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Hyundai Veracruz Real World MPG

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Comments

  • 1trulove1trulove Member Posts: 29
    Other action to improve mileage and performance (sometimes they do work hand in hand :) ) is to switch to synthetic oil. Yes, it's more expensive and you need to follow the recommended change interval (7,500 miles on my '08 isn't that bad), but it will make a difference. Wait until after the first change for the best break in.
    Also, after market air filters, such as the K&N, Voilant and others offewr improved breathing and mileage.
    I did all of the above on my Titan truck and got at least a 10% improvement in mileage.
  • prosource1prosource1 Member Posts: 234
    I avg. 17-18 mpg for my Pilot. I believe the Veracruz is doing better with a bigger engine tho it has a 6 speed tranny. Probably the difference.
  • jmaulsbyjmaulsby Member Posts: 54
    Second tank, ending mileage at 1,100, in-town with A/C running the entire time - 18.2 mpg. It is getting a little better.
  • 1trulove1trulove Member Posts: 29
    Just filled up my first tank after delivery and setting tire pressure to 35 psi. Rides great and averaged 22 mpg with an average speed (via tip meter) of 33 mph. :) This equates to about a 50 / 50 city highway driving for me. We'll see what the second tank does before any changes, as the mpg should improve with break-in.
  • 1trulove1trulove Member Posts: 29
    Took a short trip to the beach of about 150 miles on State roads, doing 55-60 mph most of the way . Hit about 4 traffic lights and negotiated 2 parking lots. Achieved 25.8 mpg!! :shades: Future road trips look to be both comfortable and affordable.
  • dvinay12dvinay12 Member Posts: 20
    It's complete city driving at 20-40. Trip computer shows 9 MPG. Couple of weeks back it was 6 MPG.
    very Disappointed. Not sure what to do now.
  • austx37austx37 Member Posts: 18
    I do 100% city driving too with the a/c on low most of the time, I have a GLS FWD, about 1400 miles on it and I get 17 mpg according to the trip computer. Maybe your trip computer is not correct. Have you tried manually calculating your mpg on a tank of gas?
  • simagicsimagic Member Posts: 84
    I'm getting really sucky city mileage also. In the 10 to 14 range....Not happy about it
  • mjb56mjb56 Member Posts: 170
    If your driving style is on the hard side, you'll get lousy mileage. I typically get 19 in town and 24 - 26 on the highway. But that's with a very light foot and usually close to posted limits. It's all in how you drive.
  • dvinay12dvinay12 Member Posts: 20
    2nd Gas tank. Happy to note that I am getting 17-19 MPG in city driving. Not sure how it gone up from 9 MPG. As usual same driving habits(My Honda Civic 30 MPG city). VC Highway still getting 21. Hope to get better.
  • mjb56mjb56 Member Posts: 170
    I did a spot check yesterday to compare the trip computer and a manual calculation. Trip said 22.8 mpg. Manual calc showed 24.43. Hard to believe the trip comp. was that far off. This was 90% highway travel at or near the posted limits.
  • jmaulsbyjmaulsby Member Posts: 54
    I am averaging a little under 20 mph in drive to/from work, 55% highway/45% slow with some stop/go; 50 A/C use. The highway speed is between 60 and 75 MPH. I monitor the MPG readout on the dash to remind me not to have a heavy foot.

    The low teens MPG could not be accurate unless driver has a very heavy foot with a lot of stop/go. Check it the old fashion way by dividing total miles per tank by total gallons used.
  • 1trulove1trulove Member Posts: 29
    Just returned from a 290 mile trip (one-way) with 1,800 miles on my '08 VC SE FWD. No AC and about 2/3 State highway (55-65 mph) and 1/3 City. Trip computer read 24.1 mpg / calculated 23.9 mpg. Not bad! :)
  • perdido2keyperdido2key Member Posts: 28
    ..Got a 08 with 3200 miles Computer read 19.5 Long hand math figured 21 on a 298 mile highway trip.
  • dvinay12dvinay12 Member Posts: 20
    I was reading VC reviewes on Yahoo auto sometime back and one of the users changed the Gas pipe with the help of his dealer. That changed his VC MPG to somewhere near 27 MPG. Any thoughts. I will post that review here once I get it.
  • mjb56mjb56 Member Posts: 170
    What exactly do you mean by "gas pipe"?
  • dvinay12dvinay12 Member Posts: 20
    Here is review below for 2007 model on edmunds itself
    ================================
    Date Posted: 10/02/2007 By: VeraCruzin'
    Vehicle
    2007 Hyundai Veracruz SE 4dr SUV (3.8L 6cyl 6A)
    Review
    Bought the VeraCruz in March for summer vacation. Drove from Houston to Orlando and back with no problems or complaints. Initially had issue with fuel pump and had poor mileage (combined app. 15 mpg). Pump was changed out and am getting about 23mpg at 85mph, 25mpg at 75mph, and a whopping 30+ when I toodle at around 50!! The interior is great! The ride is quiet and smooth! I'm stopped quite often and asked how I like it and I share! Except for the fuel pump, which was changed quickly, I have had no problem with this vehicle.
    ===========================
    Not sure what exactly he did.
  • jmaulsbyjmaulsby Member Posts: 54
    Unless calculating MPG by hand (total miles divided by total gallons), I have discovered that the trip computer is not close enough to quote "real world MPG." I have calculated at least 12 tanks of fuel and the computer is off by as little as 0.5 mph to as much as 4 mpg.
  • jason330ijason330i Member Posts: 35
    sounds like he had a faulty fuel pump that was effecting his gas mileage. after it was fixed, his mileage improved.

    i don't think its any type of upgrade.
  • zarbazarba Member Posts: 30
    I've been thinking about a Veracruz, but we went with the Pilot for my wife.

    I wanted to post to this forum to let you have something to compare to.

    We have an '07 Pilot EX-L AWD. Most driving is mixed city/hwy. We average about 16-17 MPG, and about 20 on the highway.

    What I've found is that tire pressure has a HUGE impact on the Pilot's MPG. When my wife complained that her mileage had dropped, I checked the tires and found that they were at about 30 PSI. Putting them back to 38 PSI made a big difference (about 2 MPG) in mileage and handling.

    "Handling" is subjective. The Pilot is undertired with 235/70/16 Goodyears Integrity's (CRAP Tires), It really needs 17 or 18 inch wheels with 60 or 55 series tires, as the 70 series OE's are not nearly aggressive enough. You can feel the tires rolling under around corners.

    From what I see, the Veracruz is averaging much better mileage than the Pilot.
  • craigmricraigmri Member Posts: 243
    Zarba,

    Thank you for sharing your experiences with us about your Pilot. While I haven't owned a Honda, I have a huge interest in them for obvious reasons(quality, resale etc..) I really wanted a Ridgeline when they first came out but could never get the wife on board.

    I agree your Pilot needs 18's and some good rubber. I bet it will transform it into something sweet.

    Craig
    '08 Veracruz Limited
  • carbuyer11carbuyer11 Member Posts: 114
    Gas mileage is probably the most disappointing feature on our Veracruz. After 5300 miles, we are averaging only 17.6 MPG and have surpassed 20 MPG only twice (and barely- 20.3 and 20.0). Our low MPG has been 15.7. All mileage figures calculated by hand, not by the on-board trip computer. We've spent app. $750 on fuel during our 6 months of ownership. Admittedly, we haven't done a lot of extended trips so far so our driving is probably 70/30 in favor of city driving. I plan on changing to synthetic oil to see if there is any improvement.
  • 1trulove1trulove Member Posts: 29
    Sorry to hear about your mileage, but I suspect that the 75% city driving is the main cause. The VC is slow off the line causing most drivers to use a heavy foot in normal traffic. It really comes into it's own on the highway. Also try increasing tire pressure to about 35 psi, as well as synthetic oil. The next steps could include after market air filter and when the time comes, synthetic transmission fluid.
  • rmhockmanrmhockman Member Posts: 18
    Regarding gas mileage, I have had my AWD Veracruz SE for approximately 6 months, and with over 9000 miles on the odometer I have experienced reasonably good fuel economy in the 20 to 22 mpg range for varied driving, however it improves dramatically to about 26 or so on the interstate during steady highway driving.

    This is a well built 4400+ pound vehicle which I believe delivers good fuel economy for it's size.

    Pay particular attention to your tire pressures as they have a big influence on gas mileage. I have a tendancy to sometimes disregard factory recommended settings when they are only 30 psi and keep mine inflated to about 35 psi all around.
  • crainscrains Member Posts: 7
    Just bought an 08 Limited FWD a week ago. I noticed my MPG improved shockingly once I reset the TRIP. Can someone tell me how often it should be reset for the best/most accurate MPG? I mostly am carting the kids around town, but would like to squeeze the most out of that tank of gas.
  • rmhockmanrmhockman Member Posts: 18
    Your trip mileage has no bearing on your fuel economy, it merely displays your driving averages since it's last reset.

    I typically reset mine upon refilling the gas tank but it can be reset at any time, usually prior to a longer trip or just to view your averages during a steady interstate drive.

    R M Hockman
    k3lixrmh@yahoo.com
  • crainscrains Member Posts: 7
    I'm using "TRIP" as a general reference to the button I press to cycle through the various averages, etc.
  • 1trulove1trulove Member Posts: 29
    Probably best to reset at each fill up. That would give a good average based on conditions experienced during that period. .Otherwise you are extending your average over time and the mpg readout will tend to to stabilize at a more general average of all road conditiuons.. To indicate changes in your driving style or traffic conditions a shorter interval is required. Remember to "do the math" if you want an accurate reading and/or to check the accuracy of the mpg readout.
  • ilitilit Member Posts: 71
    1trulove:

    You're absolutely right!
  • jseideljseidel Member Posts: 7
    I recently traveled about 800 interstate miles with my 08 VC, 2 wheel drive. Speed between 70 and 80 mph at about 50 degree temp. The mpg was 23.4. The mpg was also confirmed by hand calculations. The mpg on the vehicle register is pretty accurate. I only have 1600 miles on the vehicle. First oil change will be to Mobil 1 synthetic oil 5 to 30 weight. This should increase the milage. Have been using synthetic oil for 35 years -- inside the engine remains unbelievable clean, no varnish or sludge. Satisfied with milage.
  • rmhockmanrmhockman Member Posts: 18
    Frankly, I cannot say I have never seen any significent change in my fuel consumption by using synthetic oils, although I always had more peace of mind knowing it iwas protecting my engine.

    I have consistently used Mobil 1 and/or Castrol Syntec for the past 10 or 12 years in perhaps as many as a dozen different vehicles over hundreds of thousands of miles.

    I am a firm believer in synthetic lubricants and my engines overall maintenance as it is the hardest working component of the vehicle.
  • perdido2keyperdido2key Member Posts: 28
    In looking over the 5 pages above on MPG results I saw no talk of gas type.
    If you buy gas with ethanol that 10% only has 60% of the BTUs of gasoline.???
    Do you buy87 octane or higher????

    My 08 fwd limited gets 18 to 21 mpg on 87 octane regular running 100% gas and/ or 90% gas.
    I reset the MPG computer at every fillup
    Present total miles 6800..
    Checks include 100% highway or city miles plus combination of the two.
    The computer always matches the math check within .02 to .03 mpg
  • ssinohiossinohio Member Posts: 2
    How can you get an accurate manual reading? 1.) How do you know how much is left in the tank? After the miles to empty reading gets under 25 it just shows 2 dashes. If you fill up and record how many gallons went in, you still don't know what was/is in the tank. 2.) I've always been advised not to let the tank get under 1/4 full which would make this tougher. 3.) When do you stop filling up? After I ran it down pretty low I still wasn't sure how much was in the tank. I tried topping off but I had pumped in 1 gallon more than the tanks listed capacity! When I first got the VC I was near 19mpg, but in the last month or 2 I've been around 15. This was after I added tire pressure to 35psi. Also, in the cold weather does the tire pressure go down or change? Do you have to check it more often in below freezing temps? I've also heard you can have your tires filled with nitrogen instead of air at
    speciality shops. Any opinions on this? I've been tempted to take the VC back to the dealer and have the fuel pump checked/replaced like someone else stated in post #69. I have been driving mostly city but have taken some short trips on Hwy. Not much difference. Would like to get near 20 if possible. I am planning to switch to synthetic oil after my scheduled first oil change. Is the 1st change scheduled to be done at 3000 miles or 5000? I have just over 2000 on my 07 limited. Otherwise I love the VC. Any responses would be great. Thanks
  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    Also, in the cold weather does the tire pressure go down or change?

    Yes, absolutely! Tire pressure changes by about 1 psi for every 10° change in temperature.

    I've also heard you can have your tires filled with nitrogen instead of air at
    speciality shops. Any opinions on this?

    Since air is 79% nitrogen to begin with there is very little benefit to filling your tires with N2.The benefit to cost ratio is pretty close to zero - don't waste your money!

    tidester, host
    SUVs and Smart Shopper
  • mdhuttonmdhutton Member Posts: 195
    The previous reply is correct on both points - tire pressure will drop in cold weather and air is already 79% nitrogen, so there's no material advantage to filling your tires with it.

    As far as manually calculating mileage, the key is consistency. First, fill your tank. Put the pump away when it shuts off, do not top off. Drive until you need to fill up again - half full, one quarter full, it doesn't matter. Record how many miles you drove. Fill up again in the same manner. Record how many gallons you purchased on this fill-up. Divide miles driven by gas used and you're done.

    Also, with all major oil companies using winter gas formulas right now, this will cause a 2-4 MPG drop in mileage, which might account for your difference. Want 20 MPG? Drive in the right-hand lane on the highway with the cruise set at 65 MPH, or whatever the legal speed limit is in your area. You might get run over, but you'll get mileage too!
  • crainscrains Member Posts: 7
    I'm a driver, not a car-person. Could someone explain the science/connection between the tire pressure and mileage? I'm still getting less than I had hoped. Mostly around the city -- stop & go and expressway (45 MPH) -- and I'm seeing an average of 14.5-16 MPG. Took a 6 hr trip to LA (75 MPH) and still not seeing over 20 MPG. All car computer, not manual. Otherwise, I really love this car (08 Limited FWD).
  • dvinay12dvinay12 Member Posts: 20
    Tire pressure determines how it's going to pull vehicles weight. It should not be high enough to bust the tires or low to cause drag on engine. I hear 35 psi is appropriate to balance out on this forum. I haven't check my VC's.
    I get 17 MPG in CIty with 25-45 MPH and 21 on highways..I saw mpg improves littlebit if you drive at 65 MPH on highway. anything above did not matter.
    So I feel on highways I am getting 24-25 MPG and its averaging out to 20-21 including city and highway.
    But the CUV itself is very great..Smooth.
  • oscar_gataoscar_gata Member Posts: 96
    Having high tire pressure lowers the tire's footprint (the amount of tire that contacts the road). A smaller footprint means that there is less drag (and traction) between the road and the tire. Less drag means greater gas mileage.

    As an example, if your tire is flat, it has a huge footprint and the tire is creating a huge amount of drag and friction, which hurts fuel economy. If you want to do some mild offroading, say driving on the beach or through some heavy snow, you want more traction so you don't get stuck, so you deflate your tires to maybe 20psi. If you grossly over inflate your tires (50psi), they have very low friction, but cannot do their job of absorbing bumps in the road. The recommended 30psi tire pressure is Hyundai's best compromise between ride comfort and mileage. If you want better mileage and can sacrifice some comfort, 35 psi might be a better number.
  • crainscrains Member Posts: 7
    Thanks for the posts. Completely makes sense. Now I guess I have to decide how much I want to give up the great ride. One of the things that turned me off after a Suburu CX-9 test drive was the rough, "sport" ride. Great for hugging the ground, but not great for a CUV and a car full of kids.
  • perdido2keyperdido2key Member Posts: 28
    My first trip pulling a 6X10 enclosed ,single axle, V nose,trailer with a 600 lb motorcycle inside got me 9.6 mpg on a 250 mile trip with 75% being interstate.
    I was using the select ( manual ) shift mode and stayed in 4 and 5 th gears at speed. Engine rpm at 3500.
    Both 5th and 6th gears are overdrive raitos.
    The car had plenty of power and did not labor.
    Makes me wonder what the mileage would be if someone pulled the max rated 3500 lbs????
  • 1trulove1trulove Member Posts: 29
    You didn't say what your interstate speed was, but your trailer didn't weigh that much to require travel at 3500rpm. It has enough torque to pull at 1/2 that rpm. Your poor mileage is due to not allowing the transmission to get to 6th gear. Try auto mode next time and only shift to manual for down hill breaking or severe uphill grades (if you think it's laboring). I'll bet the trany down shifts before you think of it on the up hill runs - gives you better mileage.
  • perdido2keyperdido2key Member Posts: 28
    Have you pulled a trailer of any size with your VC ? If so what was YOUR mpg?
    Max torque of 257 ft/lbs on this engine occurs at 4500rpm regardless of what gear the trans is in.
    Pulling a trailer,with a head wind to boot in this case, is the same as going "uphill" all the time!!!!!!
  • 9cal9cal Member Posts: 2
    Drive my 2007 Veracruz limted 2wd in both Mountains and Flat land and getting 22 mpg overall. Have 7800 miles and love the car, it is the best bang for the dollar in the market.
  • lmf4159lmf4159 Member Posts: 6
    I just purchased an 08 VC Limited with nav.and this info is all very helpful for me as a woman as I never paid much attention to oil and tires. (Never to late to learn) What is the most accurate way to determine PSI? Does the car provide this info or is it manually done? Also, this may not apply on this message board, but I am hearing a high pitched noise when I turn the vehicle tightly as in a cul de sac or into our garage. I will mention this to the dealership when I go back for my tags but I was curious if anyone knew if the steering mechanism is the problem. Has anyone experienced this before?
  • rmhockmanrmhockman Member Posts: 18
    An inexpensive tire air gage which can be purchased at auto parts stores, Kmarts, Walmarts, etc. is necessary for accurate pressure measurements.

    I usually keep my tires at 35psi regardless of the factory recommended settings that may be 1 to 5 lbs. less.

    Sometimes when you turn too sharply at low speeds it puts a overload on the power steering pump and may cause the fan belt to slip and squeal lightly,
    then again it may be something more serious.

    Your dealer will know what to do...

    You have a great vehicle there, enjoy it for all it's worth.

    R M H
  • 1trulove1trulove Member Posts: 29
    Note that tie pressue should be measured when the tires are "cold". Meaning before you start driving or after the vehicle has been stopped for 4 hours or more. If your dealer set the pressure when being serviced, it may have been done while the tires are "hot", so it's best for you to do it. Also note that gages do vary in accuracy. A dial type is probably the best for the money. I keep my pressure at 37 psi, which is exactly 1/2 way between the "recommended" pressure (30psi) and the maximum rated pressure (44psi).
  • broadswordbroadsword Member Posts: 3
    I have an 08 with just under 6k miles and average around 20mpg - combined city and hwy. I find that I get the best mileage going under 50 (24mpg) and the worst over 80 (18) - does pretty well if I keep my foot out of it, but wish it did better at 80+. Aside from that, the wife and I are very pleased with it. We are both a little surprised to never see any advertising at all and have only seen two others on the road (south-central Texas). Am also concerned regarding trade-in. Research indicated that it would hold value as well as Lexus - anyone have any hard data on this? I can't find any trade in information on KBB or NADA...
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    The True Cost to Own tool will tell you what Edmunds thinks the depreciation will be for 5 years out for most cars.
  • 1trulove1trulove Member Posts: 29
    Changed dino oil at 3750 miles and at 7,500 switched to Valvolene synthetic. Gas mileage increased from just under 23 mpg to 24+ mpg with the first 2 tankfulls. Thats at least a 5% improvement. Most of our driving is County and State roads at 50 to 60 mph and a "little" city. with parking lots and traffic lights. Also noticed that it appears that you need to be going over 50 - 55 for 6th gear to engage, hence the better mileage at or above these sppeds. Anyone elae using synthethic getting the same results?
  • amilivamiliv Member Posts: 23
    I'm also a firm believer in synthetic oils. However, I was told by some mechanics that I should stick with "plain" oils for first few oil changes, to allow machine to brake in. Is there any truth in this?
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