I have had mine just over a week and have just over 900 miles on the car. I am averaging 36 mpg with mostly local driving with a few 35-40 mile trips. My eco score is 36.

 

QUOTE (nfs12077 @ Jun 5 2011, 06:39 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=456564

I live in Ft Lauderdale and purchased my black premium Sonata Hybrid about 3 weeks ago. I love my car but it's not getting over 28 mpg. I noticed this 3 days after I purchased it and notified the dealer.

I had to drive to Bradenton FL (about 230 miles away) to purchase my Sonata Hybrid and paid a $2K premium over MSRP to purchase it. I have let the dealer know about the problems and told them that I'm not driving the car hard, driving under 70 on the highway, not riding the brakes, and not carrying any additional weight in the car. Also here in Florida it's flat so it's not like I'm driving up the mountains in Colorado.

My car is telling me that my ECO score is a 10...I think that is good? Is anyone else having a problem getting 36 in the city or 40 on the hwy?I thought I would get about 540 miles to the tank but I can only get about 420. I have put about 2000 miles on the car and I'm drivng the car like my grandma does and cant figure out what is wrong.

I've spoken with the dealer and he told me he is going to call his Hyundai rep to see what is the next step. I told him that if I paid a premium for the car I should get the milage and he agreed.

I will let everyone know how this turns out. Please post your comments if you are having the same issues.

Greetings,
I haven't received my Sonata Hybrid as yet, ordered one on the 21st of May. Have you tried any Hypermiling? I usually only use the coasting and or gliding technique. I have been using this on my current vehicle a 1999 Jeep Grand, and have improved my mileage by about 5 mpg. I wonder if its not a software problem? On the 21st of May I went to my local Hyundai dealer and tested a premium hybrid, even though we only traveled about 20 miles round trip, we got going both ways, right at 42 mpg, with the a/c on and driving in cruise control. Hope this helps.
Good luck.

 

QUOTE (nfs12077 @ Jun 5 2011, 07:39 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=456564

I live in Ft Lauderdale and purchased my black premium Sonata Hybrid about 3 weeks ago. I love my car but it's not getting over 28 mpg. I noticed this 3 days after I purchased it and notified the dealer.

I had to drive to Bradenton FL (about 230 miles away) to purchase my Sonata Hybrid and paid a $2K premium over MSRP to purchase it. I have let the dealer know about the problems and told them that I'm not driving the car hard, driving under 70 on the highway, not riding the brakes, and not carrying any additional weight in the car. Also here in Florida it's flat so it's not like I'm driving up the mountains in Colorado.

My car is telling me that my ECO score is a 10...I think that is good? Is anyone else having a problem getting 36 in the city or 40 on the hwy?I thought I would get about 540 miles to the tank but I can only get about 420. I have put about 2000 miles on the car and I'm drivng the car like my grandma does and cant figure out what is wrong.

I've spoken with the dealer and he told me he is going to call his Hyundai rep to see what is the next step. I told him that if I paid a premium for the car I should get the milage and he agreed.

I will let everyone know how this turns out. Please post your comments if you are having the same issues.

Hi,
I live right up the coast from you in West Palm Beach. I got a black premium hybrid too on June 1. I had to go up to Cocoa Beach to get mine. I have a little less than 2000 miles on it so far. My ECO score reads 80 so I think your 10 doesn't sound right. I can tell you I'm getting right about 35 MPG driving about 75% on I-95 at 70MPH and 40 to 55 MPH stop and go for the other 25% of the time. Your 28 mpg looks low to me. I would have the dealership take a look at it. When I get on a clear section of I-95 and set the cruise control at 70 MPH my ECO meter on the far left of the speedometer is dead on the 4th tick up not counting the tick at the off position. My MPG is also a steady 35 MPG. You got more traffic down in Lauderdale and therefore more stop and go, so you should be a little worse than mine.

 

Based on my personal experience with my Sonata Hybrid with 2500+ miles on it, your gas milage is WAY low. I'm a lot less careful about the way I drive my car now and I'm still getting in the upper 34 mpg or better (I can get 36 - 37mpg when I drive like a gradpa). Each time I've fueled up, I've computed my MPG manually to compare with the computer. I've found that the onbord computer is fairly accurate to with in +/- 0.2 mpg. My Eco score is in the upper 90's.

As an example, the last time I fueled up, I had gone 489 miles on the tank and it only took 14.1 gallons to fill. That computes to 34.6 mpg with 3 gallons left till empty. I probably could have gone another 90+ miles on top of the 489 I had already clocked on that tank of gas.

I would be really upset if I was getting the mpg you are reporting with your Hybrid. I hope you get your dealer to address the issue with your car. Good luck and please post any updates.

 

I've been getting about 34 mpg, but with the recent heat, I've been running the A/C hard and expect it to end up in the lower 30s. I have been intentionally driving "gentle" so I can see 28mpg if you are running the A/C hard and aren't using slow starts and avoiding heavy acceleration.

 

QUOTE (HighFive @ Jun 6 2011, 11:22 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=456837

Hi,
I live right up the coast from you in West Palm Beach. I got a black premium hybrid too on June 1. I had to go up to Cocoa Beach to get mine. I have a little less than 2000 miles on it so far. My ECO score reads 80 so I think your 10 doesn't sound right. I can tell you I'm getting right about 35 MPG driving about 75% on I-95 at 70MPH and 40 to 55 MPH stop and go for the other 25% of the time. Your 28 mpg looks low to me. I would have the dealership take a look at it. When I get on a clear section of I-95 and set the cruise control at 70 MPH my ECO meter on the far left of the speedometer is dead on the 4th tick up not counting the tick at the off position. My MPG is also a steady 35 MPG. You got more traffic down in Lauderdale and therefore more stop and go, so you should be a little worse than mine.

To the South Florida people -

You probably know this, but if you're driving the Hybrid Sonata, you can get the following decals; HOV Decal (drive the HOV lane with one person at anytime) and the Express Lane Decal (free express lane, anytime, but u can't apply for this one until you get the HOV Decal).

I'm still waiting for my HOV Decal - it's been nearly two weeks since I purchased my car, has anybody else received theirs?

 

QUOTE (HighFive @ Jun 6 2011, 11:22 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=456837


To the South Florida people -

You probably know this, but if you're driving the Hybrid Sonata, you can get the following decals; HOV Decal (drive the HOV lane with one person at anytime) and the Express Lane Decal (free express lane, anytime, but u can't apply for this one until you get the HOV Decal).

I'm still waiting for my HOV Decal - it's been nearly two weeks since I purchased my car, has anybody else received theirs?

I lived in Ft. Lauderdale for 26 years. What sense does having a hybrid car with better mileage qualify a single occupant to ride in the HOV lane? It seems like a comparison between apples and oranges (pun intended). :grin2:

 

QUOTE (mbyte @ Jun 6 2011, 04:26 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=457035

To the South Florida people -

You probably know this, but if you're driving the Hybrid Sonata, you can get the following decals; HOV Decal (drive the HOV lane with one person at anytime) and the Express Lane Decal (free express lane, anytime, but u can't apply for this one until you get the HOV Decal).

I'm still waiting for my HOV Decal - it's been nearly two weeks since I purchased my car, has anybody else received theirs?

Got my HOV decal last week. We don't have express lanes in PBC so can't get one of those.

 

QUOTE (mbyte @ Jun 6 2011, 01:26 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=457035

To the South Florida people -

You probably know this, but if you're driving the Hybrid Sonata, you can get the following decals; HOV Decal (drive the HOV lane with one person at anytime) and the Express Lane Decal (free express lane, anytime, but u can't apply for this one until you get the HOV Decal).

I'm still waiting for my HOV Decal - it's been nearly two weeks since I purchased my car, has anybody else received theirs?

California Hybrids must get 45 MPG HWY to qualify for the HOV sticker

 

i get 34mpg on the hwy at 75mph ... oh it's a 2.0T

 

Hybrids are all about keeping your foot off the gas. My Dad's Prius is like that, I can usually get 50 mpg but if I drive hard mpg goes way down. Also, is your AC driven off the crankshaft or an electric motor?

 

I AM HAVING THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. PURCHACED CAR ONE WEEK AGO BEST AVG MILAGE I HAVE GOTTEN IS 29.1MPG. I GOT A SERVICE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT THIS WEEK, WILL BE TAKING IT IN FOR SERVICE THIS WEEK. IF THEY FIX PROBLEM I WILL RESPOND WITH RESULTS. ALSO LET ME KNOW IF YOURS GETS REPAIRED AND WHAT WAS WRONG
BRUCE

 

I have 650 miles on my Sonata Hybrid and am driving it like a little old lady myself and I filled up with 311 miles on it and the mileage was only 30 mpg. I have an ECO score of 16. Can't believe the scores I am reading on here. Not sure if car just needs to be broken in some more or not? The black Sonata you bought at Cocoa was the one I test drove when I ordered mine by the way. It was Cocoa's first Hybrid they got. Should I carry it in to the dealer? If so, what can they do?

 

I'm amazed at the difference in mileage.. I have a turbo and i average 30.5 mpg.. Would've thought i'd see more 40+ mpg in this forum

 

In my opinion, I think we should set some ground rules here for stating average MPG. I believe that the only data that is accurate is calculated MPG - miles between fill-ups divided by gallons to fill up. If you drove 560 miles between fill-ups and it took 14.4 gallons to fill-up then your average would be 38.88 MPG. That can be skewed a bit if you're one of those people who try to keep pumping gas into a full tank after the nozzle automatically shuts off. You know who you are - squeeze click, squeeze click, squeeze click, squeeze click, squeeze click, squeeze click (which BTW can damage the EVAP system). Pump till it clicks and then stop - do this every time and you'll get consistent data on gallons used from tank to tank. Don't post that you're getting "X" unless you're doing the calculations. The computer is generally close but only if you're not resetting it multiple times through out the tank. Nobody cares what MPG you're getting for short periods of time as there are too many factors that can affect that data.

Here is my data so far, (I actually keep a spreadsheet)

Odo Miles/Tank Gallons MPG Date Cost PPG
558 558 14.67 38.0 5/14/2011 $60.59 $4.13
1182 624 15.51 40.2 5/23/2011 $59.68 $3.85
1761 579 15.623 37.1 6/02/2011 $65.60 $4.20

BTW - I'm 400 miles into my 4th tanks and the computer is stating 40.1 average MPG currently.

There are techniques for getting good MPG with hybrid vehicles. You just don't go out and buy one and then drive it like a normal car and expect to get 40+ MPG, that's just not reality. Do some research - there are lots of websites out there that can educate on the techniques. I'm not talking about extreme hypermiling - just the basics. Easy, smooth acceleration in EV for as long as possible, not exceeding speed limits, anticipating stops by letting off the gas way in advance and using very light breaking (no pads) to regenerate the battery so you have a good charge to take off again in EV. With practice you can feel when the car switches from regenerative braking to actually using the brake pads with more pedal. Also avoid short trips as the ICE runs rich until it reaches operating temperature. There's more but those are the basics.

The weather is another factor that can affect mileage. Cold temperatures and rain are bad for MPG. Head winds on long trips make a big impact (tailwinds help), etc.

Those aren't getting 35+ on average (in good weather) should ask themselves if they have ever achieved the EPA estimated MPG on any vehicle they have owned previously. If not, then one might consider the possibility that maybe it's not the car???

 

Sorry - my data pasted from my spreadsheet was hard to read there. Here is the basic data

Tank #1 - 558 miles/14.67 gallons = 38.0 MPG
Tank #2 - 624 miles/15.51 gallons = 40.2 MPG
Tank #3 - 579 miles/15.623 gallons = 37.1 MPG

 

While driving my Sonata Hybrid this morning the "check engine light" came on. Had the car 3 1/2 weeks and was playing golf in Las Vegas for 2 of them. Took it over to Cocoa Hyundai and after reading the codes they determined my gas cap was not sealing. Of course, they want to think the customer does not know how to put a gas cap on. I explained that I actually stopped the car and turned it off, then made sure the gas cap was on properly. This cap does not "click" like other gas caps. But the check engine light stayed on. They reset it and it has not come back on yet.

As far as my low mileage of 30 mpg, they said to get 1000 or so miles on it, which I had already decided to do. I do not go by the computer mileage as I was given a loaner for 3 weeks while my hybrid came in and the 2011 Sonata I drove, the computer said 36 mpg. But the manual figures were 33.6 mpg. So I never trust what a car computer says. 33.6 mpg is not bad for a non hybrid Sonata being driven at 80 mph, from Florida to N.C. So I do expect at least 36 in my hybrid Sonata driven like Granny. And I am the guy that pumps that gas tank to the top, every time I gas up. Letting the pump stop by itself leaves the car over a gallon short of being filled up, sometimes more depending on the pump.

Will drive it another 1000 miles or so and if no better mileage, back to the dealer. Did get an eco reading of 20 today, the highest I have seen yet. 51 yrs old and drive like I am driving Miss Daisy for god's sake.

 

Sorry if I offended anyone. It's entirely possible that there are issues with some of the Hybrids out there as they are incredibly complex machines and also brand new technology for Hyundai.

Here's the scoop on topping off your fuel tanks that I mentioned previously. Just Google "topping off fuel tanks". This is copied from http://www.ecobuzzla.com/green-driving-ser...-your-gas-tank/

Here are four reasons why you shouldn’t top off your gas tank:

1. The gasoline could spill

The possibility of gasoline spilling out of your tank while topping off comes with a handful of reasons why you shouldn’t top off. Gasoline is a hazardous substance. The fumes are toxic and carcinogenic. Spilled gasoline seeps into groundwater, polluting our water and poisoning wildlife. Gasoline is flammable. It’s a waste of money – after all, you’re paying for the gasoline that spilled.

2. It’s a waste of money (in states with vapor recovery pumps)

The vapor recovery systems on most gas station pumps will draw in the extra gas you’re trying to pump into your tank and feed it back into the station’s storage tank. So you’re actually paying more for gas you aren’t getting.

3. Topping off could cause the gas pump to fail for the next person

The fuel that is fed back into the station’s vapor recovery system when you overfill can also cause the pump to malfunction, creating a domino effect of possible overfilling and spillage for the next person.

4. May cause damage to your vehicle

Extra room in the gas tank is needed for the gasoline to expand. Topping off can cause the extra gas to overflow into your vehicle’s vapor collection system. Best case scenario is that you’ve wasted more gas, worst case scenario is that you have fouled up your car’s vapor system – a costly mistake. The fuel in the vapor collection systems will also cause your car to run much less efficiently, another waste of fuel and money.

As one example, we looked at Toyota’s Hybrid System Diagnosis Technical Training Manual for the Fuel and Evap System and found the following information about overfilling:

Trying to force additional fuel into the tank pushes excess fuel into the EVAP system. This may cause an EVAP DTC and may even require the replacement of some EVAP system components.

So the next time you fill up at the pump you may want to fight that urge to round off your purchase to the nearest dollar or squeeze in a few more drops with the hope that you can drive 5 more minutes before your next fill-up. You’ll save yourself some money and avoid contributing even more to air and water pollution.

 

Last one on topping off...

http://www.jpsalestraining.com/Topping_Off.pdf

 

No offense taken here at all. :grin: Just my thoughts on topping off is all. I have been topping off my entire life and that is over 44 yrs of pumping gas, as I started at about 7 yrs old at my grandfather's grocery store/gas station. I have read about the possibility of the gas going into the vapor collection system, and the hybrids are MUCH more technologically advanced than all of my over 30 vehicles I have owned. I just don't think you can accurately determine gas mileage by letting the pump stop at the first click off since in my opinion, you cannot accurately tell if all pumps stop at or fill your fill to the same level, when using different pumps/nozzles. I could be wrong and it may be possible, but for example, when it is very hot outside, due to gas expansion, that nozzle is going to click off and due to the temperature, you are not by a long shot going to be having the same amount of fuel in your tank as you would if it were 40 degrees outside where you would actually get more fuel at that point. So if the temps are in the 90's by letting the gas settle for a few seconds and topping off the tank, you then have the most realistic numbers are to what amount of fuel you are using. I certainly would not encourage anyone to damage their vehicles and I may not be doing right by my own hybrid, but if you want to be accurate, really accurate, then there is only one way to be sure, Topping off. Thanks for your thoughts on the subject as well Newbie. Nice to get feedback from someone that has their own thoughts on a subject so we can learn from one another in a congenial forum! :clap:

 

I wanted to give everyone an update. Well Hyundai has finally agreed to test my Sonata Hybrid to see if the Hybrid system is working. I'm fed up with only getting 25 miles to the gallon.

But they will not test it in the city at all.

He (his title is the district parts and service manager and he is based out of Atlanta according to his email signature) has informed me that they will have a Service Manager from another Hyundai dealership (not the one where I get it serviced at) take it out for a 60 mile test drive on the Sawgrass Toll Way here in Fort Lauderdale (it's nice and flat and there will be no braking since there is no traffic on this toll way or red lights). He has informed me that the test will be measured based on the following:

1) Driving my Sonata Hybrid for 60 miles at exactly 60 miles an hour with cruise control on

He refused to have my Hybrid tested in the city. I asked him to test it or the Service Manager test drive it in the city and he said "no".

***80% of my driving is in the city and I find it strange that they won't test it in the city***

Why would Hyundai say "no" to testing their Hybrid in the city?

The check engine light is still on and I have brought the car in for service three times already. When I spoke to the Service Manager today about the test tomorrow he told me he had other client with a similar complaint about the mileage. He informed me that based on the same route he was able to get "78" miles per gallon at 60 miles per hour with cruise control on for that test and that he will probably experience the same test result. Once again I asked him to test drive it here in Ft Lauderdale and he said no.

Any thoughts as to how I should handle this? Doesn't it seem "weird" that Hyundai refuses to drive the Sonata Hybrid in the city?

Please chime in with your thoughts.

Thanks...

 

I wanted to give everyone an update. Well Hyundai has finally agreed to test my Sonata Hybrid to see if the Hybrid system is working. I'm fed up with only getting 25 miles to the gallon.

But they will not test it in the city at all.

He (his title is the district parts and service manager and he is based out of Atlanta according to his email signature) has informed me that they will have a Service Manager from another Hyundai dealership (not the one where I get it serviced at) take it out for a 60 mile test drive on the Sawgrass Toll Way here in Fort Lauderdale (it's nice and flat and there will be no braking since there is no traffic on this toll way or red lights). He has informed me that the test will be measured based on the following:

1) Driving my Sonata Hybrid for 60 miles at exactly 60 miles an hour with cruise control on

He refused to have my Hybrid tested in the city. I asked him to test it or the Service Manager test drive it in the city and he said "no".

***80% of my driving is in the city and I find it strange that they won't test it in the city***

Why would Hyundai say "no" to testing their Hybrid in the city?

The check engine light is still on and I have brought the car in for service three times already. When I spoke to the Service Manager today about the test tomorrow he told me he had other client with a similar complaint about the mileage. He informed me that based on the same route he was able to get "78" miles per gallon at 60 miles per hour with cruise control on for that test and that he will probably experience the same test result. Once again I asked him to test drive it here in Ft Lauderdale and he said no.

Any thoughts as to how I should handle this? Doesn't it seem "weird" that Hyundai refuses to drive the Sonata Hybrid in the city?

Please chime in with your thoughts.

Thanks...

My hybrid is giving me 28.5 mpg average in the city. I am not happy with these mpg. It is my belief that the car sticker is not totally "the truth and nothing but the truth" but there is a reasonable expection that we should get at least 32-33 mpg in the city. Special circumstances like driving on a desrted expressway (freeway) to prove high mileage are meaningless. If it takes special requirements to prove validity of a claim,then it should be clearly stated.

 

They probably don't want to test in the city as there are too many variables that can't be controlled. How many stop/starts, average speed, driver technique, etc. City MPG is more of a driver test than a car test. A hypermiler can easily double city MPG compared to a normal driver.

In my opinion the 60 mph highway test takes all those variables away and is a better actual test of the car instead of the driver.

 

QUOTE (nfs12077 @ Jun 20 2011, 10:56 PM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=463987

He informed me that based on the same route he was able to get "78" miles per gallon at 60 miles per hour with cruise control on for that test and that he will probably experience the same test result.

If he thinks it will get 78MPG highway with cruise I'd like to know what magic spell he casts first. 40-45MPG would be more withing this car's expected performance.

 

I concur with eric1r, they are wanting to test the system and where else would better than on a flat road with cruise that allows maximum use of the electric motor? Sounds on the up and up IMHO.

 

If you're having the poor mpg issue, check to see if you cruise control cancel button works.

 

QUOTE (eric1r @ Jun 21 2011, 09:04 AM) index.php?act=findpost&pid=464110

They probably don't want to test in the city as there are too many variables that can't be controlled. How many stop/starts, average speed, driver technique, etc. City MPG is more of a driver test than a car test. A hypermiler can easily double city MPG compared to a normal driver.

In my opinion the 60 mph highway test takes all those variables away and is a better actual test of the car instead of the driver.

I live here in South Florida too, and if he can drive your car for an hour with the windows up and get 78 MPG, I trade you for mine. I'll have to try that scenario on mine when I get a chance. I got to run the A/C though unless it was 4 AM.