Autoblog

Hyundai Elantra subject of class-action lawsuit for 'misleading 40 MPG' ads

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 10:16:00 EST

Filed under: Budget, Sedan, Government/Legal, Marketing/Advertising, Hyundai

'Your mileage may vary.'

We're all used to seeing those words at the end of any advertisement that mentions fuel economy, and we all know what it means: Not all drivers will get the same mileage, and oftentimes what you get will be lower than what it says on the car's window sticker.

That explanation may not hold water with Louis Bird of Sacramento, California, owner of a 2011 Hyundai Elantra.

"I feel like Hyundai took advantage of me. Hyundai's advertisements about the '40 MPG' gas mileage of the Elantra instantly caught my attention. I bought the car thinking I would be seeing major savings at the pump and getting over 500 miles per tank, but Hyundai fooled me... I have not saved any money on gas and have been driving the Elantra for well over a year now. It is frustrating and disappointing. I never would have bought the Elantra in the first place if I hadn't seen Hyundai's ads boasting about gas mileage."

Bird has filed a suit looking for class-action status in Sacramento County Superior Court. The lawsuit "seeks to stop Hyundai from illegally using gas mileage numbers in its advertising of the Elantra without government-mandated disclosures." Naturally, damages are being sought for California owners of 2011 and 2012 Elantra models. As you can see above, the 2013 Elantra is still advertised with a 40-mpg rating on the highway, a figure arrived at by the EPA and, as Hyundai points out in a press release, by independent sources like Popular Mechanics and Car and Driver.

From what we can tell, Consumer Watchdog, the organization is bringing the lawsuit, is alleging that Hyundai failed to "disclose certain information when mileage estimates [were] provided in their advertisements," thereby deceiving consumers into thinking the Elantra would provide better mileage than its competitors.

Scroll down for the press release from Consumer Watchdog and a response we received from the automaker. We've also included some video advertisements for the Elantra. So far, we've been unable to find any ads that don't include the expected industry-standard disclaimers about varying mileage and city versus highway fuel economy. For its part, Hyundai tells us it has "reviewed [its] ads and think Consumer Watchdog and their client are dead wrong."

Continue reading Hyundai Elantra subject of class-action lawsuit for 'misleading 40 MPG' ads

Hyundai Elantra subject of class-action lawsuit for 'misleading 40 MPG' ads originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 11 Jul 2012 10:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Why the 2013 Dodge Dart won't really get 40 mpg combined

Jeff Sabatini — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 12:59:00 EST

Filed under: Budget, Sedan, Dodge

Chrysler dropped a bombshell today, insinuating that its forthcoming 2013 Dodge Dart will have a combined fuel economy of 40 miles per gallon. Some media outlets have regurgitated this number without question. But it just isn't true, as that 40-mpg fuel economy number is unadjusted and will most certainly be lower once it gets printed on window stickers.

To better understand the way fuel economy numbers get calculated, we'll point you to this page on the Environmental Protection Agency's website. The short version is that cars are tested by the EPA to determine fuel economy for Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE), then adjusted for real world conditions before they are published, both on the EPA website and on Monroneys, or window stickers. City numbers are dropped by 10 percent, while highway numbers get a 22-percent reduction. Some rough estimating says that the Dart will probably be rated at about 34-mpg combined once the final adjustments are made. Still a good score, for sure, but far from 40.

So why did Chrysler even mention 40? In its big announcement today that Fiat had increased its ownership stake, the explanation is that Chrysler has met one of the conditions of the bankruptcy agreement, that it produce a 40-mpg vehicle for CAFE. That vehicle is the Dart.

Could Chrysler have done a better job of explaining what the fuel economy number really means? Sure, but then we wouldn't have been able to write this post.

Continue reading Why the 2013 Dodge Dart won't really get 40 mpg combined

Why the 2013 Dodge Dart won't really get 40 mpg combined originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 05 Jan 2012 12:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Hyundai launches Save the Asterisks campaign for 40-mpg Elantra

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 12:31:00 EST

Filed under: Budget, Sedan, Videos, Hyundai, Humor

2011 Hyundai Elantra gets 40 mpg, no asterisks - Click above to watch video after the break

Hyundai has noticed an alarming trend: the needless wasting of perfectly good asterisks on window stickers all over the country.

The Korean automaker notes that some competitors create a special trim level for certain models that's designed specifically to score a great fuel mileage rating from the EPA, while the other volume trim levels return a few miles per gallon less across the board. Since Hyundai won't name names, we'll do it for them: Chevrolet Cruze (Eco) and Ford Fiesta (SFE). Every single version of the 2011 Elantra, however, will achieve 40 mpg, as Hyundai likes to keep reminding us. No asterisks required.

It also bears mentioning that starting with the month of November, 2010, Hyundai is the first automaker to specify the actual number of vehicles it sells that achieve or exceed the 40-mpg benchmark on its monthly sales report. For those keeping track, the figure from this past November was 192 vehicles - expect that number to rise dramatically in the coming months when the new Elantra goes on sale.

Great fuel economy is only one part of a much larger puzzle to marketplace success. Fortunately, we'll have a First Drive report of the new 2011 Elantra to share in short order, so we'll have a better understanding of what, if any, concessions were made to manage its laudable efficiency metrics. Stay tuned for that, and check out Hyundai's Save the Asterisks video after the break.

Gallery: LA 2010: 2011 Hyundai Elantra

Live photos copyright (C)2010 Drew Phillips / AOL

[Source: Hyundai]

Continue reading Video: Hyundai launches Save the Asterisks campaign for 40-mpg Elantra

Video: Hyundai launches Save the Asterisks campaign for 40-mpg Elantra originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 02 Dec 2010 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Dodge to get 40-mpg small car

Steven J. Ewing — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 10:27:00 EST

Filed under: Budget, Chrysler, Dodge

2006 Dodge Hornet concept - Click above for high-res image gallery

Chrysler has announced that it is working on a small car for the Dodge lineup capable of achieving fuel economy of 40 miles per gallon. This new model will be based on Fiat architecture and is expected to debut near the end of 2011. No word has been given as to whether or not the new Dodge will rival B-segment offerings like the Ford Fiesta or C-segment vehicles like the newly introduced Hyundai Elantra. Longtime Autoblog readers will no doubt recall that a high-mpg small Chrysler has been on the table seemingly for ages, since before the well-received Dodge Hornet concept car of 2006, a vehicle that was said to have been greenlit for production a handful of times, albeit to no apparent result.

Aside from the North American-spec Fiat 500 that debuts at this week's Los Angeles Auto Show, the new Chrysler/Fiat partnership has yet to produce any real fruit. In the meantime, the automaker has been heavily reworking its product portfolio, offering new powertrains and better refinement for the full slate of Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep products.

Gallery: Dodge Hornet Concept

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req.]

Report: Dodge to get 40-mpg small car originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 15 Nov 2010 10:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Entire 2012 Hyundai Elantra line to hit 40 MPG on highway

John Neff — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 15:14:00 EST

Filed under: LA Auto Show, Budget, Sedan, Hyundai

2011 Hyundai Avante/Elantra - Click above for high-res image gallery

Hyundai has just announced that the 2012 Elantra, which will debut next Wednesday at the LA Auto Show, will achieve 40 miles per gallon on the highway and 29 mpg in the city. The engine behind these impressive numbers will be a 1.8-liter inline four-cylinder producing 148 horsepower and 131 lb-ft of torque. We're checking on transmissions options, but a five- or six-speed manual and six-speed automatic are the safe bets.

40 mpg highway ratings are "the new black" for small cars these days, with other vehicles like the 2011 Ford Fiesta and 2011 Chevrolet Cruze achieving 40 mpg or more on the highway and letting everyone know about it in their marketing material. The difference between those American small cars and the new Elantra is that only particular models of the Cruze and Fiesta can reach 40 mpg - more specifically the Cruze Eco, which tops out at 42 mpg, and the Fiesta with a special SFE package. Hyundai tells us that every Elantra model will achieve 40 mpg, from the base model on up, which means that you won't have to pay extra for the privilege of joining the 40 mpg club.

Gallery: 2011 Hyundai Avante / Elantra

[Source: Hyundai]

Entire 2012 Hyundai Elantra line to hit 40 MPG on highway originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Nov 2010 15:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Officially Official: 2011 Ford Fiesta rated at 40 mpg highway

Sam Abuelsamid — Mon, 17 May 2010 00:01:00 EST

Filed under: Budget, Sedan, Hatchback, Ford

2011 Ford Fiesta - Click above for high-res image gallery

The EPA has finished calculating the fuel economy of the 2011 Fiesta and as Ford projected, its new baby has hit 40 miles per gallon. The official numbers from the Feds are 29 mpg in the city and 40 mpg on the highway for Fiestas with the new six-speed dual-clutch Powershift gearbox. Those highway numbers top the Toyota Yaris and Honda Fit by four and five mpg, respectively.

Fiestas with the base five-speed manual gearbox get a rating of 28 mpg city and 37 mpg highway. All North American Fiestas for now are equipped with a 120 horsepower, 1.6-liter inline four regardless of which gearbox is selected. The first batches of Fiestas should be on their way to dealers in the coming weeks now that production has started.

Gallery: First Drive: 2011 Ford Fiesta

Continue reading Officially Official: 2011 Ford Fiesta rated at 40 mpg highway

Officially Official: 2011 Ford Fiesta rated at 40 mpg highway originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 17 May 2010 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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