I've noticed with the air on mine has dipped it's been hot in my area and around town driving has taken a dive i'm at 870 mile myself and currently at 26.8 was at 31.6 the last week with less air usage. My wifes sonata is at 25 and she drives longer distance than myself but also with the ac on. But with my last 2 cars a 08 kia optima and my wifes 09 elantra they did get better after the break in period.

 

:00000732:

I'm sure you'll get many replies to all the variables that affect gas mileage, along with other Elantra owners experiences. Most cars do get better mileage when they get some miles on the clock.

 

I know a/c will drain the mileage, and yes the car is new, but lord, i think i should be seeing at least the 29 mps

I also noticed that when i fill up, my range always seems to stay around 320 miles....does anyone know if that changes over time as your average MPG's improve? I know I'm not alone on this...chime in people :bwekk:

 

QUOTE (wymi @ Jun 9 2011, 11:49 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=459042

:00000732:

I'm sure you'll get many replies to all the variables that affect gas mileage, along with other Elantra owners experiences. Most cars do get better mileage when they get some miles on the clock.

thanks for the warm welcome :thumbsup:

I know I'm going to hear a lot of different things already...based on the other forums I've seen. Do you think that by my first oil change (2700 miles) that I'll see an improvement?

 

QUOTE (Kung-Fu Panda @ Jun 9 2011, 10:53 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=459045

thanks for the warm welcome :thumbsup:

I know I'm going to hear a lot of different things already...based on the other forums I've seen. Do you think that by my first oil change (2700 miles) that I'll see an improvement?

We just had another member here post this as his mileage went up after logging some miles:

http://www.hyundai-forums.com/t65364-just-...7-to-33-mpg.htm

 

For the city drivers MPG will be avg....I'm in San Diego and get around 30mpg.......for the freeway drivers that is where you will get the high averages.

 

Welcome to the forum! This topic is an old favourite that never goes away.

My mileage never seems to improve after break-in. I believe that break-in is little more than a rationalization strategy for new car buyers who need time to get used to the fact that things aren't going to be quite the way they imagined from the brochure. Service advisors use it a lot to get people off their back.

Unfortunately modern technology is not a free lunch. A 148 horsepower Elantra can be just as fuel efficient as a 74 horsepower car, but only if you drive it like a 74 horsepower car. People who expect all the highlights of the brochure to happen simultaneously are living in a dream world.

To achieve the city rating you have to avoid rush hour traffic, accelerate more slowly than you probably imagined, and anticipate traffic 3 blocks in advance so you can practically coast to a stop instead of actually using the brakes. If you're not getting dirty looks from other drivers, then you're probably not going to achieve the city rating.

To achieve the highway rating you need level ground, favourable weather, windows rolled up with A/C off, and a steady 45 or 50 mph cruising speed with no fluctuations. This is what the industry calls "highway driving"... not the trip you did to your cousin Earl's place last weekend at 75 mph. :thumbsup:

 

QUOTE (Kung-Fu Panda @ Jun 9 2011, 11:51 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=459043

i think i should be seeing at least the 29 mps

That's where you're wrong.

29MPG city EPA test doesn't include AC. So you shouldn't be seeing "at least" the EPA stated MPG if you're adding other things into the equation.

Also, my range is always ~410 when I fill up, but I usually fill up when I have one or two lines left on the bar and I've driven ~340.

 

EPA tests are done using ideal conditions. The conditions we drive in are rarely ever considered to be ideal. I find it impractical to base my expectations off of EPA estimates. Do as many things as you can to try to reduce fuel consumption, and you may get close to EPA estimates, but I suggest most Elantra owners will rarely meet them.

 

QUOTE (Don67 @ Jun 10 2011, 06:30 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=459146

Welcome to the forum! This topic is an old favourite that never goes away.

My mileage never seems to improve after break-in. I believe that break-in is little more than a rationalization strategy for new car buyers who need time to get used to the fact that things aren't going to be quite the way they imagined from the brochure. Service advisors use it a lot to get people off their back.

Unfortunately modern technology is not a free lunch. A 148 horsepower Elantra can be just as fuel efficient as a 74 horsepower car, but only if you drive it like a 74 horsepower car. People who expect all the highlights of the brochure to happen simultaneously are living in a dream world.

To achieve the city rating you have to avoid rush hour traffic, accelerate more slowly than you probably imagined, and anticipate traffic 3 blocks in advance so you can practically coast to a stop instead of actually using the brakes. If you're not getting dirty looks from other drivers, then you're probably not going to achieve the city rating.

To achieve the highway rating you need level ground, favourable weather, windows rolled up with A/C off, and a steady 45 or 50 mph cruising speed with no fluctuations. This is what the industry calls "highway driving"... not the trip you did to your cousin Earl's place last weekend at 75 mph. :thumbsup:

+1
LOL this is too funny (and true) your wording made me laugh!

Welcome to the forum. why not just for fun, drive the car around like you normally do, just anticpate traffic way ahead of you so you don't have to brake as much and accelerate at a much slower/relaxed rate.

you'll see your average bounce up. its all about training you in how to maximize your mileage with this car. (and any other car really)

Be sure to allow the transmission to shift between 1,500 RPM to 2,000RPM ... if the tranmission is shifting higher than that, then you're driving too moderately....

 

A/C does indeed increase fuel consumption significantly. Last weekend I did a 200km trip on the highway at 100km/hr (60mph) and I got 5.0 L/100km (not sure what that is in miles). EPA rates the Elantra at 4.9 L/100km so it's definitely possible to achieve this. The problem is city driving.... city driving in traffic really affects fuel economy.

 

I have about 1,000 miles on mine and it's definitely getting better. I don't know if it's the car or me though. For instance, I was told by the dealer to vary my speed and not settle into one rpm during the first 600 miles. So I drove that way, never quite cruising at one speed for too long, etc. And I'm sure it hurt gas mileage. That plus, of course, I was driving the car a little differently than normal just to see how it reacts.

But also there could be some truth the the break in concept. I don't think it's a stretch to say some of the moving parts are probably tighter at first.

My driving is 95% highway, but some of that is California trafficky. In the beginning I was averaging 30 mpg and today it's up to 38. (This is the end of my first week with the car).

 

I currently have 3,500 miles on mine. I don't drive like an old woman at all, and my driving is 29 miles each way about 50/50 city/highway to and from work three days per week (work from home the other days) and the rest city driving. I don't do anything special and my mileage is exactly what it should be. I'm sure I would get 40-42 all-highway driving, it's obvious from my average.

 

I've got nearly 4000 miles on my 11 GLS and do a 80/20 mix. I consistently avg very high 30's/low 40's between fill ups. My current tank of gas is at 44.5mpg and is one or two ticks above the halfway point. I even use A/C when it's hot.

I notice when I drive aggressively mileage drops. A strong headwind also causes mileage to drop significantly. Sitting at a light makes it drop like a rock too. So I just try to avoid those scenarios when possible.

 

Wow, haven't posted in these forums for a while. I've have my '11 Elantra limited for 3 months now and have about 2,5-- miles on it. I'd say I drive pretty much 90 (city)/10 and usually my mpg is at 30.5-31.9. That is with no ac on (I live in NH). I have seen 39 mpg after one road trip, which was mostly highway, then again, I tend to drive fast.

I can say though, that when I first purchased my car, I was extremely disappointed with my gas milage. I felt like I had to gas up my tank every week, where as my older car was once every two. My mpg would say 20 - 21.9 I have noticed that my gas milage is getting better as I put more miles on it. When I fill up my car the range always says 330. Now I gas up my car every two weeks like my previous vehicle.

Great car, still doesn't feel like mine, but I'm getting there. :57:

 

I have had my new 2012 for 2 weeks now, I do 160 miles a day round trip back and forth to work so the suggestions for break in were no problem for me to do, I have about 1500 on it already and I am shooting par for the course at 33mpg and I drive erratically. My commute breaks down like this, 10 miles of backroad/ city at 40mph, 30 miles of highway at 80+ mph, 20 miles of highway at a snails crawl when it moves (we are talking anywhere from 45 min to 1.5 hrs for this small portion) and the last 20 at 60-70 mph but it's real cut throat dog eat dog, I am constantly swapping over to the shiftronic and slapping it down into 4th for quick lane changes then back.

AC has been used sparingly so far and I have not tried the EOC yet, I am in comparison mode still, it's warming up so the next 2 weeks will be more of the same with AC and then the 2 weeks after that AC and full time ECO so it will be interesting to see how they all compare under the same circumstances.

 

To Kung-Fu Panda:

Sorry to say it, but those much-hyped EPA fuel economy estimates of 29 city and 33 combined mpg are out of whack with reality, especially if you do mostly city and surburban driving. The mileage really goes down quickly in city driving.

In real world driving tests conducted by Consumer Reports, the Elantra got only 29 combined mpg in their 50/50 mix of city/highway miles, and Motor Trend got an even worse combined average of 25.7 mpg in their test. I was very surprised to learn that the Toyota Corolla got better fuel economy, a combined average of 32 mpg, even with their relatively ancient 4-speed automatic.

The good news is that the EPA estimated 40 highway mpg is much more in line with reality. The CR test did get 39 mpg highway, and on a recent 300 mile trip on the expressway with the cruise set on 70 mph, I got an actual 38.8 mpg in my Elantra, while the trip computer showed a more optimistic 40.3 mpg.

 

The break in period is 2 or 3 tanks. Hyundai told me the break in was 2,000. Now that I'm at ~4,500 miles, they say it's 7,000. I'm still getting ~24 and I do drive like a grandmother with ~70% highway driving. I hope you jump the shark, some of us don't.

 

It's really all about how many lights you hit, how many times you have to accelerate, running AC, etc. It's possible there is a defect, but not likely.

Take it on a long trip where you burn up the whole tank on the highway doing the speed limit. You'll do better then.

 

QUOTE (John Orlando @ Jun 10 2011, 06:04 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=459470

The break in period is 2 or 3 tanks. Hyundai told me the break in was 2,000. Now that I'm at ~4,500 miles, they say it's 7,000.

The break-in period is however long it takes you to give up and just accept the way it is. :grin:

Sorry for repeating myself, but in most cases break-in is a myth. Since 1987 I have owned seven Nissans, two Hondas, two Hyundais, a partridge in a pear tree, and not one of them improved its fuel economy or performance with age.

Don

 

I have really been able to come to a conclusion with the city MPG. I live Philly and the heat here is a killing heat so I always have my AC on. The next time my tank goes empty or the next time I fill up, I will keep keynote on the city mileage. What I can say is that the car MPG on the high way is very good. I drove about 312 miles from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia. Believe it or not i only used 58% to 60% of the gas. I was really happy with the result.

 

QUOTE (Don67 @ Jun 10 2011, 06:41 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=459477

The break-in period is however long it takes you to give up and just accept the way it is. :grin:

Sorry for repeating myself, but in most cases break-in is a myth. Since 1987 I have owned seven Nissans, two Hondas, two Hyundais, a partridge in a pear tree, and not one of them improved its fuel economy or performance with age.

Don

Break-in isn't a myth, but with modern manufacturing its not as dramatic as it used to be. Modern machining holds tighter tolerances, so initial fit is better and less wearing in occurs, so the changes in compression and oil consumption are much less. This makes the changes less noticeable to the driver.

As an example almost 20 years ago I rebuilt a small block Chevy, and used non-detergent 30W break in oil for the first 500 miles to help ensure the rings seated. On that engine there was also an initial no load run in to break in the cam and avoid having early flattening of cam lobes. Now new engines don't have any special run in or interval for the initial oil change, just the standard 3000 miles (or 3750, or 7500 depending on mfg).

The reason for varying speeds during the first few thousand miles is to ensure rings and cylinders wear in and match as well as possible. Varying the speeds produces higher loads on the engine than steady speeds, and therefore higher cylinder pressures forcing the rings against the cylinder wall with more force increasing friction and seating them better.

One of the reasons for avoiding excessive loads or RPMs is to allow for stress relieving components through thermal cycling without parts reaching excessive temperatures. Example, the pistons are cast, and if heated excessively without the cylinder to constrain them they would deform and not return to their original shape and dimensions. By cycling them without reaching extreme temps the internal stressed from casting are relieved without permanent distortion.

Mating components wear and the fits change due to wear, components experience stress relieving through thermal cycling, and that is break-in. Nothing magical happens, and the better the manufacturing the less wearing in of components and less change in performance.

Now for my experience with my Elantra (3,250 miles at last fill), I have seen an increase in fuel economy while traveling at 65-73, with a few dips related to traveling at 75-80MPH on the highway for 130+ miles on a tank. My mileage (mixed, but >75% highway) for fill-ups (hand calculated) have been
30.0
30.4
32.6
34.7
36.5
34.6
33.3
35.7

I know that my average economy drops to 30-33 if traveling at 75-80MPH, if traveling 65-70 (with A/C on) the economy is 37-41. I have a change of 700 feet that is part of my 130+ mile round trip commute that results a a few mpg difference depending on going home or to work.

Joe

 

QUOTE (jstand3 @ Jun 10 2011, 09:43 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=459548

Break-in isn't a myth, but with modern manufacturing its not as dramatic as it used to be. Modern machining holds tighter tolerances, so initial fit is better and less wearing in occurs, so the changes in compression and oil consumption are much less. This makes the changes less noticeable to the driver.

I can accept that, Joe. My comments were intended specifically in the context of fuel economy; that no improvement after break-in would be noticeable to most drivers.

As for your increasingly fuel-efficient Elantra, can you conclusively eliminate weather and other potential causes? At this time of year, pretty much every car north of Florida should be experiencing improving fuel economy regardless of break-in status.

 

QUOTE (Kung-Fu Panda @ Jun 9 2011, 11:43 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=459037

Please, share your experiences....

Can't really contribute to the break in question, but here's my initial mpg:

2012 Elantra; ~450 miles; avg 37.8 according to the car. Will check with calculator when I fill up next. Commute is 5 miles country roads with 3 lights, 30 miles 65 mph, 3 miles city stop and go. Plus the wife drove around the burbs for a couple days.

 

Weather may have an impact, but since I've only had the car since May 5th (and it spent May 9-13 in the shop getting hood and rear bumper painted), so we are looking at a relatively short time period.

The weather has warmed over the last month, but the coolest morning since I've owned my car was only a week ago, and since I leave the house around 6:30-7:00 in the morning temps are still low (35 - 65 F depending on day). Afternoons are warm, and I use the A/C on the way home (I spend 2.5 hours a day in the car, I want to be comfortable when I'm driving).

I've done some experimenting to find the best speed for fuel economy on my commute, and also the impact of different speeds/acceleration. The info gained from this has probably helped economy as much as anything else.

Using cruise control and maintaining 65-70, accelerating at a moderate rate, give the best balance of economy and moving with the flow of traffic. Fuel economy drops off quickly above 70 and is approx 30-33 at 80 mph using the trip comp.

I've seen as high as 49.5 mpg average (trip computer) over 20 miles of my morning commute at 55 mph using cruise control, but that slow made for a pain dealing with merging traffic. I find that's too slow for my taste, even if the economy approaches Prius levels.

Joe