Hyundai's redesigned (and that's a mild description) Santa Fe Sport midsize SUV is a sweet machine that gets disappointing fuel economy.
Too bad, because the low real-world mpg might overshadow the significant attributes of the 2013 Santa Fe, on sale since August.
Hyundai, you might recall, was thumped by the government recently for overstated fuel economy on some models. It and corporate affiliate Kia had to restate the mpg ratings on several vehicles. Santa Fe was one.
The companies say they erred in some calculations that are part of the federal procedures for mileage estimates. Hyundai and Kia are giving owners small refunds to cover the difference between the old ratings and the new, lower ones.
The Santa Fe tested was a Sport 2.0T with all-wheel drive and the 2-liter turbo four-cylinder. The revised rating for it is 19 mpg in the city, 24 highway, 21 combined. Test Drive managed only about 16 mpg in zippy suburban use and approached the highway mpg only in ideal conditions.
Hyundai is horrified, saying its folks get into the 30s in their personal Santa Fes, and cites other published reports with results in the 20s.
But 16 mpg, plus-or-minus, though disappointing, might not be all that bad on a relative scale. A Honda CR-V tested late last year managed only about 16 mpg in the same suburban driving, and it's smaller, lighter and has a less-powerful engine.
Source: USAToday
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