[Lofty UK]

My i30 1.6 CRDi was purchased new in October 08 and it is a great little car except that I am only getting 45mpg - yet combined published figure is 60.1mpg. I've not done the Ozzie conversion to litres yet but it sounds as though some of you are having the same problem, yet others are doing 70mpg+! I am an economical driver and got 48mpg out of my previous Renault Laguna (v. published 51mpg) which is very fair (but had done 27k miles when I got it).
Apart from tyre pressures, can anyone say if there is any hope I will ever get near to the 60mpg claimed? My dealer says to bring it in when it has done 4k miles if no better. It has now done 2700 miles. There don't seem to be too many owners forums in the UK yet.

[Shambles]

Hiya Lofty - welcome to the i30owners club

Before I fitted a tuningbox I was getting just over 59mpg. Now I get 62+mpg.

Your figure of around 45mpg doesn't sound quite right; your economy should be better than that. How are you measuring it? If you've only done 2700 miles have you tried resetting the consumption meter and starting afresh from the next fillup?

[Lofty UK]

My last post does not seem to have worked so apologies if I repeat myself!
I have tried the trip - usually every 4 weeks in line with expense claims for work. Receipts calculated since purchase verify the low mpg. I hope it wil improve with more mileage. its the only disappointment, othewise it is a great little car. 

[Shambles]

Hey Lofty. As you're reporting a specific problem I split the posts from the generic fuel discussion thread.

Good that you like the i30 and also good that your dealer is willing to have a look at it.

[Dazzler]

welcome to the club lofty..hopefully your economy will improve soon...are you shifting up at around  2000 -2400 rpm and not at say 3000?

[Lofty UK]

Yes Darryl, thanks, never rev it hard. I never had to even watch the revs in my Laguna - but it had done 27-50k during my ownership so maybe there is hope yet??!

[eye30]

Welcome Lofty UK

Where do you live?

I only do 14 miles a day, round trip, and at the moment I'm showing 47 to 51mpg. Varies depending on how cold it is.

In the summer/warm weather this was 55'ish mpg.

The cold does seem to effect the return.

I know shambles travels some 80 plus per day so he is getting a great turn but his car is running at temperature plus he has his tuning box.

If you are doing small mileage the the return seems about right for the 1.6crdi given the cold weather we are getting.

Also, if you are heavy right footed this will have an effect.  

The secret with the diesel is to be very light footed and let the car drive it self.

Stick with it, It will get better

[Thumper]

Welcome to the forum! 

I have done close to 30,000km and now just noticing the engine is 'starting' the free up slightly.

Also with the cold in your part of the world, expect the economy to be worse. (When it warms up, the economy will be better)

Don't give up, the first few tanks will not be the best for economy. 

[Rubix]

I used to get an economy range of 150km from a 35L tank in my old Diahatsu, depending on where I drove it. Eg, 320km from 35L when I did just 5-15min drives for 3 weeks (= 10.9L/100km); and one week I got 450km from the tank when I took it up the coast for the weekend (= 7.7L/100km). Thats after the things done 225,000km - so this is a well-run-in engine. Thumper's economy is so much better than listed because he's driving it so far. If you don't drive it that far, you'll get worse economy than Hyundai advertise, and you have to expect that. The 'listed' figure is based on a well-rounded driving schedule of short and long distances. It's also based on a car that's been run in a bit, and you're looking at a few 1000km before all your working parts are functioning optimally (from what I've read, including posts on this forum). Give it some time.

[sparki30]

Hi Lofty UK, just out of interest what is your averagre speed (on the computer) for your MPG reading? My wife uses it for short runs and get 40mpg at an average speed of 14mph. We have done slightly longer distances over the xmas break and getting 45mpg at 23mph. our 1.6 CRDI has only 5500 miles on it.

[Lofty UK]

In reply to the latest posts - will check the average speed thanks, but I do varied journeys at work including 70mph dual carriageways/motorways roads - and very lightfooted/low revs to nurse the mpg. The Govt body that awards statistics told me they test cars at 1,800 miles. Well, I've now done 2700 and its not improving yet but from the sound of other owners, it may do in the future, especially in Summer. Thanks for your help.

[warshell98]

I too was having issues with poor fuel consumption until recently. Our car has just done 7000Km and up until that point we were unable to get better than 6.7L/100 around town and thats driving like regular people not those obsessed with consumption, some times the car see's 4000+ rpm but changing at around 2500 - 3500 if we want to get a move on and around 2000 - 3000rpm normally. Things recently changed at around 6800Km, the litres per hundred suddenly dropped to 5.3 / 5.4 driving no differently around town and all short trips. Went to the airport the other day, about 240Km round trip, and picked up 5L/100, ( no a/c ) its never been there before I'm told it should improve a little further so if I can manage 5 around town and 4.7 on a good run I'll bee fairly happy

[Lofty UK]

Mpg still no better even after 10 months of ownership and 14k miles.
Hyundai quote 60mpg combined driving and the best I can get is still 48mpg and I drive very economically to try to achieve the quoted figures. (Trip figs verified by calculating diesel purchased and miles covered)
Service garage on 12k service say they can find nothing wrong with it.
I tried Advertising Standards but they say someone has already complained about this issue. Hyundai just have their standard phrase about true life conditions - a real cop out and I really think we are being ripped off as 12 mpg short is a long way short - does anyone have any advice please?

[Shambles]

Hey Lofty...

You really are having a whine tonight aren't you

My only, and the simplest, suggestion would be to disconnect the -ve battery terminal for half an hour and let the ECU cool off. I'm lead to believe that upon reconnection that little device will re-learn your driving style.

It's free - try it

[Lorian]

The other common tip seems to be to make sure you change up gear at 2,000RPM.

Our other car is a 1.6 Diesel peugeot 207. On the same 50 mile route she can always average 5-6mpg better than me with her normal driving style, even compared to me trying really hard to keep off the gas and use tows. It's very annoying!

[eye30]

Are you taking the MPG's from the dash readout?

This is a time period average not a single trip average so take what that shows with caution.  Best to fill up to brim and then refill to brim to work out average.

Your MPG's will go up or down by a few MPG's depending on how you drive - hard or gentle acceleration/braking and also the type of traffic you are driving in.

Depending on time of year I'm averaging out between 48 (cold weather reduces MPG's) to 54 (warm weather). 

I drive in a mixture of heavy/light/urban roads and motorway and currently my read out is showing 54.3 MPG.

[Mri30]

Hi All
My fuel consumption in my vivid blue auto CRDi 1.6, at 7500 K's is:  Av. K's L 16.65: Av L/100 K's 6.04: and finally all that equals 46.98 mpg. I am extremely happy with that.   

Cheers

Dave

[Lofty UK]

Dear eye30.
You are very lucky.
I have now done 15,000 miles and I drive very economically.
The best I have achieved is 50mpg on a long run (and re-setting the trip for the motorway only!)
I have also calculated all the fuel used v the miles covered.
I have had it checked at the garage, serviced, tyre pressures checked etc. etc.

Mine is an 'i-thirsty' and I am still very unhappy about it.
I now get 43mpg v. the 60mpg quoted in the brochures - 25% less than it should.
I consider this to be totally unacceptable.

[sparki30]

For town driving I find 3rd gear best up to 40mph , just does not like it in 4th, (due to gear ratios) ours has done 15500miles now and get 41-43 mpg at 14-16mph average speed. So I would say Lofty, yours is on the thirsty side. Oh, I just use supermarket fuel.

[eye30]

Well that's what the read out says. 
I'm not convinced that this is accurate as when I logged fuel to mileage on a recent long trip I calculated some 10 MPG over the readout.  (69mpg readout = 61mpg, I think)

Pity it doesn't give trip readout as well, then I/you can get a better feel for MPG depending on type of driving - urban, motorway, stop/start etc.

I drive conservatively by stroking the accelerator in the diesel but will put right foot down on clear road/motorways.  May be this is why I'm getting such a high readout.

When I've drive the petrol i30 I found I had to press the accelerator to get any feel not so in the diesel. 

Diesel just seems to go on its own.

[middy]

Pity it doesn't give trip readout as well, then I/you can get a better feel for MPG depending on type of driving - urban, motorway, stop/start etc.

If you reset the reading at the start of the trip then it will be a trip readout.  

I might start to do this actually, just to see what difference varying driving styles make to the consumption.

Interestingly I have just gone from by best reading on the previous tank (5.6 l/100km, 51 mpg) to my worst on this tank (6.3 l/100km, 45 mpg)  

I have been using the A/C a lot on this tank though due to all the hot weather we are having at the moment.

Dear eye30.
You are very lucky.
I have no done 15,000 miles and I drive very economically.
The best I have achieved is 50mpg on a long run (and re-setting the trip for the motorway only!)
I have also calculated all the fuel used v the miles covered.
I have had it checked at the garage, serviced, tyre pressures checked etc. etc.

Mine is an 'i-thirsty' and I am still very unhappy about it.
I now get 43mpg v. the 60mpg quoted in the brochures - 25% less than it should.
I consider this to be totally unacceptable.

Lofty,
The car itself is but one of the variables, and I suspect less variable than the others, such as the driving conditions and the driver.

Our cars sound similar and I bet if we exchanged them we would both still get the same economy as we do now.

You say you drive economically but with respect, maybe you can do better: What sort of techniques do you use? You also checked tyre pressures but what are they? The thing you have least control over is the prevailing conditions, the fastest yacht will be slow when the wind doesn't blow and the most economical car will use more juice when in slow traffic because you can't get into a high gear for long periods.

My mix of trips is about 50/50 highway/suburban and I have seen a low of 4.4l/100k (~65mpg) after a trip and a high of 5.5l/100k (~52mpg) around town. My average for each tank usually ends up somewhere in between at 5.0l/100k which is about 57mpg.

My tyres are moderately firm at 38/34 psi F/R and my driving style is more grandpa than hoon.  A/C rarely off. 

I know what I'm getting is closer to what you wanted and doesn't help you to know that some other prick is happy but seriously, you may not be able to achieve your desire unless you can change the prevailing driving conditions and/or the way you drive. Of course I don't know how you drive and am not suggesting you are driving poorly (WRT economy) but really eeking out the juice does require better than average knowledge and applied ability, just the same as driving fast on the track does - although economical driving is potentially safer then the latter. 

My wife uses more fuel than I do and sitting as a passenger reveals why. She has a heavier foot both on the gas and the brake and holds the lower gears longer than needed. Her scope of involvement is much smaller than mine and doesn't anticipate slowing traffic much beyond the car in front for instance. Think I tell her any of this? I hope I come across as slightly smarter than this but in any case, her needs and wants from the car align perfectly with her driving style and personality. She really doesn't have a problem, just an alternative approach.

In your case, if your wants are not met, keep seeking the reasons and hopefully they will end up being something other than a poor example of our wonderful i30. In which case you can potentially control it. However, if you really do have a bad car you can expect little interest from Hy. It is really hard to get objective results for economy and you likely will not be able to prove your case unless it is really obvious. 

[Lofty UK]

Thanks for your thoughts - driving is not my problem - I got 50mpg no problem with my Laguna 1.9dci (within 1mpg of quoted combined figs)
Also I won a driving competition for smooth driving with Jackie Stewart!
Tyre Pressures I put 33 in although it says 32 in case some escaped whilst retracting the nozzle.
Bit of good news though - today I spoke with the MD of my dealership, he has spoken with tech dept at Hyundai and they are going to send someone down to test it with a laptop plugged in for 40 miles.

It will be interesting to hear what they come up with.

[eye30]

Think I tell her any of this?

I take it you like your way of life so why up set the apple cart 

[andys101]

Any update,

Andy.

[Lofty UK]

I am awaiting another appt with Hyundai as the one scheduled had to be postponed due to the severe weather/snow.

[Lofty UK]

Well, on 18th February the technicians from Hyundai's Head Office came to look at my car. (I was not there as I had to leave it at the dealer's - Richmond Hyundai, Portsmouth - until they arrived).
I was advised by the Service Manager that they had taken it out and achieved 61mpg - how I don't know but can only guess they only did one trip without stop/starts/on motorway/at steady low speed. The trip read 55 when I picked it up a couple of days later after a scratch was repaired.

With normal (yes normal calm) driving the trip has now decreased to 45.8 mpg

I was advised that a full report from Hyundai would follow.
However, over a month later and in spite of chasing this up with Richmond Hyundai who have also chased Head Office, it has still not materialised!

I feel very disillusioned needless to say and have chased this up with Head Office myself just now and hope to hear soon.

By the way, it has now covered almost 17k miles.

[eye30]

needless to say and have chased this up with Head Office myself just now and hope to hear soon.

Now. When HY HQ reply it will be interesting to see their comments and that the tec was from HQ.

Did they say how they tested?
I'm just wondering if the 61 MPG they state was what the on board computer said because I've actually had 199 mpg when I've reset, albeit for a mega second,

[Lofty UK]

Yes, they filled up to brim and calculated the miles travelled (some 100 miles I believe)