Copying the amazing 2011 hyundai elantra manual shift

[theycallmeebryan]

Originally Posted by Sven7

A Saturn seems like an odd place to start from scratch.

Why is that?

Saturn SL's are very cheap, simple, lightweight, small, and are built with efficiency in mind. The base models have unpainted bumpers to save weight(lol) and cost, manual steering to reduce drag on the engine (makes EOC'ing more safe), and factory installed air dams to improve the underbody aero.

I just passed 170,000 miles in mine and its still going strong. I will admit that it burns more oil than i would like it to, but not much i can do about that unless i decided to pop the heads off and re-ring the pistons. If it were easy, I'd do it.

With very minor aero modifications including grill block, side mirror delete, and body gap filling, I've been able to get over 50mpg in the car with P&G and EOC'ing techniques. With intense aeromodding, I wouldn't doubt cruising along at a sustained 60mph getting 60mpg with this car.

[cfg83]

theycallmeebryan -

Originally Posted by theycallmeebryan

Why is that?

Saturn SL's are very cheap, simple, lightweight, small, and are built with efficiency in mind. The base models have unpainted bumpers to save weight(lol) and cost, manual steering to reduce drag on the engine (makes EOC'ing more safe), and factory installed air dams to improve the underbody aero.

...

With very minor aero modifications including grill block, side mirror delete, and body gap filling, I've been able to get over 50mpg in the car with P&G and EOC'ing techniques. With intense aeromodding, I wouldn't doubt cruising along at a sustained 60mph getting 60mpg with this car.

Yup. This thread looks like a good place to explore aero-mods that are stealthy :

96 Saturn SL1

CarloSW2

[euromodder]

Originally Posted by mans

Is it possible to bring a .32 cd down to .28?

The Lexus LS400 had 0.25 back in the 1990s.
The engineers and marketeers alike should be fired for bad aero like those 0.32 - even my squarish Volvo estate has 0.32 .

Is it possible ?
Sure.
It'll take a bit of work, like what you already mentioned - and whatever other mods many folks on here have already done to their cars.

since most people who perform aero mods dont post their before-and-after cd values, I have some lack of knowlege towards the actual figures

It's too involved.
Most people see the improvement in their MPG, which is far more important to them - and ultimately to everyone else on the planet.

[cfg83]

mans -

Originally Posted by mans

...

since most people who perform aero mods dont post their before-and-after cd values, I have some lack of knowlege towards the actual figures, and would appreciate knowing if anyone can forecast by how much any given aero mods would bring down the cd and whether or not I could hit the sought-after .28

Similar to what euromodder said, the aero tests are very difficult because they are subject to so many variables. I would say the most reliable aero-mods are the grill block, side mirror delete, and pizza pan wheel covers. The belly pan is great but there is a risk that you will design it incorrectly and lower your MPG. Similarly in another thread, someone did do an MPG test of their wheel skirt and was getting *worse* MPG with the skirt installed.

Here are two albums for you to look at :

Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum - EcoModder.com - cfg83's Album: Car Styling


Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum - EcoModder.com - cfg83's Album: 1981 Peugeot Vera


CarloSW2

[mans]

Originally Posted by PaleMelanesian

Wayne at CleanMPG tested the stickshift elantra with cruise control. RPM is about 2400 at 60 mph (ie not that great). Note that these numbers are right in line with PM's shown above.

MPH - MPG
60 - 46.9
65 - 44.3
70 - 39.1

50 mpg at 80 mph is dreaming. I believe you could see that for a moment on the instant mpg readout, but you couldn't maintain speed at that mpg level.

I'm afraid you are right here.

I think I now agree with daox and everyone else here who said this info is BS

50 mpg is an amazing figure, and I thought that a .28 cd could bring it about.
however I'll trust a random "wayne@ cleanmpg" on an issue like this one

I do enjoy popular machanics in general they are fun magazines but I agree with "daox" that its just bad journalism.

[hoover]

My wife has a 2011 elantra with the automatic. The 40 mpg claims have so far evaded us. Driving the car for 1 year, so far 27,000 miles on it. We went on vacation to the Carolinas, actually traveled almost 2,500 miles. Used the scan gauge out of my truck, and hand figured all gas mileage. Was a real disappointment to average 33 mpg for the trip. My wife travels 110 miles a day back and forth to work. So far her best has been 36 mpg. 35 is easily repeatable. Winter mileage in upstate NY on snow tires is 32 to 33. Overall, it is a decent car, and the mileage is ok. It just does not see 40 mpg, as Hyundai and the EPA claim.

[mans]

Originally Posted by hoover

My wife has a 2011 elantra with the automatic. The 40 mpg claims have so far evaded us. Driving the car for 1 year, so far 27,000 miles on it. We went on vacation to the Carolinas, actually traveled almost 2,500 miles. Used the scan gauge out of my truck, and hand figured all gas mileage. Was a real disappointment to average 33 mpg for the trip. My wife travels 110 miles a day back and forth to work. So far her best has been 36 mpg. 35 is easily repeatable. Winter mileage in upstate NY on snow tires is 32 to 33. Overall, it is a decent car, and the mileage is ok. It just does not see 40 mpg, as Hyundai and the EPA claim.

could it be that manual transmissions are 15% more efficient than automatics?
that would bring the 35mpg on an automatic to 40+mpg...
what to u think?

[MetroMPG]

Originally Posted by hoover

We went on vacation to the Carolinas, actually traveled almost 2,500 miles. Used the scan gauge out of my truck, and hand figured all gas mileage. Was a real disappointment to average 33 mpg for the trip. My wife travels 110 miles a day back and forth to work. So far her best has been 36 mpg.

On highway trips, how fast were/are you driving? That is the key factor, as demonstrated by Popular Mechanics (see their graph, further up this thread). If you want to achieve/beat the EPA figures, then you cannot drive faster than the speeds that were used in the EPA test, period.

[MetroMPG]

Originally Posted by mans

could it be that manual transmissions are 15% more efficient than automatics?
that would bring the 35mpg on an automatic to 40+mpg...
what to u think?

A quick look at the EPA ratings for the auto and manual equipped Elantra (2011) shows they have identical ratings, so, no.