Hello guys!

[Ciochi]

I have a 2014 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, fuel consumption is as bad as it gets, another big lie, according to the manufacturer should be 5.9 on the highway and 6.6 in the city, I am driving probably 75% highawy and I average 8.9!!!!!!!!!! 40-50% more. This is unbelievable. Anyone having the same issues?
I changed my oil and notified the dealership, they scanned it and said that everything is in specs. What? Are they kidding me?

[Draigflag]

That sounds very low for any car, never mind a hybrid. Unfortunately fuelly users have noticed a trend in hyrbids not getting the economy they should, in fact id go as far to say its normal, so don't go thinking there's anything wrong with the car. Sadly, how things are marketed and how they perform in real life are very different, and EPA tests are a tad misleading for hybrids by the sounds of things.

[litesong]

Originally Posted by Ciochi

....should be 5.9 on the highway and 6.6 in the city, I am driving probably 75% highway and I average 8.9!

Pump your tires up 3-5psi over recommendation(drop them down in heavy rain & snow). Carefully accelerate(slower than others), make sure cruising speed is less than others around you, & learn to drive hills properly. Low torque engines can not get low fuel consumption, when driven harder. Use 100% gasoline(E0) for 7% to 8% lower fuel consumption. The problem with that presently, is that low turnover E0 can't keep up with the plunging prices of 10% ethanol blends & currently is 25% to 40% more expensive. However, if E0 prices finally get near to 10% ethanol blend prices, E0 will be the fuel to use.

[trollbait]

First, you are in Canada. Winter temperatures will cause fuel economy to dive before snow and icy roads are factored in. Every car suffers a certain percent decrease. It may be a bigger hit in hybrids, or is just more obvious with their better than average rating.

Second, it is a new car. There is a break in period before you will get your best fuel economy. It takes most people some time to get a feel of a car to drive it the best way. At the very least, the brand new tires have a higher rolling resistance than worn ones.

So it seems things might be fine with the car, and you should see some improvement after a few more tanks, but you might not see improvement until the spring. Setting your tire pressure higher will help. So will slowing down. I believe Canada just uses the EPA ratings, and the highway test for them only goes up to 60mph. Try to keep highway miles to a steady speed, or even use cruise control. Cleanmpg reported that the car will enter an automated pulse and glide at steady speeds.

[Ciochi]

Thx for your reply guys, I know what you mean related to the tires being pumped up, break in period winter (which should probably add another 10% to the fuel consumption) - I have the winter tires at 2 PSI more than the book is saying and I do consider that the break in period is done at 8000+ kms (that's why I didn't get on fuelly up to now), I am driving 50 km daily (back and forth) to work, as such not small distances so the car doesn't have time to worm up, probably 75% highway and usually in the rush hour the traffic doesn't really fly on the highway, probably max 100-110 km/h, some portions the traffic is heavier, etc. For 2015 Canada has a new 5-point testing system for all cars (I believe EPA has it for quite some time, usually I looked at EPA for fuel consumption instead of Resources Canada because they were closer to reality, testing with AC on/winter driving conditions/city driving) and for the 2015 Sonata Hybrid the fuel consumption is just slightly higher (5.9-6.6), but still not 9 l/100 km.
I don't speed, I just go with the flow and keep up the traffic like any other driver going to work (it is just impossible to speed up during the rush hour), and that's the catch, in the same kind of conditions, my old 2002 VW Passat, V6 consumes around 11 l/100, but in its book says 9-12, and I do expect 11.
I read about all those techniques for hybrids and so on, but if I start doing that for any car will reduce fuel consumption drastically, what is the point in buying a hybrid? I believe there is a point in buying a hybrid if manufacturers really don't lie about fuel consumption (and people like me, who buy hybrids, want to really want to see lower fuel consumption, that’s why I pay for a technology that should deliver, not promise to deliver, that’s why I pay, to see lower emissions/CO2. Anyway, I sent an email to the manufacturer and asked whether or not it sold me a “re-badged” regular version of the car, because there is no way from a 6.2 (6.3 based on the new 2015 5-point test) average advertised fuel consumption I got to 8.9, almost 50% more!!!!!!!!!!!! And guess what, they didn't see my sarcasm and they verified my VIN and re-assured me that they didn't sell me a re-badged car and it’s a hybrid. REALLY? IT’S A HYBRID THAT CONSUMES LIKE A REGULAR CAR? HMMM… maybe nobody really translated the word “hybrid” properly to the manufacturer.

[trollbait]

I read about all those techniques for hybrids...

The basic techniques for getting improved fuel economy were developed by people before hybrids came to market. A 1950's Popular Mechanic article covered them. Hypermiling, as it is now called, techniques can improve fuel consumption in all cars. Hybrids can just make doing them easier. But they aren't necessary. My old 2005 Prius got mid 30's mpg on the interstate doing 90mph in the summer. Very low for a car that returned 50 to 60 mpg on my commute with some simple hypermiling, but I was doing frikkin' 90.

I have the winter tires at 2 PSI more...

I usually go with the max listed pressure on the sidewall, but traction may be a concern during the winter. Which brings up the winter tires. They are generally going to have more rolling resistance than an all-season or summer tire. They have more aggressive tread and softer rubber.

The fuel economy testing was done on the OEM tire, which i wouldn't be surprised here was already worn down some. Chances are that the tire was LRR one. Manufacturers are putting those even on non-hybrids now for the tests.

Did you swap just the tires, or have another set of wheels? Heavier wheels, and also tires, have a bigger impact than extra weight in the trunk on fuel economy.

I wouldn't expect any improvement until spring once the winter tires are off.

[Ciochi]

I've been running winter tires for a little bit more than 4000 km, but I did install them on a new set of aluminium rims (so the winter rims and tires should not weigh more than the one from the factory). I have Michelin XIce Xi3, probably some of the best tires and they are even "green" rated as I recall. The tires will clearly make an impact in the fuel consumption even if they are not heavier, but probably just not that much. Also, the cold weather will have an impact, as the car warms up slower, use more energy for heating (cabin and seats), but I expect a 10, let's say 20% more, not 50% more. Even Natural Resources Canada states that (with its new 2015 5-cycle testing which include winter testing, AC testing, etc - EPA has had this type of testing probably for almost 10 years), this car should get 5.9-6.6 (average 6.3). I have no clue how they came up with those numbers, I am very curious, I will ask them (EPA basically states 36-40 mpg, which is in the same ballpark as NRC) or they just got them from the Hyundai and put them on their site. If these cars go up to these fabulously high fuel consumption in colder weather - and in Canada we have 6-7 month of cold weather - why they don't do the testing properly and come with with realistic numbers?

Anyway, Hyundai just replied to me that I have to wait for warm weather to get the car tested! Nice, so basically is a hybrid only for those couple of month a year when the temperatures go over 70 F? It's not only the manufacturer's problem, I think is the government that should step up and come up with realistic number for every country, based on the location, seasons and so on so people will really know in what they will get into (and frankly, probably hybrids in Canada - if all do the same like mine - are a waste of money, they cost more to produce, realising more green gas, and the "return" is just not there... damn, lesson learned)