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Hyundai Elantra Real World MPG 2012

752 messages,  Last post on Jun 16, 2013 at 12:33 AM

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What is this discussion about? Hyundai Elantra, Fuel Efficiency (MPG), Hatchback, Sedan

Messages Page 76 of 76

#743 of 752 Elantra MPG by gws2

May 17, 2013 (5:24 pm)

I to was fooled by Hyundai's false MPG adds. My 2012 Elantra Limited with 12000 miles averages between 24 and 27 MPG, city and highway. I live in a flat state and check mileage by dividing gallons into miles driven, not using the dash MPG gauge

#745 of 752 Re: Elantra MPG [gws2] by gman4911

May 18, 2013 (10:29 am)

Replying to: gws2 (May 17, 2013 5:24 pm)
Fooled how? The EPA test results are always posted with a "your results may vary" disclaimer.
 
Why don't you post your avg MPH? You're probably driving more city conditions than you realize.

#746 of 752 Re: Terrible MPG [daddys2dab] by litesong2

May 26, 2013 (10:46 pm)

Replying to: daddys2dab (May 14, 2013 12:48 pm)
Filled up with 100% gasoline(ethanol-free) in my warmed up auto tranny 2013 Elantra, reset my trip computer, & set off on a excellent & mpg stretching daytrip. With 3 people, 3 cool-offs totaling 3.5 hours, & some a/c (NOT in the EPA determinations), Elantra trip computer built nicely to 47 mpg. Of course, entering 10 miles of city travel, the trip computer lowered to under 40mpg. Returning, the trip computer built to 41.8 mpg.
 
Again, filling with 100% gasoline, calculated mpg was 43.
 
With past use of 100% gasoline with 3 vehicles(which raised mpg by 8+%, 7%, & 5%), I expect to average near the highway EPA estimate & seldom be near the city EPA mark.
 
EPA mpg determinations are run using the equivalent of 100% gasoline with no ethanol added.
 
100% gasoline is sold in 6500 stations in the U.S. & Canada, but often not available in larger cities. Ethanol is often said to reduce pollutants of one particular substance. However, I think the EPA is strongly influenced to demand 10% ethanol blends, by strong lobbying of the ethanol industry, who also rely on the supposed pollutant decrease with the use of 10% ethanol blends.

#747 of 752 Elantra road trip by backy

May 29, 2013 (8:51 pm)

Just got back from a 500 mile road trip in a rented 2012 Elantra GLS AT with 26k miles. About 10% city, 90% highway with most of the highway miles at 71-73 mph on cruise.
 
On outbound leg, temps were 60-70 F so no A/C needed. Dry roads, little wind. Terrain was gently rolling with a few bigger hills for the first half, pretty flat for the 2nd half. With some city driving up front, FE after 250 miles was 42.2 mpg per the computer. After a day of in-town driving, FE dropped to 41.0 and then I started home. For the first two hours, I drove in heavy rain, which I expect sapped some FE (but also cooled things off enough to where I didn't need A/C). 90 miles from home, I had to stop to refuel (myself and the car). FE at that point was 41.0 for the entire trip per the computer, and extremely close to the FE per the pump (41.2 mpg). Filling the Elantra reset the FE meter but the number for the last 90 miles, in light rain and 73 mph cruise, was 43.8 mpg.
 
More confirmation that the Elantra is capable of meeting or even exceeding its EPA highway FE numbers when driven moderately and when conditions are favorable. I didn't have to deal with any traffic tie-ups from road construction etc., which can kill FE.
 
(BTW all the gas used had 10% ethanol.)

#748 of 752 Elantra road trip by litesong2

Jun 01, 2013 (5:55 pm)

backy........yeah, Elantra can get over 40mph. However, many things can put 40mpg in the dumpster. Any slight efforts to be a leadfoot, will cause you to dip into the 30's, specially on shorter trips of 200miles. Ebb & flow traffic, even if it doesn't come to a stop, will cause the auto tranny to shift down & let you say hi to the 30's. Traveling up a small & not steep hill at highway speed of 55mph or a bit less, can easily cause the automatic transmission to shift from 6th to 5th. Again, say hi to the 30's. One thing to do, is one of my techniques for manual transmissions, altho with an automatic transmission it becomes very difficult: as you approach an ascent to a hill, get your speed up to more than your usual pace. Ease your speed up v. slowly or the auto tranny will kick into 5th. As you ascend the hill, keep your speed up or you will lose all the advantage of the acceleration towards the hill. Since your speed is a bit higher than normal, 6th gear will hold longer than at a lower speed. Hold your speed as long as possible, but also concentrating on NOT TOO MUCH GAS, or again, the tranny will kick down a gear. As you approach the steepest part of the hill(if it really is steep the tranny will kick down no matter how you babysit it, but you held 6th gear as long as you could), very slowly in the case of the auto tranny, let your speed lower, till you are traveling a bit slower than your normal at the hill top flat. This technique is called 'flattening out the hill'.
 
For years I was spoiled with a CVT transmission, which used nearly an infinite number of 'gearings' for all my hill climbing.

#749 of 752 Re: Elantra road trip [litesong2] by backy

Jun 01, 2013 (9:39 pm)

Replying to: litesong2 (Jun 01, 2013 5:55 pm)
Elantra can get over 40mph.
 
I'd hope so!
 
I was surprised that on my 500 mile trip with some good-sized hills, the car never down-shifted on the hills. I don't know if having Active Eco on had anything to do with that. I did notice a little drop in FE on the steeper hills, but the car seemed to make up for it going downhill.
 
Driving several hundred miles in comfort, with the cruise control on, is more important to me than wringing every last mpg out of a car. I'm quite happy with what I was able to get on the Elantra just by setting the cruise near the speed limit and using a light foot when driving in town.
 
I have a CVT now in my Sentra, and I don't feel "spoiled" by it as it's not very responsive to inputs. But I do appreciate how it keeps revs very low, e.g. around 2000 rpm at 70 mph. That helps keep engine noise down on the highway and helps FE.

#750 of 752 Mileage Display by pflyer

Jun 15, 2013 (2:02 pm)

Just returned from a round trip DFW/OKC and averaged 38 mpg by fuel added and 39.7 on the display. Average speed was 68, according to the display, which I find interesting because it was literally all highway travel. My average speed was about 73 mph, according to the speedometer.
 
Anyway, was reading an article that stated dash mpg displays were THE MOST ACCURATE measure of fuel economy. His reasoning rested on the fact that no two fuel pumps add fuel the same, temperature changes vary how much fuel can be added and "operator technique" was too unpredictable.
 
He also contended that the computer "really knows" how much gas you are using because it takes into account all factors, many of which the driver is not aware of or can account for.
 
Anyone else hear something such as this? I have always trusted my own fuel calculations more than the mpg display, but according to this author, I am wrong.
 
If he is correct, I am getting fabulous mileage. Even if my calculations are correct, while I am getting less than published (of course, I am going faster), my mpg is still very good.
 
My display is very consistently about 2 mpg too optimistic.

#751 of 752 Re: Mileage Display [pflyer] by m6user

Jun 15, 2013 (5:09 pm)

Replying to: pflyer (Jun 15, 2013 2:02 pm)
What you read was probably correct if you are only taking a measurement on one or two tanks of gas. But if you use at least 4 and preferable more like 6 and average it out I think you'll get a pretty good number.

#752 of 752 Re: Elantra road trip [backy] by litesong2

Jun 16, 2013 (12:33 am)

Replying to: backy (Jun 01, 2013 9:39 pm)
backy wrote:
I was surprised that on my 500 mile trip with some good-sized hills, the car never down-shifted on the hills. I don't know if having Active Eco on had anything to do with that. I did notice a little drop in FE on the steeper hills, but the car seemed to make up for it going downhill.
  
I have a CVT now in my Sentra, and I don't feel "spoiled" by it as it's not very responsive to inputs.
////////////
litesong wrote:
You get good mpg with 10% ethanol. After switching to 100% gasoline, my 3 cars increased their mpg by 8%, 7%, & 5%. Other Elantra drivers have told me their cruise control while using the ECO button can hold sixth gear as low as 40mph, maybe a trace lower. Using 100% gasoline & the ECO button, my tranny holds 6th gear down to 36mph, possibly to 35mph(GPS reading). Not sure that is an advantage..... probably not. On back country roads where I'm using lower gears other than 6th, quite a bit on slower roads, the trip computer(initializing mpg readings), shows that mpg can build readily beyond 45mpg. I always thought highest mpg would be obtained with car in 6th gear, but traveling fairly slowly. But traveling 30-35mph in 4th gear, say can pile up mpg also.
  
I suspect your extra speed, rpms & extra torque, kept your tranny from shifting from 6th to 5th. Hills don't have to be steep at all, while traveling at less than 60mph to cause the auto tranny to shift down. & encountering any slight elevation while traveling at 40mph in 6th gear causes the tranny to shift down. As stated above tho, I'm not sure shifting to 5th gear loses too many mpg, just so you don't get panicked, & accelerate to get your tranny back into 6th gear.
 
I had the Nissan CVT in a Dodge Caliber. Loved it, except for the computer controlled slow response at slow speed, you mentioned. However, the response got quicker at faster speeds. I did love the elegant motion of the CVT & it did cause the inefficient car body & engine to be more fuel efficient & accelerate quicker at higher speeds, despite the overall lethargy of the body & engine. I got as high as 37mpg with the car rated only at 27mpg on the highway & averaged 31mpg. Tho the Elantra auto tranny pleases me, the smoothness of the CVT can't be beat. I have heard that the new CVT in the 2013 Honda Accord has licked the lack of response lag, & powers up quickly when asked.

Messages Page 76 of 76

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