The guage on my '13 Auto is always 3-5 mpg optimistic vs my hand calculated mpgs. I find this unacceptable since the guage on my '08 350z's always within 0.2 mpg , and some times it is right on the dot! How inaccurate is yours? And I do fill at the same pump, though i know this isn't an absolute guarantee the tank is beeing filled exactly the same every time, but still, off by 5 mpg, are you kidding me?
Inaccurate MPG guage
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Mine typically ends up saying around 30.4 to 30.6 but my spreadsheet tells me it's really 28.745 after 30 fills. The car has only exceeded 30 MPG 4 actual times, with a high of 30.82 and a low of 27.13. I haven't done a road trip in this car that was all highway for a full tank yet. That's all roughly 90% in town, and 10% interstate, maybe even 95/5. I run the A/C nearly 100% of the time. This is right in line with the revised EPA estimates.
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This has been discussed MANY times on here already.
It IS what it IS and there is no "fix".
If it really is unacceptable, trade it in something a little more "upscale" and maybe you'll have better luck.
Sorry but that is the only real answer.
Other "economy" brands and models suffer from a similar problem. They don't claim it is really accurate.
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Well 36.4 with 80% highway seems pretty darn good to me and I personally wouldn't worry too much about the computer readout. Mine is typically 1.5 to 2 MPG over actual. VERY rarely has it ever been over 2 MPG high and only once did it read low (which was on an all highway trip). You can pretty safely assume that it will always read 1-2 MPG high and move on to enjoying the car! As far as 5 over, don't think that will happen very often or ever. 3 is on the extreme side of the scale from what others report too. So possibly it will get to be closer to range and fall in the 2 over like most people seem to witness.
What are you using for the mileage number? The odometer or some other measuring device.
I found the odometer to be about 2% pessimistic. I've gone further than the odometer says I've gone. And yet using my GPS figure for mileage, it comes close to what the MPG is on the dash even though that same dash shows less mileage!
I found the odometer to be about 2% pessimistic. I've gone further than the odometer says I've gone. And yet using my GPS figure for mileage, it comes close to what the MPG is on the dash even though that same dash shows less mileage!
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I know that the "old-school" folding paper maps had a mileage chart "somewhere" on it. That figure is based on "city post office to the other city post office." Not sure Map Quest shares that same philosophy. I know the interstate signs are designed that way. That would explain how you got to the edge of a city's limits before you're supposed to. You just hadn't reached the main post office...usually located in the center of town.
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The gage gets befuddled by big changes in route from day to day. Mine is usually "low" compared to actual calculated mpg because for five days a week, I drive a very short distance from light to light. Then once a week, I drive a longer highway trip. The display reads the lower "city" driving and hitting the highway raises the number, but not as high as it would need to be in order to reflect the current tank average. If I drive mostly highway and then spend a few days in urban clog, the display reads high because the lower mpg of the traffic doesn't lower the displayed number enough.
I use the dash gage as a very rough guide, and I have an Ultragage that I use to display 'instant' mpg and other engine parameters. It's far more useful than the built in "avg mpg" that can be thrown off by city-highway mix.
I use the dash gage as a very rough guide, and I have an Ultragage that I use to display 'instant' mpg and other engine parameters. It's far more useful than the built in "avg mpg" that can be thrown off by city-highway mix.
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88 Posts
Our Elantra is always about 2.5mpg optimistic. I don't see why they couldn't make it more accurate. The fact that it is always over the actual figure and never under is proof to me that Hyundai is being a little shady here. Our E averages 29 mpg in mixed driving. Our 2012 Civic averages 34 mpg over the same routes/roads. Pretty disappointing. The MPG reimbursement card is a nice gesture, but it would be nice if the engine was just engineered better in the first place!
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Given Hyundai's over-stated MPG, resulting in consumer rebates, it does make you wonder if the computer's inaccuracy is by design to fool the customer. This is the first time I've had a car with this feature so I don't have any other past experience to compare with. I find it hard to believe that Hyundai can't make the MPG estimate more accurate. Either way my MPG is outstanding, so I don't lose any sleep over it. cheers.
My old 2008 mustang gt gave me 2+ on mpg reading on highway and they're definitely not trying to disguise good gas mileage in a muscle car. Its the technology, and its not perfect. But I have seen it in other cars so its not just Hyundai, or the Elantra.
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I could care less if it's +/- "whatever." I just enjoy reading this post to see the collective reactions of the members. Maybe if I had bought an Equus, I'd be more concerned over MPG accuracy, but doubtful. Gas & Go, baby! Gas & Go! Let the MPG chips fall where they may. :grin:
Yes, this has been discussed before and it is well documented. My 2011 Elantra does the same thing. The mpg gauge always reads ~2 mpg high, so while the gauge is inaccurate, it is consistent. Just subtract 2 for the "real" mileage.
If it makes you feel any better, a lot of other cars do it. My wife's old Malibu did the exact same thing (optimistic by 2 mpg), so this isn't just a Hyundai problem. However, I'm not naive, and I think, actually I know, Hyundai knows about it and could do something, but they don't. I'm sure they're more than okay with the mpg gauge being slightly optimistic.
With all that said, my wife's 2013 Altima seems to be spot on. Her gauge is very close (within .5) of what the actual mileage is. Plus her car actually hits its fuel economy rating (38mpg) in only 75% Highway driving. It sometimes pisses me off that her car has more power, weighs more, is bigger, is quieter and yet gets better gas mileage. Whatever, I trust my drivetrain more (not sold on CVTs yet).
If it makes you feel any better, a lot of other cars do it. My wife's old Malibu did the exact same thing (optimistic by 2 mpg), so this isn't just a Hyundai problem. However, I'm not naive, and I think, actually I know, Hyundai knows about it and could do something, but they don't. I'm sure they're more than okay with the mpg gauge being slightly optimistic.
With all that said, my wife's 2013 Altima seems to be spot on. Her gauge is very close (within .5) of what the actual mileage is. Plus her car actually hits its fuel economy rating (38mpg) in only 75% Highway driving. It sometimes pisses me off that her car has more power, weighs more, is bigger, is quieter and yet gets better gas mileage.
Whatever, I trust my drivetrain more (not sold on CVTs yet).Of course, there is a "fix". Use 100% gasoline(ethanol-free). My trip computer is fairly accurate...... using 100% gasoline.
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And IF that is true, it still would be "fairly accurate" using E10 too......as it would reflect the fewer miles driven for a gallon of fuel used.
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Closest 100% gas is only 5 hours from me, but then it's only premium and not 87 or 89. It's not worth an extra $.20
The Soul is kind of close as I remember. Daughter drives it, so I don't see the car often.
On a 180 mile freeway and 20 mile city after that with the GT, trip computer was 39.0, got 38mpg. The first two fill ups wasn't documented correctly, but think it was a couple of mpg off.
Ethanol-free gas stations in the U.S. and Canada
The Soul is kind of close as I remember. Daughter drives it, so I don't see the car often.
On a 180 mile freeway and 20 mile city after that with the GT, trip computer was 39.0, got 38mpg. The first two fill ups wasn't documented correctly, but think it was a couple of mpg off.
Ethanol-free gas stations in the U.S. and Canada
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