I have now had my 08 GL with the I4 for almost 6 months. While I find the trip computer fairly accurate it's real value is to "coach" me to keep my foot light in the throttle. By using this gadget as a training tool I find I can maintain a fairly consistent 30 MPG city (CDN Gallons) which is around24 US MPG and over 40 MPG (CDN) 32 US MPG.

The minute my 'puter starts to drop below these figures I know I'm getting heavy on the gas. My experience eve with the 4 cylinder model is that there is more than enough power to stay with stop and start traffic without "nailing it". I usually travel at 70 mph on the highway so I'm not holding many folks up there either.

Over the first 6500 KM I have averaged 33 CDN MPG (26+ MPG US) and that's 60% city, 40% Highway. Not too shabby for pretty big car!

Just a few thoughts and I would love to hear others opinions on using the tools that Hyundai provides.

i actually use my Miles to Empty portion of the trip PC more than the MPG portion... i have noticed that my MPG stays in between 29.5 and 30.1 regardless of my actual MPG. i get anywhere between 28-30.5 MPG in real life and it usually does not match my trip PC.

then again, i drive the same route every day at pretty much the same speed and the same traffic patterns, thus using the MTE part is more useful to me than it might be to others.....

Does the trip computer calculate MPG via miles traveled and time elapsed? Or does it factor in actual fuel consumption?

Seems to me that if it used miles traveled or speed, it would be subject to error since the speedometer is typically set 2-3 MPH high.

A good tool to use to see how your driving. Go rent a '08 Nissan Maxima, with navigation. If you swtich the screen to display MPG and various other calculations. It has a Bar graph. As you accelerate the yellow bar graph starts to fall to the indicated MPG you are receiving at that point.

Now when driving my sonata I can imagine how that graph looks and coast a lot instead of using the brakes (I know that is also used on many hypermiling websites).

I believe it calculates based on a fuel flow sensor and the odometer reading. It does the math and then displays on the trip 'puter.

In Canada it calculates Litres/100 Kilometres thus it is likely picking up changes in consumption more frequently. It is really a pretty sophisticated little unit!

I really doesn't matter if it's not deadly accurate as long as you know what reading is "normal". Once it deviates above (good) or below (not good) you know how well you're doing.

Dixer - Miles (or KM's) to empty would give you a similar indication and while I don't use this feature much - if it works for you .... bonus!

The bar graph on the Maxima reminds me of the vacuum driven gauge that folks used to install on their big carburated RV's and big V8's. It was very sensitive and gave you immediate feedback. floor it - the needle would go to the red line, featherfoot it and keep it in green or yellow bands you'd get better economy. There is really nothing new in the auto world - just new technology to do the same thing.

My gas gauge is really off, like when it says that I'm down to a quarter tank left, I really have like a third or more left. Ive compared it by checking to see how much gas I had to buy to put in the 17.7 Gallon tank. Any one else's car like this?

i think there is a 2 gallon "reserve".. when i fill up my tank, it is almost on "E" and it says i have about 100-125 miles left to empty. that has to say that there is some kind of reserve...

I've been driving for nearly 50 years and have yet to own a car with an accurate fuel gauge. Like the trip computer the gas gauge is meant to tell you approximately how much fuel you have remaining. Obviously, they will engineer this to be conservative, especially since fuel injection became common. I would not worry unless it was the other way.

By the way if you really want to cause havoc with any modern car run out of fuel! Depending on the car, this can damage your fuel pump, clog injectors, plug fuel filters, contaminate fuel lines, or several - even all of these!

Regardless you're looking at big repair bills and this one is not covered under any kind of warranty that I have seen.

How come as a Kid we ran out of Fuel all the time and

nothing terrible happened. Of course looking back my Cars

broke down all the time. I thought this was normal for Mopar Cars :P

Carbs, mechanical fuel pumps, washable filters! We could fix them ourselves and often did. I don't even want to think about the fuel systems our cars depend on now never mind taking them apart! :o
BTW I build computers for fun, but wouldn't even go below the engine cover on my I4