Poor Hybrid Mileage

[solarchi]

Since posting the reply immediately above, it has occurred to me that the somewhat poorer mileage since the weather turned cold would be due to the battery being much less efficient at cold temperatures.

Battery performance is definitely worse when the temperature is 40s or below. The lower the worse.

 

[G-222112]

I've been getting 14 mpg in town
Having major buyers remorse

 

[solarchi]

I've been getting 14 mpg in town
Having major buyers remorse

Definitely something wrong there. You should ask your dealer to have a look.

Questions:
- Do you have a Sportage HEV or a regular (gas only) Sportage?
- Do you idle your Sportage for long periods of time? Anytime you’re idling but not moving that counts against your MPG.

 

[WNJeffers]

I've been getting 14 mpg in town
Having major buyers remorse

Can you be more specific? How far you are driving in-town and under what conditions?

I routinely drive to the post office, about 4 blocks away, to get my mail. (I’m old and have a bad knee.) I have noticed in cold weather with my hybrid that if I start with the engine cold, the engine will run the entire time and I will get mileage in the high teens on the very short trip. If I stop at the post office on the way home after driving some distance (engine warm) the short drive from the post office to home will get absurdly high MPG because the car is running almost entirely on electricity.

I live in a very rural area and do not often drive much in the city. But last summer I was running some errands in Beckley, WV, and drove across town, with the engine already warm from driving to get there, with stop and go traffic on busy streets and many traffic lights. On the trek across town, I got upwards of 40 MPG.

Wayne

 

[here4real]

I used to get somewhere in the neighborhood of 35 - 38 MPH (especially if I nurse it). Now, it is down to 27 - 29. I never thought about it being the colder weather effecting it. That's a pretty drastic change though.

 

[NCC-1701]

Now that's what I love to see....granted it's only a mile, LOL but enough to get to gym and club house and better than in a golf cart. The hwy ...a different story.

 

[1stTimeKiaLongTimeDriver]

I tend to trust the computer over the gas pump. There is no calibration standard for the shutoff on a gas pump. My experience is that you will never know exactly how full your tank is by trusting the pump. Also, it is all relative, if you use the computer and compare it to itself, you will see how your driving habits effect MPG. It doesn't matter if it the number is not exactly right.

The computer is estimating as you drive and doesn't have the insight or calibration to show true MPG (nor do manufacturers have any incentive to show lower, real MPGs). Gas pumps are highly regulated and tested to ensure you're only paying for the fuel you get, and are therefore much more accurate than relatively unregulated and imprecise dashboard MPG estimates. At worst, if you use one pump that stops filling a little further from the top of the tank than another, any margin of error will be corrected by combining data from a few fill-ups.

 

[1stTimeKiaLongTimeDriver]

I greatly appreciate everyone's inputs here and especially those who've given me hope that my new 2024 Sportage hybrid's mileage will improve. It's averaged an abysmal ~27 MPG on the first 3,000 miles vs. the 38 MPG it's rated. I'm in New England and it's winter, so the temperatures have been around 20-40 F most days, which I know reduces efficiency but shouldn't hurt it THIS much - or such a huge variance should be disclosed, especially for cars sold in climates that experience actual winters.

Meanwhile, I'm getting 30+ MPGs on my old Subaru that's rated 28, so it isn't bad gas or bad driving. Although... my husband does consistently get lower gas mileage than me on any vehicle and he has driven the Sportage more than me! Still, the difference has never been this dramatic, and about a third of those Sportage miles are mine.

I thought there might be a break-in period of the first few hundred, maybe thousand miles, but not getting anywhere near the rated mileage by now has had me worried and wondering if I made the wrong decision with this car. We otherwise LOVE it, but the gas mileage was a big part of the purchase decision and justified spending more for the hybrid. At an average 15K miles/year and gas price of $3.50/gal., this much lower than rated mileage will cost an extra $562 a year on gas - not to mention at least 12 extra stops at the gas pump and the environmental impacts of extra fuel consumption. If this car costs me an extra $2500+ in five years, $5K+ in 10 years due to false advertising, that's an egregious failing on Kia's part (what's the criteria for a class action lawsuit?). Here's hoping a little more breaking in time and warmer weather will make a big difference.

 

[steveo]

Sit tight 1TKLTD. Check back in again in Sept. Best to drive through all seasons before you judge. I found the break-in period to take more than 3K miles, actually. Watch your hybrid drive meter on a highway drive. Does it charge to 75% and then switch to EV and then drain down to almost 25% before engaging ICE again? If so, it's broken in. If not, have patience.

Do either/both of you drive on the highway (70+MPH) a lot? Bad for hybrid mileage, if you do.

And you both know how to "ride" the brakes for longer stopping distances w/charging gauge NOT PINNED at the bottom (actual brakes engaging)? This is where the majority of hybrid car efficiency comes from. If you aren't using regen brakes enough, your gas mileage will be closer to an ICE. That's why they are so great in Stop & Go traffic (and were designed for Tokyo & CA traffic originally).

 

[1stTimeKiaLongTimeDriver]

Sit tight 1TKLTD. Check back in again in Sept. Best to drive through all seasons before you judge. I found the break-in period to take more than 3K miles, actually. Watch your hybrid drive meter on a highway drive. Does it charge to 75% and then switch to EV and then drain down to almost 25% before engaging ICE again? If so, it's broken in. If not, have patience.

Do either/both of you drive on the highway (70+MPH) a lot? Bad for hybrid mileage, if you do.

And you both know how to "ride" the brakes for longer stopping distances w/charging gauge NOT PINNED at the bottom (actual brakes engaging)? This is where the majority of hybrid car efficiency comes from. If you aren't using regen brakes enough, your gas mileage will be closer to an ICE. That's why they are so great in Stop & Go traffic (and were designed for Tokyo & CA traffic originally).

Thanks for the encouragement. Yes, I make a game out of optimizing both drive efficiency and regen braking. My husband less so, but I'm working on him. Still, a car shouldn't take a master hybrid gamer to get at least close to the rated mileage. Driving is mixed, around 60% city/rural (25-55 MPH) and 40% highway (55-75 MPH).

We had a Honda Insight ~15 years ago and a CR-Z for the last 10, and consistently got around the rated mileage (my husband just below, me consistently above). Both of the Honda hybrids got great gas mileage from day 1 without thousands of miles of battery break-in, and they only lost 2-5% efficiency during the winter (vs. the 28% below rated mileage my Sportage is running at).

 

[NCC-1701]

Sit tight 1TKLTD. Check back in again in Sept. Best to drive through all seasons before you judge. I found the break-in period to take more than 3K miles, actually. Watch your hybrid drive meter on a highway drive. Does it charge to 75% and then switch to EV and then drain down to almost 25% before engaging ICE again? If so, it's broken in. If not, have patience.

Do either/both of you drive on the highway (70+MPH) a lot? Bad for hybrid mileage, if you do.

And you both know how to "ride" the brakes for longer stopping distances w/charging gauge NOT PINNED at the bottom (actual brakes engaging)? This is where the majority of hybrid car efficiency comes from. If you aren't using regen brakes enough, your gas mileage will be closer to an ICE. That's why they are so great in Stop & Go traffic (and were designed for Tokyo & CA traffic originally).

So I went to Kia for the BMS update that was to fix the check hybrid battery warning and poor mileage. It seems that it is worse than before on hwy. Seems to to go to EV less than before even on surface roads and less mileage than before under same conditions. Could it have been updated incorrectly and need to be redone. Other threads on FB say this update has improved performance.

 

[Pandab2002]

I just purchased a 2024 Sportage LX FWD and I am horrified by the blatantly poor mileage. I see several posts stating "careful" driving and "break in periods". A car that advertises 42 City and 44 Highway should not be averaging 30.8 MPG. I feel like I could have saved thousands by purchasing a non hybird.

 

[thurstoc]

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?

I recently bought the 2024 Sportage Hybrid and I'm getting even less than that! Sometimes I'm getting less than 26 MPG and I'm ready to take it back to the KIA dealership.

 

[thurstoc]

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.

Thanks so much for sharing your experience with/wisdom about driving hybrids. It's clear that I missed a major characteristic affecting mpg--temperature. Should've caught this one beFORE buying! I live in a place with all four seasons, and one of them is very hot (often over 90 F), and one is very cold (typically under 32 F). On the up side, I may finally tame my heavy foot in favor of better mpg!

 

[thurstoc]

Sit tight 1TKLTD. Check back in again in Sept. Best to drive through all seasons before you judge. I found the break-in period to take more than 3K miles, actually. Watch your hybrid drive meter on a highway drive. Does it charge to 75% and then switch to EV and then drain down to almost 25% before engaging ICE again? If so, it's broken in. If not, have patience.

Do either/both of you drive on the highway (70+MPH) a lot? Bad for hybrid mileage, if you do.

And you both know how to "ride" the brakes for longer stopping distances w/charging gauge NOT PINNED at the bottom (actual brakes engaging)? This is where the majority of hybrid car efficiency comes from. If you aren't using regen brakes enough, your gas mileage will be closer to an ICE. That's why they are so great in Stop & Go traffic (and were designed for Tokyo & CA traffic originally).

Thanks for your insightful comments, steveo. This is why, surprisingly, the mpg shot up to over 30 for the first time while driving in Portland, OR traffic earlier this week.

 

[G-839192]

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?

Mine is almost identical at only 28 mpg???!!!

 

[giri]

I was averaging 31-32 MPG w/my HEV SX Prestige when I first started driving it last fall. Cold weather doesn't help! But what I discovered is that there is a 3-4K mile break-in period, which seems to mostly be for conditioning the battery. I would watch the hybrid diagram while driving on the highway and it would charge to just over 50% full and then discharge to just under 50% full, so not much use of the EV capability! A few months later, even in the dead of winter, it was charging to 75% full and discharging down to as low as 25%. My gas mileage improved to approx. 35 mpg and now in the warm weather, I'm getting closer to 38. But note: If you drive on the highway a lot, especially over 70 mph, you will be getting somewhere in the low 30's, even in warm weather. So have patience during the first few thousand miles, slow down on the highway, and learn to "feather" or "pulse" the gas pedal to keep it in EV mode longer, and you will get much better mileage. Holding the gas pedal constant starts the ICE more often.

One more tip is to try to keep the power display in the "Charging" zone for as long as possible when braking. This avoids using the actual brakes and is using regen battery charging to slow the car. If the needle is pinned at the bottom of the charging zone, you are braking. It's hard to tell when the actual brakes come on (which is a good thing!) To be most efficient when braking then, is to start using the pedal earlier and coast into the stop. Best practice is on the highway off ramps. It takes a while to get a feel for how much longer stopping distance you will need to achieve this.

Fantastic car. Love it!

Mine is hovering around 27-29 at 2500 miles sx prestige 2024

 

[bobschulte108]

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?

I bought my kia sportage sx prestige hybrid one year ago. I'm averaging 29 miles per gallon city driving and 27 highway, far below the promised mileage. I've taken it back to the dealership 3 times and they tell me there is nothing wrong with the car, my mileage is normal. The vehicle will start getting the promised mileage after 15,000 miles. I am never buying a kia again.

 

[WNJeffers]

Since I picked up my 2023 EX Hybrid, I have driven 11,351 miles and averaged 38.5 MPG. My last tankful, which was mainly driving expressways from Hillsboro, WV to Lancaster, OH I got over 41 MPG. I am well-satisfied with the mileage (but the navigation system still sucks.)

Wayne

 

[Brubaker]

The mileage on the 2024 Sportage Hybrid Prestige is abysmal. I took a 100 mile round trip and did the 65 speed limit and couldn’t get better than 30 mpg in eco mode. This was on a highway, no lights and no hills. Very disappointed. Only have 500 miles on it and it is impossible to get 38 unless you are going 35-40. Even then it is hard in stop and go traffic. Thinking we should have bought the Toyota Rav 4. Have a 2017 Niro Touring that does much better, often 50 mpg but mostly in the mid 40’s. Other items on the top end Hybrid Sportage. The side mirrors do not rotate in when you lock the car. This was always a nice feature on the Niro to know the car was locked. Also, what’s with putting the climate so close to he volume knob? Every time I was changing the volume, the sensitivity on the touch panel keeps changing it to climate control. Better keep some good touch screen cleaner as it gets fingerprints like crazy. Ordered one of those screen protectors so I don’t accidentally scratch the panel when cleaning. I also keep trying to push down on the parking break pedal and there isn’t one, this is probably a good thing. Oh well, I’m mostly annoyed with the mpg as we wanted a hybrid to get better gas mileage. Hopefully, after it breaks in the mpg will improve. Read somewhere smart mode gives better mpg on the highway, will give that a try.

Still learning the car and will provide some of the pluses when I get more familiar.