Do Accents really get 37mpg?
 

I just purchased a stock 2002 Accent L (no options whatsoever) 1.5L 12V 5-spd hatchback for my girlfriend to drive to and from work. It has 51,xxx miles on it and a large folder with meticulous maintenance records. Overall, aside from a door ding, it looks literally brand new. We drove 250 miles each way to get it, and on the way home (all freeway) it got 25mpg @ 65-70mph. I have to say, I was a little disappointed.

I know winter gas has an effect on mpg, but what else could be causing this? I just ordered an air filter, fuel filter, plugs, and wires. If those don't help, I'll test the O2 sensors and make sure they're functioning properly. Just curious if you guys have any other recommendations for getting the best mileage out of this little car. We sold our Subaru which got around 25mpg hoping for at least a +10mpg improvement.

Thanks!

RE: Do Accents really get 37mpg?
 

I think 37-mpg is a little optimistic. However, 25-mpg seems low to me. I know you were doing highway driving but was it hilly, was there traffic, are the tires properly inflated, how much weight was in the car, was there a head wind. A lot could cause lower MPG.

RE: Do Accents really get 37mpg?
 

I have a 2001 Accent GLS1.6 automatic and the guy I got the car from said he never got anythng better that 25 to 28 MPG.

I put a new air filter, plugs, wires, fuel injector cleaner and replaced the alternater that was weathered and the bearings were real bad it actually froze up at one point. (SMOKED UP THE GARAGE REAL BAD FROM THE BURNING BELT) and made one heck of a mess with burnt rubbe stuck in the pulley groves!!!!!!

After that I did a few MPG runs with A/C OFF

I drive pretty much on flat terain 18 miles to work each way 3/4 highway and 1/4 stop and go.

I found that if I droveaggressively with fast starts cruizing 70 to 80 mph I got 30.5MPGaverage.

If I drove like a little old lady with nice slow acceleration and 60 to 65 on the highway I got 36 MPG

I had to really work to restain my driving habbits to get the 36 Mpg and it was not fun.

Tune her up and see what happens.

RE: Do Accents really get 37mpg?
 

You could probably see 37 MPG in a manual car.

I drive very conservatively, and on a recent highway trip, using AC and cruising at 68-70 MPH, I got an average of 36MPG. I never get less than 30MPG in combined city and highway travelling. I'm pleased with that mileage. Something is wrong with the 25MPG.

I have replaced my stock air filter with a K&N Air Filter, replaced the plugs, wires, and the crankshaft sensor.

Runs great!

I have the DOHC 1.6L, you have the SOHC 1.5L

I would think the 1.5L would do better on the mileage, since the DOHC loves to rev and I have to keep my foot out of it. Something's not right if you're only getting 25MPG.

RE: Do Accents really get 37mpg?
 

I ordered plugs, wires, air filter, and afuel filter a week ago and changed all of them a few days ago. We filled the tank, and I'm happy to report that my girlfriend has driven 205 miles and the gauge is at the halfway mark :D

RE: Do Accents really get 37mpg?
 

I have a 2002 Accent 1.5 Manual and will get anywhere from 33 - 38 MPG highway... Long trips, 5th gear gets consistent mileage... Just wish I could fix the starting and stalling problem...

RE: Do Accents really get 37mpg?
 

I have a ’02 1.6 and I get anywhere from 30 (fast 80+ or hard acceleration and downshifting stop and go) to 38. I have recorded 40mpg consistently on the way to and from NY and FL (no hills or traffic)! Remember tire pressure (a few extra pounds helps) air filter, regular oil changes (I use synthetic) and even acceleration and deceleration. I think your gas mileage issue has a lot to do with the “winter gas” (not just winter any more). I have recorded that ethanol killed 3 to 5 mpg off my mpg.

RE: Do Accents really get 37mpg?
 

Would a after market air filter like a stock K&N or one of those chrome jobs with the mesh filters increase milage?

RE: Do Accents really get 37mpg?
 

I found that the K&N helped my mileage only slightly. I'm guessing 2-3 mpg more on the highway trips? No increase in power department, so don't buy it expecting a power increase.

RE: Do Accents really get 37mpg?
 

I have the four door "GL" with a 1.6DOHC and get 41mpg on the highway consistantly. Mixed driving gives me about 34mpg. I'm not a gas mileage fanatic, I just let the car take it's time getting going. It doesn't have much power anyway so I don't force it.

Incidentally, that's exactly the mileage I got from the first Accent I drove. It was a rental car from Budget. That was with the windows open, 65-70mph on the highway, on a 4 hour trip. I needed a cheap economy car around the same time I got this rental. I liked the driver seatingof this one so much that it was the perfect fit. Once I realized how well it buzzed down the highway, I really began to like it. The gas mileage was just an added bonus. I'm just glad I didn't have to climb any hills.

RE: Do Accents really get 37mpg?
 

Is your car a manual or automatic? 41 in an automatic sounds a bit optimistic!

RE: Do Accents really get 37mpg?
 

Are you talking US gallons or UK gallons.
I you are talking about US gallon then 35mpg is a no go as a US gallon is smaller than a UK gallon in the UK we can do 35 mpg around the town and 40 + at 56 mph ( Around 44 mpg ) on motorways.

RE: Do Accents really get 37mpg?
 

My 2008 mtx seems to be geared more for 1/4 mile racing than fuel economy. It's begging for taller tires.

RE: Do Accents really get 37mpg?
 

Hi SHOZ...Yeah, has anyone put taller tires on to see if the MPG can go up because the rpms are dropped down? A good tall tire is needed & will the wheel wells clear a tall tire? The tall tires only needs to be on thefront wheels, but the Accent could look a bit weird.

RE: Do Accents really get 37mpg?
 

My 2 cents...

I have a '00 Accent GS 1.5 Hatchback AT, and when I first bought it, it got around 23 MPG (US) highway.

I drive a long way to and from work, so naturally I wanted to fix it.

I installed a new:
--fuel filter
--NGK plugs (.44)
--plug wires
--SRI (Cone filter routed behind battery)
--Oil change
--SeaFoam (a touch in crankcase after oil change, 1/3 can sucked into throttle body vacuum hose, and the rest in gas tank)
--185 tires (1/4" taller and wider than stock - tires are 6lbs below max in front, 8lbs below max in back)

I noticed a good improvement in MPG, but it still wasn't what I thought it should get. So I posted a little and found out that Ethanol *can* reduce MPG by up to 20%, which is the only gas I had put in there!

So, now I'm only going to fill up w/ gas that doesn't have ethanol, and check the MPG again, I might change the PCV and breather if it's still low.

[PS: After doing all that stuff, the car runs awesome! Shifts smooth, has power and everything!]

RE: Do Accents really get 37mpg?
 

I bumped ny front tires up to 50 lbs, 40 lbs in the rear. This has my mileage up to 36 mpg. But the engine revs too high at highway speeds. 3k rpms at 60 mph. I plan on getting tires and wheels that will be over 1.5" taller. 205/50/16s. This will throw the speedo and odo off by ~5% slow. I wonder if the dealer would reflash the PCM to reflect the different tire size?

The engine only has 1400 miles so I'm assuming it will get a bit better whien more fully broke in. Also I wonder if a 5w20 synthetic wsill yield any better milage over the factory fill of 5w20 whatever it is.

50-psiis dangerous and unsafe. Doing that creates a smaller tire patch touching the road. While that does help with fuel economy, it hurts braking and handling. Also, most automotive tires are not rated to handle that pressure. Plus, you will wear out the tire more quickly. So you will be saving money on gas but spending it later to buy new tires sooner. A small increase in tire pressure isn't a problem but a 20-psi increase is not a good idea.

FACTS (Popular Mechanics):
http://www.popularmechanics.com/blogs/automotive_news/4199963.html

While that will help highway mileage, youmay actually be using MORE fuelbecause you are making the engine work harder to accelerate the car. The taller the tire, the more leverage is needed to get the wheel moving.

RE: Do Accents really get 37mpg?
 

50 psi is not dangerous. The max inflation pressure is based on the load rating. If the load increases tire manufactures will recommend increasing the tire pressure. The tires are rated at 45 psi for 1460 lbs.

Yes it will increase the wear. In the front they will wear on the sides more and in the back they will wear in the middle more. Judicious rotation should get them wore out all at the same time.

I plan on going to a 16" aluminum and larger tire for summer and use the 14" steel rims for winter. Don't really car if the OEM tires wear out.


I doubt if I'll be making the engine work harder. I skip gears the way it is. No need for a stump pulling 1st gear and all the rest of the gears are way to close. Needs a taller 5th too. My Festiva had a 5 speed but it was really a 3 speed with the top two gears both overdrives.

RE: Do Accents really get 37mpg?
 

50-psi is very dangerous. I'm sure that is over the max inflation pressure for the tire. You could easily cause a blow-out at that pressure not to mention creating a smaller contact patch with the road. Saving fuel is not a good reason to drive in a dangerous manner.


WOW! You really have no clue to what you are talking about. Over-inflating a tire will cause it to wear out in the center more, not the sides.


Yes, you are making the engine work harder. It's like starting out in 2nd or 3rd gear instead of first. Also, overdrive gear ARE gears. Just because they are overdrive doesn't mean the trans is just a 3 speed.

Please stop giving out incorrect information and bad advice.

RE: Do Accents really get 37mpg?
 

Yes I do know what I'm talking about. I'm quite experienced with tires, wear and traction. On my race tires for one of my other cars when new will be inflated ~10 lbs over the rated max pressure and as they wear you reduce the pressure. This provides maximum traction. Traction with the tires I have are not a problem at all. Wear is not a problem

If you go to the tire rack and look through their tech articles you will see that for high speed driving the tire manufacturesrs will reconmmend increacing pressure beyond the max rating on the tire.

RE: Do Accents really get 37mpg?
 

Racing and street driving are 2 entirely different things. You are 100% incorrect about street driven vehicles.

Facts:
http://www.icarumba.com/cobrands/con...s_tirecare.asp
http://www.aa1car.com/library/2003/ic100368.htm
http://www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety/tp/tp2823/inflating.htm
http://www.coasttire.com/tires/tires.asp
http://www.mainstreet.com/10-myths-a...money-gasoline
http://www.popularmechanics.com/blog...s/4199963.html

RE: Do Accents really get 37mpg?
 

Well I have used these techniques for the last 20+ years of driving. You don't know my background so are limited to your peceptions of reality.

I do know that the higher a tire is inflated the load capacity increases (to a point). I do know how to read tire wear and to compensate for that. I do not care about getting 80k miles out of my tires. Traction and performance are paramount IMHO.

The taller tires and wheels that I will be going to I will inflate to max pressure on the front and 8 lbs less on the rear which is the norm for me.

My 1997 Ford Taurus SHO race car is 100% street leagal and my desolute rural roads are my race track....... I do take it out on a road course a couple times a year.

RE: Do Accents really get 37mpg?
 

No, but I know the information you posted is totally incorrect.

Incorrect again:
http://www.ridemyown.com/articles/te...idestory.shtml

Again, racing and street driving are 2 different things.

RE: Do Accents really get 37mpg?
 

So if it's good for high speed 110% driving it's not safe for mundane street use?

RE: Do Accents really get 37mpg?
 

Race tracks don't have pot holes. An overinflated tire can blowout when hitting a pot hole.

There are plenty of things that work well on a racetrack but are not safe for mundane street use.

RE: Do Accents really get 37mpg?
 

So anyway back to the original discussion and a question I raised....

Do you think the dealer world reflash the PCM to get the speedo and odo correct due to a taller tire?

RE: Do Accents really get 37mpg?
 

Does it have ABS? Cars with ABS usually use the right front wheel speed sensor as the vehicle wheel speed sensor. Cars without ABS usually use gears in the trans to spin the sensor. If it doesn't have ABS, you would probably have to change the gear in the trans.

RE: Do Accents really get 37mpg?
 

My 2 cents on tire pressure:

I've learned that 5lbs under max in the front and 7lbs under in the back is a safe route to go in the summer - heat and friction cause the air in the tire to expand, and on very hot days that 5lb under tire is going to be near max.

Over filled tires cause excessive wear in the center of the tire.

Also, I'm not sure how this works, but the tires inflation has something to do w/ wear on the frame of the car too - it has a bow effect.

A trick from 4x4ing - in the winter, you can under inflate your tires a little to get more grip / rubber into the snow.

RE: Do Accents really get 37mpg?
 

It's a 2008. It does not have ABS. But it does have a digital odometer. I think the newer cars are all required to keep the mileage in the PCM memory. I know on Fords since '00 the speedo calibration is part of the PCM programming.

RE: Do Accents really get 37mpg?
 

I consitantly average 34-35mpg (mixed) in my accent

1.6 DOHC
Short Ram Intake
4-2-1 Header
2.5in exhaust

Sips gas!

RE: Do Accents really get 37mpg?
 

My wife owns a 5 speed 2008 Hyundai Accent.Herhardcommute has some stop & go highway traffic, city, country & some speed limit highway driving. Struggling between 30 & 32 MPG thru the winter, she has managed to raise the overall average up to 32+ MPH with the warmer weather. As a feather footer in my own car, I was hoping that her Accent would get better MPG. I saw this thread, & wished she could get 37 MPG.

Finally,6 co-workers banded together to drivea community transit vehicle to work. That'sbetter than real good MPG!

Anyhow, her Accent sat in the garage.She said yes, whenI asked if I could take it on some day trips to the mountains. I found out that Accent takes care of itself on trips.

Going over 1400, 3000, 4000, & 5500 foot mountain passes, Accent got 41.5, 42.6, & 45.1MPG!

Does Accent get 37MPG?No, it gets more...at least for feather footers!

On a road trip from Oklahoma City to NY, I put some Lucas Deep Clean fuel additive to the car and on one stretch of highway, I got 40.7 mpg and the fuel light was staring me in the face. I'm not sure what helped more, that additive or getting help from tractor trailers drafting.

My 01 gets about 38 consistently and it's currently sitting at 160k miles. I do mostly highway travel though.