Selecting the correct type of gas is essential for your vehicle. Another thing that some people might mix up is gasoline and diesel; it is essential to check what your vehicle takes in order to avoid having any major issues with your car's engine. Ever wondered what type of fuel the Hyundai Elantra takes? We have consulted automotive experts on what kind of fuel every Elantra takes. Here is what we got from them.
The Hyundai Elantra's year models can be compiled into seven different generations. The engine only changes with a new generation. Here are the Elentra fuel types by generation:
- 1st Generation (1990-1995): Regular Unleaded
- 2nd Generation (1995-2000): Regular Unleaded
- 3rd Generation (2000-2006): Regular Unleaded
- 4th Generation (2006-2010): Regular Unleaded
- 5th Generation (2010-2015): Regular Unleaded
- 6th Generation (2015-2020): Regular Unleaded or Premium
- 7th Generation (2020-Present): Regular Unleaded or Premium
Some Elantra models, like the 7th generation N Line, benefit from premium fuel since they have turbocharged engines. Turbocharged engines prefer higher octane fuels with higher resistance to premature detonation under load.
Note that even if you can put regular and premium fuel in the Elantra, all their engines are built differently and will react differently depending on what fuel you choose to put in it. To get a better understanding of what fuel you should use, you can check your vehicle's owner's manual. For more information about the Hyundai Elantra and automotive fuel, keep reading below.
How Far Can A Hyundai Elantra Go On A Full Tank
Having a vehicle that can travel very far is great, and if that's the case with your car, that means it is fuel-efficient. Having a fuel-efficient vehicle means that you can travel longer without having to refuel.
The Hyundai Elantra has many trims, all with different driving ranges. The total fuel capacity of the Hyundai Elantra is 12.4 gallons.
Here is the list of the driving ranges of the different trims of the Elantra:
- Elantra SE: 409.2 city/533.2 highway
- Elantra SEL: 384.4 city/508.4 highway
- Elantra Limited: 384.4 city/508.4 highway
- Elantra N Line 6-speed manual: 310 city/421.6 highway
- Elantra N Line 7-speed DCT: 347.2 city/446.4 highway
The Elantra has an exceptional driving range coupled with excellent fuel economy. The SE trim sees 33 mpg in the city and 43 mpg on the highway.
SEL and Limited trim levels get 31 mpg in the city and 41 mpg on the highway. The N Line 6-speed manual sees 25 mpg in the city and 34 mpg on the highway, and the N Line 7-speed DCT has an mpg of 28 in the city and 36 on the highway.
Is Premium Gas Leaded
Right now, premium gas or regular gas is unleaded, but in the 20th century, gasoline was leaded. Back in the day, automotive manufacturers were looking for a way to reduce engine knock. An American chemist by the name of Thomas Midgley, Jr. then developed an additive for gasoline called tetraethyl lead or TEL.
When mixing different compounds, Thomas Midgley found that mixing a bit of tetraethyl lead to the vehicle's fuel would remove the knock from the engine. After the discovery of tetraethyl lead removing engine knock, General Motors and Standard Oil formed the Ethyl Corporation.
It was already known that lead is a harmful substance even before large companies started using it in fuel. Leaded gasoline was used starting from the 1920s, then it was slowly phased out in the late 1970s, and was banned altogether for all road vehicles in the United States in 1995.
To meet the new emission standards, car manufacturers put catalytic converters in their vehicles. Catalytic converters use a chemical reaction to change pollutants to carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and water.
When tetraethyl lead passes through the catalytic converter, it tends to clog it up, making it inoperable. From there, unleaded gas became the number one choice for any vehicle with a catalytic converter. You can still use leaded gasoline but only for aircraft, off-road vehicles, race cars, and marine engines.
How Fast Is The Elantra
When talking about fast sedans, the Hyundai Elantra won't really come to your mind and that is because the Elantra is not fast compared to other sports sedans like the Subaru WRX, Dodge Charger, or even the Honda Civic Si. But for what the Elantra is, it can be surprisingly fast.
The base model Hyundai Elantra is powered by a 1.6 liter inline-four naturally aspirated engine that pushes out 147 horsepower at 6,400 RPM and 132-pound feet of torque at 4,500 RPM. The base model Elantra uses a CVT transmission to deliver the power of the engine to the two front wheels.
The base model Elantra has a 0 to 60 mph of 8.1 seconds, and 0 to 100 mph is 22.1 seconds. Though the base model Elantra only has 147 horsepower, this is enough to safely get your car up to speed to merge or overtake someone.
Sporty N Line Elantra Models
The Elantra also comes with a sportier trim, called the Hyundai Elantra N Line. The Elantra N Line is considerably faster than the base model since it is powered by a 1.6 liter turbocharge inline-four engine that pushes out 201 horsepower at 6,000 RPM and 195-pound feet of torque at 1,500 RPM.
For the Elantra N Line, you can choose to have a 6-speed manual transmission or a 7-speed automatic transmission to bring the power to your two front wheels.
The Elantra N Line has a 0 to 60 mph of 6.9 seconds, while its 0 to 100 mph is 20.1 seconds. The Elantra N Line is a great vehicle for people that want a sedan that feels sporty but does not cost as much as a real sports sedan.
Is The Elantra AWD
Unfortunately, the Hyundai does not have an Elantra with an AWD drivetrain. There are multiple reasons why a car manufacturer would make their car only FWD. One of these reasons is to keep the cost low; when a vehicle is FWD it needs fewer parts compared to an AWD or RWD, and this is what keeps the cost of building one low.
Another thing is if a car is FWD it is much lighter compared to AWD; this makes the vehicle more fuel efficient since it will take less power for your engine to get your whole vehicle moving. With all benefits of the FWD layout, it fits Hyundai's reputation of building cheaper cars with good quality.
What is Hyundai's Luxury Brand
Hyundai's luxury brand is called Genesis. The Genesis brand was first introduced as a luxury vehicle in Hyundai's lineup called the "Genesis sedan." Hyundai made the Genesis sedan specifically to rival the then-new BMW 5 series. Right now, Genesis has eight cars in their lineup available in the United States. Some of these models are the G70, GV80, and GV60.
Just like any luxury car brand, you can expect Genesis to hit all the marks you need for a luxury car, such as comfort, technology, and quality. With Genesis, they did not copy what their Japanese rivals did by using an FWD layout but instead oped for an RWD layout, just like most luxury cars found in Germany.
With the design of Genesis vehicles, you can tell that there are trying to rival luxury brands from Germany, such as BMW and Mercedes. With the Genesis vehicles being RWD, V8 engines, and longer bodies, you would really think there were German-built vehicles.
If you are fond of Hyundai's vehicle and want to try something more luxurious, you should definitely check out some of Genesis's vehicles.
Closing
Having the right kind of fuel is very important. Putting the wrong kind of fuel can produce a knocking sound or even damage your engine, especially if you mix up gas with diesel. What's great about the Hyundai Elantra is it has great fuel economy, pair that with its ability to take regular fuel, it is definitely a great daily driver.
When choosing the trim of your Elantra, you have an option to go for a more sporty version which is called the N Line. The N Line has more horsepower than the base model, and you have a choice between a 6-speed manual or a 7-speed DTC. But if you want a more luxurious option and still want to stick with the Hyundai brand, you should check out the cars in Genesis's lineup.
For more automotive topics and tips, check out the following posts.
Do V6 Engines Use A Lot Of Gas?
Do I Need To Warm Up My Car Before Driving?