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Hills, & mountains kill MPG, but you can learn to reduce those loses. Its good to keep the tires pumped up (more than recommended?). However, people pumping them to mid-40 PSI & higher must be the hyper milers, & its too high, specially if you want to stop before running over people. Also, even my moderate over-inflation, seems to be leading to my tires wearing just a fraction too much in the center. However, I drive a wonderful CVT transmission, which theoretically eliminates transmission jarring & tire flex & my average OE tires look like they will exceed 60000+ miles.
However, my first impression with the new Elantra is that gas milage is nowhere near that advertised. I commute 70 miles a day back and forth to work. 75% of that is highway. First tank averaged 28MPG. That is worse than my 2005 Elantra which averages 30. I babied the throttle the entire tank all because I was expecting to see great numbers. It didn't happen.
Given that it was the first tank, I expect there may be some small improvement. However, initial break in does not typically return more than another 10% in mileage. As a loyal Hyundai owner, it is sad to say that peoples concerns about the vehicle performing well below the advertised MPG are well founded. It is even sadder to think that after all the hype about mileage, the vehicle performs no better than the 2005 model which gets the same or better mileage when driven much more agressively.
Over 12k miles in winter and summer conditions. Majority of driving is 75% highway.
Average over life so far is 30.2mpg. Worst tank 26mpg in snowy conditions. Best tank 37 on a long highway stretch of 325 miles, and that was going 75.
Average gas cost in Missouri has been 3.33$
Mpg drops dramatically in typical city driving. Average for city for me is maybe 26
Anything over 65 impacts highway mileage. I could have probably gotten 2mpg better on that highway stretch 37mpg mentioned above
So far only saved 200$ in fuel costs over my 2001 Passat
EPA estimates are wildly inflated for the typical driver. I know some hyper miler types have done that but everyday drivers will not.
Trip computer estimates are always off by 1-2 mpg. Always calculate actual mpg
Would I buy another? Not sure. The car is great but Hyundai is selling it on the fact it has great mileage. I averaged more with the Ford Focus hatch which was a rental car we had for 2k miles this summer
I'm not a heavy-footed or aggressive driver.
Most of the highway mileage is over flat roads and I generally set the cruise at 65 - 70 mph.
With the Eco-button engaged, the highest mileage I've gotten so far is 31mpg and it usually hovers around 27-8mpg. So what gives? What is the magical forumula to get 40mpg? Does one have to be coasting down hill the whole way?
It seems to me to be a HUGE issue if there is so little consistency. And I'm thinking perhaps this advertised 40mpg amounts to a false claim. I'm really upset because I could have purchased a car like a Honda or a hybrid that actually gets the mpg they claim. On the MPG promise I'm feeling duped and upset. :mad:
If most owners on average are actually getting closer to 30mpg from their Elantras, then it sure seems that when considering a new car purchase, they might have considered a whole lot of other cars in that 30 mpg category that would be competitive with this car.
Since the cruise is on, it's not the driver. The road is flat, so it's not hills or mountains. It's not winter yet. There can't be a really strong headwind all the time. I'll assume you took care in measuring the fuel you put into the car. So 27-28 mpg as a usual circumstance is really odd. You should probably run a few tankfuls to make sure, but if mpg continues to hover around 27-28 under the conditions you described, that's just not right and not anything like I have experienced with this car.
I can only speculate why the EPA would do this, but maybe they are being lenient to sweeten the current trade deal with S.Korea, just announced yesterday.
:confuse:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204774604576631372347566258.html?m- - od=WSJ_business_whatsNews
Yes I will definitely take the car back if this continues to be the case. However, from what I've read here I'm not alone.
Wow! Now we are headed down the conspiracy trail.
Please read carefully from the EPA fuel economy website. Their fuel economy test is not a guarauntee of results merely a means of comparison.
Of course some drive more aggressively and some live in areas with steep hills, but on flat terrain, making a concerted attempt to attain the advertised mileage, should yield somewhat reasonable results. But many of us are not getting this result. The car is nice but some individuals (not me) actually bought the car needing better gas mileage because of their budgets.
Rudy
Nope, here is how they are tested. All cars go through the same process and procedures, no conspiracy involved!
EPA Test Procedures
The last car I drove was a 2000 Elantra Wagon and it could get about 32 MPG highway. I can't think that they didn't improve the mileage since 2000.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
for anyone who would like a different perspective on that:
http://www.ewg.org/reports/realmpg
http://www.caranddriver.com/features/09q3/the_truth_about_epa_city_highway_mpg_e- - - - stimates-feature
To pretend that all these foreign trade deals are pristine, above board business transactions is just naive. I'm not suggesting the scenario I proposed is true in this case, only that it is entirely possible and is common practice. And EPA test practices leave lots of fudge room too.
It seems there is also a campaign to convince people that these
anomolies between advertised and real mpg is due to their faulty driving.
Most of the highway mileage is over flat roads and I generally set the cruise at 65 - 70 mph. With the Eco-button engaged, the highest mileage I've gotten so far is 31mpg and it usually hovers around 27-8mpg.
Now you are saying:
The highway/cruise control driving situation is around 32mpg. The 27-28 was the average for a more mixed driving situation (highway 70%, in town 30% approx).
Which is correct?
27-28 mpg in mixed driving on a new engine is not too bad, IMO. If it goes up only 10% after break-in, now you're at 30 mpg mixed driving. And who knows how many stops, how much idling, how much stop-and-go driving is involved, compared to how the EPA test is done? There's a reason the EPA states, YMMV.
But 32 mpg on cruise at 65-70 mph on a flat road seems low for this car. I have exceeded that in my wife's 2007 Sonata that is EPA rated only 30 mpg on the highway. My 2010 Sentra will get upper 30s (close to 40 @ 65 mph) under those conditions, and it's only rated 34 mpg highway.
Please try this test and tell us the results: pick a relatively flat stretch of highway on which you can maintain a constant speed. Set tire pressures to at least factory spec. Reset the mpg meter. Set the cruise at the speed limit (or 70 mph, whichever is lower). Drive at least 10 miles, turn around and drive in the other direction (again on cruise). And see what the average mpg is. If it's not at least upper 30s I'd be surprised.
I don't believe that I ever had a car that I couldn't beat at least the EPA highway estiment by at least 2-3 MPG at between 70 and 75 MPH. Cases in point two summers ago we drove our Sebring ragtop out west, EPA rated at 29 MPG I got about 32-33 MPG driving at speeds at 70+ MPH. This last summer we took the Sonata up to Wisconsin EPA rated at 35 MPH highway we got just over 36 combined Highway/rural and in town driving including idling on the Interstate for about an half hour due to an accident. I had a 2000 Elantra wagon EPA est 29 highway that consistently got in the low 30's.
Most people I know usually beat EPA estiments.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
But we disagree on what is wrong with this picture. I have a hard time believeing that a Sonata beats out an Elantra in MPG. It could be just your car or your driving habits or a combination of the two.
And if you've been following this thread and others like it on the internet, this issue is being vocalized by more and more new car owners.
I have been following the thread, the number of those vocalizing their issues are very small compaired to the total number sold. It just may be a case of a very vocal minority.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Meanwhile further down the conspiracy trail......
Time for my aluminum beenie...... My thoughts are not my own....
I agree about the EPA estimates, I've always beat them and I'm usually about 5 over the limit....maybe 10 on the freeways if with the flow of traffic.
Here is how compute gas milage:
1993 GMC C1500 Suburban 5.7L 223,450 miles 14178.3 gallons 15.76 MPG
2005 Mazda 6s 5 speed 72456 miles 2911.0 gallons 24.89 MPG
2005 Hyundai Elantra GT Auto Only owned 1 year drove 10430 miles 352.8 gallons 29.56 mpg
2009 Mazda CX-9 AWD 29760 miles 1532.5 gallons 18.23 mpg
So while it failed to hit the advertised 29 city, there are extenuating circumstances. Indeed, with her short commute the car often won't even make full operating temp so the fuel mix will be extra rich which also negatively impacts economy.
I look forward to seeing her MPG after she's put 4K or so miles on it, but I think this is a promising sign.
EPA Rating (City/combined/highway) Old 13/15/17 new 11/13/16
2005 Mazda 6s 5 speed 72456 miles 2911.0 gallons 24.89 MPG
EPA rating Old 19/22/26 New 17/20/24
2005 Hyundai Elantra GT Auto Only owned 1 year drove 10430 miles 352.8 gallons 29.56 mpg
EPA Rating Old 24/27/32 New 21/24/29
2009 Mazda CX-9 AWD 29760 miles 1532.5 gallons 18.23 mpg
EPA Rating 15/17/21
I just turned the odo at 11,432 miles and here are my stats, precisely tracked on actual mpg, not computer (which is ALWAYS at least one mpg over)
2011 Elantra Limited
11,432 miles on the odo 1/3/11-Present
Cost avg per gallon $3.33
Highest reading 37
Lowest Reading 27
Overall calculated MPG 30.2 in all mileage and all conditions over 10 months.
Slightly better gas mileage using Super , but not enough to warrant cost shift from regular.
Based on EPA claimed 29/40 (which if you read the sticker says this average is in ideal conditions and doesnt reflect all drivers experiences) I am getting roughly 4mpg less than what you would expect overall with my driving mix.
I drive about 70hwy/30city, so that is kind of annoying.
However, I am testing several tanks worth of gas over the next several weeks by doing no more than 65 on the highway every day to see if that makes a big difference. However, no matter how i drive it in city conditions, it does not get better than 27
Based on my old car MPG of 25 overall,
I saved approximately $222 in fuel costs in 10 months. (and probably several hundred in maintenance, but that car was 10 years old)
Overall though, one of the big reasons I chose the Elantra was the bang for the buck (the Limited features are awesome) and the advertised gas mileage.
So I guess overall I am happy with one of the two reasons for buying it.
Bingo!
If everyone drove like the EPA test is conducted, they should get the EPA ratings for fuel economy. Of course, that doesn't happen in the real world. EPA fuel economy ratings are estimates, not guarantees.
I never said the driver was at fault for bad gas milage. The driver is only at fault if they calculate the their gas milage incorrectly or if they think that the EPA estimates are guarantees.
If you drive 300 miles and fill it up to the tune of 10 gallons you average 30 MPG. If you calculate for ten fill ups you still get an avg of 30 MPG.
Let's say that your neighbor also drives 300 miles and fills his tank with 9.5 gallons of gas. He averages 31.6 MPG. If he calculates this ten times he still gets 31.6 MPG. and if his fill up is 10 gallons a few times, the disparity is even closer.
Unless there can be a drastic difference between stations and their pumps, doing this over time doesn't tell you much, at least by this measurement.
Rudy
There is. I've noticed a 1-2 gallon difference on a fill up (fill at lowest flow, to automatic shutoff) between stations. This is with several different cars, different tank sizes. I frequent two stations near me, and I see this difference between them all the time. I can never seem to get my tank full on one station, thus it's always 1-2 gallons short of full when I fill up there. But no problem filling the tank at the other station.
But if you drive 3000 miles and fill up you will use either 99.5 gallons or 100.5 gallons because the error is not cumulative. Your calculated mileage is now either 30.15 mpg or 29.85. A much better representation of your true mileage. The numbers are only examples or the variation possible and the +/- 1/2 gallon is only an example. I do not know that actual variation and I don't know an easy was to measure the variation. However by averaginr your calculations aver many tanks the variation becomes a smaller percentage of the fuel used.
Hope I explained this OK. If not ask questions and I will try to clear up.
The government makes the standards by which the cars are tested. The manufacturers test the cars using the government prescribed methods and report the results. The government verifies a random sampling of the results for compliance.
If you know what the test procedures are you can design a car that excels on the tests, but might not do so under real life conditions.
All cars in a model range get the same EPA rating, but you can bet that that lightest one is tested (no options). If you drive a heavier loaded model it will do worse.
Some are grumbling about car mags testing mpg. Consumer reports has the best mpg tests in the industry by a mile. The test all their cars the same way under the same conditions (weather may vary slightly) and they test a variety of ways.
Lets look at Consumer Reports numbers vs the EPA for the Elantra and a competitor.
Elantra EPA 29/40
CR 20 city 40 highway (Steady 65 mph) 35 mpg on 150 mile test loop (mostly highway - some stops)
Civic EPA 28/39
CR 19 city. 47 highway and 39 mpg on test loop.
So the Elantra can certainly match the epa numbers but only under ideal conditions. The Civic gets 8 mpg over EPA under those same conditions.
Does the Elantra get good mpg - yes. Should you expect to average 40 mpg on a fast highway trip - probably not.
Before everyone piles on about how its all about how I am drive, remember... I have a 2005 Elantra that is getting averaging 29 mpg on the same route. The 2005 was only rated at 29 hwy total, not 40 like the 2012. I have never had a vehicle that I was not getting near or better than the advertised mpg.
EPA estimates are wildly inflated for the typical driver. I know some hyper miler types have done that but everyday drivers will not.
//////////////
litesong2 wrote:
Why would you think that everyday drivers (who don't care about mpg, don't know how to drive to obtain good mpg & are stuck in stop & go traffic, anyway), can beat professional drivers who are driving a mpg city cycle (but not unending stop & go)?
Hey, people! If you're stuck in stop & go traffic, ya gotta get used to burning fuel while going nowhere..... enless you're in a Nissan Leaf.
29/40/33
then in very fine print.
24-29 city 35-40 highway 30-33 overall based on driving conditions and driving habits (or something like that)
So me getting 31 or 32 mpg overall is within the accepted range.
(I did notice at least 1-2 mpg improvement by keeping it under 65 on the highway over 2 tanks.)
30 mpg highway is very low. But what does "highway" mean? Does it mean cruising along at 60-70 mph, no stops? Or something else? If the former, 30 mpg is much lower than it should be.
Have you tried a highway mpg test in which you make sure the tires are at least at spec, moderate weather, pick a relatively flat section of highway where you can drive w/o stopping for at least 10 miles, then get on the highway, set the cruise at the speed limit, and reset the mpg meter? Then after at least 10 miles (longer if you can, back track the same route, and then check the mpg readout. If the speed is 70 mph or less, you should easily get upper 30s to 40+ on that test. If you still get 30 mpg on that test, I'd take the car back to the dealer as something is wrong with it.
Tom