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Hyundai Elantra Real World MPG 2011 MY and earlier



  • fushigifushigi Posts: 1,232
    Actually, you should be around 33 combined, not 35:

    But that number can vary based on a number of factors, including worse mileage in winter due to temps, worse mileage due to ethanol in the gas, driving habits, tire inflation, hilly terrain, worse mileage for the first few minutes after startup (MPG is always worse until the car reaches full operating temp), what each person considers to be "city" and "highway" driving, how fast you drive, and so on.

    I'm not trying to say that you shouldn't be disappointed. Just that fuel economy is is complicated. FWIW my wife doesn't get 40 on the highway in her '12 Elantra either; more like about 36. But it's easily attributable to winter gas, ethanol, and her driving 75 or so MPH.
  • pbm58pbm58 Posts: 16
    I am now at 5000 miles and in some ways fuel economy has declined (not increased as I was told). 20 CITY/32 HWAY (at 62mph) It has been unseasonably warm here all winter, so it is not "frigid" temps. I am using the exact same driving style, under same conditions, as with my 10 yr old Honda, which when I gifted it to relative, was still getting 30/36. Dare I ever use the AC in this car?
    "disappointed" isn't the correct word...
  • pbm58pbm58 Posts: 16
    My dealer was also unhelpful (now getting 20 city, 32 hway). However, a different dealer said he'd be willing to talk...I initially received a sympathetic ear from the regional Hyundai folks I called (someone there acknowledged having heard feedback about low mileage) but when an "official" called me back, he was actually snippy and told me to do a mileage check, when I asked him to explain he said the equivalent of "how should know?") However, I note my mileage at every fill-up (I go to the same station/same pump each time).
    I am also going to talk with another car company altogether and see what happens.
  • pbhattpbhatt Posts: 4
    I have driven almost 12000 miles in little less than 10 months now. I am getting in the range of 29 to 36 in mixed weather & driving style. I think temperature varies the mileage a lot atleast for Elantra. Here's are my some observation.

    1) During initial 1000 break-in miles I was getting 27-29 mpg in 40% city & 60% highway (Was driving 60 miles/day including 5-6 miles of Manhattan's stop & go traffic everyday) --- this was in June-2011 when temperature was between 70-90

    2)After break-in period I was able to get 32-35 mpg going at 70 MPH (Same 60 miles commute everyday including Manhattan) This was during July 2011 and 70-90 temperature

    3)Once winter started and temperature reached below 50 (varying between 20' F to 50' F), was getting 29-31 MPG in 50%-50% mixed highway/City (This includes 42 miles/day commute with 20 miles of constant highway going at 70 MPH, and 22 miles of Stop & Go from 30-45 MPH

    4)Now, as again summer started this time little early and temperature started reaching above 55'F, started getting 32-33 MPG in same manner of driving as just above.

    During Winter, while filling up Tank, it shows 320-325 Miles in the meter, while currently (during 55'-70') it shows 340-345 Miles, and once it will go above 75 'F (It will show around 355 Miles) and getting maximum Mileage of upto 35MPG in 50%-50% mixed driving

    Have tried ECO mode too, but couldnt found any difference.

    Once, I tried a full trip of 270 miles (135 miles each way which includes driving constantly at 75 to 80 MPH for 115 Miles & stop & go for other 20 miles) during winter (Temperature was 25' F) --- and got 31 MPG for 270 miles trip (Mileage was noted manually after filling up the tank before staring of the trip & after again after filling at 270 miles)

    2nd time, same mentioned trip recently , but between 65-70 'F temperature, and got 34 MPG which is pretty good while driving at 75-80 MPH.

    Haven't tried purely in the City, but shouldn't be able to get more than 26-28 MPG if driving 80% City and 20% highway.

    Dont know what is happening with some folks here saying getting around 20-25 MPG!!!
  • dodgeman07dodgeman07 Posts: 573
    As they should have. The "revised" EPA figures are very achieveable (hundreds of drivers bear this out on numerous websites). I agree the original EPA numbers would be tough to hit, but those "old" EPA figures were tough to hit in most cars.
  • m6userm6user Posts: 2,952
    I agree that a lot of people complain for no good reason. However, this has nothing to do with just achieving EPA numbers like you're talking about...old or new. Hell, most people if they tried didn't have that much trouble achieving the "old" EPA numbers either. This lawsuit was about Honda, a couple of years in, reprogramming the car so the battery would last past the warranty period which in turn reduced the MPG drastically. So they screwed their customer's MPG to keep from having to replace expensive batterys. The reprogramming changed the car from what they had purchased. I believe most people were getting the expected MPG on these Civic Hybrids before Honda did the reprogramming so it's not just a matter of a few people not getting the exact EPA numbers.

    Say a manufacturer found out your tranny would blow during warranty and they would end up replacing trannies left and right. So they do a recall and change the gears in the tranny to make it last longer so they don't suffer a huge monetary loss. But by doing this it cut your MPG from 30 to 20. Would you be a happy camper? Would you want to sue because your nice car that was getting 30mpg now only gets 20mpg because your carmaker messed with your tranny to save themselves money?

    I think this superior court judgement has a good chance of being overruled.
  • dodgeman07dodgeman07 Posts: 573
    If what you say is true, Honda modified the vehicles with the full knowledge that said modifications made it impossible (or very unlikely) to achieve EPA fuel mileage estimates, then it's a clear case in the owner's favor.

    The owners would need to prove that Honda modified their vehicles and did so knowing the result(s) would include inferior mileage. That is a bit tougher, especially when data is available for 2006 Civic Hybrids that meet EPA and owner's requirements (averaging over 40mpg). The court would have to assume at least some of the vehicle data was collected from modified vehicles unless verifiable, empirical data to the contrary was presented.

    There again, things in the courtroom generally favor whomever can afford the best counsel. There's no doubt about the favorite in that case!
  • debbishaw1debbishaw1 Posts: 6
    your experience mirrors mine, what to do?
  • I own the 2011 Hyundai Elantra limited. From day one, I noticed that the fuel mileage was no where near the stated MPGs. I informed the dealership on several occasions and they kept telling me that once it broke in, that I would get better MPGs. Well, I have put around 16k miles on the car and the mileage keeps getting worse. My average city/highway MPGs is 25MPG. Today I ended up filling up the vehicle and the MPG was 23MPG? 23??????? WOW Really? I use the AC on low everywhere I go, but does that mean I lose 11 MPG just for using the A/C? Come on. This is not the first car I have owned, but it is the only car I have ever owned that has gotten this bad of fuel mileage (compared to the stated city/highway MPG). I had an older Pontiac Bonneville with the 3.8Liter and was getting 28-30 highway. Around 26 city. I also have a 2001 Ford Escape that when new was getting 28-30MPG highway and around 26 combined with city driving. Both are better than this Elantra. I contacted the service department and they stated that if there is not check engine light on, then nothing is wrong with the car. After checking the MPG today, I called the service department and informed them that something is definitely wrong with this vehicle and that they need to take a look at it. I asked if 11MPG off from the stated combined was normal and he admitted that it was not. So, I have an appointment scheduled for tomorrow. I informed them that the car needs to be fixed, or something else needs to happen like getting me into a different car. It sucks, as I really like the car and it's setup how I wanted, but the Mileage is killing me.
  • roadscholar3roadscholar3 Posts: 23
    edited June 2012
    You're obviously not alone with this experience. As I've said before, I see some serious litigation over this issue in Hyundai's future. I get the feeling that the government is looking the other way, perhaps in order to establish a trade deal with S. Korea who is moving some auto manufacturing plants to the U.S. Or maybe they're in cahoots with the oil companies, as a stealth way to keep demand/prices for oil high while selling it as a fuel saver. Who knows what wheeling and dealing goes on, but if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck've probably been *ucked. The advertising about fuel savings is pure hype and a downright lie.

    I'm in agreement with you that other than this poor mileage issue, the car is a good value for the money. That said, the fuel savings was the BIG seller for me as I have a long highway commute. You'd think highway miles, with few inner city miles, would be the perfect scenario for the promises of a fuel efficient car like this. What a disappointment. I'm lucky to hit 31mpg on the highway. I too have never experienced so much discrepancy between the stated city/highway sticker rating and the reality on the road.

    This I know for certain - this is my first and last Hyundai car. They've lost my trust.
  • ftl_techftl_tech Posts: 2
    We bought and 2012 Hyundai Accent se hoping to get good gas mileage. We are averaging about 30 mpg on the highway and 27 mpg in the city. IT'S suppose to get 29-40. We also have a 2010 Hyundai Elantra Blue. I'm averaging about 32-34 mpg overall. I don't drive like grandpa. What's up with that.
  • ftl_techftl_tech Posts: 2
    This is my second Hyundai. My first one was an 2005 Sonata and the second is a 2010 Elantra Blue. I have found on average the manual transaxle get the best fuel mileage. on my 2005 Sonata I was getting 30mpg. The epa said it was getting 23-26. My cousin had the same car just an automatic and he was getting 24mpg. My Elantra Blue is a manual and i'm averaging 32mpg. If I drive like grandpa I get up to 36mpg with the a/c on max. Sometimes its how you specs a car. Generally most of the cars ar not made in the usa, they are just assembled here. Between me and my wife we have had 5 hyundai's.
  • g2iowag2iowa Posts: 123
    While it is interesting to share the info about the Pontiac and Ford, why not share more relevant info about how you are currently driving your Elantra? When you filled up that day and got 23 mpg, how many miles had you driven and how many gals of fuel did you pump?

    You say you use the A/C. But...

    - Are you using ethanol?
    - How much stop-and-go traffic are you doing?
    - How long are your average trips one way?
    - How fast are you driving on interstate?
    - Are you carrying passengers?
    - How many miles does your Elantra have?
    - What are some specific results for actual tanks of gas you recently pumped? How many miles did you drive and how many gals of fuel used? What is your average MPH for a tank?
    - Are you the only person driving it?

    I do hope you've taken care of all the little things like proper tire inflation, etc.

    With a name like "camaroman", how come I don't have any difficulty seeing you driving your Elantra really hard and fast? Not the sort of name that screams economy-minded driving.
  • tenpin288tenpin288 Posts: 804
    Read an interesting article about automakers and their quest to trim weight out of cars and how difficult it is... Car Obesity

    The one sentence that caught my eye and reflects back on drivers and car contents is this "The industry&#146;s general rule of thumb is that 100 pounds equals a mile a gallon."

    I think a lot of people forget or deny how much passengers and the contents they haul in their cars can adversely affect their mileage! :surprise:
  • fushigifushigi Posts: 1,232
    Good article. Reminds me of the cars from the 80s and early 90s that routinely got 40-50MPG. They were all lightweights. My father drove a Renault Alliance 2-door 4-speed MT and routinely got 50MPG at 50MPH out of it. When he gave it to me I drove it like the teenager I was and still got 40MPG. And today's Sonic, Yaris, etc. still don't come close to matching the Geo Metro.

    But those old cars weighed little more than a bag of bagels. Thin sheet metal, probably disastrous crash results, etc. And a distinct lack of features compares to today's cars. Features that add weight like airbags, power windows, sunroofs, and so on.

    It's literally food for thought for the overweight among us that if we lost, say, 50 pounds we could get an extra 1/2 mpg benefit. So when people diss a car's economy, among the ethanol & driving factors we can counter with "your Taco Bell habit". ;)
  • I agree with all of you who have poor gas mileage with the Elantra. Hyundai's response has been that of total indifference. My local TV station (Maine) is doing a segment on this and how people are getting ripped off with no recourse for this false advertising. If some cars are getting the mileage and some aren't, it is not necessarily the driver's fault. Hyundai would be better served trying to find the part that is causing this discrepncy. I am pursuing lemon law arbitration for this.This is false advertising. When you buy a car or other product there is an implied warranty that the car will do what it is supposed to do, this is not right. Call your attorney general. Also, see Graham Jefferson from USA today's article on his bad experience with this car. Conumer Watchdog also has written to Hyundai about the problem. Never again will I buy a Hyundai.
  • Can you make it easier to followup on these stories by providing links to the station in Maine's coverage and to the USA Today article? Much appreciated!
  • backybacky Twin CitiesPosts: 18,682
    Here's links to two stories related to Jefferson Graham's (note, NOT Graham Jefferson) report on the Elantra, and Hyundai's follow up to it: s-mileage-disappoints-this-tech-writer/1#.T9Uhkzfd6So defending-elantras-gas-mileage/1#.T9Uhqjfd6So

    And also, USA Today's comparo of 5 sedans that are rated over 35 mpg and cost under $20k. The Elantra was 2nd overall in fuel economy, with 34.5 mpg (more than the EPA combined figure) and was first overall in the comparo: nder-20000-and-over-35-mpg/1#.T9UgqTfd6Sp
  • giovanigiovani Posts: 1
    Your driving too fast to get the mpg it says it will get mpg is rated at 55 mph roughly fill the tires to 41 psi switch to synthetic oil use cruise control you will get the 40 mpg at 55/60 mph I have an 08 elantra getting 38mpg @ 60mph I use nothing but amsoil oils and top quality fuels the dealer is useless they don't much about the technical parts of mechanics thats why not many people can truthfully answer real world mpg questions try to use fuel treatments 3-4000 miles keep the air filter clean the engine is an air pump the more freely the air moves the more efficient the engine will be
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