Update on mpg

Chuzz

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My son had mostly driven his new Sportage locally and is telling me he's getting between 27 and 28 mpg which isn't bad for a heavy vehicle. He actually drove to Georgia on Wednesday to get lottery tickets and when he got back, he was grinning like a Cheshire cat and reported he got 34 mpg! That's ALMOST as good as my Forte. What kind of mpg are you guys getting out of your Sportages that are "broken in" with several thousand miles on them? Just curious. BTW, I love how easy it is to check the oil on these cars.
 
I've only had my 2026 Kia Sportage Hybrid Prestige SX for 2 days, but prior to resetting the TRIP info, by the time I drove home (40 miles highway), my average was 27MPG. I then went to the gas station and topped off the gas tank (also put in 89 octane Exxon) and drove 4 miles in town and the TRIP meter displayed 51.2 MPG (car has about 80 miles on it). I continued my drive (after the snapshot) and drove up a long steep mountain to where I live. The TRIP meter showed about 37MPG. I'm guessing that I'll easily get 35MPG around town on level roads. I'm not sure yet what I'll get on the highway since I'll bet the gas engine must stay on constantly. I'm hoping for 35-40 MPG combined. The salesperson said a lot of people get 40-50 MPH but I'm betting they don't ALWAYS get that mileage.
 

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Hybrids will get even better mileage after 3-4K mile break-in. 35K total mi now on ours and averaging 35 MPG overall. That includes New England winters (lowers MPG 10-15%) and approx. 50% highway mileage over 70 MPH (also lowers MPG 10-15%). Awesome for such a large, AWD, decently-powered SUV!
 
In my 2023 EX Hybrid AWD, I have been consistently getting mileage in the low 40's (usually about 42-43 mpg) per tankful for a good while. I noticed an improvement after I took it to the dealer for some sort of computer update. I live in the high mountains of WV, so mostly 2-lane driving and up and down hills.
 
All my local driving is on 2-lane roads, with 55 mph speed limits. In a concession to my age and the number of deer and bears locally, I generally drive them at maybe 50 to 53 mph, unless cars are behind me. Much of the driving is up and down hills, many in the neighborhood of 8% or 9% grade. A lot of curves which require slower speeds then accelerating again.

On expressways, I will drive 62 to 65 instead of 70 mph if traffic is not too heavy and my mileage does not seem to suffer much. If I drive at 70 mph, I notice a big drop in mileage.

I am late-70s and retired, so I have the luxury of allowing an additional 5 minutes to arrive.
 
Bingo. WNJ, you are driving at about the most efficient speeds that you can w/this car, as you should be in 6th gear at those speeds. And I'll bet slower overall on the uphills than the downhills? Throw in some traffic, and I'd bet you'd hit 50MPG! The biggest efficiency benefit to a hybrid is the regen braking. But WNJ is probably getting plenty of battery charging on those downhills!
 
Yes, there are a couple of long (~5 mile ) hills at 8% or 9% and I will often go up them at about 45 mph if I am not holding anyone back. And coasting is my favorite gear. No need to brake, as the car is generating when it is simply coasting.

I have a volunteer radio gig on alternate Fridays and I make the ~27 mile drive home late at tight at mostly 45mph (deer and bears, again) and have gotten 50 mph on the trip home.
 
Well, I'm 69 years old and I still surprise a lot of young punks when I step on it from a red light. A lot of times, it takes them a while to catch up in their Hondas and Toyotas. I'm an old drag racer and it's still in my system.
 
I am 76 years old and my last car before I bought the Sportage Hybrid was a Honda S2000. Capable of 150+ mph and cornered like it was on rails. I only got rid of it because getting in and out became more problematic at age 73.

I take the multitude of curves on my local roads much faster than most drivers. I suspect that keeping a steadier speed, with less need to re-accelerate out of curves, helps my fuel economy.
 
I know what you mean about getting in and out. My wife has had 13 back surgeries and has an artificial knee and ankle. It's a real chore for her to get in and out of our 2017 Forte LX, but we have to live with it. We live on Social Security and it barely pays the bills. If I had the funds, I'd be in a Sportage or a Grand Caravan just so she could get in and out easier.
 
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