Poor Hybrid Mileage

howards said:
I recently bought a 2023 Sportage Hybrid (all wheel drive) and just filled my tank for the second time. I'm a little bit concerned about its mileage, which is just barely better than the 2010 all-gas vehicle I just got rid of.

Kia's website (and the car's sticker) says the hybrid should be getting 38 mpg for City, Highway and Combined. My dashboard, however, says I am getting only 29.1 mpg. It has never yet been higher than that. My driving has been a somewhat even combination of street and freeway driving... but either way I should be averaging about 38, right?

29 mpg is very disappointing. Is this common among others here?
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Yes, mine is 30.8 mpg only with combined. 2024 KIA Sportage Hybrid Prestige SX.
Is there a different setting that will get me higher mileage?
 
Drove our new KIA Sportage Hybrid Prestige and for 3 hours on the highway averaged 55 and was only able to average 34 mpg. This was on a highway that the speed limit was 70. I was being passed constantly but if I took the car up to 70 the mileage dropped below 30 mpg. Very disappointed. I am hoping as the car gets more miles on it the mpg will improve. I tried the Smart mode and it seemed to do better than ECO mode. The battery charge indicator never got higher than 62%. I had to back off on the accelerator to get the battery to engage and run on the battery and it would go back to gas mode when the gauge dopped slightly below half. We are now up to 900 miles on the car and can't crack that 38 KIA published number unless the speed is under 40 and no stop and go. Maybe they drove the car for the test on a country lane or test track.

Alos thinking that they did not run the air conditioner during this test. Guessing the mpg will improve when temperatures drop and don't need to use the AC as much.
 
The battery system takes 3K+ miles to “break in”. It will get better. Have patience. I get 34 on highway now @75 MPH.

38 MPG rating is via EPA testing. Not Kia’s fault. (But of course, they use it in marketing!). And hybrids weren’t designed for highway driving, anyway.

Also, the AC is electric. Very little affect on gas mileage. And also no, your gas mileage will get worse as it gets colder (approaches freezing temps).

After almost 2 years, I am averaging 35 MPG overall. And that’s with about equal 50/50 highway/local driving, and butt cold winters here in New England.
 
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I'm shopping for a new car for my wife, and am considering the Sportage, Tucson and Rav4 Hybrids. I've done extended test drives on a Sportage and two Tucson Hybrids so far, and with the most gentle acceleration possible, I can achieve only 32 mpg. I've read dozens of reviews and customer posts and have come to the conclusion that the Korean twins simply don't get anything near their EPA mileage estimates in real world driving. If your goal is good fuel economy, the Rav4 Hybrid is the clear winner, but it's fit and finish is not in the same class as the Koreans. I currently have a 2020 FWD Telluride and consistently get 28-32 mpg driving conservatively. (And that's with a much larger car with a V6.) Sadly, the Korean hybrids just fall short!
 
KirkK said:
I'm shopping for a new car for my wife, and am considering the Sportage, Tucson and Rav4 Hybrids. I've done extended test drives on a Sportage and two Tucson Hybrids so far, and with the most gentle acceleration possible, I can achieve only 32 mpg. I've read dozens of reviews and customer posts and have come to the conclusion that the Korean twins simply don't get anything near their EPA mileage estimates in real world driving. If your goal is good fuel economy, the Rav4 Hybrid is the clear winner, but it's fit and finish is not in the same class as the Koreans. I currently have a 2020 FWD Telluride and consistently get 28-32 mpg driving conservatively. (And that's with a much larger car with a V6.) Sadly, the Korean hybrids just fall short!
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Have you read through the RAV4 hybrid forums at all? Same complaints. And are you testing brand new hybrids? If so, then the battery system hasn't been broken in yet. That MPG would be 10% higher, if they had 3K+ miles on them. I believe this is a combo issue w/EPA testing process and hybrids, in general. My highway driving is more like 35 MPG, but I drive 70 MPH+, not the 50-something MPH the EPA uses in "highway" testing.

But regardless, yes the RAV4 hybrids should get a bit better MPG overall. But they are slower, have CVT transmissions (AWFUL!) and they have a "pretend" AWD system, unlike the Sportage/Tucsons that is mechanical and fully online at all times. You don't get anything from nothing.

https://www.rav4world.com/threads/2...r-says-that-it-takes-time-to-increase.319255/
 
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KirkK said:
I'm shopping for a new car for my wife, and am considering the Sportage, Tucson and Rav4 Hybrids. I've done extended test drives on a Sportage and two Tucson Hybrids so far, and with the most gentle acceleration possible, I can achieve only 32 mpg. I've read dozens of reviews and customer posts and have come to the conclusion that the Korean twins simply don't get anything near their EPA mileage estimates in real world driving. If your goal is good fuel economy, the Rav4 Hybrid is the clear winner, but it's fit and finish is not in the same class as the Koreans. I currently have a 2020 FWD Telluride and consistently get 28-32 mpg driving conservatively. (And that's with a much larger car with a V6.) Sadly, the Korean hybrids just fall short!
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". . . have come to the conclusion that the Korean twins simply don't get anything near their EPA mileage estimates in real world driving. . . "

In the real world, I am now consistently getting 40+ MPG per tankful with my 2023 Sportage HEV. In 12,100 miles I have averaged 38.5 MPG, and that includes the break-in period and one winter of driving. I live in the high mountains of West Virginia, hardly the ideal location for good mileage. Of course, I am 75 and do not drive like it is grudge night at the race track.

I have a number of complaints about the Sportage (especially the navigation system) but the mileage is as good or better than expected.

Wayne
 
I have around 3000 on mine and have taken 1 trip to Florida and 1 to Minnesota and have averaged between 33 and 39 MPG on each leg after filling up. It's not badly off, but this is trraveling mostly at 80MPH..so, not bad IMO for this size vehicle.
 
I've been getting great mileage in my 2024 Sportage LX HEV (FWD). When it was new I took a trip on back roads where I was able to average 45-50 MPH and got 47 MPG. I've seen around 43 MPG in daily driving. It goes down to 41-42 if I do a lot of short trips or if I go 60-65 on the interstate. I just completed a trip from Arizona through New Mexico and Colorado towing a teardrop camper that weighs around 1000 pounds, and got 31-32 MPG unless I was going uphill all day, when it dropped to 27-28. I love this car - it gets great mileage when I drive with a light foot but has the power to tow my trailer up hills or to accelerate when I need to merge or whatever.
 
howards said:
I recently bought a 2023 Sportage Hybrid (all wheel drive) and just filled my tank for the second time. I'm a little bit concerned about its mileage, which is just barely better than the 2010 all-gas vehicle I just got rid of.

Kia's website (and the car's sticker) says the hybrid should be getting 38 mpg for City, Highway and Combined. My dashboard, however, says I am getting only 29.1 mpg. It has never yet been higher than that. My driving has been a somewhat even combination of street and freeway driving... but either way I should be averaging about 38, right?

29 mpg is very disappointing. Is this common among others here?
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The salesman told me not to use all wheel drive (knob by gear shift dial) other than to engage it when stopped, I wonder if all wheel drive is a gas eater.
 
That button actually locks the AWD differential and only works at low speeds. Basically, it helps you get unstuck or traverse slippery conditions slowly. AWD will kick in whenever needed regardless of that button, but all 4 wheels won’t be necessarily locked “on” without it.
 
Today, I drove from my sister's in Lancaster, Ohio, to my home in Hillsboro, WV. I filled up at a gas station less than a mile from my sister's place. When I pulled into the driveway, it says I drove 263.3 miles and got 42.3 MPG over that distance. I stopped 4 times for comfort breaks. I mostly drove at 62 to 65 mph on the interstate highways and 55 mph on the two lane roads. My destination is about 2000 feet higher in elevation than my starting point. I drove in ECO mode.

Wayne
2023 Sportage EX HEV
 
Chieftom said:
I have been driving a hybrid for 10 years and I have to say it is a learned art to squeeze the most out of it. Things I have learned:
1. When braking, stay in the charge zone as much as possible. Make it a game. On my hybrid with 150K miles, my lifetime average for energy recovery is 91%. PS, still on original brake pads.
2. Keep tires properly inflated.
3. EPA Hiway mileage test has average speed of 48 mph. Not very realistic. I have gotten the EPA expected but it is not the norm.
4. Heat and cold reduce MPG. Above 90 and below 40 will reduce MPG.
5. Wind matters. On one trip during the tail wind part, I got 30% higher MPG than on the headwind return trip.
6. Use the cruise control. That alone will give you an extra 3 MPG.
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Thank you! I got. 2024 with 3k miles and avg is 32. Disappointing
 
cross-posted....but does your Miles to Empty indicator decrease when you're driving in EV mode? mine does, somewhat regularly. and then even when it doesnt - when it hits into ICE, the Miles to Empty will decrease at a much faster rate than miles driven. I feel like i am driving myself crazy, but not sure - if in EV mode, why would it adjust at all?
 
we have a 2023 kia sportage hybird all wheel drive getting 28 mpg just went on a 6200 mile trip 28 mpg not 38 mpg kia refused to even look at the car very disappointed
 
WNJeffers said:
Today, I drove from my sister's in Lancaster, Ohio, to my home in Hillsboro, WV. I filled up at a gas station less than a mile from my sister's place. When I pulled into the driveway, it says I drove 263.3 miles and got 42.3 MPG over that distance. I stopped 4 times for comfort breaks. I mostly drove at 62 to 65 mph on the interstate highways and 55 mph on the two lane roads. My destination is about 2000 feet higher in elevation than my starting point. I drove in ECO mode.

Wayne
2023 Sportage EX HEV
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Last week, I made the same drive again. Pretty much the same speeds or slightly slower and same comfort stops. What was different was rather than being warm and clear, the weather was colder (40's) and raining most of the way. This time, my mileage was 34.3, not the 42.3 that I got in warmer weather.

Wayne
2023 Sportage EX HEV
 
Got my 2024 Sportage Hybrid SX Prestige in March and just went over 13K miles last week. I live in the Phoenix area and the temperature dropped into High 60s and 70s and I noticed my mileage had gone up. Just filled the tank today and got 40.5 MPG.
 
Let us not forget the PHEV Sportage weighs ~ 4000 lbs. It is not a stripped down tin can with a battery like my 2020 Prius (~ 3000 lbs). It is a comfort vs mileage equation that is optimized for the first thirty miles. So there is that.
 
None of the entries above are getting as low mpg as I am on my 2025 Sportage phev.- 20 mpg! This is well over a third below the rated HEV mpg. I am 90 years old and drive very carefully. Is this car defective? Any thoughts?
 
I am having the same problem, even after 2500 miles on my 2025 Kia sportage hybrid I am averaging only 30.4 mpg. My avg speed is around 40-50 miles/hr. it is different that advertised.
 
2024 Sportage HEV Prestige just went over 25K miles. I am currently averaging about 38.5 mpg. I live in Phoenix. In the "winter" I get 39/40 mpg. In the summer, 35/36. The summer is lower because if the high use of the AC, 110 is the norm here in the summer. If you drive it conservatively, the key factor on longer trips is speed. Out here, the rural freeway speed limit is 75, ppl do 80. At 80 the best you can hope for is 30 mpg. In west Texas, speed limit is 80 so doing 85, lucky to get 28 mpg. IMHO, the my Sportage delivers what it promises. The EPA MPA ratings are there for comparison and do not reflect how real ppl drive. If you drive it like you want to save gas, you will save gas.
 
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