Hyundai Elantra Touring

[roblharjr@gmail.com]

I just purchased a new Hyundai Elantra Touring. My first road trip I got 32mpg. Around town (DC area) I got 23 mpg. Is it OK to coast in the elantra w automatic transmission? I tried it on the trip on the interstate and the engine rpm's really drop when in neutral and generally you gain speed on the downhill. Is it safe for the transmission?

I have been using most of the hypermiling techniques, excpt for shutting off the engine at lights.

Also the dealer recommends getting nitrogen in the tires. Is it worth it?

Thanks
Bob

[MaxxMPG]

Welcome to CleanMPG!

Your Elantra Touring can handle transitions between N and D, as long as the engine is running while the car is moving. As you found out, shifting to N is the strategy to use when you want to coast and not lose a lot of momentum. When heading down hills, you may want to just lift off the accelerator and take advantage of fuel cut. In this mode, the car maintains speed (or close to it) when heading down the hill, and no fuel is burned vs some fuel burned to idle the engine.

Skip the nitrogen in the tires. The air that's in there now is 78% nitrogen and you pay a lot of money to to go with 100%.

[WriConsult]

What MaxxMPG said.

If you're trying to maximize coasting distance (the usual situation on the highway) then you're better off going into "N", and this will cause absolutely no harm to your transmission if the engine is running. If you need to burn off speed (approaching a curve or a stop) then keep it in gear, and in many situations fuel cut will keep the engine from using a drop of fuel while you're decelerating.

And IMO nitrogen in tires is a scam. I'm a big believer in saving my money and filling up with the 78% nitrogen mix that I breathe all the time.

And congratulations on your new Touring. I just bought one a few weeks ago and LOVE it. It's the car I've been wanting Honda to build for 20 years since they stopped making the Civic Wagon, but Hyundai built it instead. Except that I of course wish it had the newer engine and got a little better mpg, it's pretty close to my ideal car -- and the price couldn't be beat!

[roblharjr@gmail.com]

Thanks for all the replies. It all makes sense. The Hyundai elantra touring was a great buy and has lots of storage space for it's size.

I got internet pricing here in the DC area from Fitzgerald auto mall. They quoted me $16,211 for the car and they actually had it ready when I got there. It was the first time I ever enjoyed buying a car.

Thanks for the info I will use the neutral when coasting down long hills.

[MaxxMPG]

Originally Posted by roblharjr@gmail.com

Thanks for the info I will use the neutral when coasting down long hills.

When heading downhill over longer distances, leaving the car in D is probably the better option. Shifting to N will allow a significant increase in speed, which will either be wasted due to increased air drag at higher speeds, or will require you to waste the energy by pressing the brake pedal. As noted above, leaving the car in D and taking your foot off the accelerator will induce "deceleration fuel cut off" and use less gas than what would be burned idling the engine in neutral.

As you get to know your new car, you may want to invest in a ScanGage so you can find the most efficient operating ranges for the engine and the car.

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

Originally Posted by roblharjr@gmail.com

Also the dealer recommends getting nitrogen in the tires. Is it worth it?

What WriConsult said.

Nitrogen is used by:
- race cars: they live on the edge and need the increased predictability that having more nitrogen adds. Regular drivers don't run at speeds or cornering stresses that makes nitrogen necessary.
- car manufacturers: they nitrogen-fill the tires to reduce potential impact of water vapor and reduce pressure loss slightly, but they have cars sitting unused for a long periods and are doing it at such a scale that the additional cost is worth it to them. There is a measurable reduction in pressure loss during a year, but it's relatively small. Since people have to (or should) check and adjust tire pressures multiple times during the year it's really not worth it.

Spend your money on a good pressure gauge and compressor instead.