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Kia Forte Real World MPG

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Comments

  • bluepigbluepig Member Posts: 2
    The suggestion to reset my mileage would have been a good one, if in fact that digital indicator reflected anything close to actual. The only way to determine actual is to fill you tank at the same station, using the same pump (if possible), and lock the fill handle so that it auto shuts off when full: Don't add more fuel, because that will distort your actual mileage. When your car is full reset your trip indicator (I always do both, time traveled, and average mpg). Drive until near full, note the miles, and fill up again. When you have the total gallons, divide that into your miles traveled, and then you will have the actual. If I relied on my trip indicator, I would drive this piece of crap off a cliff, as the trip says I'm getting between 22 and 24.8 on any given tank.

    In Utah another serious consideration is tire inflation. Any location where temperatures vary wildly, your tire pressure can vary as much as 8-10 psi.

    Since my last post my averages are between 25.8 and 26.7, no better, no worse, and it does not matter if I'm on the highway all the time, or mixed driving.

    I am now at 13k miles and am starting to notice other potential problems. Both of my headlights are collecting moisture internal to the sealed housing. There is a weep tube at the bottom of the headlamp enclosure, but it is not supposed to allow moisture in, rather it's a one way leak tube for condensation. The engine is now starting to make valve noise, as in it either needs the valves adjusted, or its wearing poorly. My first two oil services were at the dealer at recommended intervals (3 & 6k miles), my last two were me doing the oil with a full synthetic per the manual, and Bosch filters. I do not read anything anywhere on the KIA site that suggests anything other than synthetic, aside from the break-in oil.

    I have two friends that are attorneys, both of which were willing to take this on as a class action filling and on contingency. If we are able to get a filling I will post that disposition on this site.

    Unfortunately I have decided to look into selling my KIA Forte 5 and getting a Honda or Toyota where the actual mileages posted are closer to real world, as per both users groups. The new Dodge Dart also looks like it might be a candidate, but I want to hear actual mileage results prior to moving that direction.

    If I were a leftist socialist democrat, I would sit out in front of the dealer with a sign indicating actual mileage as compared to advertised. Fortunately I have a brain and a full time job, so doing so would be nearly impossible. Someone has to pay the tab for the worthless illegals that are infecting this nation.
  • blacktigerblacktiger Member Posts: 8
    Mileage ratings attract customers, bottom line. For EPA ratings cars are tested at optimal settings including, but not limited to, over-inflated tires and software adjustments then driven very conservatively. They can do these things because power, handling and durability are not factors in these tests. They give two numbers on the sticker, the higher attracts business, the lower covers their "liabilities."

    That being said, my 2013 FORTE came with 26/36 on the sticker. I drive about 90% on interstate highways. At first it was getting mileage in the mid-30s, but the handling was a bit squirrely. The tires were inflated to 40psi though the door sticker specifies 32psi. I reduced pressure to 32. The car now handles like it's on rails but, the mileage now averages @ 32MPG with me usually running about 80 MPH. Routinely driven at 65-70 it averaged as high as 39.

    So, this car is doing exactly what I expect it to do, and more. The 6-speed automatic requires no attention, manual mode is fun while protecting the engine from overreving. Cruise Control maintains EXACT speed set. This FORTE reasonably quick, steady, stable and predictable at all speeds yet goes over washboard clay roads with little notice.

    Fit and finish, not to mention styling, are impeccable. I may have the best one they've ever built. :)
  • blacktigerblacktiger Member Posts: 8
    The key to high fuel mileage is limiting speed. My car is a 2013 Kia Forte EX 2.0, 6-speed auto. Took delivery 12/14/12 and already driven 8400 miles. My commute to work is a 70 mile loop, 99% Interstate and I've been using that to experiment with this car, resetting the MPG computer and using this wonderfully accurate cruise control. Running 80 MPH the car averaged 27-28 MPG, I wasn't any happier than some others who have posted here. Dropped down to 75-70 for an entire week and averages and MPG went up to 32. This week I dropped the maximum to 65 MPH and achieved between 35 and 36 MPG. Then, tonight I made the entire 35 mile trip at 55 and reached 44 MPG! :shades:
  • blacktigerblacktiger Member Posts: 8
    UPDATE:

    Today I filled up, reset and drove the commute to work at the posted limits of 70MPH for 20 miles and 65MPH for 15 miles. Resulted in an average of 37MPG. Returned home at 55MPH and average remains 37MPG.

    Am not resetting until the next fill-up and at that time will do the math and compare the computer's average with the math, miles divided by gallons purchased. Appears that driving some distance at a low speed may re-calibrate the fuel delivery ratios. Will keep you posted.
  • blacktigerblacktiger Member Posts: 8
    Follow-up II:

    Filled up tonight. No top-off. Tank capacity 13.7 gallons.

    Computer readings:
    Miles driven 419
    MPG 35.7
    Range 67
    Avg MPH 45

    Receipt:
    Gallons 11.257

    The math:
    419/11.257=37.22MPG!

    Actual range. Remaining fuel in the tank 2.443 gallons X 37.22MPG=90 miles. This makes total range 509 miles! :)
  • blacktigerblacktiger Member Posts: 8
    How did I do this?

    On Friday, filled up and drove to work the 35 miles at 65-75 MPH, as posted. Work 2nd shift so, when I get off at midnight there is little traffic. Drove home at 55 MPH. Just before I made my off-ramp, though, a VOLVO semi truck nearly ran over me. Since then, Monday and Tues, I have drove home at 65. Also, on Saturday I drove to a carwash in Florence, round trip 40 miles then, Lexington and back, mostly 70 MPH on Interstate but some stop and go in town as well. Round trip 100 miles. On Sunday, went to see my sister, 60 miles over a curvy two-lane at 45 MPH or less.

    So, unlock the high mileage your FORTE is capable of.
    1. Drive it at least 20 miles at 55 MPH.
    2. Drive no faster than 70 MPH.
    3. USE THE CRUISE!

    Let us know if this works for you.
  • blacktigerblacktiger Member Posts: 8
    FYI, using the heat puts no extra load on the engine so does not affect fuel mileage. My heater, by the way, will roast a pig! I found the secret to unlocking high mileage.

    1. Drive the car at 55mph for 20 miles. This recalibrates the fuel delivery software.
    2. Drive no faster than 70. Go beyond 70 and you will see your MPG average will begin to drop.
    3. Use cruise as much as possible. It will set as low as 25.

    Let me know if this works for you.
  • vip00vip00 Member Posts: 1
    I've been looking around for ideas on what to do with my '11 EX 5dr 6AT... When we first bought it, we got great gas mileage, getting close to 40 MPG for the summer months and around 34-35 in the winter on the highway (commute is a 40 mile loop, 35 miles on the highway). I stopped paying attention to the mpg for a while and then this winter I noticed that I was filling up a lot more often than I used to, so I started paying attention again. I'm now getting 26 MPG average... and here's the interesting part. Whether we run mostly errands and drive around town for most of a tank or it's 100% highway driving back and forth from my parents 3 hours away, I'm consistently getting about 26 MPG. How can highway mileage not be better than city mileage? I drive a relatively reasonable 66-68mph, so I'm not sure what is going on.

    Any ideas? There's a lot of wisdom in this thread and I'm desperate for advice!
  • blacktigerblacktiger Member Posts: 8
    edited April 2013
    Hello,

    You should be getting much better mileage than 26. My commute is much the same except for a 70 mile loop but, even wandering around in stop and go traffic, I range 32-34.

    Driving at 55 I can get as high as 44 MPG! Found this to be dangerous on the Interstate as I almost got run over by a semi- TWICE! Be careful where and when you do it. But, after I did that to recalibrate, MPG started climbing. Now, I am running 70-75 with the A/C on and getting 36-39 MPG. Warmer weather seems to increase efficiency. This is probably due to warmer air being less dense, therefore, containing less oxygen. Apparently, these genius engineers calculated this and programmed the system to deliver less fuel to match.

    Bought my little Aurora black sedan in mid-December. At first, I was a bit discouraged as my MPG meter wandered between 25 and 30. Then, realized I was having a ball driving the heck out of it! Began experimenting with amazing results. See my earlier posts "Incredible Mileage is Possible" for details.

    Try this:

    1. Drive the car at 55mph for 20 miles. This recalibrates the fuel delivery software.
    2. Drive no faster than 70. Go beyond 70 and you will see your MPG average will begin to drop.
    3. Use cruise as much as possible. It will set as low as 25.

    Note: Make sure you have ECO system ON, a clean air filter and use the recommended 5W-20 oil, not 5W-30.

    Let us know if this helps. :)
  • blacktigerblacktiger Member Posts: 8
    Okay, now, I'm driving 70-75, even 80 some, with the A/C on, and averaging 34 MPG on my last tank. First tank I ever put in the car gave me a range of 359 miles. Filled up Sunday and the range showed 411. Monday, I drove to and from work at the posted limits, 65-70 and averaged 37 MPG. Today, I drove to work at 65 MPH all the way and got 38 MPG, on average for the first quarter of this tank-full. Going to stick to the 65 and see what happens. Warmer weather seems to increase efficiency.
  • bummer13forte5bummer13forte5 Member Posts: 2
    I just got a 2013 Forte 5 and I am not pleased to say the least. I am not a crazy driver, I do not drive 80 MPH. At worst, I drive 70 MPH which, in Canada, is 110 KM per hour. I am getting approximately 350 KM per 45 litre tank of fuel. Frankly, this sucks. Kia advertises 6.9 litres per 100km. You can do the math and see I am nowhere near that.

    As well, with all due respect, I think driving the car at 55 to reset the software is rather Hokey. No car should ever have to do that. I will give it a try but if this is what I have to do, then, the technology is poor.

    I have previously owned 6 Hondas and thought I would give KIA a try. I think I made a huge mistake.

    As well, in Canada, it comes with a 5 year warranty. I am thinking, "hey pretty good since Honda only has a 3 year warranty". I now find that in the US, the same car comes with a 10 year warranty. I have a really bad taste in my mouth right now.
  • conwelpicconwelpic Member Posts: 600
    edited June 2013
    we are missing information here, we don't know which engine you have or transmission. How many kilometers do you have on the vehicle, how many tank fulls have you done to check the fuel economy? Where are you located? What kind of driving were you doing on this 350 km fill you stated? Not sure where you are getting the 6.9l/100 km figure from.

    Never heard of this driving at 55 mph to reset the software?

    Your right about Kia with a 10 year/100k mile power-train warranty in the US. The balance of the vehicle warranty is the same as Canada. However, the Honda warranty in the US is the same as the warranty in Canada, still 3 years/ 36,000 miles or 5 years/60k miles on the power train.

    I'm on my second KIA and no problems with the with the fuel economy, but I never expect to get the advertised rating on full tanks as that is simply a guide to compare one vehicle with another under the same control laboratory conditions. US EPA figures changes to metric would be closer to realistic driving, but can still vary which is what they say in all advertised figures. If you get within 10-20% of the advertised figure you are doing pretty good.

    http://www.edmunds.com/fuel-economy/heres-why-real-world-mpg-doesnt-match-epa-ra- - tings.html

    I am located in Canada and drive a Soul with a 2.0L engine, I can get well over 500 km and use much less than 45 litres to do it. (recent fill did 533 km and used 40.3 litres which equals 7.6L/100 km.
  • bummer13forte5bummer13forte5 Member Posts: 2
    People suggested to wait until over 5000 km. (3000 miles) to let the engine break in.
    OK, I am now over 5000 km and am still getting a maximum of 450 KM (280 miles) per tankful.
    An above post states to get better mileage, lower your speed. 55 MPH would deliver 44 MPG.
    Unfortunately, if you drive 55 MPH in Toronto, you will get run over and it becomes unsafe.
    Reality is the speed limit is 100 km (62 miles) per hour and, like everyone else, average drivers go around 115 km (70 miles) per hour.

    Under my driving conditions, of which I consider to be real city life conditions, I am only getting 23 mpg. HORRIBLE for a car that was sold as Kia' CIVIC equivalent in their car line. It is no where near a CIVIC of which I have been RELIABLY getting 33 - 35 miles per gallon (550 - 600 km per tankful) no matter what speed I drive.

    I wish someone from KIA would read this and comment.
  • manu6manu6 Member Posts: 2
    I agree with bummer.

    City driving in Toronto leads to 450 km per 46 litres (a full tank is actually 52 litres but I fill up as soon as the indicator turns on).

    The funny thing is. as opposed to what is claimed about engine break in by a number of people, I could reach 550 km with 46 litres when my car was under 3000km. After that mileage got lower.

    I get a better mileage with highway driving. This summer I reached once 610 km for 46 litres, but it was 100% highway and pretty much constant speed (around 120km/h).

    (2011 Kia forte 5, 22000 km)
  • gregoryveegregoryvee Member Posts: 1
    edited June 2014

    I have a 2012 Kia Forte EX. Bought it new in April, 2012. I too have city MPG ratings that are abysmal when compared to the 26 MPG city advertised on the sticker whether I use 87 or 93 octane gasoline and even when driving the car very gently around the city. I do get close to the advertised 36 MPG highway (and sometimes even as high as 40 MPG) but the overall AVERAGE has been coming in at 26 MPG when I expected it to average 32 MPG since my driving is that expected 50/50 split of city and highway miles.

    At 15,000 miles per year and gas in the Chicago area now at ~$4.00 per gallon this means I'm spending about $430 per year more for gas (~$36 per month) than I expected to be spending. NOT COOL, KIA.

  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Just leased a 2016 Forte5 LX with the 2.0L 173 hp engine. I've driven about 120 miles so far, mix of city/highway, and averaging 33 mpg, which is the EPA highway rating so I'm OK with that. If this car is like Elantras and a Rio I had, the mpg will improve over the first 15k miles or so. Oh, and I turned the Active Eco off as I didn't find it helped mpg much on my Rio5 (which I leased before this car) but it does dull the pickup of the car.

    Does anyone else have a Forte/Forte5 with this engine and the 6AT? What are you getting for fuel economy?
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    I just got my two best FE results on my last two tanks on my 2016 Forte5 LX with the 2.0L. The previous tank was 38.6 MPG. But my last tank was 38.9 MPG! This on a car EPA rated at 33 MPG highway. I was at 42 MPG on that last tank about 1/3 into it, almost all urban freeway, and thought I might break 40 for the tank. Then I hit a stretch of construction traffic and city driving that drove it down to around 37. A couple days of almost all urban freeways got it back to 38.9 before I filled up today. I haven't taken this car on a long trip yet, but I bet I could top 40 MPG on a tank on such a trip.
  • zippy99zippy99 Member Posts: 17
    edited September 2017
    I rented a 2016 Kia Rio sedan over the week-end because my Toyota was rear-ended. The only complaints I have are with the hard seats that are not padded enough and the climate control paddles that look out of place in a modern car.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Gee, I really liked the toggle switches on my 2013 Rio5. Seats definitely weren't very padded though. The seats on my 2016 Forte5 are better there.
  • PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
    zippy99 said:

    I rented a 2016 Kia Rio sedan over the week-end because my Toyota was rear-ended. The only complaints I have are with the hard seats that are not padded enough and the climate control paddles that look out of place in a modern car.




    Almost remind me of old time radio push buttons


  • russbraswellrussbraswell Member Posts: 1
    I just purchased a 2017 Kia Forte. I have driven it about 500 miles so far. Probably equal distances in town and on the highway. I am getting about 37 mpg on the highway and 34 in town. Not bad numbers considering the engine is not broken in yet. Overall I am pleased with my purchase. In sport mode it is fun to drive however these numbers are a result of driving in Econ mode. I have never owned a Kia before and was sceptical about overall quality and reliability. But so far everything is fine. I have had time to inspect the car thoroughly and can find no faults in it's construction. As for reliability that remains to be seen. But with a 10 year warranty I have little to worry about. I am pleased with my Kia and I believe I bought a car with exceptional value for it's class.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Congrats on your new car! My 2016 Forte5 just hit the 2-year mark, with 21k miles. This past winter was pretty cold so the FE suffered, and I could only get low 30s on a tank even with quite a bit of urban freeway driving. But now that it's warming up (still pretty cold, 30s and 40s for highs) I'm getting mid-30s overall with my current tank at 35.5 with 1/4 to go.
    I find in Eco mode I can easily get 40 mpg highway under 70 mph, but driving around town kills the FE especially in winter when it takes awhile to warm up the engine.
    I have a year left on the lease and I haven't decided yet if I'm going to buy it out or turn it in. I think it'll depend on what's available on a good lease deal (like I got on my Forte5) next March. The new Forte looks pretty nice, and maybe Kia will give me a good deal on that at the end of my lease.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    I finally hit 40 mpg in overall driving! I got over 40 on four tanks, but the last couple it's slipped under 40, with 39 on the last tank and about 38 so far on the current tank. I was able to get over 40 because I was doing mostly city freeway driving and in moderate weather, so no cold starts or AC. Now that it's summer, I use the AC more plus I've had some heavier traffic due to the usual summer road construction season. So I might not see 40 again until fall.
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