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Hyundai Elantra Real World MPG 2012
2012 owners... let us know how you're doing!
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In July, I traded my 2009 Mitsbushi Eclipse for a 2012 Hyundai Elantra. The decision to trade-in my eclipse was for the soul fact that the car was not getting the ideal gas milage (~24 mpg out of EPA range of 20-28 mpg) for my long (all highway) commute to work and back. After much research, I decided to purchase the Elantra due to its (claimed) great gas milage, features, and price versus that of the competitors. BIG MISTAKE!
After owning the vehicle for a little over a month and putting 2000 miles on it, I notice the vehicle was averaging about 26 mpg on each tank. After contacting the dealership about my concerns, I was told to wait till my first oil change to reflect the change in gas milage. The first oil change came and I did notice an improvement in my gas milage between 2-3 miles, put definitely nothing in the CLAIMED 29-39 range. I decided to contact Hyundai about my concerns regarding in which I was told to wait till the car was broken in at about 5000-6000 miles.
After 6000 miles I was still averaging about 27 mpg (all on ECO mode). I, again, contacted Hyundai customer service about my concern. Their response was to do have a fuel MPG test and to have the vehicle inspected by a local dealership. The fuel MPG test, released by Hyundai, requires you to have record the miles traveled and amount of fuel used five times while going to the same gas station and using the same pump. Again, I was still consistently getting between 25-27 mpg. I had the dealership, also, inspect the vehicle for any issues and run a diagnostic test for any issues--- none were found. All this information was then faxed over to Hyundai customer service.
So... I just got off the phone with Hyundai customer serivce and they are saying that the car is in working order and there is nothing they can do to assist me.
So why am I getting such poor gas milage that isnt even in the working range of the EPA estimates? I have tried every recommended way to enhance mpg and nothing seems to improve it. I was getting decent gas milage (in the EPA range) for my Eclipse so I really dont think it is in my driving style.
I see that forum that others are having the same problem. I dont see how so many people are driving this vehicle 'wrong' .
I am so disappointed in my purchase and wish I would have gone with a competitor that lives up to its ratings. Hyundai is doing nothing but false advertising this vehicle. I hope to see a class action lawsuit in the future.
If you are thinking about buying a 2012 Elantra and want great gas milage... DONT!
I agree on your point, but Kirstie explained her reasoning... and she's the Host.
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My car is a 2012 Elantra Limited - 17" wheels with automatic transmission
Current Odometer Reading: 3400
Last calculated mpg: 29.7
# of people in the car other than the driver: 0
tow package: no
any other additional weight in the car: no
driving trips: commuter - 70% highway / 30% local
# of stop signs for round trip: 2
# of stop lights for round trip: 4
# of inclines for round trip: 4, which means that there are 4 downgrades for round trip.
air pressure in tires: 32 psi all around
Fuel: Mobil or Shell, 87 Octane w/ 10% ethanol
A/C use: not since the summer, and used only on return trip home from work
ECO: Always On
Maintenance done so far: None, dealer recommendation of 5000 miles for 1st oil change
Did I miss anything????
I get better mileage with the eco off and the car is much more fun to drive.
Rudy
2005 Hyundai Elantra, automatic: Rated 24MPG City, 29MPG HWY
average combined as reported by 18 drivers: 28.3MPG
2012 Hyundai Elantra, automatic: Rated 30MPG City, 40MPG HWY
average combined as reported by 18 drivers: 28.8MPG
That extra 11 miles per gallon highway seems to be missing from everywhere but the sales pitch.
Same question for the 2012 Elantra owners.
Thank you... I've tried turning ECO off a couple of times during the past week, and I did notice a difference in engine response, but I have yet to turn ECO off for a whole tank. I think that I will try it on my next fill up.
If it is true that one does get better mileage with ECO off, could it mean that something is wrong with ECO or should ECO be used only in certain trips, i.e. ECO off for highway driving, and ECO on for local driving? Just curious...
For about 11-13 miles on my highway commute (one way), the speed limit is 65, so I've been doing between 65-70. For the remaining 4-6 miles (one way), the speed limit is 55, so I've been doing between 60-65. Any slower would be dangerous because with the way people drive here in NY, you run the risk of being driven off the road, if you know what I mean.
For the whole highway part of my commute, I do not use cruise control. There are just too many hills (one of which is too steep). I do not believe cruise control would help in improving my gas mileage because cruise control does not and cannot adjust for hills until you are already on those hills. And in those cases when cruise control does kick in going uphill, the engine rpms are increased dramatically, thus reducing gas mileage.
Just so you know, I have tried cruise control in my Elantra during the late summer months this year, and the same thing happens, and I did not see an improvement in mpg.
Dolf
Which was it? :confuse:
I don't own an Elantra nor am I affliated with Hyundai in any way. No horse in this race.
1. Quality of fuel (85 vs. 87 vs. 89 octane | 10% ethanol or no ethanol)
2. Vehicle load (your total vehicle weight vs. dry curb weight)
3. Tire pressure (cold tire pressure at 33-35 psi)
4. Driving speed and acceleration (at speed limit and engine revs)
5. Driving conditions (wind, hills/mountains, heavy traffic. etc.)
87 octane, no ethanol fuel runs best for me. I buy name-brand fuel when I can. I keep my vehicle weight to a minimum - nothing unneeded in the trunk or passenger cabin. I set my cold tire pressure at, or a touch above, the manufacturer's recommended psi. If I drive over the speed limit or rev the engine a lot, I expect a mileage penalty. Hilly terrrain and heavy traffic reduce my mileage up to 30%.
Best of luck!
The generally accepted way to measure fuel economy is to fill up the tank until it's full. Don't overfill/top off. Write down your odometer reading. Then go on your trip. When you need to refuel or when you're done with the trip, fill up again. Now, take the miles driven (current odometer reading - the reading you wrote down) and divide it by the number of gallons it took to fill up at the end of the trip. That provides an easy & accurate fuel economy numbers that a consumer can get.
* Reset the average mpg meter at the pump before the trip and at the pump at the end of the trip, so you can compare the computer's mpg to actual (measured) mpg. Would be interesting to know how they compare.
* Measure mpg as explained in these recent posts, i.e. fill to first click-off both times, and if feasible use the same pump at the same station both times. If that isn't possible, the single-tank average might be inaccurate due to differences in pumps.
(Posted before I saw #30)
You have to repeat because your first explaination was very confusing. You are correct it is annoying. Your second explaination was clearer except the ALL CAPS which makes for difficult reading. I was not confuesd about the equations only your explaination. I am not certain about the amount of respect but it is simple math. I have very little confidence your method provides accurate measurement of MPG. It is certainly one I would not have used.
Dolf
I am very satisfy with the car so far.
Huh? Isn't it about all kinds of driving--however people may drive their Elantras? Some people do drive their cars at a steady pace on the highway, with cruise control. And some do stop-and-go city driving. And some do both. And everything in between.
speed for long periods of time, vary the speed for the first 1,000 miles, regardless of what the manual says. No fast starts and no panic stops.
When you do a fuel test top off the tank. Note the ODO setting. Then the next time you fill up return to the same gas station and fill from the same pump you used previously. It's the only way to get an accurate number. If your car has a mpg rating on it's instrument display they are usually wrong.
You are correct. This is the only reliable way to get a reasonably accurate reading on mpg. And I also agree with your comments on the 5K breakin, driving it easy and varying the speed for the first 1000 miles. Time will tell.
http://www.autoblog.com/2011/12/02/consumer-group-cries-foul-on-hyundais-40-mpg-- claim/
Elantra (with 6-speed manual): 30.5 mpg
Veloster (with 6-speed manual): 29.1 mpg
Sonic (1.4L turbo with 6-speed manual): 28.3 mpg
So the larger Elantra with a larger engine (1.8L vs 1.6L & 1.4L) had better fuel economy (and quicker acceleration!) than the two smaller cars. Oddly, MT criticizes the Elantra's FE but praises the Sonic's ("it [manual transmission's long gearing] helped return 28.3 mpg during our hard-driving test") and is silent on the Veloster. Go figure!
While they're at it, Consumer Watchdog should go after Buick:
Mileage isn't great. Government ratings of 21 mpg in town, 32 on the highway, 25 in mixed use are OK. But Buicks in general seem to do worse than other cars in the Test Drive regimen of suburban slog and bustle, with a few wide-open throttle moments tossed in for fun. Verano managed 17 mpg.
http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/reviews/healey/story/2011-12-01/buick-vergan- o-test-drive-james-healey/51553716/1
I have the exact same engine in my Lacrosse (400 pounds heavier) and average close to 25 mpg in mixed driving. I calculate miles driven versus gallons burned. My trip computer reads a touch low on mpg (0.5 mpg low). Trip computers are better than they use to be but cannot be your sole source of data when reporting or the report has low validity.
It's gotten to the point with Healey and USAToday that I read it for a good laugh. He has zero credibility. Healey is one guy, beasting a brand new car, getting F150-like mileage, and then reporting it. A joke.
A review is credible to me if it's clear how the car was driven. Healy at least makes it clear how the car was driven. I've seen many posts in the mpg discussions in Town Hall that don't give much info at all on how the car was driven. I'll take Healy's reviews over those any day.
Also, I'll bet your driving pattern is a lot different than Healy's.
I have found the only way to get EPA estimates is to drive at max 60mph highway and not let the tach get above 3000rpm on the highway or in the city. Often achieving much higher true
FE when I stick to this rule. 2001 Mazda Protégé LX with EPA estimate 25/30, always averaged 36mpg
on trips. You cannot have performance and low FE at the same time.
Feel free to use Healey's reviews as your standard of refereence. When a guy reports 5.88 gallons burned? Yeah, "I drove exactly 100.0 miles, the trip computer read exactly 17.0, so 100.0 divided by 17.0 = 5.88 gallons burned!"
Genius!
I think you are misunderstanding the comment re gallons used per 100 miles and how it was calculated. I tried to explain it in my previous post.