Marc J. Algeri

I have an 03 elantra 5 speed. I'm lucky if I get 30 mpg. It's the only
thing about this car I don't like. I'm not sure if they had to sacrifice
fuel economy to get a couple of extra horses or what, but don't expect much.
Marc

"jsherman" <jsherman9901@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1124765341.741371.17580@g49g2000cwa.googlegro ups.com...
> OK, I have an Elantra GLS 5-speed hatchback with about 800 miles on it
> so far. It is a great looking, running, and handling car with plenty
> of amenities. It has it all over Corolla, Civic, Focus, and the like
> except for one thing -- the gas mileage SUCKS!!!
>
> And I absolutely baby this car -- no jackrabbit starts, all the highway
> driving done between 55-65 mph. The EPA highway estimate for the
> Elantra is 34mpg, and I haven't even broken 27mpg yet. Every car I
> have owned in the last 20 years has done FAR better than its EPA
> estimate; even my 1990 Grand Marquis got 26mpg on the highway, with its
> 5-liter engine!
>
> What am I doing wrong??
>
> Please, somebody tell me the mileage will get way better after the
> engine is broken in. PLEASE!!!
>
> Joe
>

Brian Nystrom

Marc J. Algeri wrote:
> I have an 03 elantra 5 speed. I'm lucky if I get 30 mpg. It's the only
> thing about this car I don't like. I'm not sure if they had to sacrifice
> fuel economy to get a couple of extra horses or what, but don't expect much.

If that's all you're getting, it's either a function of the conditions
you drive in or the way you drive, or both. Other people with the same
car report mileage in the mid-30's.

Shawn P. Miller

I have a 2005 Elantra GT with 9500 miles on it. I, like yourself, drive very
easily and conservative. I am lucky if I get 27+ mpg. This is with about 75+
percent hwy driving. I also had a 2001 Elantra GLS which was very similiar
to my 2005 GT. I think the highest I ever got is around 30.5 mpg - same
commute as where my 2005 takes me. The car had 35K miles before I traded it
in in 2003. I may be the gasoline blend here in southern CA.

Good luck

"Brian Nystrom" <brian.nystrom@verizon.net> wrote in message
news:BhKRe.21383$LK.5727@trndny09...
> Marc J. Algeri wrote:
>> I have an 03 elantra 5 speed. I'm lucky if I get 30 mpg. It's the only
>> thing about this car I don't like. I'm not sure if they had to sacrifice
>> fuel economy to get a couple of extra horses or what, but don't expect
>> much.
>
> If that's all you're getting, it's either a function of the conditions you
> drive in or the way you drive, or both. Other people with the same car
> report mileage in the mid-30's.

Brian Nystrom

Shawn P. Miller wrote:
> I have a 2005 Elantra GT with 9500 miles on it. I, like yourself, drive very
> easily and conservative. I am lucky if I get 27+ mpg. This is with about 75+
> percent hwy driving. I also had a 2001 Elantra GLS which was very similiar
> to my 2005 GT. I think the highest I ever got is around 30.5 mpg - same
> commute as where my 2005 takes me. The car had 35K miles before I traded it
> in in 2003. I may be the gasoline blend here in southern CA.

It's an automatic, isn't it? Your car's still breaking in and the
mileage should continue to improve for a while. A LOT depends on what
the other 25% of your driving is like. If it's stop & go, downtown or
traffic jam driving, it's going to kill your mileage, especially if you
leave the car idling at lights. Perhaps the gas does have something to
do with it, but I find it difficult to believe that could account for
7-8 mpg.

Edward Hayes

Is not the GT a more sporting version that has a higher gear ratio for
faster acceleration and therefore slightly less gas mileage?
"Shawn P. Miller" <spmrebel@pacbell.net> wrote in message
news:wlpSe.1097$pt.93@newssvr27.news.prodigy.net.. .
>I have a 2005 Elantra GT with 9500 miles on it. I, like yourself,
>drive very easily and conservative. I am lucky if I get 27+ mpg. This
>is with about 75+ percent hwy driving. I also had a 2001 Elantra GLS
>which was very similiar to my 2005 GT. I think the highest I ever got
>is around 30.5 mpg - same commute as where my 2005 takes me. The car
>had 35K miles before I traded it in in 2003. I may be the gasoline
>blend here in southern CA.
>
> Good luck
>
> "Brian Nystrom" <brian.nystrom@verizon.net> wrote in message
> news:BhKRe.21383$LK.5727@trndny09...
>> Marc J. Algeri wrote:
>>> I have an 03 elantra 5 speed. I'm lucky if I get 30 mpg. It's the
>>> only thing about this car I don't like. I'm not sure if they had
>>> to sacrifice fuel economy to get a couple of extra horses or what,
>>> but don't expect much.
>>
>> If that's all you're getting, it's either a function of the
>> conditions you drive in or the way you drive, or both. Other people
>> with the same car report mileage in the mid-30's.
>
>

Brian Nystrom

Edward Hayes wrote:
> Is not the GT a more sporting version that has a higher gear ratio for
> faster acceleration and therefore slightly less gas mileage?

In a word, "no". The transmissions are the same in the GLS and GT, as
are the EPA mileage ratings. Where there is a big difference is between
the manual and the auto. Although the EPA ratings aren't much different,
in the real world, the manual can exceed it's highway rating whereas the
auto seems to struggle to meet its. City driving is so variable and
driver dependent that it's hard to say what difference there is, if any.