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2013 Kia Optima SXL MPG vs the 2014 SXL

13K views 48 replies 23 participants last post by  williamhood 
#1 ·
Just was curious of any of you have noticed the MPG discrepancy between the 2013 SXL and the 2014 SXL. The 2013 SXL, like the previous 2 years is rated at 22 City/34 Hwy/26 average. The 2014, using the identical motor and transmission is now rated at 20 City/31 Hwy/24 average. The reason is the 2013 sticker has an inflated MPG listed. It is actually false advertisement. This is what KIA/Hyundai were sued for in 2012 and they paid out $775 million, mostly in gas cards. I noticed in my 2013 the mileage is much closer to the 2014 ratings. In California I am averaging around 24 MPG in the ECO mode and I drive about 85-90% on the freeway. Just curious what type of mileage you guys are getting. I really like the car just a bit disappointed in the MPG.
 
#2 ·
Hi and welcome to the forum.

I doubt there will be any difference between a 13 and a 14 since i think everything is the same as far as the powertrain stuff goes. However, 13 and up models got different spark plugs in them, which might reduce the mpg juuuust a little bit. But its a good thing though as one step colder plugs will protect your motor better as long as they are gapped properly. Some people blew their motors when their motor was stock because their spark plug in cylinder 2 blew. So the one step colder plugs will help better to prevent that from happening. Im not sure which gas youre running but try premium if you havent. Even though kia advertises optimas and sonatas by saying turbo motors can safely run on regular gas, they still have turbo motors, which means premium is preferred to further protect the motor. And some people actually see better gas mileage. Even for me, when i do 100% hwy driving, i can get over 530 miles in a tank. Mathematically, i should get around 600 miles if i actually get more than 30mpg but i speed and push my car a few times to pass someone and still get over 530 miles in a tank. Before on regular, i could never get past 450 miles.
 
#3 ·
I get about 21-22 mixed and I use 93 octane. I noticed the decrease when they finally released numbers for the '14, but I still thought the mpg was decent, so I bought it anyway. The mileage I am getting is bullshit. I am not hard on this car whatsoever and mostly use cruise when on the highway. I am probably getting about 16mpg in the city, and that is true city....block to block. My last car was a bolted and tuned mazaspeed 3, and I got better mpg while driving it harder. It was rated 18/26, and I got about 23-24 mixed and 30 hwy
 
#8 ·
Funny I am in the same boat as you I also use 93. I do not get on the car all the time either and I average 21-22 Mixed also. On the same commute with my former cars an 08 Infiniti G35x I got 20-22 Mixed and in my 08 Caliber SRT-4 I got 24-26 However it was tuned and I drove them a lot harder than I do the optima. I too find the mileage very disappointing and I think the 2014 rating is definitely what the 2013 should be rated at also.
 
#4 ·
I have a '12 EX-T and I consistently average 19 mpg in city driving using 91. With cruise set at 65mph I get around 27 mpg. A few times I have gotten up to 30 mg but that is driving at 60mph. Before when I used 87 I was getting between 16-18 mpg.
 
#6 · (Edited)
My 2013 sxl just got 34.1 mpg hand calculated. 70% highway and sitting in Houston traffic on 87 regular gas. Mostly speeds 70 mph and few quick passes around cars. So Kia has not false advertised anything. I'm gonna try 93 for one month in December and see how much it improves if any.

Like others have stated, mpg prolly won't change between years, it's just that they advertise now on the 14 model what majority of people are getting.

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#15 ·
My 2013 sxl just got 34.1 mpg hand calculated. 70% highway and sitting in Houston traffic on 87 regular gas. Mostly speeds 70 mph and few quick passes around cars. So Kia has not false advertised anything. I'm gonna try 93 for one month in December and see how much it improves if any.

Like others have stated, mpg prolly won't change between years, it's just that they advertise now on the 14 model what majority of people are getting.

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i too have a 2013 SXL and drive over 70% at highway speeds and sometimes sit in Houston traffic. I use 93 octane and only get a combines 24 mpg. I drive steady and do not accelerate quickly. My car is very well maintained. My car is not represented by Kias advertised mileage. I believe something is not correct with my car and have taken it to the dealer 4 times in the past year with my complaint and they say that is normal and nothing is wrong. My car did not have the newer one step colder plugs installed from the factory. I agree with the false advertising statement made earlier. I would not have bought this car if I knew it wouldn't have gotten better mileage than my 2008 maxima with a tuned v6 and more hp. This is a commuter car so mileage is very important to me. That is my two cents.
 
#7 ·
I've used 87 octane regular since new. According to the car's computer I'm averaging 29.6 to 30.4 in mostly highway driving at 70 mph. I usually fill up every Sunday so I think I'll do the calculations myself on a couple tanks. Then I'll run some of that high dollar stuff to see how they compare.

The main reason we didn't get the hybrid is that when I did the numbers with mostly highway driving it would not pay for itself over a period of 250,000 miles. When I told the salesman that, he agreed that it would take more city driving for it to pay for itself.
 
#9 ·
:dead-horse:MPG's very on many different factors. I for one have the hybrid model and get about 29-30 mpg with the driving I do on a daily basis. It is about 97% city, stop sign to stop sign, light to light, up a hill down a hill, up another hill, etc. You get what I'm saying. Some might think that is very low for a hybrid model, and it is. Before I bought my 2012 hybrid, the salesman let me borrow a 2013 SX-L over night so I could see real life mpg with the driving I do. The best I could get out of it was 16-17 mpg.

I went with the hybrid over the sx-l because the MPG's were much better for me and the payments were much lower. My point is this, MPG depend on many factors, weather, hills, traffic, your foot. Owners with lx, ex, sx or sx-l models who are getting 30 mpg, imagine how high your mpg would be if you had a hybrid!

Hybrids really do get better mileage, it's the driving variables that people don't see that make you believe otherwise. :storm:
 
#12 ·
My 13 SX gets about 20-22mpg 100% city. (Most roads are 55-65mph here but it's not freeway) I'm currently running 87 all the time.
Not to change the subject but, some people run 91 (premium) and seeing a difference. Is there really a difference with premium gas for MPG?
I'm thinking about trying it out since gas prices are currently cheaper since it's winter time.


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#13 ·
My 13 SX gets about 20-22mpg 100% city. (Most roads are 55-65mph here but it's not freeway) I'm currently running 87 all the time.
Not to change the subject but, some people run 91 (premium) and seeing a difference. Is there really a difference with premium gas for MPG?
I'm thinking about trying it out since gas prices are currently cheaper since it's winter time.


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I would not consider that city. Real city driving is basically having to stop every block.
 
#22 ·
I have tested it in my 2013 SXL several times back and forth that I get about 1.5 mpg better with 93 over 87. Yes this is a highly debated topic but I have proven it to myself time and again. Nobody's post will change my mind and I'm not trying to convince others that I am right. Check it yourself on your own car and see what works for your car. Apparently there is a considerable amount of deviation between "identical" Kia optimas and venture to say it is not all driving styles and elevations above sea level. In this thread alone two of us with 2013 SXL that live in Houston and drive 70% city are getting a 10 mpg difference. Like I said, test it yourself. You are the only one that needs convincing unless somebody else is paying your gas bills ;)
 
#23 ·
I've figured out my mileage on most tanks since buying the car 3 months ago. Most tanks were 30.5 mpg with one at 32.2, but the last two were 29.8; 29.9. Mostly highway 65 to 70 mph cruise control. Mostly flat roads.
 
#25 ·
Are you guys writing down what your car says your average is? Its wrong. Mine said I averaged 19, really got 17.36MPG

Average speed was 20mph and tank lasted 14.5 hour according to car. Which was about right.

I got about 290 miles out of 16.7 gallons of gas. 290(miles)/16.7(gallons)= 17.36MPG

Needless to say, I was not happy to see its getting worse gas mileage than my 6 cylinder 2004 TL.

At the moment, Im using ECO mode just to see difference. Right now after about 60 miles, It says im getting 23.9mpg. Well see how this pans out.
 
#29 ·
Avg speed of 20 is what's killing your mileage, probably all city/short trips. I have always gotten <20mpg when avg speed 20. Throw in some spirited driving here and there and 17.x mpg not a surprise.

BTW, I can't stand eco mode, quit using it about a year ago and will never use it again. Hated the sluggishness and never did notice a mpg improvement.
 
#26 ·
Scary talk here... I traded in a 2013 Ford Focus SE HB w/ MT at 26/36/30 combined. The Optima should have been 24/35/28 combined. I drove my Focus manual transmission pretty aggressively during my 8 mile commute to and from work and was getting a little over 24 MPG. So far with the Optima, same commute, less aggressive driving, I am getting 18.5 MPG. I know it is a new engine and has been brutally cold here in Chicago, but I do hope things improve in the MPG department and may regret this purchase when gas gets expensive in the spring/summer. I would be happy w/ a 22-23 MPG city driving.
 
#27 ·
Scary talk here... I traded in a 2013 Ford Focus SE HB w/ MT at 26/36/30 combined. The Optima should have been 24/35/28 combined. I drove my Focus manual transmission pretty aggressively during my 8 mile commute to and from work and was getting a little over 24 MPG. So far with the Optima, same commute, less aggressive driving, I am getting 18.5 MPG. I know it is a new engine and has been brutally cold here in Chicago, but I do hope things improve in the MPG department and may regret this purchase when gas gets expensive in the spring/summer. I would be happy w/ a 22-23 MPG city driving.
2.4 or 2.0. That is a drastic difference from your Ford
 
#28 ·
I can add that its 70-85 degrees here in S. FL and I run the AC constantly= eats more gas

The car is SXL 2013 with 12,700 miles. So, not sure if things are supposed to get better over time.

Also, the dealer filled up my tank when I bought it few weeks ago, so god knows what kind of free gas they put in it.

I recently filled up with shell 87 oct. Ill keep ya posted.
 
#30 ·
I've only got 250 miles on my '14 SX-T, but I've been testing the new Drive Mode Select feature and on ECO, driving on highway at 65-70 MPH today on a 22 mile trip home, I was averaging 35-37 MPGs. I was in no hurry, wasn't passing anyone and kept a steady foot on the gas.... yes, I was in "commuter" mode and not in "carving the twisties" mode.

Bottom line that most people need to realize is that 2 things influence your MPGs more than anything... environmentals (elevation changes, weather, traffic, road conditions, etc) and your right foot. One you can control more than the others and it usually affects your MPGs more than the other! :)

JMHO!

Oh, and for the record, in my '13 SXL that I just traded in, I was getting on avg 32-34 MPGs for the same route I just drove today. KIA did some work on the 14's tranny and it is much smoother, shifts more accurately and I think I read that it "rev matches" now.... all of that adds up to better MPGs.... and FUN, too! :)
 
#31 ·
Yea, welcome to driving in ft lauderdale. Most of this was not rush hour, or my speed average would be about 10mph. lol

I have heavy foot i guess. Yea, im not feeling the ECO driving, just was curious
 
#32 ·
I've been there! And it seems like everyone there thinks the speed limit is 90mph!!! You get run over if you're doing 70mph!! LOL! Unfortunately, that's another one of those "environmentals" that you can't control inside your own driver's seat... to an extent. Driving the "keeping up w/ traffic" speed will kill your MPGs, just as much as anything.... and ECO isn't gonna help ya one iota there, either! LOL
 
#34 ·
Ace,

I hear ya... the 14's are a little better than before, but not much, but tolerable. I only use it when in heavy traffic. LOL
 
#35 · (Edited)
New owner of a New 2012 KOH(only 400KM on her odometer). Couldn't pass up the price of $20900CDN before taxes. Had her for just over a month and drive it like a grandpa. I bought it or 1 and only 1 reason. To save on gas. I've installed block heater to off set the colder weather. I keep track of when I fill up, how many litres and how many KM I get per tank. I average 32-38MPG. I'm hoping for better come spring and summer when the weather is warmer, and the Winter tires and Rims come off.

As for Gas. If your car calls for 87, then put in 87. Using anything higher is a waste of money. Do a search on Top Tier Gas. Only use this in your car. And if you can find a gas station with gasoline without ethanol blended in. Even better.
 
#38 ·
As for Gas. If your car calls for 87, then put in 87. Using anything higher is a waste of money. Do a search on Top Tier Gas. Only use this in your car. And if you can find a gas station with gasoline without ethanol blended in. Even better.
This is absolutely false when it comes to forced induction. The benefit comes from being able to run more boost/more timing which results in more power. This car is programmed for the option of using 87. It is not the standard
 
#36 ·
thanks ht. addict. I think this is intended for SXL owners. But I will try to find better gas in the mean time
 
#43 ·
Lesson learned the hard way... too bad there are those on here that don't understand that it makes no difference for the better, unless you have a remapped ECU that calls for 91+. Ethanol Free is your best "performance" upgrade for fuel these days.
 
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