Unscientific Gas Mileage Test #2

Odometer: 3780 miles
Avg. MPG: 23.8

This average MPG figure is from the digital trip meter.
I had reset the meter when I last filled up and planned on refilling the tank after - according to the trip meter - after I use up around 10 gallons. Basically if my MPG was 24, I would go refill when my trip odometer read 240. Follow me so far. And then check when I fill up, does the pump stop at 10 gallons. Sure there are a lot of variables, like maybe the pump isn't accurate. I said this was unscientific.

Well I wasn't able to do exactly that. I filled up when the trip meter read 255.7 miles and the MPG read 23.8. I filled up and gas pump read 10.41 gallons.

Based on 10.41 gallons and 255.7 miles, my MPG should be 24.56.
Base on the 255.7 miles and the trip meter's MPG reading of 23.8, I should've used up 10.78 gallons.

My gas mileage has gone down even more in the winter. Probably because I am using the heater and lights more and because I've been doing more city driving than usual.

Conclusion: You can't come to any firm conclusion without researching further, and if I did further research I really would be obsessing about this too much. So I 'hope' this test means I am getting slightly better gas mileage than my trip meter is indicating. That would make my day.



In other news, my Euroflange alloy wheels which so awesomely show off my 4-wheel disc brakes to the world is now showing some ugly rust on 3 out of 4 disc brakes. Rust sucks. And so does vanity. I will bring it up to the dealer when I visit next.

Hyundai Breaks 2006 Sales Record

Odometer: 3500 miles
Avg. MPG: 24

Hyundai sold 467,009 cars in the US in 2007 besting its 2006 figure of 455,520.
But note they had an additional model they didn't have last year, the Vera Cruz SUV. Overall many models including the Elantra and Sonata(their best seller) did not sell as well in 2007 as in 2006. Even with the introduction of a new design, the Elantra only managed to get into 85,724 people's garages. In 2006, they moved over 98,000 units. On the other hand, the redesigned Santa Fe did sell 30,000 units more than the previous year. But seriously that migh owed to it jumping from compact into the mid-size SUV group, though it is a sleek looking overhaul. So Hyundai had sort of a mixed year even though they have arguably their strongest line-up ever. Still Hyundai is poised to set a new record in 2008 with the introduction of yet another model....the 2009 Genesis rear wheel drive luxury sedan.

The Genesis is very Beamer'ish from the back with a distinct chrome grill in the front that reminds me of a fishbone. I kind of like the grill of the concept model a little better. (Source: www.hyundainews.com)

Holiday Car Commercials

Ugh! Probably the commercial that makes me cringe the most is the KiaFest Year-End spot with the "Maniac" song from "Flashdance." Here is a company who brand already gets the least respect out of 13 brands in the USA and they come out with this cheesy pizza. It is supposed to be funny(which it is to some people), but why make fun of yourself and your dealers? Does the commercial make you want to get a Kia or think better of Kia? I don't think so. The $500/ 0% APR is sort of thrown in at the very end like a footnote. Hope it works for you Kia!

Another unavoidable spot is the Chevy Malibu ad..."the car you can't ignore" because we are blanketing all channels with our "totally fake computer generated car, because an actual video won't look good enough". The Malibu has some decent lines. It is way better looking than the last iteration. However I thought the classy interior creates a more gut response than the exterior. Too bad none of the commercials show any of that. Instead we get misleading quotes like "Camry beware..." This Car and Driver quote was from a car show preview, not from after a test drive.

I am feeling the Saturn ads with the montage including Lance Armstrong. This brand has a lot in common with Hyundai in wanting people to reconsider its cars after disappointing many customers. And their approach to marketing (Rethink vs. think About It) is very similar as well.

Most impressive are those Toyota Tundra commercials with the truck doing super truck feats. Don't know if that is CG or real, but they are really slick. Will they loosen the grip Chevy and Ford have on the good ol boys? Jury is still out.

I also didn't think much of the Hyundai Holi-DUH ad. It wants us to think Hyundai for the holidays, but offers no compelling reasons to do so. I mean the cars featured (or I should say "present" in the commercial, because no car was really featured) are all silver and look so darn anonymous. You gotta make the cars look desirable, dudes! At least the Mazda "Most Wanted" sales features close-ups of its cars and in colors to distinguish themselves from one anothers.