2013 Hyundai Veloster Re:Mix - 3K mile review

[MaximumMiler]

All,
Thought I would do a 3,000 mile review on this little car so others considering it may have more information to go by than I did.

Pros - Funky and different styling, rarity of owning a Re:Mix edition, electronic displays for the driver and handling (on perfectly smooth roads).

Cons - Not much at this point. Maybe the MPGs could be better?

I've owned this car for about a month. I traded in a '05 Mazda 6 GT wagon with 112K miles that was the best car I've ever owned. The Veloster is no Mazda6 - that is sure! To be fair though, I drive 120 miles (90% highway) a day and needed a car that would get me close to 40 mpg on the highway. So far, even though the Veloster is rated at 38 mpg, it has only seen 34 mpg for a high.
I'm 50 years old, drive between 65-72 mph, keep the Econ button on always and use the accelerator gingerly so I'm not thrilled with the MPGs at this point. The engine is still fairly green and the weather temps have been in the 20-40 range so I am hopeful that after a oil change and temps creep into the 50-60 range, MPGs should increase.
The big question I ask myself is 'Would I buy this car again?' Probably not. I went with the twin clutch automatic and it is weaker than water. On perfectly level grade, it performs perfectly. 5% incline, this thing downshifts like it was a 60% grade increase if I were in the Mazda6. The ride is okay on smooth roads but through a few bumps and/or dips and it will step sideways in a second! Throw in wet roads, you really need to be on your game.
Am I saying the Veloster is a bad car? No! If I were 20-25 years old, it would be perfect. The electronics display, stereo, styling and cost help sway the scale to the plus side. Especially so for those 20-25 year old drivers. Plus, with only 138 HP, parents wouldn't have to worry their kids are out racing Mustangs unless their kids are idiots...
I hope this helps all those considering this car. Me, I think a Rio5 with a 5 speed manual might have been the best way to go. Cheers!

[trollbait]

Yeah, the fuel economy should improve with the weather, but I've found 65mph to be the tipping point in most car's efficiency. Do you know what the tire pressure is at?

I see the Re:Mix has 18in wheels. The EPA tests are surely done with the smaller ones of the base, and the larger ones will do worse. Could the tires be the culprit for the poor wet performance? Either they are summer/performance tires, or just a poor/cheap tire manufacturer seem to equip their cars with.

[MaximumMiler]

The MPG rating should be based on the equipment the car comes standard with. Otherwise, a manufacturer could offer a stripped down version with super skinny tires, light weight wheels, etc. to the EPA for testing. There is a base version that has smaller tires and wheels (17 inches) yet it's EPA rating is the same as my car.
The tire pressures are checked every three days and I keep them at 34-35psi.
The tires are Kuhmo(sp) and seem to be good quality. They are not the best but not bad. Short wheel base, 18" wheels with 35mm side wall height all add up to choppy ride on less than perfect roads. Lets hope warmer temps help. COME ON SPRING!!!! Cheers!

[trollbait]

The EPA rating for most cars is based on the base trim, which likely has LRR tires. A one inch larger wheel will have a negative impact on MPG, but the manufacturers aren't required to post ratings for optional wheels and tires or even rear differentials on trucks. It may be that way in other countries, but the only car here with seperate ratings due to wheel size is the Camry hybrid.

[MaximumMiler]

I thought I had read an article in a magazine or on the net about the difference between 15"-19" wheel/tire combos and the effect they have on a car's ride, MPGs and stopping ability. After searching for a little while, I found an article on line from Motor Trend. They stated the 17-18" packages hit the sweet spot on performance and tradeoff to MPGs. The loss equals to .9 MPGs between the two. So, if I'm averaging 32 mpg with my 18", I could get 32.9 with 17"...I can't say that is enough to make me want to switch. The tire sizes for the 17" Veloster are 215/45/17 and the 18" is 215/40/18 so it isn't the width. Maybe the 18" wheels/tires are much more heavier? Looked into that too. 17" wheels are roughly 2 lbs. lighter per wheel when comparing the Hyundai wheels.
A co-worker pointed out that the Re:Mix has a aero package that the standard model doesn't have....I pointed out that even though it may offer better aero-dynamics, it also adds weight. At this point, I don't think it is worth worrying about. If a manuf. states their car will get 38 mpg on the highway and a combined mpg of 32, I really can't complain. But only 10% of all my mileage is city, I would believe/hope, my combined mileage would be higher than normal. First oil change is to be done tomorrow so with that, tires rotated and the temps hovering around 25 degrees...yep mileage should stay the same.

[trollbait]

While there is a new high speed test cycle, it and the AC and cold test ones are only used to adjust the base city and highway tests. The highway test top speed is 60mph with an average of 48mph. Then car manufacturers aren't required to actually do the three new tests, but can choose to simulate them mathematically. That was part of the problem with Ford's new hybrid numbers.

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/fe_test_schedules.shtml

When on trips that exceed 60mph for an extended length of time, I think of them as freeway miles and note it foe the tank. The public sees that as highway, but it is exceeding the EPA highway test in speed, and likely the efficient zone of the car.

[MaximumMiler]

Originally Posted by trollbait

While there is a new high speed test cycle, it and the AC and cold test ones are only used to adjust the base city and highway tests. The highway test top speed is 60mph with an average of 48mph. Then car manufacturers aren't required to actually do the three new tests, but can choose to simulate them mathematically. That was part of the problem with Ford's new hybrid numbers.

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/fe_test_schedules.shtml

When on trips that exceed 60mph for an extended length of time, I think of them as freeway miles and note it foe the tank. The public sees that as highway, but it is exceeding the EPA highway test in speed, and likely the efficient zone of the car.

I tried driving between 60-65 mph on Friday and Saturday in my drive to work & home under your suggestion that 65mph is the tipping point. Both gauges, dash and screen display in center console showed an average mpg between 36.7 - 45.9 MPGs. A few peak readings were 48.7 - 55.1 MPGs. Amazing! The pump/mileage calculations will tell the story though. One major draw back though, commute time has increase nearly 25 mins. That may possibly be the straw that breaks the camel's back. The old saying, "Time is money," has never been more true!

[trollbait]

I didn't suggest it before because of the traction and choppy ride, but increasing the tire pressure will improve rolling resistance. I run 44/42 psi front to rear on the Sonic.

[MaximumMiler]

Originally Posted by trollbait

I didn't suggest it before because of the traction and choppy ride, but increasing the tire pressure will improve rolling resistance. I run 44/42 psi front to rear on the Sonic.

How does the higher tire pressure effect tire life? I did average 35mpg on my last tank just by following your advice. In 55mph zones, I drove 56mph - max. In 65mph zones, 66mph - max. For a 11% increase in gas mileage. Who knows, warm weather, a little higher psi in the tires...maybe 40+ mpg is a possibility. Thanks for the advice!

[trollbait]

Tread life improves with higher pressures. I think because the the sidewalls are stiffer, and allows less tread squirming on the contact patch. Too high could lead to the center wearing faster. The tire set I saw that on were ran at 50psi, IRRC.They still went past the treadwear warranty length. I have the rears on the Sonic 2 psi lower because they rolled over a patch of dirt at a gas station, and the dirt didn't extend across the tire width as with the fronts.

The ride will get rougher, and inclement weather traction can decrease. Corning will improve though. Just take it easy until you are familiar with the different handling. If you find out to be more comfortable at lower pressures, that is more important than saving some gas.

When the pressure dropped from the first freeze, my car felt like it was wallowing to me.