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Perhaps you gun it more than you think. Are you a young person? Actually that doesn't even have to play in to things at all. All ages of drivers "gun it" more than other drivers. Only you know for sure.
I think backy has figured this test out as an EPA nightmare and not really a fault of Hyundai cars (or their owners) at all.
Since those numbers have now been validated by the EPA, it appears your issue now is more with the EPA and how they test cars, than with Hyundai.
backy's quote above pretty much says the truth of the matter. It's how you drive your car, how clean you keep your car, how much you spend on car maintenance, etc., etc. I would not initially fault Hyundai and their management on this one. Anyone add to this so we can all learn more about it.
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
You state as fact that the EPA numbers do not reflect the Elantra's real world mpg.
You are right, for you.
Not for me and others.
I have owned my car since new and have NEVER gotten less than 30 mpg on any tank. Ever.
In the last couple of months, I have gone up from 32 to almost 34 mpg.
I live in DFW. Do you realize how crowded this place is?
I have never had a tank of gas average over 32 mph (miles per hour, not gallons). My last tank was 30 mph and almost 34 mpg.
So... all of my driving is a good mixture of city/hwy.
YOU might not be able to get the mpg some of us do. I'm sorry. Maybe you got a "bad' one. Maybe you are a jerky/stop/start driver. I don't know. I don't care.
What I DO know is that it IS possible to reach and exceed the EPA mileage figures with my Elantra.
I couldn't be happier with the car and now, as a bonus, Hyundai will further increase my effective mpg by giving me free gas.
Life is good here in Texas..
Great choice in the '13 Elantra purchase, BTW. Is it an automatic or a stick?
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
But now that the EPA has run its own tests, any discrepancy between what owners are getting on their Elantras vs. official EPA numbers is either due to how/when/where the car is driven, or the rare situation of a defect in the car that is causing the poor fuel economy.
Much more likely how the car is driven. As I've noted on other discussions, I can drive a car like my 2010 Sentra under ideal conditions and get far better than its EPA estimates. And I can drive it in less-than-ideal conditions, but very much real-world conditions for many drivers, and get far worse than the EPA estimates.
That's true for any car... including the Elantra.
But this chastising Hyundai for lying on EPA stickers stinks of old Dennis Rodman tenny runners. I don't buy it. But I would buy a new Hyundai Veloster in yellow or that metallic green or red. In either an automatic tranny or standard. Doesn't matter.
I wouldn't buy an Elantra. But I like the car. That's just iluvmysephia1. But I wouldn't say Hyundai is "lying" ta y'all on the EPA stickers.
That's definitley hearsay, not much else. And the person that said it needs ta come clean(er).
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
I have never been to Happy Valley.
Lived in Ft Worth for last 30 years.
My car is a 2011 GLS Auto.
Try getting 29mpg city in your Elantra. It only dropped to 28 and is still unachieveable unless you are a hyper-miler.
Problem is, "city" driving for many people bears no resemblance to the EPA's "city" cycle.
Funny isn't it, the "city" numbers can't be achieved in a Hyundai or Kia product, but can be in a Ford, Chevy, or Honda.
Hyundai/Kia picked a good time to drop their bombshell. Right before a major U.S. election and right after a major U.S. natural disaster. Minimize the media attention.
I wonder how the Hyundai/Kia owners are feeling about re-sale value now?
In reality, the EPA estimates are the only common factor consumers have in comparing automobiles when deciding to purchase. I think everyone knows that YMWV depending on how you drive the car. However, I think the problem is that how many customers were swayed to Hyundai based on the EPA ratings? The magical "40mpg" number has the power of persuasion in today's market, which is why I believe Hyundai is offering refunds for mileage driven.
In any event, I still think the Elantra would be selling very, very well with its new adjusted ratings. However, it still does not address the numerous complains that people cannot achieve the newly rates estimates and there just seems to be an abnormally high amount of people in the YMWV sector, specifically on the lower end of the real-world economy figures.
What this announcement has does was vilify what many have been saying for a long time now, that the Elantra has issues with achieving the EPA estimates on a grand scale. It has brought out the disgruntled owners and Hyundai haters. All in all, it is really bad publicity but I do not think Hyundai will suffer for too long. The new ratings are still very good and the car is still a winner. The only gripes have been the real-world economy. Other than that, its really a good little car.
Why do you say that? How many Hyundai/Kia products have you owned? How much behind-the-wheel time do you have in the current-gen Elantra? I've owned 3 Hyundais and have no problem meeting or exceeding the EPA city and highway ratings under normal conditions. My DW, OTOH, struggles to get 20 mpg on her 2007 Sonata... while I easily get mid-20s in town. Same car, different drivers and driving styles. Hmmm....
When I've driven the current-gen Elantra as rentals, again, no problem meeting/exceeding the EPA numbers (the old ones, not the new ones). And some of that driving was under what I consider extreme conditions compared to what I'm used to, e.g. temps near 100, A/C on full blast all the time, lot of sitting in traffic. But those are normal conditions for some people.
Do you really think a difference of 1 mpg in the EPA average fuel economy estimate is going to significantly change resale value on Elantras?
Second, Hyundai and Kia probably thought a couple additional mpg wouldn't hurt, weren't the other car companies "fudging" a bit? That 40mpg is a goal, 36mpg to 38mpg are real world averages with 4-cylinder engines. I have no problem getting 36mpg in a Mazda3 or earlier Protégé, rated at 30mpg, IF I keep the RPMs at or below 3000 and drive steady. No A/C on.
I would not let fuel economy be my only reason for buying any car. Keep in mind that if you sell the Elantra the buyer may think you messed up its engine tinkering under the hood. :confuse:
Hyundai/Kia lied. Plain and simple. Their paltry offer of $100 or $200? A joke. You will get hosed on re-sale value AND be spending more on fuel as long as you own your car.
I would ask for thousands of dollars back to cover fuel, re-sale, fraud, etc.
Of course they're saying "a dozen bank errors in our favor" to avoid the fraud charge. What else are they lying about?
A difference of 1 mpg overall is worth thousands of dollars in extra fuel? Above and beyond what Hyundai is already paying owners... including the 15 percent extra for "inconvenience"?
Or you think this 1 mpg difference will decrease the resale value of Elantras by thousands of dollars?
As for fraud... to get any money for that, there would need to be a class action suit. That would take awhile. Fraud would need to be proven. What if there was no fraud, just incredible stupidity? Then if there was fraud and it could be proven, the lawyers would get their share. After those costs, owners would be lucky to get more than what Hyundai has already offered--reimbursement for gas differential, plus 15% for inconvenience.
What about all the other cars that don't meet their EPA numbers for drivers? Are those manufacturers lying too?
The other companies? Name them and list the cars they lied about.
Yeah right, we made dozens of "mistakes" over 3 model years and on over a dozen models ALL in our favor and several to achieve 40mpg hwy.
I have a bridge to sell the Hyundai/Kia owners who believe that one.
For someone who doesn't own an Elantra or ANY Hyundai/Kia, you seem to be really upset about this.
Some perspective...
About ten years ago, there was a class action suit against Hyundai re its overstating the horsepower on several 1996-2002 models, including the Elantra. The overstatement on the Elantra was 5 hp--135 vs. 140. I owned one of those cars. Hyundai said it was an honest mistake, and no fraud was ever proven (not sure it was ever charged). Hyundai offered on its own accord to compensate owners through extended warranties and roadside assistance coverage... which sounded pretty darn good to me.
But then the lawyers got involved. It took 2 years of legal wrangling, but finally there was a settlement that called for compensation in the form of prepaid debit cards good at various retailers and valued at $50 to $225, or shopping cards worth $100 to $325 good for parts or service at Hyundai dealerships. The size of the payment depended on the degree to which a vehicle's horsepower was inflated. Since it was only 5 hp for my Elantra, I got (I think) a $100 shopping card, which I used for parts/service on my car (I think my other choice was a $50 debit card). I would much rather have had what Hyundai originally offered: an extended warranty and roadside assistance. But I took the card and considered it free money, since my car had no less horsepower than the day I drove it off the dealer's lot, it had plenty of power (and for its time, purchased in 2000, it was near the top of the class in power), 5 hp would have made absolutely no difference to me in deciding to purchase the car, and it affected the car's resale value when I sold it a couple of years later by... zero (the buyer didn't even ask about horsepower; it never came up).
Go go ahead, Elantra owners, push for a fraud case and class action lawsuit. At the end, I have a feeling you won't be any better off for it.
I never got more than 34mpg driving from the Bay Area to Sacramento in the elantra but I easily get 40mpg with my 3 Skyactiv driving the same way.
I completely disagree. The last three cars I have owned have all been spot on their EPA estimates, or better. (2002 Subaru Impreza 2005 Mazda6, 2013 Mazda CX-5)
Some cars, like the '12 Civic, have a reputation for doing better than their EPA estimates.
I have found that the new EPA ratings are actually pretty good and accurate for most vehicles.
EPA to look at other manufacturers?
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The gas pedal seems to be very stiff, I really have a hard time pressing it down. The eco button has no effect at all, I'm not even crazy about the ride. I have a hard time believing anyone getting low 30's city driving, when I do stictly city I barely get 22. I'm stuck with this car for another 2 years (3 yr lease) but can't wait to get rid of it. One positive ...it looks nice.
Sounds like you just need to adjust your 'lead' foot. My previous car was a 96 Pathfinder. When I first got the Elantra, like you, I was pressing down on the accelerator too hard because I was accustomed to the amount of pressure needed for the Pathfinder. My first tank was averaging 24 MPG (computer calculated) until I read some tips on how to drive the Elantra. When accelerating, the 'experts' were recommending light pressure on the accelerator and not letting the tachometer get above 2250-2500 RPMs. You're wasting fuel if you allow the RPMs to go above that range.
Another tip is to coast as much as possible. When approaching a stop light, try to count to 5 or 10 before applying the brakes. If you can't do that, you're wasting fuel by driving too fast and/or following the cars in front of you too closely. After I made the adjustments, I was able to get my first tank to average 29 MPG (computer calculated). Now after 17 tanks, I am counting to 15 and 20 before applying the brakes and my overall average is 30 MPG (manually calculated), mostly city driving.
I don't rely on the trip computer for the mileage, I fill the car up, drive till I need gas again, record the miles and fill up, divide miles by gallons I put in tank. It's the only way to do it. I'm consistently at 24 or less. I've been driving the same way for 35 yrs, thanks but no thanks for the driving tips. You must be one of the lucky ones who gets good gas mileage. Even a broken clock is right twice a day. I don't know if you've heard but Hyundai's stock has dropped because of false gas estimates, and there are already law suits started. Here's a tip...sell the Elantra and get a scooter.
Driving experience <> driving efficiently. Most people don't drive as efficiently as they think they do. Since you haven't yet demonstrated that you are knowlegeable about driving efficiently, I'm inclined to think that's where the problem lies.
You must be one of the lucky ones who gets good gas mileage.
Plenty of people getting good mileage. The fuel logs at fuelly.com shows the 2011-2013 Elantras averaging 30 MPG.
Maybe people are getting 30, that must be highway..a far cry from 40!
The 30 MPG average is combined hwy/city.
I don't need a car that I have to count ten before I stop or apply my brakes, I'll never get anywhere.
Does driving faster to a stop light get you through the stop light faster?
The goal of the counting exercise is to maximize the chance of not having to stop at the stop light because getting the car to move from a stopped position burns the most fuel. Not only that, you're wasting fuel when you're idle waiting for the light to turn green. The more you can minimize the stop & go city driving, the better your fuel efficiency.
I understand your whole concept but this thread is about the proven fact that the Elantra is not meeting the predicted mpg. I don't know where you live but have you heard the news lately, even their stock tumbled last week due to mpg ratings, If I could only get 27 (without driving like my grandfather) I'd be happy.
Not sure if this has been posted elsewhere, if it has I apologize. But I found out a few days ago that Hyundai is offering a fuel reimbursement for certain models and years. I drive a 2011 Elantra, and I was qualified. The amount you receive will depend on your location (gas prices are different in each area) and your mileage. This is the site my father told me about: https://hyundaimpginfo.com/ Just put in your VIN number and then will let you know if you qualify, and then there is a 1-877 number to call for more info. Apparently, they will mail you a claim form and then we take it to the dealership and they will give us something else. Then we have to mail it back. Then they will send a debit card. For my reimbursement, I'm only getting back about $65 but another friend is getting back almost $200 for his 2011 Elantra.
Maybe I missed it, but I'm fairly certain that Hyundai did not notify me. I never received an email, letter in the mail, or phone call. I just heard through word of mouth. I have two other friends that also drive Hyundai's, and they were never told about this reimbursement program either.
Sarah
If I were you I'd take this up the chain at Hyundai, starting with the GM of the dealership.
Yeah, my friend down in Florida has a lot more miles on his Elantra then I do!
Maybe the dealer will enter the mileage info into a computer app for processing, hence no "form".
At any rate, you won't be the only person going to the dealer about this so they should know what to do when you come in. Be sure to ask for a free wash while you're there.