gas mileage your '05 elantra city

i'm disappointed that the gas mileage is 24 mpg, city driving. in
city driving, i can drive it 285 miles before i need to refuel. is
that everyone's experience? i had the tires air pressure checked,
trans fluid flush, air filter replaced.

 

I don't think that is bad, but it depends on what you call "city" driving.
Being stuck in big city traffic gets you 0 mpg and creeping along traffic
light to traffic light is not much better.

 

Very typical. Using tank fillups and a Scangauge to verify I only/always
get 19 to 20 mpg consistently with only 'city'(not any freeway)driving,
stopsigns or stoplights every three or four blocks. And I drive like a
grandpap most of the time. Pure freeway mileage is right at 38 to 39 mpg
with air conditioning on, which is good. An equalish mix is always
around 24 - 27 which is pretty much what the 'average' mileage is in CU
and other reviews. Not bad but not real good compared to some other
brands same size. This on an '06 Elantra automatic. 35 lbs in tires,
always washed and waxed for better aerodynamic efficiency.

If you want significantly more city mileage there are better choices, and
you will pay more for those cars. But, if gas keeps going up those
alternate choices will be paying for themselves much sooner to make up
the difference in the up front savings that you get buying a Hyundai.
Hyundai will keep improving the mileage though I'm sure. Though that
doesn't help us present owners on the lower end of the mileage range in
our small cars.

If I had it to do all over again today, I wouldn't hesitate to pay more
for a Fit or Prius etc., unless I had inside information that gas prices
would be going back down in the next few years. And if gas continues to
go up and hits $5.00 a gallon, things will sway even further toward
buying efficiency over sale price savings. A Prius getting 45 instead of
25 mpg will save $1000+ per year in gas at that price if you put on
12,000 miles each year. That is seriously significant and would cut into
the sales savings very quickly which you get buying an Elantra and
others.

One of the biggest concerns I have is if it ever came to gas rationing
again for some wild reason, and lines were the norm, getting 45 - 50 mpg
will play an even bigger role in keeping one's sanity, being able to stay
away from that mess for a longer period of time. I do remember those
days. Ugh.

 

You are correct that you can potentially save $1000 a year. IF you NEED car,
it makes some sense to buy the more economical. What gets me though, are
the people trading in their poorer mileage cars that are still in perfect
running condition and going into debt for $10000 to $20000 to save a few
bucks a week.

 

save $1000/yr but pay how much more? What's the difference in
maintenance costs?

 

Well, depends on which car and deals you get. A 15k Elantra(for examp)
and a loaded 28k Prius will take a long time obviously. A loaded Elantra
and a stripped Prius would probably take half the time. And if you put
on more(or less) than 12k a year then that changes things too.
Maintenance costs would need to be figured in also, but I haven't seen
any big differences there.

And that's figured on 25 vs. 45. I get 19 city vs. 45+ Prius. So that
speeds up the break even point even more.

Not bad mouthing Hyundai at all, I love my car, just a general comment on
our lower than average mileage models vs. some other cars. There are
indeed even worse mileage small cars out there.

But my Elantra is paid for, and worse it's depreciated quite a bit
compared to those other cars, so financially it's not the best thing to
trade up at this point. Though if they don't start drilling, importing,
using hydrogen, whatever pretty soon, I'll want to get something that I
can feel safe from hassles for the long term, the heck with money.

19 mpg city isn't a safe feeling at all.

 

That's a little better than the EPA estimates, so I doubt you'll be able t
get any significant increase over your present fuel economy.

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/comp...ake=Hyundai&model=Elantra&hiddenField=Findaca

 

Also forgot, have to factor in the difference in depreciation for Hyundai
vs. a Honda or Toyota. Add that to the + - $1000 difference each year
also. It is significant. Dang, I'm talking myself into a sale.

 

Hybrids have a short resale value period. Batteries are expensive, and
will last less than the rest of the car.