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2012 Kia Rio5: Real Time Fuel Economy (MPG).

157 messages,  Last post on Jan 08, 2013 at 10:55 AM

You are in the Kia Rio Forum.

What is this discussion about? Kia Rio, Sedan, Wagon

Messages Page 8 of 17

#64 of 157 Re: Acceptable but not up to EPA... [skeptic101] by dchev

Jul 18, 2012 (3:12 pm)

Replying to: skeptic101 (Jul 12, 2012 9:35 am)
I have the same opinion about 2012 Kia Rio SX as Phill.
Excellent built car; however, gas millage is bad. I do not shoot for 40MPG, but just in achieving 30MPG. I drive 50/50 city/highway and my gas millage is in 25-29 MPG range. If this is acceptable for some people, it is not for me!
I switched to synthetic oil and this seemed to helped a little bit....but it is still under 30MPG.
When we talk about average gas millage of 25-29 MPG, it comes to mind owning cars as Huyndai Sonata, Toyota Camry, Honda Accord...which are much larger vehicles. I chose The Rio because of its size and sticker gas millage! My advise to potential Rio owners is to think about it when they buy this car-a very well built car which does not deliver good gas millage!

#65 of 157 RIO SX Best In Class by btatr

Jul 18, 2012 (4:59 pm)

Replying to: dchev (Jul 18, 2012 3:12 pm)
I've seen posts from dchev in other forums and have my doubts about his legitimacy. I suspect he uses multiple IDs in those forums to bad mouth KIAs. But let's put that aside for now.
 
1. Motorweek, the highly respected Public TV evaluator of cars got 38 mpg in their mixed use test.
 
2. Skeptic wrote, " I was disappointed with my 2012 Rio5's MPG at first, but about 4k I got one tank that gave me 42 MPG! On another trip at 6k I only got 38 MPG outbound, but got 43 over the same route on the return.
 
3. I posted my real world combined driving numbers which are between 31-32 mpg which isn't too far off from the EPA combined rating of 33 mpg.
 
Do your own research and try to find people who are objective and fair in their assessment. As for me, I admit that I love my RIO SX. Everybody who rides with me can't say enough good things about the car which is amazing for an economy class vehicle.

#66 of 157 Re: Acceptable but not up to EPA... [dchev] by phill1

Jul 19, 2012 (4:57 am)

Replying to: dchev (Jul 18, 2012 3:12 pm)
I no longer have a "Dog in this fight" and I`d rather not argue the point with either Motor Week, which by the way, I contacted and questioned the numbers that they reported, nor do I wish to instigate (btatr). I agree with him whole heartedly, everyone is entitled to their own "Opinion", just not their own "Facts". It appears that Motor Week, stands by their report and replied to me stating the vehicle they tested was not a (ringer) provided by Kia to achieve the outstanding results that they documented. I personally feel that using the EPA figure of estimated 33 MPG average of (mixed) driving is realistic, most folks that choose to by a smaller Sub-Compact/B-Segment Vehicle are looking for even better fuel economy. I have to admit, if (averaging) the mixed driving and achieving the 33 MPG is the target, Kia did deliver. My complaint is that my other vehicle, a 2011 Ford Fiesta SE Hatchback, which (I) feel I can use as a similar Class Car both in weight,size, and engine displacement can get a constant 33-35 MPG City and 41/43 MPG Highway under any and every driving condition, the Kia Rio5 should be delivering similar results which it does not. Almost every Fiesta owner I have spoken with and almost every posting I have read from other Fiesta Owners report excellent fuel economy while a (majority) of 2012 Kia Rio owners that I have spoken to and the majority that have posted their own results have usually commented on somewhat disappointing numbers. I (like) my 2012 Kia Rio5, but if I could get the same miles per gallon in a larger, heavier, more powerful Car, I might have chosen something else.

#67 of 157 RIO SX Best In Class by btatr

Jul 19, 2012 (5:45 am)

I can't crawl into the mind and/or motivation of Dchev but I am glad he went to Motorweek and verified their results. If you're unfamiliar with Motorweek, they have a stellar reputation and have been reviewing cars for PBS (Public Broadcasting System) for as long as I can remember. I have to admit that I don't come close to their figure but I'm please with my 31-32 mpg combined rating which sometimes is slightly higher. Obviously it depends upon the ratio of city to highway driving.
 
This past weekend I went for a drive of 73 miles up to the mountains and got 37.6 mpg. On that trip the first 11 miles were in town while the last 62 miles were all highway with no traffic. As I was driving my mpg kept going up on the computer so I don't know if I continued on if it would have gone higher. And in case you're wondering, I did not base my mpg on the computer which was slightly higher, at close to 39 mpg. I always check mpg the old fashioned way.
 
After reaching the mountains I immediately filled up and calculated mpg for my 73 miles. However, after driving in the mountains for a period of time, mpg dropped significantly. The RIO's 1.6 Liter Engine had to work very hard climbing those mountains.

#68 of 157 Re: RIO SX Best In Class [btatr] by aurorabds

Jul 19, 2012 (6:03 am)

Replying to: btatr (Jul 19, 2012 5:45 am)
My problem is, as previously stated, my computer mileage is 8-9% higher than n my actual. If you're getting 37 MPG computer, my guess is you're only getting 34 REAL MPG when you do the math.

#69 of 157 RIO SX Best In Class by btatr

Jul 19, 2012 (6:56 am)

aurorabds, thanks for providing your feedback but I don't think you carefully read what I wrote. The KIA computer said I was getting close to 39 mpg but after I filled up the tank and calculated mpg the old fashioned way, it was 37.6 mpg for the trip.
 
It's safe to assume the trip computer is almost always slightly higher than your actual mpg. There's probably some logical, mathematical reason for that but I don't know what it is. I constantly monitor mpg the old fashioned way and never once got a real life figure that was higher than the computer number.
 
The example I gave in my previous post was fairly typical. The computer mpg was hovering close to 39 mpg while my actual mileage was 37.6. Would you be kind enough to do the math and give us the exact percentage the computer was off? Thanks!

#70 of 157 RIO SX Best In Class by btatr

Jul 19, 2012 (6:55 am)

Replying to: phill1 (Jul 19, 2012 4:57 am)
I don't know this guy and hope he doesn't mind but I thought his post in another KIA forum was interesting. Judge for yourself but it sounds almost identical to the results Skeptic described earlier in this thread.
 
"Made a trip to laughlin NV from LA. filled up right off the freeway, did 43mpg all the way to laughlin. Trip back did 37mpg, this included some city driving in laughling which isnt much. YES! i did fill up on arizona side!
 
Normal days i get 25-28 mpg, all city driving no highway. red lights for miles!!!"

#71 of 157 Re: Acceptable but not up to EPA... [phill1] by skeptic101

Jul 19, 2012 (10:22 am)

Replying to: phill1 (Jul 19, 2012 4:57 am)
I don't understand; what "facts" are you disputing?

#72 of 157 Re: Acceptable but not up to EPA... [skeptic101] by dchev

Jul 19, 2012 (7:35 pm)

Replying to: skeptic101 (Jul 19, 2012 10:22 am)
I did a trip of 100 miles today on the Interstate....and my millage was 38MPG by the computer of the car. This means that actual gas millage is something like 36-37 MPG-Interstate gas millage. I can say that I am satisfied with this gas millage.
Then, I fill up the tank and drove just in city....and got 27.5MPG.....which is actual 26MPG... Not really satisfied with this number... (but I guess) I have to live with that!
On the other hand, Rio's ride is excellent:), so must say that I really enjoyed my car!
Cheers!

#73 of 157 RIO City Mileage by btatr

Jul 20, 2012 (5:51 am)

City stop and go driving is a killer for any car other than a hybrid.
 
1. When you're stopped at red light or for traffic, you're getting zero mpg.
 
2. When you accelerate you're burning fuel at a very high rate.
 
I get around 25 mpg during city only driving, sometimes slightly less which is a good 5 miles less than the EPA rating. So the RIO excels on the highway but city driving could be better. On the other hand, I think EPA city ratings are way off.
 
My 2002 Focus, which got 30 mpg on the highway like clockwork, would get a paltry 17-18 mpg in city only driving, despite a much higher EPA rating of 25 mpg. In light of that, I'm getting about 7-8 more mpg from my KIA ,which is a a huge improvement over the Focus, I'll take it!

Messages Page 8 of 17

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