Ask the Car People.SM


Hyundai Elantra Real World MPG 2012

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

You are in the Hyundai Elantra Forum.

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

Messages Page 61 of 76

#594 of 752 Re: Hyundai & Kia admit false fuel economy [cleanmpg] by backy

Nov 02, 2012 (6:40 pm)

Replying to: cleanmpg (Nov 02, 2012 1:48 pm)
Although this discussion is for MY 2012... was the Elantra GT you drove a manual or automatic? I have the GT with 6MT on my short list for my next car.
 
I've not had any problems meeting or exceeding EPA ratings on Elantras of any model year... even the uplifted ratings on current cars. But it's incomprehensible for a company like Hyundai, trying to build market share in a tough field, to make a mistake like this... assuming it was a mistake, as claimed.

#595 of 752 Re: Hyundai & Kia admit false fuel economy [backy] by aviboy97

Nov 03, 2012 (8:25 am)

Replying to: backy (Nov 02, 2012 9:13 am)
Great opportunity for Toyota, Honda, Mazda, Nissan, and all the rest to pick up share from Hyundai/Kia.
 
I agree that this is totally stupid, and I do not think this can be chalked up to accidental "human error". Sorry, I just don't buy it. I could understand if it were one car, but with several?
 
Employed by a competitor to the Elantra, I do know that we are ready to pounce when given the opportunity.
 
I do feel terrible for those who have expressed displeasure with the fuel economy of these Hyundai/Kia vehicles and now their observations have been confirmed by the company. It's just not right.
 
On the bright side, the Elantra is still rated pretty well at 38mpg highway, which still makes it competitive. But, I think the PR damage is pretty severe and will take a while to bounce back from.

#596 of 752 Re: Hyundai & Kia admit false fuel economy [cleanmpg] by longo2

Nov 03, 2012 (9:29 am)

Replying to: cleanmpg (Nov 02, 2012 1:48 pm)
You are not the first to run a "real world" highway mpg test on the new Hyundai Elantra, other highway test have shown the Elantra beats the posted number 40 mpg as well...BTW, thanks for the effort and attention to details that you put into your story.
 
"Elantra - 40mpg highway rating, 45.613mpg actual, 114.0% of EPA"
 
I don't think Hyundai should have caved to all the political pressure and done the same kind of tests you did and then stood their ground with the posted results.
 
Big FAIL on Hyundai's PR dept...they should have set up numerous tests like yours and then beat back the Haters with numbers actually HIGHER than the sticker. .this "refund the difference" idea is pure stupidity!
 
Highway mpgs are elusive numbers to check but the route you took could easily be repeated by anyone with any brand of car to see if their mpg would meet or beat the sticker numbers, my feeling is 90% would see their pure highway mpg's a lot better than they thought.
 i.e. in my VW Jetta TDI, when you re-set the "Avg." fuel economy to zero while highway driving with cruise on, the numbers pop 5 to 10 mpg more.
 
I doubt that many Elantra owners have actually filled their car at a roadside station, gently pulled out on the freeway and driven for 5 or 600 miles, 8 hours, on a 'posted speed limit' cross country trip,rolled back into another roadside station and re-filled, divided the miles driven by the gallons used and then had a real "highway" mpg number.
  No driving into town for lunch, no pulling off the road for antique store browsing, no parking at burger joints with the motor running..you know, all the little things people forgot they were doing on their "poor highway mpg" rants.
 
Everyone who has ever had a mpg dash readout in their car should know by now they are rarely ever spot on. My VW Jetta speedometer reads 5 mph faster than I am actually driving so my mpg readout is always off as well.
 My Garman GPS mph calculation is spot on tho, with the ever changing posted speed limit readout in another corner of the display.
 (Just to be sure I have a Valentine 1 radar detector on as well..I hate surprises)
 If you have ever driven cross country through all the Texas speed traps, a good radar detector will pay for itself on the first trip.
 
To sum up, Hyundai has NOT posted false highway mpg's...and I am really disapointed they didn't make public real world, the pure highway mpg numbers that car will do....under pure highway driving...not commuting through rush hour, running errands, they driving back home and calling that "highway driving"
 

#597 of 752 Re: Hyundai & Kia admit false fuel economy [longo2] by m6user

Nov 03, 2012 (9:14 am)

Replying to: longo2 (Nov 03, 2012 9:29 am)
There are highway tests and then there are highway tests.Straight, steady speed hwy tests are not equivalent to the EPA tests. You can run all the "private" tests you want but unless they exactly duplicate the same regimen the EPA tests are run on they are irrelevant. The EPA tests are for comparison purposes and don't equate to anyone's particular "real world". I think that is a point that many people miss. The tests that manufactures have to use for posting and comparison purposes are the EPA tests, not your's, mine, some blogger's or a car mag. If they cheat(or somehow error) on those and get caught they suffer the bad PR and fines that Hyundai/Kia is now experiencing. That is why most manufactures are so darn careful with those tests.

#598 of 752 Told you so! by eweiner

Nov 03, 2012 (9:13 am)

I have been posting here since the beginning of the year that the Hyundai MPG estimates are simply wrong.
 
I have a 2012 elantra limited and I have only gotten as much as 39 miles to the gallon by driving for an extended period of time at an excessive highway speed of 65 mpg.
 
For the rest of my driving my MPG has only been 24. Not even 29 miles per gallon that Hyundai says I should get with city driving.
 
I feel completely ripped off by Hyundai having bought a car that I expected to get routine high mileage only to find out that it is an average car that only gets average mileage.
 
The compensation offered by Hyundai is quite frankly too low. It does not compensate me for any future miles post their announcement of having been wrong. This seems to me to be unfair as I still own the car and will continue to drive the car yet I will not get the mileage promised me and the mileage that drove my purchase decision.
 
I have driven my elantra for just about one year and I have kept track of every single tank that I have purchased. I can assure you that I have not come close to an average of even the low in number from Hyundai of 29 mpg city.
 
Hyundai owes me quite a bit more than the paltry amount of money they are offering to compensate me for their mistake their life.

#599 of 752 Re: Hyundai & Kia admit false fuel economy [m6user] by longo2

Nov 03, 2012 (9:43 am)

Replying to: m6user (Nov 03, 2012 9:14 am)
If you actually read the extensive "cleanmpg" test story earlier on in this thread you would know that what they did was a real "Highway" mpg test.
 
They ran a Chevy Cruze and a Hyundai Elantra through a day long highway trip on the west coast, with lots of curves, bends, dips, traffic, hills and heat.
 
Both cars got BETTER mpg's than the window sticker. However the Hyundai got even better mpg's than the Cruze.

#600 of 752 Re: Hyundai & Kia admit false fuel economy [longo2] by m6user

Nov 03, 2012 (10:00 am)

Replying to: longo2 (Nov 03, 2012 9:43 am)
If you actually read my post you would know that I didn't say it wasn't a REAL highway test. Anybody can get on a highway and give a car a "real highway test". I said it was not the actual hwy test criteria that the EPA uses. The EPA uses a very strict regimen which just going from point A to point B on a highway does not replicate even if it is hilly, curvy or hot out. I'm not saying the EPA test is anybody's "real world", I'm just saying that any hwy test that does not EXACTLY replicate the EPA criteria cannot be deemed the same.
 
And the fact that both cars got better than the window sticker means absolutely nothing because it wasn't the same exact test the EPA uses. If you run different tests, you may get different results....how shocking.

#601 of 752 Re: Told you so! [eweiner] by backy

Nov 03, 2012 (10:02 am)

Replying to: eweiner (Nov 03, 2012 9:13 am)
First, the EPA fuel economy estimates for the Elantra have now been confirmed by the EPA itself to be 28/38/32. Very close to Hyundai's original numbers. And you've been able to exceed the highway number in your driving.
 
Second, the EPA (and Hyundai's statements re fuel economy) are clear that "YMMV". So while the EPA overall estimate is 32 mpg, not everyone will be able to hit that number. Some will exceed it. You appear to be in the former category, based on your driving patterns.
 
Third, re compensation... you are being compensated for miles already driven, and miles you will drive as long as you own the car, plus 15 percent for your inconvenience. How is that unfair? What do you expect?
 
If the Elantra's EPA rating had been 28/38/32 mpg at the time of your purchase, would you have still purchased the car?
 
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.

#602 of 752 Re: Hyundai & Kia admit false fuel economy [m6user] by longo2

Nov 03, 2012 (10:10 am)

Replying to: m6user (Nov 03, 2012 10:00 am)
OK I went back and re-read your post and you are right, you didn't say "real" what you said was...there are highway tests and there are highway tests...thanks for clearing that up.
 
if anyone cares to follow up on a "real highway test" please read the whole story here..
 
http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=43477

#603 of 752 Still Getting 33+ MPG Combined by pflyer

Nov 03, 2012 (11:59 am)

Haven't checked back in a while, but I have a 2011 Elantra GLS Automatic.
 
I am getting incredible mileage. Last two tanks were almost 34 mpg with an average speed both times of 31 mph.
 
As my car has "loosened" up (I have 19000 miles), the mileage has steadily improved.
 
I am the "cruise control" person, so YMMV.
 
The mpg calculator in the dash is about 2 mpg optimistic, but still...
 
I am sorry for those who are not getting near to what is on the Mulronney.
 
Now I find out Hyundai will pay me to fill up. Life is good. That should make my "effective" mpg even higher, with the free gas from the factory.
 
Except for hail damage (I live in DFW) which was not the car's fault, this has been a bullet-proof, well made and efficient car, one of the best I have ever owned.

Messages Page 61 of 76

To POST a message, please Sign In.

Advertisement

Browse by Category

Browse by Vehicle
   View All Vehicles

Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
View All Topics

Edmunds Community

Advertisement