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Car Forum / Hyundai Cars / February 20062006 Sonata gas mileage
I just made my 4th fill-up since buying my Sonata GL 4 cylinder/5 speed. Here is the data: tank 1 27.04 tank 2 29.39 tank 3 27.01 tank 4 26.90 ----- Average 27.46 Not terrible, but not what I hoped for. The EPA rating is 24/34 and I drive 70-80% highway. Hopefully, more miles and warmer weather this summer will bump this up a little. My 1996 Plymouth Grand Voyager with the 3.3L V-6 and automatic transmission (and 178,000 miles!) was getting 22 MPG before its demise. Only getting 5 MPG more than the much larger van is a touch disappointing. What are others experiencing with their Sonatas? Matt I have the V6. I'm getting 20.7 wit most driving in town. The other brands similar cars get better fuel mileage but I knew this going into the purchase. We still love the car. > I just made my 4th fill-up since buying my Sonata GL 4 cylinder/5 speed. > Here is the data: [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > > Matt After 4000 miles of a mix of in-town and highway driving, my computer shows 24.8 mpg for the 4 cylinder version. It's really obvious if you watch the computer how in-town driving drags down the average. That's where driving technique has so much to do with it. Stomp on the gas and suffer. Ease on the gas and enjoy. Tom >I have the V6. I'm getting 20.7 wit most driving in town. The other brands >similar cars get better fuel mileage but I knew this going into the [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] >> >> Matt > After 4000 miles of a mix of in-town and highway driving, my computer shows > 24.8 mpg for the 4 cylinder version. It's really obvious if you watch the > computer how in-town driving drags down the average. That's where driving > technique has so much to do with it. Stomp on the gas and suffer. Ease on > the gas and enjoy. Yes, I drove particularly gently this last tank and set the cruise at 55 for my 17 mile commute to work on mostly level 2 and 4 lane highway. I can't be much more gentle than that! That salesman told me he was getting 29 with his LX V-6. I have to say I no longer believe that. I'd read that the Hyundais were much poorer on fuel economy than Toyota, Honda or GM, but I didn't think it would be so close to the EPA city rating for what is mostly highway driving. Oh well, I'm still hoping it will get better with a few more miles! If it stays under 30 for my style of driving, I'll be an unhappy camper, and an Camry owner next time. Matt > After 4000 miles of a mix of in-town and highway driving, my computer shows > 24.8 mpg for the 4 cylinder version. It's really obvious if you watch the > computer how in-town driving drags down the average. That's where driving > technique has so much to do with it. Stomp on the gas and suffer. Ease on > the gas and enjoy. Turn off the engine at stop lights and watch your mileage go way up. I haven't kept a good record, but that sounds similar to what I'm getting. I remember a low of 26.2 and a high of 28.4. I've got the GLS 4-cylinder auto (one of the first made in Alabama, which is where I live) and closing in on 2500 miles. All of the driving so far has been commuting to/from work, about a 35-mile trip with about 20 miles highway. Part of the city driving is through a major road construction zone, so lots of stop and go and slow moving. I'd like to get out on the highway for a longer trip just to see how it does. I'm a little disappointed in the MPG so far, given the 24/33 rating. I had been getting 24-27 MPG with the '94 Camry (175,000) that I traded in for the Sonata. Overall, though, I'm very pleased with the new car. I've also noticed that the computer MPG on the GLS seems to be higher than what I've calculated by hand. I have been resetting this after each fill-up. Have wondered if others have noticed differences. Barry > I just made my 4th fill-up since buying my Sonata GL 4 cylinder/5 speed. > Here is the data: [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > > Matt > I haven't kept a good record, but that sounds similar to what I'm > getting. I remember a low of 26.2 and a high of 28.4. I've got the GLS [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > getting 24-27 MPG with the '94 Camry (175,000) that I traded in for the > Sonata. Overall, though, I'm very pleased with the new car. Well, matching your Camry isn't too bad, although I think the new Camry's do a little better than the old. > I've also noticed that the computer MPG on the GLS seems to be higher > than what I've calculated by hand. I have been resetting this after each > fill-up. Have wondered if others have noticed differences. I don't have a computer onboard so all of mine are done by hand and I can't offer you anything here. Matt > I've also noticed that the computer MPG on the GLS seems to be higher > than what I've calculated by hand. I have been resetting this after > each fill-up. Have wondered if others have noticed differences. > > Barry My computer also reports a bit higher mileage, but I've found it to be in the neighborhood of 0.1 MPG. I consider that to be pretty accurate actually. While I've personally never owned another car with a MPG computer in it, I have rented several that seemed to be off by as much as 5 MPG one way or the other. I think the cost would be prohibitve to install something more accurate than what we have. Eric > My computer also reports a bit higher mileage, but I've found it to be in > the neighborhood of 0.1 MPG. I consider that to be pretty accurate > actually. Last time I checked, it was off by 1.8. First time I've had the trip computer as well, so didn't know if that was to be expected. It's not a big deal to me really since I'll normally calculate by hand anyway. FWIW, I leave the computer on the trip range setting and like that feature a lot. Barry > I've also noticed that the computer MPG on the GLS seems to be higher > than what I've calculated by hand. I have been resetting this after each > fill-up. Have wondered if others have noticed differences. It sounds like the computer in my Elantra. While it's generally within .5 MPG of the calculated mileage, it's been off by as much as 3 MPG at times. Some of that is due to variations in gas pumps, but that's not enough to explain all of the variation. <<I've also noticed that the computer MPG on the GLS seems to be higher than what I've calculated by hand.>> In some areas, the gas pumps are checked for accuracy, and the station gets dinged if they don't deliver the full indicated amount. So, the station may be setting them to deliver slightly more than the indicated amount. This would inflate your hand calculations of MPG. John Cowart > I just made my 4th fill-up since buying my Sonata GL 4 cylinder/5 > speed. [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > > Matt Unfortunately, I am reading this at work, and don't have all of my data in front of me, but my mileage curve with the V6 has been similar to yours. Basically subtract 4 MPG from your numbers and you've got mine. Which follows the EPA difference of 4 MPG in the V6's 20/30 MPG rating. I am just shy of 6,000 miles, however, and my mileage has been steadily DECREASING. As I have noticed in my previous Hyundais, this seems to be the trend until you get close to 10,000 miles when things improve greatly. I am also disappointed with my results, I must admit, but I consider it a trade off. Either you pay much more up front for a Toyota or Honda, that probably get better mileage "out of the box", or you pay for it on the back end with Hyundai in the form of gasoline payments. Buying a comparable Japanese car would have cost me $8,000-$10,000 more up front. That will buy a lot of gas. Otherwise, I can't find anything other than minor/ergonomic flaws with the car. Eric > Unfortunately, I am reading this at work, and don't have all of my data > in front of me, but my mileage curve with the V6 has been similar to [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > the trend until you get close to 10,000 miles when things improve > greatly. That is very interesting. I wonder if there is some "curve" programmed into the ECU that runs the engine a little rich during break-in and then moves to a leaner mixture later on. That sure is a curious one. Well, I've always kept a log in all of my vehicles and I record every tankful and all of my maintenance. So, I'll post the results here from time to time and may even enter them into Excel to plot the trend. > I am also disappointed with my results, I must admit, but I consider it > a trade off. Either you pay much more up front for a Toyota or Honda, > that probably get better mileage "out of the box", or you pay for it on > the back end with Hyundai in the form of gasoline payments. That's probably true, although where I live the delta for a Camry was more like $4,000. I paid $16,300 after the rebates were applied to the price I negotiated. I could have got a similar low-end Camry for about $20,500. It didn't have all of the safety equipment that the Sonata has, but it was close. The resale value of a Toyota typically more than offsets the purchase price differential, unless you run your cars until they die as I do and then it is less of a factor. > Buying a comparable Japanese car would have cost me $8,000-$10,000 more > up front. That will buy a lot of gas. > > Otherwise, I can't find anything other than minor/ergonomic flaws with > the car. I pretty much agree, although I consider the poor heater to be a major flaw given my climate and the throttle and clutch is a pretty major flaw, but this only applies to standard shift. Otherwise, I agree that the car is pretty solid overall with only minor issues. Matt >> Unfortunately, I am reading this at work, and don't have all of my data >> in front of me, but my mileage curve with the V6 has been similar to [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > into the ECU that runs the engine a little rich during break-in and then > moves to a leaner mixture later on. No, there isn't. The ECU does learn from the sensors on the engine and exhaust system, but it's only designed to optimize the fuel air ratio and timing for emissions and performance. My Elantras mileage improved rapidly at first, then gradually up to 10K miles or so. I Eric's has gotten worse, it's probably due to a problem with his car, winter blend fuel or a change in his driving habits. >>> Unfortunately, I am reading this at work, and don't have all of my data >>> in front of me, but my mileage curve with the V6 has been similar to [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > exhaust system, but it's only designed to optimize the fuel air ratio > and timing for emissions and performance. My Chrysler minivans also adapt to the driving style. If you drive more aggressively, the vehicle (well, the transmission for sure) will adapt to your style and rais shift points, etc. Likewise, if you drive more sedately, as I typically do, it would lower shift points and try to maximize economy over performance. I was wondering if the Hyundai similarly had some adaptability programmed into the control systems. Matt >>>> Unfortunately, I am reading this at work, and don't have all of my data >>>> in front of me, but my mileage curve with the V6 has been similar to [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > maximize economy over performance. I was wondering if the Hyundai > similarly had some adaptability programmed into the control systems. Perhaps with the transmission, but I wouldn't know, since I've never owned a car with an automatic tranny. I adapt my shift points to my heart's content. >> My Chrysler minivans also adapt to the driving style. If you drive >> more aggressively, the vehicle (well, the transmission for sure) will [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > owned a car with an automatic tranny. I adapt my shift points to my > heart's content. Likewise, but the wife likes the automatics so her minivans have all been slush box equipped. :-) Matt I have a 2006 GLS4 that is new. We took a trip on the hilly Taconic Parkway in NY with the temps 30-40F. Each way was 147 miles, so about 350 RT. I drove at 55mph or less with my wife and some luggage.This was almost all open road driving. I topped the tank off at the start and finish. We averaged 34mpg. The car had only about 250 miles at the start of the trip. Johnboy >I just made my 4th fill-up since buying my Sonata GL 4 cylinder/5 speed. > Here is the data: [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > >Matt I drive a 2006 GLS V6. Just crossed 1,000 miles. Very little highway driving. I drive conservatively (shift the gear to neutral during long stops). Computer shows ~32 miles per hour speed and ~21 miles per gallon. Significantly lower than '96 4-cyl Camry it replaced (~24 mpg), but I shouldn't be comparing the two. My colleague owns a 2006 4-cyl Camry and he told me that he also gets around 21 mpg. His theory is that the cylinders in newer Camry are bigger than those in '96 Camry. So far, we are happy with the new Sonata. > I drive a 2006 GLS V6. Just crossed 1,000 miles. Very little highway > driving. I drive conservatively (shift the gear to neutral during long [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > > So far, we are happy with the new Sonata. Glad you're happy with the new Sonata. Don't place a lot of faith in the computer though. Calculate your gas mileage yourself when you fill up. You'll find some significant discrepancy.  Signature-Mike- mmarlowREMOVE@alltel.net > I just made my 4th fill-up since buying my Sonata GL 4 cylinder/5 speed. > Here is the data: [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > > What are others experiencing with their Sonatas? Sorry I can't help with the Sonata, but I drive a 2004 Chevrolet (Malibu) Classic, which is almost the same size and has almost the same EPA estimates (24/34). The reason I check out this newsgroup is that I have my eye on getting an '06 Sonata with the four-cylinder at some point, though I'm not sure the finances will work out for now. Anyway, don't feel bad. I just posted on the Malibu newsgroup that the one big disappointment I've had with the Classic is fuel economy. It's not what I hoped for or expected, and nowhere near the 24/34 EPA sticker. I average 23-24 mpg on mixed highway/city driving, sane legal speeds, no burning rubber, windows all the way up, no heavy loads, and with a clean air filter, newly changed Mobil 1 full-synthetic oil, and new Kelly snow tires set to 32 psi. Also it's been a fairly mild winter around here. (Northeastern PA) It's been a bitter disappointment when on the whole I've been quite satisifed with the car. (That's one reason I'm attracted to the '06 Sonata. In some ways it looks like a newer, safer, more advanced, very slightly larger version of the Malibu....for just a few bucks more.) My theory is that larger cars (3050+ lbs) with a four-cylinder will not get the EPA sticker mileage under anything but IDEAL conditions. Most of the time they won't even be close. Smaller cars, such as my old Saturn SL2, can come much closer to sticker fuel economy figures in real-world driving conditions. There's a point past which you cannot defy the laws of physics. A close look at EPA sticker figures from the '06 model year shows some strange sticker readings. For one thing, the Sonata with automatic transmission is rated slightly higher than the Chevy Cobalt, a much smaller car. Does anyone believe a Chevy Impala, at 3,553 lbs., with a V-6 really gets 31 mpg, even on the highway at the speed limit, consistently? For that matter, can it be true that a few models get better highway mpg with the auto tranny than with the stick? Bottom line is that EPA sticker figures must be viewed with extreme skepticism..... Regards, Eric M > For one thing, the Sonata with automatic transmission is rated slightly > higher than the Chevy Cobalt, a much smaller car. Does anyone believe a > Chevy Impala, at 3,553 lbs., with a V-6 really gets 31 mpg, even on the > highway at the speed limit, consistently? For that matter, can it be > true that a few models get better highway mpg with the auto tranny than > with the stick? It is possible. I rented a large Buick a few years ago (I can't remember the model name now, but it was, I believe, the largest model) for a trip from Corning, NY to Boston. I drove 70-75 both directions and that car got 31 MPG for the trip! I was amazed. My minivans never got above 27 on a trip and typically got 25 at those speeds. However, that car may have been terrible in local driving, I don't know. My minivans got 22 or so in local driving, they just never got much more than that even on a trip. > Bottom line is that EPA sticker figures must be viewed with extreme > skepticism..... Absolutely! Matt Your Chevrolot Classic has that relatively new Ecotech 2.2 L4 in it. I have one in an Olds Alero ('03). Relatively smooth engine, and pretty good power for a four. A VERY low maintenance engine. But mileage has been unimpressive with this engine, and that seems to be no matter what car it is mated to. I agree you may like the 4-cylinder Sonata better. Tom Wenndt >> I just made my 4th fill-up since buying my Sonata GL 4 cylinder/5 speed. >> Here is the data: [quoted text clipped - 59 lines] > Regards, > Eric M >Your Chevrolot Classic has that relatively new Ecotech 2.2 L4 in it. I have >one in an Olds Alero ('03). > >Relatively smooth engine, and pretty good power for a four. A VERY low >maintenance engine. But mileage has been unimpressive with this engine, and >that seems to be no matter what car it is mated to. I think we're barking up the wrong tree. I don't think the engine is the problem. Having studied the various competitors, I notice the Sonata is heavier, wider, and has higher ground clearance than comparable cars. There's no free lunch. Weight alone is costly. All other things being equal, a 3200 pound car's (Sonata V6) gas mileage will be at least 1-2 MPG worse than a 2900 pound car (Camry V6). SignatureBob > Bottom line is that EPA sticker figures must be viewed with extreme > skepticism..... > Regards, > Eric M I read an interesting article detailing the current EPA fuel economy calculation. It is performed in a lab, by the manufacturer on a dyno. It does not factor in use of accessories, wind resistance, and traffic lights. There are preset times for the lab/driver to change speeds, stop, etc. I seem to remember there are some regulations on which fuel can be used but that may only be in the proposed new standards. At any rate, I am sure the manufactuer is using the cleanest, best fuel allowed. I bet they make sure ambient temp is in the most favorable range as well. I am approaching 9,000 miles on my 2006 Sonata V6 with an average of 21 mpg in mixed driving. On a highway trip it once briefly passed 30mpg but I notice that it quickly drops to around 27 mpg at higher speeds. By the way I think the EPA test top speed is 40 or 45 mph! I stopped manually calculating mpg after several fillups when I noticed the Sonata's computer was only tenths of a mpg different from mine. One fill-up it exactly matched my calculation. GeoUSA, moderator www.HyundaiExchange.com forum |
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