat, the temps this time of year vary from 80-100F, and many consider the drivers here crazy :)) I consistently drive 5-10MPH over the speed limit. The speed limit on the highway I use varies from 55-70MPH. My route to work is 30 miles one-way with most of that being on I-75 and the Palmetto Expressway. My drive to work usually occurs outside of normal congested times (i.e. not between 7-9am and 4-6pm). All fuel in Florida contains Ethanol (10%?), but I don't think that is an issue.

    The sticker says 29 city and 40 highway and it also says something in smaller print about the average user getting from ~24-34. So far I have gotten 29 combined, but not much more even when doing a road trip from Fort Lauderdale to Naples across the Everglades and back. I've got a Honda Odyssey that gets about 18mpg city and that is used solely to transport my wife and kids to/from any and all activities and shopping. So if the Hyundai that carries less passengers and weighs probably half as much can only get 24-30mpg then I'd say they've got a problem. And I intend to let others know about it.

    I like the car, but this fuel issue has me disappointed. Not only do I not get the mileage I expected, but the Range gauge goes to dashes ---- when it goes below 30 miles to go! However, the fuel gauge has one bar left at that point so what are you to trust? When I fill the car up when I get dashes I can put about 10.7 gallons in. My manual says the tank holds +/- 11.7. So the fuel gauge is accurate, but the range isn't. Why? Only Hyundai knows and they ain't saying.

    In theory a Civic will cost more than a Elantra. So the money you save on the purchase price will probably pay for a lot of gas at a 3-5 mile per gallon difference. In addition, the Elantra has a 5 year versus a 3 year bumper to bumper warranty for the Civic. That is the only way to feel good about the MPG difference between the two.

    I will keep everyone posted as my car ages.

    Tom
  • sarah2175sarah2175 Member Posts: 76
    Again, give it some time. My 2011 Elantra has about 3,300 on it, and I had the same issue as you did. It evens out...don't be so angry about it and have a little patience.

    I also use cruise control whenever I can, and it helps tremendously with the MPG's.

    A few weeks ago I drove 2 1/2 hours to visit my folks house. My average speed on the interstate was 70-75, and the MPG's kept rising on the dashboard computer. After about 30 minutes, it reached 41 MPG. Now during city driving, I have treated the accelerator like an egg, as I said I use cruse control whenever possible, and I only go about 5-10 MPH over the speed limit (like you) and my MPG's for city is anyone between 26-31.

    It's not 29 *every single time* but who cares? It's a fantastic car and I couldn't be more happy with it! (Except for not having a spare tire, that sucked when I got a flat two weeks ago lol)
  • mikeystoy5mikeystoy5 Member Posts: 56
    Yes, Enthynol will affect gas mileage, I would say bt a few gallons a mile. Also, using the cruise control helps out alot. You have to stop an remember that those advertised MPG's are based on ideal conditions. The fuel tank on all 2011 Elantra's is 12.8 gallons, not 11.7, and why in the world would you wait till it shows dashes on the miles to go. That is an estimate, not true mileage left. It's based on driving habits, weather, traffic an type of fuel. Mine has almost 3200 miles an on a recent trip to Tennessee, we averaged almost 39 mpg., an acording to the idiot gauge on the dash we were getting almost 42.5. Never trust something that is estimating what your getting for mileage.
    You can say what you want, but i think that I'm getting exactly what I paid for, sorry you don't.
  • Kirstie_HKirstie_H Administrator Posts: 11,145
    I totally agree with the comment about fuel blended with ethanol. We go out of our way to avoid it - not that we drive miles out of the way, but we know where the non-ethanol stations are, and we fill up when our travels take us close to one.

    It has a definite effect on my MPG.

    MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
    Need help navigating? kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
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  • pbhattpbhatt Member Posts: 4
    Hi... Dont worry... Once it passes 1800-2000 miles it should start improve... In my case I used to get 29-31 overall for first 1800 Miles (For first 600 miles only 26-27)... But after that It started improving and now I am getting constantly 34-35 mpg.. (I am commuting 30 miles oneway everyday with 70% highway)
  • thfrazerthfrazer Member Posts: 20
    Thanks again for all your optimism guys and gals. I really like the car, but my issue is the fuel economy. I expect to get less than the EPA average because the EPA testing is not realistic. However, I don't think I'm the only one who is unhappy about what I do get in the Elantra. I'm sure if I drove with cruise control on, no A/C, just the speed limit, etc., etc., I'd get closer to the mileage, but that's not what the EPA does either so that shouldn't be expected.

    I use gas with ethanol in all my other cars and they still get what they used to get when I bought them in 2000 and 2003. Maybe the Elantra is different in that respect. Anyway, it's my car now and I'll be patient and hope for the best.

    With regard to driving until the dashes --- appear. That is what happens when it gets to 30 miles to go on the range meter. So I either have 30 miles to go or the range meter is not very good. If my Elantra holds 12.7 as someone said then at 25mpg I should still have 50 miles to go when I stop and put in 10.7 gallons. No matter how you look at that issue it doesn't reflect too well on Hyundai. You may fault me for driving til the dashes appear, but the first time it did that I got nervous and filled up immediately. Now that I know it is bogus I'll try to get it repaired or drive til the bars on the tank gauge disappear :)) The point is the range meter should be more precise if it really holds 12.7 gallons.

    Tom
  • mikeystoy5mikeystoy5 Member Posts: 56
    Are you sure you have an Elantra an not a Accent. The Accent has a 11.7 gallon tank and the Elantra has a 12.8 gallon tank. Maybe you should look at the Hyundai website an see what holds what. Also, it is a proven fact that ethanol will cause you to some mpg. It's not Hyundai's fault on whats put on the maroney(Window Sticker), it's what the EPA says it will get. There was a post in here earlier on how they arrive at that figure. If you drive till the dashes go out, hopefully you'll have your cell phone with you, you'll probably need it. Plz see post #313 on how the EPA determines mileage.
  • hhr06hhr06 Member Posts: 47
    count me in on any thing you want to do about the gas mileage. i have over 6000 miles and have yet to see 40mpgs, just came back from a trip from biloxi miss, to branson mo and back. veru disappointed with mpg
  • hhr06hhr06 Member Posts: 47
    feel the same way here with the false gas mileage i have a 2011 loaded limited elantra
  • sarah2175sarah2175 Member Posts: 76
    How fast were you going? Be honest....
  • thfrazerthfrazer Member Posts: 20
    My plan is to try everyone's ideas/advice and see what kind of MPG I get once I've put several thousand miles on the car. In the meantime I plan to file a complaint with Hyundai even though I don't expect much from them unless there is some sort of class action lawsuit which I don't think will happen. I also plan to post about it on all the auto buying/selling web sites. Maybe a few letters to the editors of auto magazines and such as well.

    I know the EPA is at fault here as well, but as I've said I just don't like Hyundai advertising the crap out of their 40mpg cars. Blaming it on the EPA is no excuse for letting the customer feel betrayed as I do. I do not expect to get 40mpg unless I'm on some outrageous road trip where the speed is constant and you never slow down, pass, or stop to eat. However, I do expect to get 29 on a trip that has 50% highway and 50% city driving.

    This is my car now and I'm not going to sell it, take a loss, and then buy a Civic. My only option is to grin and bear it and let others know about it. For the price the car is nice. There are negative things about it I wish I had noticed before I bought it, but that's not unusual. The reality is that I chose this car because it supposedly got better gas mileage than the Civic and because it had better looks and a better warranty. As Meatloaf sang "Two out of three ain't bad".

    Tom
  • snakeweaselsnakeweasel Member Posts: 19,290
    A couple of things here. First don't file a complaint with Hyundai as they can't do anything and will just aggrivate you. Hyundai by law has to advertise EPA estiments. So they are not doing anything wrong, nor will a lawsuit do anything.

    Secondly I find it hard to believe that people are getting the mileage that they are reporting here. We have the Sonata and during a recent trip we got very close to highway EPA figures (33.5 MPG vs 35 MPG) with mostly highway driving, maybe 30% stop and go and a couple of times stopped it gridlocked traffic. According to the onboard computer I can get close to 40 MPG on the highway @ 70 MPH (every time I check the computer against actual its only a few percentage points high).

    2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D

  • mcksmommcksmom Member Posts: 2
    I just turned 6,000 miles on my 25 mile drive to work this morning and I still am averaging 30 mpg on my /01 Elantra (90% HW miles). Before I bought this car I studied up on all cars so I could get the best mileage at the best price. It came down to the Prius or the Elantra. Since the Elantra was $2,500 less, I went with it. I love he car and get tons of compliments, but the milage is a HUGE disapointment. I keep thinking about contacting a major news network to make others about the mistake, i.e., fraud(?).
  • hhr06hhr06 Member Posts: 47
    my wife and i were driving and we never went above 72 mph a lot of times between 65 to 72.. one time i was doing 45 to 50 mph on intersate and saw 40 mpg for a short peroid of time. and also a LOT of CARS passing me like i was standing still. this is a true statement
  • sarah2175sarah2175 Member Posts: 76
    You are going to file a complaint with Hyundai because you aren't getting EXACTLY 29 city and 40 highway? Okay...good luck with that.....LOL!!
  • sarah2175sarah2175 Member Posts: 76
    Why are you driving 45 MPH on the interstate? I'd be passing you like you were standing still as well....
  • sarah2175sarah2175 Member Posts: 76
    I agree with you...the MPG has A LOT to do with the way someone drives their car, and it also depends on how much time is spent just idling in traffic. I don't think a lot of these people are being completely truthful.

    I haven't driven on the highway all that much with my 2011 Elantra, but I average anywhere from 38-41 MPG. City driving is much different of course, I live in northern Virginia near DC so there is a lot of stop and go. I get anywhere from 25-29 city. No big deal. It's a fantastic car and I absolutely love it. :)
  • thfrazerthfrazer Member Posts: 20
    LOL...It isn't about luck and I certainly don't expect anything in return from Hyundai. Just letting them know. Using your logic I shouldn't answer their customer and engineering e-mail surveys either. Nor should I post on here for others to read. What good would that do, right?

    Sorry, but your sarcasm is misplaced.

    Tom
  • heredavidheredavid Member Posts: 1
    I just traded in my PRIUS...1st I was going with the Elantra 2012, 1st tank from dealer ran at 28.1, 2nd full tank ran at 29.5 and just did 3rd tank at 32.5. Hills going and coming three to five trips daily. 1/3 35-45 city. 1/3 45-55 semi-HWY and 1/3 55-65 HYW. I was braking it in for my daughter as I just got the HYBRID after seeing how the Elantra got a few miles less than the PRIUS and would take 40yrs for the price difference (@$4 gal here). Plus move features and all around better than Toyota to deal with (for my experience) . Only have 45 miles on HYBRID so can not tell how close that will come, however, a large size plus Front/Read heated seats and a lot more! Both are fully loaded with all the trimmings and save a ton of monies over the PRIUS with a lot more car...IMHO
  • sarah2175sarah2175 Member Posts: 76
    I'm (like others) just saying to give it time....you only have 1,000 miles on your car. I just think it's pretty silly to complain about an issue that is so minor, you haven't even broken in the car yet. I had the same complaint as you did when I first bought mine. Have a little patience. But I guess some people just like to whine about something.

    Last October I bought a 2010 Elantra. The transmission died two months later. I took my complaint to Hyundai consumer affairs, and was awarded two free car payments. Now THAT was a solid complaint...whining about not getting exactly 29 MPG is just really, REALLY petty.
  • snakeweaselsnakeweasel Member Posts: 19,290
    The thing is is that Hyundai can't do one thing about what mileage figures they use. They have to use the EPA figures. If people are not getting those figures there is nothing Hyundai can do.

    2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D

  • mikeystoy5mikeystoy5 Member Posts: 56
    After working in a dealership service department for around 42 yrs., fisrt as a tech, then as a shop foreman/lead tech, all I can say is that no matter how hard you try try, some will find fault. I think it's called buyers remorse, because they think they got took, an they have to blame someone. Some won't get rid of the car, no matter how unhappy they are with it, they just want to complain an try to destroy a a certain vehicle. Trust me, some get down right nasty too, no sense to it, thats just the way they are. The best thing I would tell them is to R.T.F.M., then maybe they would understand more about why their not getting what they perceived they were getting. They even can read the windown sticker an read the fine print on the mileage, but I guess that thet think it does not apply to them. I have seen the Service Manager an the owner tell more then 1 person that maybe they should try a different dealer or even brand, because there's no pleasing them.
  • snakeweaselsnakeweasel Member Posts: 19,290
    You do have a point, there is a small segment of the population that are not happy unless they are not happy. That being said I think the anger here is misdirected. Legally Hyundai and the dealerships can only report what the EPA says it is, beyond that all they can say is your mileage may vary.

    2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D

  • thfrazerthfrazer Member Posts: 20
    Well, well, well. Now you guys are taking it personally. Have I or anyone else done anything to you? Buying a car is a major expense. Unlike most things you buy this is one you can't return no matter what unless it's a "lemon" and that is very hard to prove. It's called the non-rescission law and applies here in Florida. Heck you can even "return" your wife or husband through annulment, but not cars, boats and homes. So, yes, I do have a certain expectation that goes along with the purchase. I have expectations of the manufacturer, the dealer, and the car in this case.

    If you don't like my review/discussion of the Hyundai Elantra ignore it. If you don't like my approach ignore it. No one is making you read these posts and unless you are actually adding something to the discussion your input is just fluff. You might try telling me how to get more mileage instead of blaming it on me. As I've said I like the car. I'm just not happy with the MPG. Hyundai and the dealer don't need your help. They've sold the car and that's that.

    Carry on wayward son.

    Tom
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    edited July 2011
    You asked for tips on getting better fuel economy. Here's some I've found work well, and are not hard to do:

    1) Pretend there's a raw egg between your right foot and the accelerator. That sounds silly, but it really works. The idea is to 1) touch the accelerator as little as possible (or you might break the egg), and 2) when touching it, use light pressure to keep RPMs down (and avoid breaking the egg). When you're not touching the accelerator, you're not using much gas at all. You can see this for yourself in the mpg meter on your car.
    2) Use the mpg meter on your car to help you learn how to drive for maximum fuel economy. Does it have an instantaneous readout? If so, turn it on and keep an eye on it as you drive around. The idea is to keep the mpg as high as possible. If it doesn't have an instantaneous readout, reset the average mpg readout and use that; the idea is to get the average as high as possible.
    3) Keep to speed limits. It's well known that speeds over about 60 mph kill fuel economy. So if the speed limit is 55, drive 55. If it's 70, don't go 80. What's the hurry? Drive in the right lane, set the cruise, and relax. Let everyone else get lower fuel economy.
    4) If you have trouble moderating the gas pedal for best fuel economy, let the car do that--use cruise whenever practical.
    5) Anticipate stops. No sense driving full speed up to an intersection if the light will change when you get there. If you didn't see the light turn green, assume it will probably turn red before you get there and prepare to slow down the moment you see the yellow light. Also, in areas where lights are timed for a certain speed, take full advantage of that and drive within that pattern to avoid stopping. Coast up to red-light intersections as much as possible, if you can do it without impeding the traffic behind you (maybe they want to turn at the intersection).
    6) Keep tires properly inflated. Make sure they are always at least set to factory specs, and if you want to maximize FE then set them a few pounds over spec.
    7) Avoid idling. When you are stopped, FE is zero. If you'll be stopped for more than a minute or two, shut the engine off if it's practical. There's a reason hybrids and even some ICE cars are designed to shut off the engine when stopped.

    Using tips like these, I always get over the EPA ratings on any car I drive--my cars, rental cars etc.--unless it's very extreme conditions, e.g. short in-town trips in very cold weather (I live in MN). But I always exceed EPA ratings on the highway. For example, this week I rented a 2011 (might have been a 2012) Sonata in Austin, TX. 99 degrees when I landed, so A/C on of course. Driving on the highway from the airport to my hotel I got 40 mpg per the mpg meter. Even considering some stops and slow driving, I got 34 mpg for the full trip--just 1 mpg under the car's highway EPA rating. And this was a new car, 500 miles, so not broken in yet. And a much bigger and more powerful engine than your Elantra's. If I can do it, you can do it.
  • mikeystoy5mikeystoy5 Member Posts: 56
    If you go an look up ethanol , it'll verify that you will lose mileage by as much as 25%. This is as per the EPA. I totally agree with what backy says to, an trust me, I don't take things to heart, especially when I know what I'm talking about. I know more then just getting in a car and driving son.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    I can't find pure gas in my area. A few years ago I got to fill up with pure gas on the return leg of a 450-mile trip, and I got about 10% better FE on that than the 10% ethanol blend I had in the tank for the initial trip.

    So it's possible to meet or beat the EPA estimates even with 10% ethanol. But it's a little harder.
  • mikeystoy5mikeystoy5 Member Posts: 56
    WTG backy, I beleive what the EPA was using was E85, which is what most stations carry if they have it. When I lived i Seattle, we called it winter gas, and it did lower mileage., but like you said , it is possible under the right conditions.
  • fushigifushigi Member Posts: 1,459
    I presume you mean E10 - 10% ethanol / 90% gas. E85 is not recommended for many vehicles (like, pretty much every non-US brand) as the high ethanol content can corrode gas lines.
    2017 Infiniti QX60 (me), 2012 Hyundai Elantra (wife)
  • mikeystoy5mikeystoy5 Member Posts: 56
    OOPS !!! Never said I was perfect lol
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