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Kia Rondo Real World MPG

208 messages,  Last post on Nov 08, 2009 at 9:07 PM

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#189 of 208 Re: Congratulations if that's the mpg you are getting [garnermike] by smoothsailin Apr 10, 2009 (5:03 am)
Replying to: garnermike (Apr 10, 2009 3:45 am) After reading many of the posts to this thread I realize many owners aren't seeing 29+ mpg tanks w/their Rondos. I'd also admit that I had to drive very conservatively to average over 29.5 mpg for the last tank. But my results do show it's possible to manage better than the EPA highway rating for the Rondo if you're willing to modify your driving habits for better efficiency.   In all honesty I'll be pleasantly surprised if my wife manages to average over 20 mpg when she starts doing most of the driving in our Rondo. After April 15th is history and I can get my life back, I'll be able to work on cleaning and fixing up her '98 Toyota Sienna before advertising it for sale. Until then, the wife says she'd rather continue driving her old van most of the time. I think she's worried about the kids or her doing something to stain, scratch or otherwise damage the new one!   Based on what I've seen on my sg, very small differences in throttle pressure can make a significant difference in the car's instantaneous mpg readings. So unless you have and use something like a sg or if you have an EX equipped with a mileage computer you may not be aware of how sensitive the car is to how much pressure is placed on the throttle.   The v-6 model is definitely not a mpg monster-but if you have the tools and are willing to modify how you drive it can produce respectable results imo.   Note that I've managed to average 6.6 mpg above the EPA highway estimate 32 mpg for my '05 Mazda 3i (2.0L w/5-speed manual). Over 61k+ miles I've averaged 38.6 mpg with that car. Since most Mazda3 owners apparently have not been as successful, I'm probably a more conservative driver than most. The fact that I have a fairly lengthy commute has also helped since I rarely end up taking short trips-and in my experience in general the longer the trip, the better the mpg.   Lastly, I'll point out that I've been very careful to follow the manufacturer's break-in recommendations over the first and the second 600 miles. Whether or not this may have made a measurable difference in how efficient our Rondo turns out to be remains to be seen. Some Kia owners have claimed it can take several thousand miles before Kia's engines may fully loosen up and realize their best fuel economy results.   We'll see.
#190 of 208 '08 LX V6 mpg update by smoothsailin May 12, 2009 (7:47 am)
Over the first 2,252 miles our Kia's fuel economy has averaged 24.8 mpg. (2,252.2 miles/90.783 gal). Not great, but not so bad either imo.   Although I'd still like for her to do better, so far results for the last two tanks in which my wife did all the driving did not calculate below 20 mpg as I had predicted. Instead she was able to average 21.3 & 23.6 mpg in mostly suburban driving conditions.   I'll be driving the family to the Outer Banks of N.C. for a week's stay on the Saturday before Memorial Day and hope to average 30+ mpg over the 400+ mile drive round trip.   We'll see... Replies to this message: garnermike (May 12, 2009 8:35 am) tsm280z (May 12, 2009 8:57 am) smoothsailin (May 22, 2009 5:20 am)
#191 of 208 There may be quite a break-in factor at work, me thinx by garnermike May 12, 2009 (8:35 am)
Replying to: smoothsailin (May 12, 2009 7:47 am) For the first 14K miles on my 07 LX I-4 Rondo, my "general mix driving" tankfuls would average about 23-24 mpg. I'm over 17K miles now, and over the last 3K miles, the car's mpg seems to have improved substantively. For example, the mpg of my last 6 tankfuls have been 28, 26, 27, 24, 26, and 28, for a 26.5 average mpg. These readings include at least 1, if not 2, trips per tankful to go to downtown Raleigh with me, my wife, and 500 lbs of musical gear aboard, double parking, and then finding metro parking on city streets or in garages there. None of the tankfuls were of the straight interstate highway sort. I'm a little eager to go on a long interstate hwy trip so as to see what the car will do mpg-wise. Replies to this message: tsm280z (May 12, 2009 8:57 am) smoothsailin (May 22, 2009 5:20 am)
#192 of 208 Re: There may be quite a break-in factor at work, me thinx [garnermike] by tsm280z May 12, 2009 (8:57 am)
Replying to: garnermike (May 12, 2009 8:35 am) I agree there must be a long break-in period. My 07 EX-V-6 would average between 13-17 mpg (mostly city driving). At first I added ZMax to the gas & oil ... maybe improved mileage by 1 mpg. Then threw in a K&N air filter ... maybe improved mileage by 1 mpg. Still really disappointed. I too had a Scan Gauge (smoothsailin). Noticed the wild swings in mpg with the slight touch of the accelerator pedal. Put the SG in my other 2 cars and there was not that wild swing. But now, at 9,000 miles my mileage has substantially improved and is still getting better ... 21-22 mpg ... not as good as others on this post (keeping in mind this is mostly city driving). I also noticed the brand of gas has made a difference. Whenever I use Sunoco the mileage would drop ... Exxon/Mobil it would improve. Not sure why since I thought most major brands were similar in their additives. Replies to this message: smoothsailin (May 22, 2009 5:20 am)
#193 of 208 2008 Rondo LX V6 by stewpidaso May 21, 2009 (3:40 am)
mixed city/highway brand new first tank 22.3MPG
#194 of 208 Re: There may be quite a break-in factor at work, me thinx [tsm280z] by smoothsailin May 22, 2009 (5:20 am)
Replying to: tsm280z (May 12, 2009 8:57 am) The fuel efficiency of these engines seems to be very sensitive to throttle input. You can get respectible mileage with one if you drive smoothly and carefully, but dip into the throttle much and all bets are off.   My wife has driven the car for the last three tanks which averaged in the 21 mpg range twice and in the 23 mpg range once. Mostly around town driving, but also included at least two over-100 mile round-trips to visit her parents and one sister. I know that the last tank average was in the 21 mpg range even though she had made a 170+ mile round-trip with mostly highway miles. So to me 21 mpg with a half-tank or more driven on the highway is awfully disappointing, However since I've never seen less than 25 mpg and one tank over 29 mpg in our Rondo when I did all the driving, I know it's capable of delivering respectible mileage. In other words, it's not just the car's fault. In this case I chalk it up to a driver who has a spastic foot (ie one who constantly works the throttle instead of maintaining steady pressure), refuses to use the cruise control and has no clue about what it means to conserve momentum!   Bad driving habits can be hard to break-especially when the driver gets "an attitude" any time suggestions are offered by their significant other for how making a few changes could improve their mpg results..   Case in point: Yesterday afternoon after work I was enjoying a pleasant evening outside sitting in our swing in the front yard. My wife drives up in the Rondo, stops in the driveway then sits in the car w/the engine running for several minutes before finally cutting off the engine and exiting the car. Why? My guess would be that she was playing around with her new toy (a GPS) and was just sitting in the car w/the engine running and the ac engaged while she did so. Of course she could just as easily cut off the engine, opened the windows and tinkered with the GPS without wasting gas. An obvious choice to me...but not to her.   Of course had I pointed out that mpg is ZERO and fuel is being wasted when the car is stationary w/the engine running I doubt her reaction would have been positive or something to the effect of..."Thanks for the suggestion honey. I had not considered this!"   Instead, I probably would have been told to make my own dinner.   So I just kept my mouth shut and enjoyed a nice dinner!   What's a guy to do....
#195 of 208 I Hear Ya by tsm280z May 22, 2009 (5:28 am)
We must be married to the same woman!
#196 of 208 Re: Gas mileage for first full tank [ramblinmo] by fastandpissoff Jul 18, 2009 (10:19 pm)
Replying to: ramblinmo (Mar 28, 2007 11:46 am) i have 08 v6 getting between 22-26 mix city/highway dependant on road conditions wtih the a/c on . I used regular gas and kept my tire psi around 38.found it work best on the kumho tires it cam with.
#197 of 208 Sounds about right by garnermike Jul 19, 2009 (8:48 am)
About what I would expect from your Rondo. My 07 LX I-4 is averaging about 24-28 mpg (US) for mixed driving.   I am continuing to be very pleased with the car since purchase in Oct. 2007. Never back to the dealer for anything (knocking on wood here). Outside of the cruise control which I do not like (drops down in gear too easily/often and hurts MPG), the car has been one of the very best of the 25 or so cars I've ever owned.
#198 of 208 speedometer Re: Results for the 3rd tank for '08 LX V6. [smoothsailin] by 9394 Sep 22, 2009 (9:02 am)
Replying to: smoothsailin (Apr 03, 2009 12:48 pm) My Canadian 09 Rondo EX i-4 will show 100kph when my GPS says 97kph. Off by 3%   The odometer is dead on though, i tested for 15KM (about 10 miles) and it was in sync with the GPS disance travel info all the way.

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