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WhatexplainsElantrafueleconomyconcernsthatwevebeenhearingabout?Somehave reportedadifferencebetweenEPAlabelvaluesandwhatconsumersareactuallyachieving.

RealworldfueleconomyresultsoftendifferfromEPAlabelvalues,dependingondrivingconditions,amountofstop andgo/idling,driverhabits,weather,andmanyotherfactors.Itsworthnotingthat: ConsumerReports,whichisperhapsthemostreputable,objective,andconsistentthirdpartyevaluatoroffuel economy,achieveda39MPGhighwayresultforElantra,within2.5percentoftheEPAs40MPGvalue.Also, ConsumerReportscityrating,whichisamuchmoreseveredrivingcyclethantheEPAcitycycle,showsElantra at20MPG.ThatsbetterthanHondaCivicat19MPG,Focusat18MPG,andCruzeat17MPG.Theseresults showrankorderconsistencywiththeEPAresultsofElantra(29),Civic(28),Focus(28),andCruze(22). Enthusiastmagazinefueleconomyreporting(Car&Driver,MotorTrend,etc.)andevenUSAToday,testing typicallyresultsinlowerthanEPAresultsforalmostallvehicles,aswasfoundwithElantra.Herearesome recentexamples: o 2012BuickLaCrosseAssist:USATodayresultof18MPGis38percentlowerthanEPAtestresultof29 combined o 2012SubaruImpreza:Car&Driverresultof24MPGis20percentlowerthanEPAtestresultof30 combined o 2012ChevyCruze:MotorTrendtestresultof23.8MPG(sametestasElantra)is18percentlowerthan EPAtestresultof29combined o 2011FordFiesta:Car&Driverresultof28MPGis15percentlowerthanEPAtestresultsof33combined JDPowerAPEALdata,whichexamineshowgratifyinganewvehicleistoownanddrive,showsElantraowners arethehappiestintheentirecompactsegmentcompetitivesetintermsoffueleconomyanddrivingrange.

Althoughsamplesizesaresmall,realworldownerdatapostedontheEPAswww.fueleconomy.govshowsa 2011Elantraaverageof30.7MPG,within7percentofEPAs33MPGcombinedrating.TheFordFocusSFE,with anidenticalEPA33MPGcombinedrating,alsoachievesa30.7MPGrealworldaverageratingfromconsumers onthiswebsite. Asfueleconomyratingsincrease,consumersbecomemoresensitivetoshortfallsfromtheEPArating.For example,a20MPGcarthatfallsshortofitsfueleconomyratingby10percentisoffbyonly2MPG.Buta40 MPGcardriveninrealworldconditionsthatdrivea10percentreductionisoffbyamuchmorenoticeable4 MPG.Itsimportantformanufacturerstoexplainthesepointstoowners,andwereworkinghardatthatat Hyundai,includingtheapplicationoftechnologieslikeActiveEcocalibrationsdesignedspecificallytoimprove realworldfueleconomyresults.

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