Mazda5 real-world Mileage numbers

[opus]

To follow up on my first post, I have a very heavy right foot, I went from a GTO with 350hp to the 5. I can't bring myself to keep my foot off of the accelerator, it is more of an on and off pedal for me, it is either floored or my foot is off of it. So for me to get north of 30mpg is a real testament for this vehicle. Also the higher speed, 75-80mph of our trip also made the results even more impressive.

[jandree22]

I went from a GTO with 350hp to the 5.
Sorry for your loss, I'll pray for you tonight.

(lol2)

[AIMWO4]

(flame2)

I have the same problem. I went from a modified Saab 9-5 to the Mazda5. I sure miss the turbo kick at 70 mph!


To follow up on my first post, I have a very heavy right foot, I went from a GTO with 350hp to the 5. I can't bring myself to keep my foot off of the accelerator, it is more of an on and off pedal for me, it is either floored or my foot is off of it. So for me to get north of 30mpg is a real testament for this vehicle. Also the higher speed, 75-80mph of our trip also made the results even more impressive.

[raspykart]

The A/C compressor cuts out under certain load conditions. Optimal compressor operation is achieved at cruising speeds, thus reducing "drag" on the engine.

Yeah it cuts out at upper rpms to keep from over-revving the AC compressor. The standalone ECU I had in my RX7 allowed me to cut it off at certain rpms. I haven't noticed any ill-effects of AC on either, we run with the auto climate on all the time.

[5phreak]

I'm getting 26.5 - 27.1 mpg now that the car has 7000 miles on it. wish i could get 30 mpg like some of you get. i don't drive the car hard either.

[AIMWO4]

Just got 27.2 MPG on a tank with 30% highway driving at about 80 MPH.

[doctorz]

I'm getting 26.5 - 27.1 mpg now that the car has 7000 miles on it. wish i could get 30 mpg like some of you get. i don't drive the car hard either.

If it makes you feel any better, I find it only happens on certain conditions: flat highway, gentle cruising speeds. But it's attainable.

On our summer 2500 mile road trip, we generally averaged 29 mpg, with two kids, two adults, luggage, and 75-80 mph with A/C. I managed to get up to 31 mpg at 65 mpg and the A/C off (in the Pennsylvania mountains!). City driving gets us down to the low 20s. We don't drive the car very hard.

[snax]

All around, we are now averaging about 27 mpg. On a recent long trip, it was about 33 mpg, but I was doing things like coasting 5 miles down a mountain pass.

[Bern]

It seems most of the folks from Southern California who have posted here are at that 20-23mpg range. My auto 5 with 42k miles on the odo has done about that same range for all its miles. Mixed driving with mostly AC on.

-Bern
2006 GT Strato Blue

[AIMWO4]

Just had a 23.44 mpg run for 308 miles of NO HIGHWAY driving. I have a 5-speed, and drive like a nut. "Lead" is not heavy enough to describe my foot.

[5phreak]

i recently got my highest mileage number - 30.7 on a 5-1/2 hour drive to New Hampshire. '07 Touring model, AT, driving about 75 mph, approx 9,000 miles.

[dcketh]

Bought my 2007 AT a few weeks ago, used with 9500 miles on the odometer and I've only filled it up twice. Got 25.1 and 30.0 mpg.

[raspykart]

I wonder if the fuel maps for the 07s are a touch leaner... seems like us 07 owners are doing better for gas mileage?

[CHten11]

Hello Everyone,

Just purchased a new 2007 Mazda 5 Touring AT at the end of September.

First tank of gas - 26.38 MPG
Second tank of gas - 26.35 MPG

I usually have a heavy foot, but I've been very gentle on the gas during the break-in period. Not a lot of highway driving, but there are lots of long 40 - 55 MPH roads around Antioch, IL.

[snax]

I must confess that our 27+ mpg average has more to do with driving style than average efficiency. If we drove it like every other nut on the road, 23-25 mpg would be more typical. But instead, we do things like short shifting and keeping the revs low to coasting longer distances to known stops.

[raspykart]

I must confess that our 27+ mpg average has more to do with driving style than average efficiency. If we drove it like every other nut on the road, 23-25 mpg would be more typical. But instead, we do things like short shifting and keeping the revs low to coasting longer distances to known stops.

yeah we tend to drive conservative most of the time, occasionally I put into sport shift mode and rail it just for fun. Gotta hyundai rental car now and I gotta thank Hyundai for making me appreciate our Mazda 5.... the 5 gets almost the same mileage as this elantra... pretty sad.

On a side note we may be moving to Eugene... any suggestions on places to Live? I hear 4j schools and Westside?

[CHten11]

Just filled up my 3rd tank of gas last night.

First 150 miles, I avoided the highway and drove with a much heavier foot than during break-in, though I wouldn't say I was driving it hard.
Second 200 miles, all highway, mostly 68 - 70 MPH.

29.23 MPG.

[PGCist]

This is kind of unscientific, but I recently topped off the tank after 169.5 miles of driving. I added 5.45 US gallons of fuel. So my calculation is 31 MPG. This was mostly flat highway driving at 55 MPH.

[bulwnkl]

On a side note we may be moving to Eugene... any suggestions on places to Live? I hear 4j schools and Westside?

I have a BIL there. I'll see what he says?

[Scott Y]

2 tanks in a row, with great results.
I got 36 mpg in Denver freeway commuting. I rarely go above 65, part of the commute is a 55mph speed limit.
I have to concentrate on throttle control, here's what I do:
1. only move the throttle plate if I need to. constant throttle position is key
2. speed limit
3. I shift from 1st to 3rd to 5th, or from 1st to 2nd to 4th to 5th. This is always done under light load, constant elevation, not lugging the engine or otherwise loading the drivetrain. If I need to move I shift normally. The onramps I have to use are very long so I don't need to max accelerate. I'm also not driving like a grandpa being a roadblock while accelerating; I usually accelerate faster than the SUVs that everyone in Denver drives.

I commute 50 miles/day, about 38 of those miles are mostly constant speed freeway around C470 on the southwest side of metro. I couldn't believe the mileage numbers, but I've repeated it for 2 tanks. 9 gallons and 325 miles for the last tank. This is with 85 octane fuel.

[AIMWO4]

Do you post your results on TrueDelta or GasSavers.org? I have a 2.5 mile commute, so our mileage numbers are just a tad different.

Interesting shifting technique. What PSI are you running? I have 42 PSI in my tires, and just roll like crazy down hills.

I don't think I've seen your 5 in the area. I'm down in the Broadway/C-470/Lucent/HR Pkwy area.


2 tanks in a row, with great results.
I got 36 mpg in Denver freeway commuting. I rarely go above 65, part of the commute is a 55mph speed limit.
I have to concentrate on throttle control, here's what I do:
1. only move the throttle plate if I need to. constant throttle position is key
2. speed limit
3. I shift from 1st to 3rd to 5th, or from 1st to 2nd to 4th to 5th. This is always done under light load, constant elevation, not lugging the engine or otherwise loading the drivetrain. If I need to move I shift normally. The onramps I have to use are very long so I don't need to max accelerate. I'm also not driving like a grandpa being a roadblock while accelerating; I usually accelerate faster than the SUVs that everyone in Denver drives.

I commute 50 miles/day, about 38 of those miles are mostly constant speed freeway around C470 on the southwest side of metro. I couldn't believe the mileage numbers, but I've repeated it for 2 tanks. 9 gallons and 325 miles for the last tank. This is with 85 octane fuel.

[AIMWO4]

I finally did it! I had about 120 miles of highway driving out of my 358.5 miles.

[Scott Y]

Proof that it isn't a fluke. Another tank of 36.5 mpg driving!
Tire pressure is 36lbs, I'll have to verify.
It takes a fair bit of concentration to drive for best economy, you have to watch traffic flow, stoplight behavior...you know, all of the stuff you should be watching anyway.

[teamfusion]

I have noticed great mileage in general when driving in the high altitude in Colorado. Something about the altitude and fuel blend...

50 mph gets very good #'s also... you running mostly under 60mph?

[Scott Y]

65mph on C470 for about 14 miles, 55 on Morrison Rd for about 3, surface street speed, including a school zone, for 5 miles.

[coolmazda5]

Given how diverse we are in this forum (Scottish, English, Dutch, Swedish, Canadians, Canadiens... US, Hong Kong, Imperial Gallons, Socialist Liters vs. Canadian Litres, left vs. right hand drive, light vs. heavy stones, Kilometers vs. Kilometres... (, oh shoot, it does not go that far)) I found a good place where to do fuel economy conversions:

http://www.sciencemadesimple.net/fuel_economy.php

And for speed too:

http://www.sciencemadesimple.net/speed.php

[cprtrainer]

Took the 5 on a ski trip yesterday. Filled up in Denver, drove to Winter Park which is about 70 miles each way and includes a drive over Berthoud Pass- elev 11,300'. Was -5 F and very windy on top, about 10 degrees and quite breezy on either side. We hammered hard (running 65-90) on I-70 each way to/from Denver metro area. Had 3 passengers and ski cargo aboard. Filled up again this morning... achieved 37.8 mpg!

I keep a very accurate log of all fill-ups. I am thrilled and astounded on how well it drove and performed. Yes, this is with the 4AT used in mostly manual mode- averaging 3-5k rpm's during most of the mountain run.

Woo-hoo! (drive2)

[fam]

lol. I got 29.7 once on a highway trip to kentucky. My wife averages anywhere from 20-24 on a tank in all city suburban traffic. I got 22 on all highway on my 1st tank of my 5, then again, I drive through lousy stop and go, then go 80 mph, then 10 mph....man I hate toledo traffic. Im slowly driving more like a grandma as I have this 5 as my primary car now...but Im still a left lane kind of a guy, im also the same guy that wants to merge on onramps at a faster speed than everyone else.(nailbyt)

[meackerman]

recent trip to Disneyland from Northern California. at 70mph we were getting right at 30 mpg. At 75 mph we were getting 28 mpg. with a 4AT, loaded with 3 adults, 2 kids and our luggage.

[mazdaFIVEmike]

achieved 37.8 mpg!

(drive2)

You must have hooked up to the ski lift on the way up the mountain and then coasted down on the way home.

I find 37.8 hard to believe under those conditions.

The best I have ever achieved is 30.4 on a summer day cruising at 70-75mph on an open freeway.

[mazdadude]

You must have hooked up to the ski lift on the way up the mountain and then coasted down on the way home.

I find 37.8 hard to believe under those conditions.

The best I have ever achieved is 30.4 on a summer day cruising at 70-75mph on an open freeway.


27.8 mpg I could see.... But 37mpg? Must be the "New Math" everyone is talking about. (flame)

(drive)

[coolmazda5]

27.8 mpg I could see.... But 37mpg? Must be the "New Math" everyone is talking about. (flame)
(drive)

LOL, too much for an "exact" science.


2008 Mazda5 (Sport, 5MT). First tank:
60/40 town/highway: 21.97MPG (too early to say anything.... and I hope the engine is just breaking in (nailbyt))

2006 Mazda5 (Sport, 5MT). Thanksgiving trip:
Getting there. Hilly Highway @75-80MPH: ~24MPG
Return. Hilly Highway @65-75MPH: ~27MPG

[cprtrainer]

27.8 mpg I could see.... But 37mpg? Must be the "New Math" everyone is talking about. (flame)

(drive)

Well, believe what you want. We tend to get better mileage up at altitude. My 3 would average about 28 mpg in mixed driving at low altitude Phoenix, and I average about 30.5 in Denver with the same driving style and shift points. That is at approx 5200'.

Mileage figures are this for the trip- do your own division and see what you get...

219.7 miles
5.8 gallons

Fueling was done at approximately the same temperature ~25 F.
Current tank appears to be back to "normal" in town driving- should be at about 27-29 as usual.

Don't flame for that which you have not done yourself under similar conditions. I am reporting legit numbers...

[mazdadude]

Well, believe what you want. We tend to get better mileage up at altitude. My 3 would average about 28 mpg in mixed driving at low altitude Phoenix, and I average about 30.5 in Denver with the same driving style and shift points. That is at approx 5200'.

Mileage figures are this for the trip- do your own division and see what you get...

219.7 miles
5.8 gallons

Fueling was done at approximately the same temperature ~25 F.
Current tank appears to be back to "normal" in town driving- should be at about 27-29 as usual.

Don't flame for that which you have not done yourself under similar conditions. I am reporting legit numbers...

You are right, how silly of me...(spank)

Seriously though, 37 mpg out of a 2.3L, Those are awesome numbers, and I wish I could duplicate them, but I am stuck with CA fuel, plus I like to run 34 psi tire press, 70-75mph avg roads, and I enjoy using the throttle too much. (doh) IIRC our personal mpg best is almost 30mpg.

I would love to make a straight 55mph run for a tank full at 42psi and see what kind of mpg is possible.

When I attempt to get the most accurate calculations, I calibrate tire pressure, refill at the same fuel pump, and to the same "top-off" click on the fuel nozzle. In addition I try and go as many miles as possible on the tank in order to get a broader sample range. Not saying this is necessary, just wondering how others do it?

[cprtrainer]

You are right, how silly of me...(spank)

Seriously though, 37 mpg out of a 2.3L, Those are awesome numbers, and I wish I could duplicate them, but I am stuck with CA fuel, plus I like to run 34 psi tire press, 70-75mph avg roads, and I enjoy using the throttle too much. (doh) IIRC our personal mpg best is almost 30mpg.

I would love to make a straight 55mph run for a tank full at 42psi and see what kind of mpg is possible.

When I attempt to get the most accurate calculations, I calibrate tire pressure, refill at the same fuel pump, and to the same "top-off" click on the fuel nozzle. In addition I try and go as many miles as possible on the tank in order to get a broader sample range. Not saying this is necessary, just wondering how others do it?

I use similar conditions as you for calculations. I stop at click #2, run tire pressures of 40 front and 38 rear (the blizzacks are really sloppy at "normal" pressures). I run Conoco fuel at one of 3 stations in my area.

I did do the long slow (50-60 mph) run test one time in my old Civic VX- acheived 58 mpg. It was neat to see but I was nearly run over by trucks and SUV's. D'oh!

[07MZ5SA]

Fueling was done at approximately the same temperature ~25 F.
Current tank appears to be back to "normal" in town driving- should be at about 27-29 as usual.



Must be nice to pump "cold fuel".

I get 20-23 in "errand" mode and 28 straight highway on "hot fuel".

http://www.turndownhotfuel.com/myths.html

[coolmazda5]

http://www.turndownhotfuel.com/myths.html


I heard about this some time ago, but this site has much more concise info, thanks.

Now, I understand this is critical for trucks and the distances they drive per day (large volumes matter), but Would it really make a "big" difference for a smaller car like the Mazda5?

Quick and dirty calculation, not a scientific study, yet I don't see a critical difference in any case.

Let's assume that the Mazda5 travels the same distance as the example posted in the web site but with a 16Gal tank (Mazda5 capacity) instead of a 20Gal one (I don't know which car they are talking about). Pardon my horrible comparison, but I only see a difference of less than 1 MPG in each case with this approach.

Temp/20Gal Tank/Distance/MPG
90 20 490 24.5
75 20 495 24.75
60 20 500 25
45 20 505 25.25

Temp/16Gal Tank/Distance/MPG
90 16 490 30.625
75 16 495 30.9375
60 16 500 31.25
45 16 505 31.5625

http://www.turndownhotfuel.com/images/WebIllustration.jpg

Feel free to throw the eggs and tomatoes in case I did something absurd here, serious (stooges) :D

[cprtrainer]

Interesting comparison on the fuel temp... I have noticed that I can "shove" more fuel into my 3 on really cold days. The fuel guage tends to hold on full for 15-20 miles more. Just an observation...

I think what made (makes) the difference here is that we had really cold air temp and high altitude. Cold air (more dense) can be correlated to more power (if I remember enough from flight school). Higher altitude (less O2) requires less fuel to combust.

Using these two variables sounds like a vehicle would not use the same amount of fuel in cold thin air. Upside is good mileage, big downside is that the engine power is "wheezy" at best. Acceleration from a stop is gutless and passing takes plenty of planning.

FWIW, the previous best tank was this past summer on a similar mountain road trip with the A/C running- achieved 33 on that tank. The variable in that picture was altitude and some stop and go traffic on the return leg. Temps were in the 80's.

Curious if anyone else has heard or knows more about air density (altitude) and it's effect on mileage...

[mazdaFIVEmike]

Well, believe what you want. We tend to get better mileage up at altitude. My 3 would average about 28 mpg in mixed driving at low altitude Phoenix, and I average about 30.5 in Denver with the same driving style and shift points. That is at approx 5200'.

Mileage figures are this for the trip- do your own division and see what you get...

219.7 miles
5.8 gallons

Fueling was done at approximately the same temperature ~25 F.
Current tank appears to be back to "normal" in town driving- should be at about 27-29 as usual.

Don't flame for that which you have not done yourself under similar conditions. I am reporting legit numbers...

What are the housing prices like in the mountains... maybe I need to move.

I struggle to get 20-21mpg in city driving... needless to say I'm disappointed with the numbers. I didn't think altitude would have such a significant effect.

[coolmazda5]

True. My first student cars had carburetors (Do the boxy VW Rabbit and Nissan Sentra Hatchback sound familiar?) and yes, they had to be adjusted according to the altitude where you lived so a) they could have the right combination of O2/Gas for combustion and b) they could reach certain fuel economy. I used to live about 1825mts over the sea level so when going to the beach with my friends on vacation I could feel a moderate difference in power plus I could hear the engine cackle ;) almost at every stop or quick acceleration.

But IMO today's cars automatically and quickly adjust to altitude changes automatically so I think the change cannot be perceived as dramatic anymore. I drove once from Colorado Springs to Vail (through Denver) on a rental but I don't remember the gas outcome :(


(sssh) Now, between you and I, I think the Carbon Gray Mazda5 gives you more MPG than any other color (plus looks great). Just keep it low profile ;)

[cron]

Now it sucks...

It's been a few weeks that cold temperature and snow came back and I'm getting worse and worse fuel economy.

I have no idea how you achieve such things as 36mpg, but I'm barely getting 14mpg nowadays! Is that normal?!? Really, I'm fueling 55 liters and I only drive about 300-350 km. That is aweful! It's only city driving in the snow with snow tire (35PSI each). Of course, the tires do spin more in the snow, but that shouldn't be so bad!

Can it be a problem with the car?

In the summer, I could barely get 19-20mpg in city and 26-28mpg on the highway.

Anyone from Ottawa (or in the whereabouts) can tell me what mileage they can do in this weather?

PS: And I *never* start the car more than one minute before using it.

[fam]

I warm my car up all the time, drive it like its stolen, take lunch naps in my car for up to an hour with it on, drive 80mph(5600 kph for you canadians) and do parking brake donuts in the icy part of my parking lot daily and i average 23-24 on a tank. I know it will do 30 on a long trip.

[SparkyBhoy]

Mrs Sparkybhoy has just filled up the tank for the 1st time (she's had it for 3 weeks!) 2008 GT 5SP Auto

The 1st tank did her for 400kms before the light came on. The car is used for 'around the doors driving'.

[cron]

Mrs Sparkybhoy has just filled up the tank for the 1st time (she's had it for 3 weeks!) 2008 GT 5SP Auto

The 1st tank did her for 400kms before the light came on. The car is used for 'around the doors driving'.

Thanks for the "real-world" estimate. That's about what I'm getting in summer (450km on a tank). Maybe the snow of the last two weeks made it worse and it should go back to "normal" (350-400km in winter)? It may be the only car in its class, but it's pretty deceiving on fuel economy.

[PolarBear]

Recently got my worst mileage ever 14.2L /100 - 16.6 mpg

It was 100% city driving stop and go, a lot of snow. Very often moving 20km/h. And this is for 5MT.

[Robs]

7.6 l/100km, which should be....... i guess 31.21mpg

[coolmazda5]

I warm my car up all the time, drive it like its stolen, take lunch naps in my car for up to an hour with it on, drive 80mph(5600 kph for you canadians) and do parking brake donuts in the icy part of my parking lot daily and i average 23-24 on a tank. I know it will do 30 on a long trip.

Maaan, good gas mileage for 5600km/hr, but no wonder the wheels are falling off ;)

[5phreak]

crappy mileage lately with cold temps, snow and slower speeds 20.3 last tank

:-(

[SpeedTrap]

Here is a site developed by a fellow Mazda owner where you can register your vehicles, keep track of your MPG and compare with others usage:

www.brianbauer.org

[rweatherford]

07 Sport Auto

First tank of fuel was 26 MPG in 15 degree temps. Mostly highway trips. I'll be keeping track over at www.CleanMPG.com

[5phreak]

28.3 on trip to NH. pleased.

[BLACKOUT]

my best has been around 25mpg but on average been getting 22mpg with A/T. I'm hoping that the Fujita CAI will help out with the MPG

[rweatherford]

I wouldn't count on a CAI helping with MPG. It might sound nice though. The biggest thing is probably to not drive over 60 MPH very often the way the gearing is in these things.

I'd be interested in finding out more about the trip 5phreak. (how you got 28 MPG)

[mrbwa1]

I'd be interested in finding out more about the trip 5phreak. (how you got 28 MPG)


28MPG is definitely doable. We made 28.3 with 4 adults on 55 &60MPH posted 2 lane windy highways. And believe me, my wife liked the Zoom-Zoom on those corners! This was with only 300 miles on the car as well. Since then, it's turning a solid 25MPG in 50/50 mixed winter driving. We haven't been able to do an Interstate Trip, but I think with the cruise set at 70-ish, 27-28MPG should be about right for our 5. I am running a little extra air in the tires (38lbs on the OEM rims and 40lbs on the winter tires) If it were just my wife's 70/30 HWY 60MPH commute, I think we would be at about 30MPG, but can't quite verify, as the new car gets driven everywhere.

[5phreak]

I wouldn't count on a CAI helping with MPG. It might sound nice though. The biggest thing is probably to not drive over 60 MPH very often the way the gearing is in these things.

I'd be interested in finding out more about the trip 5phreak. (how you got 28 MPG)

all highway door to door, almost no back roads and I used the cruise control for about 25% of the trip.

around town this winter I'm not even getting 21 mpg.

[rweatherford]

Sounds good! I'm pretty excited about it. We have only put 10 gallons through it. 240+ miles and about 120 of those miles were with tires that only had about 21 PSI in them. I should be up around 40 PSI now, but I'll have to check them to make sure they aren't going down.

[BLACKOUT]

For the people that have 18 inch wheels, what kind of gas mileage have you been getting? Because I such got a set of 18s and I didnt think that it was going to make that big of difference but I went from right around 21 mpg to at around 16 and I dont know if it was just crappy gas or what, I was hoping that this was the case and that the 18s didnt make that big of difference. I am running 18s with 225/40 tires. What are your opinions on this?

[Dyx]

My guess is that the unsprung weight of the 18's compared to the OEM wheels might be higher thus affecting your mileage. I changed to lighter wheels on my old car once and I could instantly feel the improvement in the steering and had much better mileage later.

[Bo_denmark]

6 Speed diesel is availible in europe....

Its gets
38/49

With todays prices that kind of pisses me off its not availible here.....

http://www.mazda.co.uk/

If I Drive nicely, not over 100 km/h and dont use the throttle to hard on start, My Mazda 5 Diesel runs 35,49mils pr gallon

correct me if I calculate this wrong..
15 km pr Liter..

If i Throttle is.. 13 km pr Liter - 30,76miles pr gallon..

Ohh and in Denmark.
1. Liter Petrol 95 Orktan = 2 dollar!!
1. Liter Diesel = 1,82 Dollar!!

[coolmazda5]

Mileage is getting better after the 08 engine settle-in I guess.... 23.7MPG Around 50%/50% Town/Highway...

[rweatherford]

I had my first high mileage tank yesterday. I tried to take the trip at 55-60 MPH as much as possible. I've notice the cruise doesn't like little short steep hills.

152.3 miles / 5.2 gallons = 29.3 MPG. Pretty excited about that because there was a little bit of city driving in there too. I guess I'll get a Scangauge2 pretty soon. That should help me learn a little.

[Esprit]

I just finished my forth tank of Gas. I did 548km with 52L of gas.
9.5L/100km. Very good in gas with 2.3L engine and the size of the MZ5.

[SparkyBhoy]

Just back from our snowboarding trip to the B.C. Interior.

I put 1145kms on the 5 with 2 tanks of gas. Gas used was 105 litres. Average 9.2L/100kms.

We were pretty loaded up in the trunk (suitcase, playpen, groceries, booze, bag of snowboarding gear and kids toys), we had the roof box on (filled with snowboards, snowshoes, helmets and boots) and we were on a windy mountain highway for part and cruising at 120km/hr (75mph) where we could.

I think that is quite impressive.

[B16RacerN2NR]

06 Mazda 5, Auto, 42,xxx miles so far.

Gas mileage hasn't increased or decreased since I bought it brand new.

On the highway I average around 29 MPG's. City driving I average about 21 MPG's.

[jeebusm3]

For the people that have 18 inch wheels, what kind of gas mileage have you been getting? Because I such got a set of 18s and I didnt think that it was going to make that big of difference but I went from right around 21 mpg to at around 16 and I dont know if it was just crappy gas or what, I was hoping that this was the case and that the 18s didnt make that big of difference. I am running 18s with 225/40 tires. What are your opinions on this?

well, 225/40/18 is the same overall diameter as stock so it won't affect anything in that sense, but if the wheels are heavier and the tires are heavier it could make a difference. What wheels and tires are they?

[Esprit]

just did 90% on highway and 10% on city. I got 627km when the light come on. My MZ5 has total of 4500km now.

[jeebusm3]

First fillup in our 2008 today. 90% city driving, 23.88MPG. I was expecting less considering it's brand-new.

[chief_wiggum]

anybody here post their fuel economy information here?

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/

I like how it shows sticker fuel guesstimates and then allows others to post what they get -- also allows users to store cars and record fuel economy.

[pick41]

2005 Touring Edition. AT. Stock. She drives with a heavy foot.
Mixed Rush Hour driving 80% highway / 20% city


12.275 Gallons
314 Miles
25.6 MPG
$0.115 per mile
$36.20 to fill-up

This all equals 4 days of driving to/from work.

[jeebusm3]

2005 Touring Edition. AT. Stock. She drives with a heavy foot.
Mixed Rush Hour driving 80% highway / 20% city


12.275 Gallons
314 Miles
25.6 MPG
$0.115 per mile
$36.20 to fill-up

This all equals 4 days of driving to/from work.

your gas is 50 cents cheaper than ours. (per gallon)

[mazdaFIVEmike]

2007 Numbers:

34 tanks of gas

Avg 11.08 L/100km or 20.09 mpg

Not quite the 9.3 L/100km or 25.79 mpg average city/hwy that was posted on the sticker - but I do know those are ideal conditions and I do more city than highway.

What I really want to know is what modifications they made to the 2008 model for it to have a posted average mileage rate of 8.35 L/100km or 28.8 mpg

I'd love to get 5 mpg more out of my 5.

[pick41]

your gas is 50 cents cheaper than ours. (per gallon)


Drove about 300+ miles around Indiana this weekend, prices ranged from $3.29-$2.93. Diesel Prices were $3.79-$3.61.

[mazdaFIVEmike]

Most Fuel-efficient Vehicles Honoured with ecoENERGY for Vehicles Awards

http://ecoaction.gc.ca/news-nouvelles/20080213-eng.cfm

Mazda 5 gets award under the much debated is it or isn't it a "mini van" category

the link to the 2008 Fuel Consumption Guide suggests the Mazda 5 gets 29mpg city and 40mpg highway....

I guess I'm tradin' in the ol' 2006 model and its barely 20mpg combined!!

9mpg is equivalent to an extra 108miles or 173km per tank!! this is unbelievable.(wow)

[coolmazda5]

Most Fuel-efficient Vehicles Honoured with ecoENERGY for Vehicles Awards

http://ecoaction.gc.ca/news-nouvelles/20080213-eng.cfm

Mazda 5 gets award under the much debated is it or isn't it a "mini van" category

the link to the 2008 Fuel Consumption Guide suggests the Mazda 5 gets 29mpg city and 40mpg highway....

I guess I'm tradin' in the ol' 2006 model and its barely 20mpg combined!!

9mpg is equivalent to an extra 108miles or 173km per tank!! this is unbelievable.(wow)

(wow) 40MPG? Would that be Imperial or US?

29MPG Imperial = 24.16MPG US
40MPG Imperial = 33.33MPG US

I'm getting combined 22-25MPG (US) in average on my 06 and my 08, I don't know how people drive in order to get to the highest levels claimed in this post, I think it is feasible, no doubt, but I would be so bored of driving in gas saving mode. Wife gets around 10 more miles per tank usually (she drives the 06) but she drives with much less zoom-zoom I admit.

[rodslinger]

I just hit the 3,000 mile mark on my 08 Sport with manual trans.

I'm seeing about 23mpg but that is nearly 90% city driving and I tend to stretch it's legs between stoplights. I did just return from a trip to Charlotte and saw a combined average of 29mpg during the trip.

[mazdaFIVEmike]

(wow) 40MPG? Would that be Imperial or US?

29MPG Imperial = 24.16MPG US
40MPG Imperial = 33.33MPG US

I'm getting combined 22-25MPG (US) in average on my 06 and my 08, I don't know how people drive in order to get to the highest levels claimed in this post, I think it is feasible, no doubt, but I would be so bored of driving in gas saving mode. Wife gets around 10 more miles per tank usually (she drives the 06) but she drives with much less zoom-zoom I admit.

Although the website does not specifically say it uses Imperial - it must. There's no way its US gallons...

http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/publications/transportation/fuel-guide/2008/comparing-vehicles.cfm?attr=8#conversion

Also, they show how the testing is done and in order to drive like they do in the testing - you'd never get to where you were going...

http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/publications/transportation/fuel-guide/2008/testing-procedures.cfm?attr=8

Why don't they just ask us folks that are using the vehicles.... that would be just too easy.

[mazdaFIVEmike]

PS - thanks CoolMazda5 for the comparison of the '06 vs '08 - do you have a preference or are they pretty much the same?

[coolmazda5]

PS - thanks CoolMazda5 for the comparison of the '06 vs '08 - do you have a preference or are they pretty much the same?

I would say I like them both, they pretty much drive the same but if I could combine the stuff from the 2 into 1 I would be all set :D:

From the 06
- The looks (looks sportier, don't ask why :))
- The fogs (helps the looks a lot, looks less boring)
- The headlights and taillights with the gray bezel
- The color (love the color since I saw it in the 2005 Mazda3 SP)
- The seat fabric combo

From the 08
- The aux input
- The wheels
- The electroluminescent gauges
- The black piano finish radio plate
- The extra armrests
- The A/C in the 2nd row
- The non-crazy, uniform acceleration when cold

[jeebusm3]

- The non-crazy, uniform acceleration when cold

isn't there a fix for that?

[coolmazda5]

isn't there a fix for that?

Not sure, but I think the answer is yes, maybe is an ECU update, but haven't checked. I lived with it until I bought the 08 and noted the difference :). Since the exhaust fire recall few years back and the ECU update that came with it I've been picky on those things. I fought with the dealer because my car was an MT and they wanted to do the ECU anyway (it only affected AT, idiots)

My unfortunate experience with ECU updates in other cars is that they break something else in the process, but for sure is just my paranoia :D

Oh, and it is not the TSB that has been addressed here lately (the complete shutdown when cold and turning left/right or something like that). For that I'm OK so far...

[vprtal]

I would say I like them both, they pretty much drive the same but if I could combine the stuff from the 2 into 1 I would be all set :D:

From the 06
- The looks (looks sportier, don't ask why :))
- The fogs (helps the looks a lot, looks less boring)
- The headlights and taillights with the gray bezel
- The color (love the color since I saw it in the 2005 Mazda3 SP)
- The seat fabric combo

From the 08
- The aux input
- The wheels
- The electroluminescent gauges
- The black piano finish radio plate
- The extra armrests
- The A/C in the 2nd row
- The non-crazy, uniform acceleration when cold

I'm with you on all the pros from both car. I still like the exterior looks of the 06-07. (blah)

[mazdaFIVEmike]

Not sure, but I think the answer is yes, maybe is an ECU update, but haven't checked. I lived with it until I bought the 08 and noted the difference :). Since the exhaust fire recall few years back and the ECU update that came with it I've been picky on those things. I fought with the dealer because my car was an MT and they wanted to do the ECU anyway (it only affected AT, idiots)

My unfortunate experience with ECU updates in other cars is that they break something else in the process, but for sure is just my paranoia :D

Oh, and it is not the TSB that has been addressed here lately (the complete shutdown when cold and turning left/right or something like that). For that I'm OK so far...

And I thought I was the only one that had that crazy acceleration when cold. IT PISSES ME OFF EVERYDAY!!!(bang)

I'm convinced - and maybe just my paranoia - that it has a serious affect on gas mileage.

My dealer assures me that my car has the latest ECU settings and that everything is within spec.

I do have a service due for this month so I will ask again....

[jeebusm3]

My unfortunate experience with ECU updates in other cars is that they break something else in the process, but for sure is just my paranoia :D


on my subbie, I did about 100 ECU writes via a USB-OBD2 and a laptop. I was scared maybe a few times. Never broke anything!

But I don't trust dealers, so I don't blame ya.

[pick41]

Last two tanks

25.5 mpg 75 highway/25 city
23.5 mpg 60 highway/40 city

[jeebusm3]

Tank number 2 in our 2008, manual...

80% city / 20% hwy = 24.7 MPG.

[coolmazda5]

Last two tanks

25.5 mpg 75 highway/25 city
23.5 mpg 60 highway/40 city



Tank number 2 in our 2008, manual...

80% city / 20% hwy = 24.7 MPG.

Good, I'm somewhere around the same numbers on a normal drive mode and similar conditions. I was getting freaked out with some of the higher values reported earlier here (freak)

[switz]

I have a brand new '08 GT with the 5-spd manual. The first tank was 9.7L/100km. The second tank was 9.5L/100km. I'm just working on my third tankfull now.

[07MZ5SA]

Coolmazda5:

Your 2008 has higher highway MPG even without factoring in new method. Are you getting better MPG with 2008 under the same condition?

I often wonder how 2008 manual get better MPG without taller gearing.

[coolmazda5]

Coolmazda5:

Your 2008 has higher highway MPG even without factoring in new method. Are you getting better MPG with 2008 under the same condition?

I often wonder how 2008 manual get better MPG without taller gearing.

Dunno what to say, my wife drives the 06 and I drive the 08 (I wouldn't mind driving the other way around, problem is she does not want to trade cars, serious).

I don't do MPG calculations at every gas pump fill-up but by the total mileage she actually gets 10-15 miles more per tank. Now, I think the difference is not on the model/engine updates but more in the way we drive, she barely steps on the gas and exceeds 3000RPM. I don't drive like Schumacher but I hit more often on the gas, get to the 4000RPMs and surpass 75MPH...

I think the best comparo will be if I get to drive the 06 for a change, then I will be able to tell if there is any difference, problem is how to take the car out of her hands (thought)

[07MZ5SA]

Perhaps take both cars on the same long trip or two identical trips with different car.

We have family friends back in the 80's go on the same trip with multiple cars.

There were some GM full-sized RWD sedans with 3.8L, 4.3L and 5.0L.

It turned out 3.8L had the worst MPG.

[coolmazda5]

^^ Now you got me thinking about it, you know, convincing a wife, that is always easy... LOL

[mrbwa1]

I finally got a chance to get the 5 out on the open road. Out '07 Sport AT has about4k miles on it now.

-Spokane, WA to Ellensberg, WA through cold and rain got about 28MPG (It was 27.something) with Myself, the wife, Newborn and stuff. All Highway @ 72MPH

-Ellensberg, WA to Seattle WA and around Seattle, including 1 day with 4 adults and 2 kids while driving like a madman in Seattle traffic got 25 MPG

-Seattle, WA to Spokane, WA (with about 10-15 city miles, the rest all 60-70 mph highway @ 62-72 MPH) with the Wife, myself and Newbord returned 31.2 MPG.

I am very satisfied with the outcome. Even with only the 4sp Auto turning about 3100RPM at 72 MPH and over a wet and rainy mountain pass, we still got 31 MPG, which I consider to be very good. I was also impressed at maintaining the 25MPG average we usually get even with 6 on board while darting in and out of traffic.

[rweatherford]

I've had similar experience with my 07 auto. My best tank so far is 30.2 MPG with some city driving mixed in. The key on my car according to the Scanguage seems to be to not drive much over 60 MPH and take it easy in town. You can average near or over 30 MPG in a decent size down if you try to watch the lights and not take off fast like everyone else. If the car is warmed up it only takes 3 HP to run the engine while in neutral at lights. This takes very little fuel. Coasting up to lights with the engine speed above 1000 RPM will engage DFCO (decel fuel cut off) which saves LOTS of fuel and brakes. You'd be suprised how much this helps your average MPG in the city.

Driving around like a normal person will get you about 20-24 MPG in the city.

My personal best trip was 38.2 MPG @ 55-60 MPH and a strong tail wind. (65 mile trip)

[mrbwa1]

Rex,

Good info. I see you have a Scangauge and was wondering about your thoughts on a couple things:

- Is there any benefit to around town driving in M-3 rather than fully auto (at say 35-40ish MPH)? My thought is that the more constant RPM and load may help, but then again, the auto could be optimized, so I somewhat doubt there is much benefit.

- Driving at highway speed in hilly terrain do you thin there would be much different by manually down shifting rather than pressing down on the gas or waiting for the cruise to kick down to 3rd gear?

- Nice to see the around-town tips, but as the 5 is the wife's car, doubt I'll ever see 30MPG in town. She seems to prefer to enjoy the zoom-zoom of the 5 (not a street racer or anything, but she does like to accelerate decently)

[rweatherford]

From what I have seen (which I admit is limited knowledge currently because I only drive the car about once a week or less).....

I drive in M 1-4 and use auto D if I am distracted by kids or other things. I shift to the next higher gear as early as possible. Lower RPM is better and slower acceleration is best. (to a point) Get into the higher gears as quickly as possible without heavy pedal use. Maintain speed as much as possible and look far ahead to look for slowing traffic, light changes, etc. When slowing down, downshift as necessary to keep the RPM's above 1000 to keep the engine in DFCO where it uses NO fuel. It's like having the key shut off, but it helps you slow down. Using the brakes just means you weren't looking ahead enough, or it was beyond your control. I find this is difficult to do with people behind me because I feel like they think I'm going too slow, but usually it works out with the slower traffic and you don't have to stop like everyone else.

On hills let the engine do the work in as high as gear as possible. Running in M mode keeps the tranny from downshifting. This car is geared pretty low and it will have to be a pretty big hill to need 3rd gear unless going pretty slow. I think the cruise control is hyperactive at times. On rolling hills it will downshift then coast, downshift, coast, etc... Without cruise you can leave it in high gear and just drive over the hills. Perhaps cruise in manual mode is better and won't downshift to 3rd? Using the LOD function you will notice that in Auto mode "D" the trans will shift down when above around 80-90 % load. (this is not the same as throttle position) I'm not sure how far you can go when in manual mode before it will auto shift. Perhaps it won't. It will release the lockup converter though. I think it engages around 40 MPH. I try not to use more than 70% load, but I'm not sure if this really helps. I do try to keep the converter locked though because this is the most efficient mode with no slippage. I'm also not sure how high the LOD can go and stay out of power enrichment mode (open loop). Perhaps that is only dependent on TPS. I just don't drive enough to find out I guess. The HP function is pretty cool. You can do about anything including highway driving without using more than about 40 HP.

I think 30 MPG on stop and go would be very difficult, but on nicely timed lights or good moving roads with 45 MPH limits you could do very good! I've been suprised. I think the SG is probably worth the money just because you learn what works and what doesn't. I've been impressed. You can find them on group purchases for $150.

[jandree22]

When slowing down, downshift as necessary to keep the RPM's above 1000 to keep the engine in DFCO where it uses NO fuel. It's like having the key shut off, but it helps you slow down.
I've always wondered the point where the injectors came back to life... so you sure it's 1000? If so that's be spectacular because I'd rather do long coasts in 5th than have to downshift into, say, 3rd to jump the RPM's to like over 3k... mostly because I rev match so blipping the throttle probably wastes any gas I'd save by coasting anyway.

[switz]

I just filled up for my third tank of gasoline. I'm over 1000km now and I didn't baby the vehicle on this tank. Mostly highway with one blast of 100km with people in every seat travelling about 110km/hr and another 50km blast at 140km/hr for this third tank. I wound up going 380km using only 31.4L. That's now down to 8.3L/100km. Wow, I'm impressed. This vehicle just keeps getting better and better every time I drive it.

Again, anyone who says this vehicle is underpowered hasn't actually driven one. Period.

[rweatherford]

I've always wondered the point where the injectors came back to life... so you sure it's 1000? If so that's be spectacular because I'd rather do long coasts in 5th than have to downshift into, say, 3rd to jump the RPM's to like over 3k... mostly because I rev match so blipping the throttle probably wastes any gas I'd save by coasting anyway.

That is a pretty good location of where DFCO ends on my car. I don't have the exact number, but it's pretty close. You should be able to feel it. On the automatic the exhaust note changes a little.

[coolmazda5]

24.34MPG combined, and yeah, not related, but with the yellow light yelling at me this time (@#$&^ (direct))

[jandree22]

That is a pretty good location of where DFCO ends on my car. I don't have the exact number, but it's pretty close. You should be able to feel it. On the automatic the exhaust note changes a little.
Interesting, I'll have to keep an ear out for that. (hear ya)

Thanks!

[rweatherford]

Jandree,

I noticed you were on GasSavers (I'm registered) and now on Ecomodder. I am on CleanMPG, but I'm not sure if I'm in the best place for me.... Some of the people there are... um. We'll I'm not sure... Perhaps it's the same everywhere? I've noticed several members are on about every site I go to.

Why did you change and have you been on CleanMPG?

I looked around a little on Ecomodder last night and it seemed like pretty good people.

[jandree22]

Jandree,

I noticed you were on GasSavers (I'm registered) and now on Ecomodder. I am on CleanMPG, but I'm not sure if I'm in the best place for me.... Some of the people there are... um. We'll I'm not sure... Perhaps it's the same everywhere? I've noticed several members are on about every site I go to.

Why did you change and have you been on CleanMPG?

lol, this is TOTALLY the gayest reason possible, but I liked the sig design better! haha. I don't post enough on any of the hypermiler sites to really get a true feeling of the people there, where as I could probably tell you a little about individual members here. GasSavers.org does have a few know-it-all types it seems, but as long as you don't constantly fluster feathers it seems innocent enough... I've certainly been to worse. I just joined Ecomodder so no clue there. Some of those guys are NUTS with what they do to their cars to squeeze out every friggen IPG (Inch Per Gallon, lol), so I mostly just lurk and take in pointers here and there. And no, haven't gone to CleanMPG at all... don't like the sig ;)

[rweatherford]

And no, haven't gone to CleanMPG at all... don't like the sig ;)

ROFLMAO! We'll a guys gotta do what a guy's gotta do! (scratch)

[jandree22]

FWIW, I was driving around on some back roads this afternoon playing with the cut off point. In different gears I got to the speed at around 1600 RPM then coasted down to 1000 RPM. Figured out DFCO is at like 1080-1100 RPM in my 07 5MT. 50% of the time it was truly undetectable by me. But the other 50% one or both things happened, there was either a VERY subtle 'hickup' lurch at that RPM and/or the tach needle flicked back up 20 RPM or so. It was most noticeable coasting on level roads.

[rweatherford]

Sounds about right. It is very subtle.

I'm hanging on a 29-30 MPG tank. I'll fill it up today and see what I really got. 1/4 still on the gauge. Big key for me has been slowing down. I'm trying to drive about 55 MPH. I can't do that everywhere, but I've been taking rural roads. I did drive 55 MPH in a 70 MPH zone 4 lane last night because it was 12:30 - 2:00 AM and NO one was out. Some rain and a mix of snow. Then when we hit the rural 2 lanes I ran 45-55 MPH because there were so many DEER! I love these headlights.

[danix]

I am not a gentle driver, and neither is my wife. We don't race it to redline every gear, but I do wring it out a bit, because this motor is designed for it.

Right now our 06 5 speed is averaging 20-21mpg in mixed city/highway (mostly city), which seems really low. We've only got 12k miles so I doubt anything like clogged injectors is a factor.

Is anyone else seeing numbers this low?

[jandree22]

danix, I don't necessarily think that something is wrong with those numbers with hard(er) driving, in the winter. In the winter I've been getting numbers in the 27-29 MPG range on a 5MT, BUT I have also been driving gentler/slower than at least 95% of others on the road (yep, I'm that guy). In summer temps I can get about 5 MPG more than that on average.

There are a few things to check for the sake of being thorough, though.
1) Make sure your tires are at least 34 PSI... mine are currently at 40. (no one flame me because I don't care :))
2) Get your alignment checked... if you're still just below 12K rpm this will be free at a Mazda dealership because adjustments are covered for a year or 12k miles for free.
3) Check your air filter. (Doubt that's dirty after only 12k, but you never know)
4) Put in a few tanks of Shell or Chevron gas. These brands use the most detergents and will clean your injectors out after a few tanks. This is especially true if you're using bargain brand cheap gas that only adds enough detergents to satisfy the EPA. All gas comes from the same batch, but before it is shipped to the station, a branded detergent package is added at the distribution point, and this makes the difference. My 5 was running really $hitty a few months ago, when I was using Sam's Club gas. I added a few tanks of Shell and then continued using Sunoco gas and the problem has been gone ever since. I know a Service Manager who has verified this as a tried & true method for some engine problems with some cars. A lot of people think this is a snake-oil solution because 'gas is gas'...that's fine to hold that belief, but I know from first hand experience that there's a difference. K, I'll shut up now, sheesh (lol2)

[PolarBear]

I am not a gentle driver, and neither is my wife. We don't race it to redline every gear, but I do wring it out a bit, because this motor is designed for it.

Right now our 06 5 speed is averaging 20-21mpg in mixed city/highway (mostly city), which seems really low. We've only got 12k miles so I doubt anything like clogged injectors is a factor.

Is anyone else seeing numbers this low?

I have 06 5spd as well and I'm getting 19-20 mpg having 100% quite heavy city driving. Considering it's winter I don't think it's too bad. Highway mileage it great close to 30 mpg.

[rweatherford]

I have my tires at 45 PSI. Cold weather and cold antifreeze and oil KILL mileage.

[jeebusm3]

LOL @ winter. I went on a canyon run today and saw temps in the low 90s.

[SLOWALKER]

Dang, looking at the stats so far I may want to keep my mileage under wraps.(yupnope) Actually I just bought the wife her 5 last weekend so we don't have a full tank to track yet although we have put over 500 miles on it already. (drive2) Driving her 5 to the pizza joint netted me 36.4mpg per scan gauge and 37.4mpg return trip. When I get some decals for it I'll bring it to work and within 3 days I'll have an exact idea of what it can do vice what she does, 95mph (help)

[jandree22]

LOL @ winter. I went on a canyon run today and saw temps in the low 90s.
FU! lol, 29*F this morning when I left home and that's not even COLD cold.

SLOWALKER, lol... you sure you calibrated that thing?! Scion xB's with almost a liter less displacement get about those numbers when they're driven responsibly.

[SLOWALKER]

I've had my sg for a while so I am familiar. I didn't reset my speed correction though. I bought new tires for my car that are a 70 aspect ratio vs the 65 that is stock.

My pure guess with her doing 95mph in the 5 was 26.9mpg for that tank. When I drive its always better. I need to get a temp parking pass and drive it to work for a week or so to have a good tank average. I drive 100 miles per day so 3-4 days I have to buy gas or run out.

I also took the car out and flogged the crap out of it the sunday after I bought it. The rings are all bedded in for sure.

[jandree22]

My pure guess with her doing 95mph in the 5 was 26.9mpg for that tank
ha, that sounds about right. Yeah isn't this thing amazing when you approach triple digit speeds? For some reason you can get up there pretty fast without noticing with this car.

And I kind of misread your post initially. I was assuming those mileage numbers were tank averages which I found really hard to believe, but for an individual trip I wouldn’t put it out of the realm of possibility :)

[coolmazda5]

Yeah isn't this thing amazing when you approach triple digit speeds? For some reason you can get up there pretty fast without noticing with this car.

That is a good point. The RPMs start to get high after 75MPH (a 6th gear would not hurt it) but for a 4 cylinder engine the 5th gear design (?) just makes it a very subtle drive at high(er) speeds, screw the 6-8 cyl highway need (stooges)

[SLOWALKER]

Actually I bought the 5speed automatic. Maybe I will have to man up the rest of the week and see where I end up for a tank. FYI I have the highest reported mileage in my 06 Rio and I don't do anything special. But I am rather SLO, hence it being in my name. I'm so impressed by the mileage so far I am seriously considering getting a 3 with the 2.3 and 5spd auto.

I maybe taking my life in my own hands by taking her new car of course. (protest)

[mazdaFIVEmike]

I am not a gentle driver, and neither is my wife. We don't race it to redline every gear, but I do wring it out a bit, because this motor is designed for it.

Right now our 06 5 speed is averaging 20-21mpg in mixed city/highway (mostly city), which seems really low. We've only got 12k miles so I doubt anything like clogged injectors is a factor.

Is anyone else seeing numbers this low?

My 06 5MT is getting the same. I guess that's the best it can do... I think others either have miracle cars or they drive like my great grandma....

[mazdaFIVEmike]

I have my tires at 45 PSI. Cold weather and cold antifreeze and oil KILL mileage.

45 is too high... you're going overboard...

[SLOWALKER]

Why did so many of you buy stick shifts??? Was it for the mileage or you simply like shifting your own gears or possibly the "zoominess"???

I know why I bought the auto. My wife needs a car marketed by Ron Popeil "set it and forget it". In a stick she drives upto the stop sign looks both ways and pulls off in 2nd gear causing me to do my best archie bunker "hey there now Edith, what'ca doin' there now, there's a thin' there for changin' dem gears deer'now" So no more sticks for her. She's not really bad but I would like it if she used all of the gears and that is just one case I know about.

[jeebusm3]

FU! lol, 29*F this morning when I left home and that's not even COLD cold.

well I wasn't really that excited over the heat since I was driving my old bimmer that doesn't have AC and has black leather interior. FWIW, I got 19.4MPG average for the run, which isn't all that bad considering it's a 3.4l I6 with 20 years and 200k miles on it...and I was pounding it through the canyons.

Of course this has nothing to do with Mazda5 mileage and I'm getting entirely off-topic here. :D


Back on topic though: tank number 3 in our '08 MZ5 5spd went down to 23.3MPG. Makes me think that tank number 2, possibly didn't fill up all the way at the pump and the 24.7MPG I got that tank was slightly inflated.

[jeebusm3]

Why did so many of you buy stick shifts??? Was it for the mileage or you simply like shifting your own gears or possibly the "zoominess"???

I only buy stick cars because automatics are boring, require more maintenance, get worse mileage, take more power from the engine before it gets put down to the wheels, and generally make people drive less cautiously because they stop focusing more easily.

[coolmazda5]

Why did so many of you buy stick shifts??? Was it for the mileage or you simply like shifting your own gears or possibly the "zoominess"???


Exhilaration, better car-driver engagement, complete out-of-the-box driving, coolness, promotes a healthier spirit, makes you have a better mood during the day, helps you understand better the difference between day and night... LOL (lol2)

No, wife and I learned to drive with manual transmission, and we love it since. As a matter of fact that reason made the Mazda5 climb to the top of the list (for 05 the CR-V was also manual)

Also, when I started driving, Auto Trannies were reserved for boring 6 and 8cyl luxury sedans (like a Crowne Victoria), and that has been stuck on my mind since (dunno)

Oh, and yeah, gets you a little bit better MPG as well ;)

[danix]

I'm not sure if here in CA we have the winter (oxygenated) fuel like we did back east. I do know that my last 4-5 tanks have been at Costco. I had heard from someone that she got crappy mpg from Costco gas but chalked it up to urban legend. Perhaps I'll try Chevron next time. I did throw a bottle of Techron in the tank at 8000 miles or so, so I doubt clogged injectors are an issue.

[danix]

I emailed Costco to ask. In the meantime, their site says:


All gasoline retailers in a given market sell the same grade and quality fuel, as the government has very precise standards for octane and other gasoline characteristics. The only difference between different brands of fuel is the detergent additive package. Since 1995, the federal government requires that all gasoline sold in the U.S. contain detergent additives. These additives must be EPA-approved, and the government specifies the amount based on what it takes to keep engines free of deposits. Because it's a performance-based requirement, over the years the fuel suppliers have figured out ways to use less of these expensive additives to achieve the government standards. All Costco gasoline contains detergent additives in the amount necessary to meet these requirements.

Recently, several automakers (BMW, GM, Toyota, and Honda) announced their new "Top Tier" standard for gasoline, as they believe the government additive requirement is too low. They invited gasoline manufacturers to certify their fuel to this higher standard, and several have done so. Other major oil companies, such as BP, declined as they believe the auto manufacturers are simply trying to reduce their warranty claims. To achieve this voluntary "Top Tier" designation, all the fuel sold in the U.S. must meet the higher standard. Costco cannot currently do this as we buy from a variety of refiners and distributors around the country and do not own our own truck terminals where the additives are blended with the fuel.

Nor is it certain how much additive is really necessary to keep an engine clear of deposits. The fuel detergent is only one component, as anything that causes incomplete combustion will lead to valve deposits and fuel injector clogging. It's easy for an auto mechanic to simply declare the problem is the gasoline. So the science is uncertain, and the industry response is certainly not unanimous. Regardless, we are actively researching the issue directly with the various additive manufacturers. We are hesitant to raise the cost of fuel to our members without first understanding if this is simply a way for some brands to charge more for their fuel. We do know that we sell a tremendous amount of fuel with very few complaints.

Costco only buys fuel from reputable suppliers, and we do a very good job of maintaining our tanks and pump filters to assure clean fuel is delivered to our members. If you remain concerned about fuel deposits, Costco sells a four-pack of Chevron's Proguard fuel injector cleaner in our warehouses for about $10, or $2.50 per bottle. It's much less expensive to use a bottle of this occasionally than to buy higher priced fuel every time you fill up. Any auto parts store has a shelf full of similar products.

Again, all Costco fuel contains detergent additives sufficient to meet the government standards. As with anything we sell, our fuel is 100% guaranteed.

[SLOWALKER]

Well I got approval to drive the 5 for 3 days to get some real world numbers. I topped her off tonight and the mileage came back at 22 something which is miles off the SG so now I'm really confused. I plan on reseting my SG in the morning and starting fresh. I'll have good believable numbers by thursday night friday morning for sure. My SG has been spot on in all of my other cars so its very weird that it is so far north on this one.

[SLOWALKER]

Should I take it that the fuel gauge stays on full for quite a while? Much the same as my Grand caravan does. I've now put over 50 miles on this morning and the needle hasn't budge off full. The GC does the same thing then a rapid decline. After 25 miles I was at 29.5 and after another 25 I am at 33.1 which seems closer to reality. This is the 1st time I have driven the 5 when it was 1) below 50 degrees and 2) dark out when I left the house.

[WhiteStar III]

Should I take it that the fuel gauge stays on full for quite a while? Much the same as my Grand caravan does. I've now put over 50 miles on this morning and the needle hasn't budge off full. The GC does the same thing then a rapid decline. After 25 miles I was at 29.5 and after another 25 I am at 33.1 which seems closer to reality. This is the 1st time I have driven the 5 when it was 1) below 50 degrees and 2) dark out when I left the house.

Max Fuel capacity - 17.25 gal
Reserve (Low fuel Light) - 2.5 gal
"Overfill" capacity (gal before the needle moves from full) - 3.5 gal

which means just 13.75-14 gal is enough to show a "full" tank (pump shut-off).

On topic:

31,074.6 mi - 1,058.034 gal - 29.37 mpg (U.S.)

[coolmazda5]

^^ Very good info :D

And one thing: do not try to overfill at the pump after the full "release click" if you don't want yellow engine lights in your dashboards. I always stop filling at the first click and no trouble so far. The cap/gas/pressure sensor(s) seem picky on Mazdas. 20 more miles per tank is not worth the light ;)

[jandree22]

WhiteStar, I give you much credit because I remember since way back months and months ago you’ve consistently been throwing fabulous FE numbers down. Great job :)

[jeebusm3]

WhiteStar, I give you much credit because I remember since way back months and months ago you’ve consistently been throwing fabulous FE numbers down. Great job :)

maybe he fabricates them.

[coolmazda5]

maybe he fabricates them.

Envy tone perceived here? :p

[jandree22]

Nah... only reason my sig number is so low is because I only started tracking a few weeks ago in the winter. I can hit low 30's in the summer with discipline. Now if his lifetime average was mid 30's, then I'd call BS.

[SLOWALKER]

And one thing: do not try to overfill at the pump after the full "release click" if you don't want yellow engine lights in your dashboards. I always stop filling at the first click and no trouble so far.

I always fill at the slowest setting and when its full its full. But the wife filled it up last at a BP, I bought gas at our local no name convience store/grocery/hardware/restaurant/cubscout den, well you get the idea. I'll just have to wait and see what happens over the next couple days. I will be really suprised if my SG stays off by 12+ digits. I reset everything except the car and dialed out that @#$ fuel cut funtion just like I had it before.

[jandree22]

I guess I'm confused because I thought the SG had a calibration function where you set it +/- by a few % to get the screen to match how many gallons you actually just put in your tank... leaving subsequent fillups to be very close to the calibrated (correct) one. Granted yeah, fill-to-fill consistency matters, you should calibrate it on the pump that you'll use most often, but not in the order of that magnitude it shouldn't?

And yeah, I fill up at full blast until I hit 10 gallons then I release the pump handle to about 25%-50% flow until the first click. I guess, whether right or wrong, I assume that a slow flow will yield a more consistent shut off point then full blast.

[5phreak]

temps slowing rising here in CT, so is mileage. 24 mpg last tank (combined)

still not too impressed on mileage. i need to drive 60 with a tailwind to get 29 as listed.

[SLOWALKER]

I guess I'm confused because I thought the SG had a calibration function where you set it +/- by a few % to get the screen to match how many gallons you actually just put in your tank... leaving subsequent fillups to be very close to the calibrated (correct) one. Granted yeah, fill-to-fill consistency matters, you should calibrate it on the pump that you'll use most often, but not in the order of that magnitude it shouldn't?

And yeah, I fill up at full blast until I hit 10 gallons then I release the pump handle to about 25%-50% flow until the first click. I guess, whether right or wrong, I assume that a slow flow will yield a more consistent shut off point then full blast.

You can adjust it to more accurately report your true mileage by correcting thru tank fill ups etc. But straight from car to car it normally is pretty accurate. I've never seen it off by so much. I pumped a gallon more then even I expected, hence my need to drive thru a tank. You can also adjust a SG for tire size correction or speedo variation. My rio brand new off the lot the speedo read 3 mph fast. My speedo would read 60, radar showed I was going 57 and the sg read 57. I switched from a 65 aspect ratio to a 70 aspect ratio so now my speedo reads close to true ground speed by radar but the SG still reads 3 mph slow with out correction. You can correct for the change and get it matching but it will change your mpg's on the gauge. If you over correct for speed you can end up with some wild predictions 12+ is pretty wild but the speed correction was 0 and only 4 for my tire size change.

Since my Rio hates my SG I don't input tanks at fill up but use it when I need to check something on the gauges etc. So all of my Rio tanks are manual only but I do know what it will do at a given speed over a given distance.

[WhiteStar III]

WhiteStar, I give you much credit because I remember since way back months and months ago you’ve consistently been throwing fabulous FE numbers down. Great job :)

Thanks, but I don't think it would be fair to compare as 99% of my driving is highway/rural.


And one thing: do not try to overfill at the pump after the full "release click" if you don't want yellow engine lights in your dashboards. I always stop filling at the first click and no trouble so far. The cap/gas/pressure sensor(s) seem picky on Mazdas. 20 more miles per tank is not worth the light

(dunno) I do it all the time, and have yet to have any CEL come up; but as my favorite fill up is 12 mi from the house I'm already down 1/3 gal so maybe that's enough room. Besides overall range was an important decision when I purchased the car, at the time 14 gal would not have given me enough range for three round trips to and from work.

[coolmazda5]

(dunno) I do it all the time, and have yet to have any CEL come up; but as my favorite fill up is 12 mi from the house I'm already down 1/3 gal so maybe that's enough room. Besides overall range was an important decision when I purchased the car, at the time 14 gal would not have given me enough range for three round trips to and from work.

Cool, I've read somewhere here or other forums about Mazda3s and Mazda5s with this CEL issue, and it comes down to trying to top it off after the auto release. It is something to do with the vapors and gas "swelling" at higher temperatures, as the sensor(s) go kaboodles beyond certain max level. Also, my wife learned how to drive in Germany and, differently from here, they need to also learn some car basics before getting a DL. That is one of the first things they are taught.

But anyway, you know, I'm paranoid too, LOL.

[jeebusm3]

Envy tone perceived here? :p

nah, I never envy the people that hold me up on the road because they are focused on mileage so much that they drive like grandmas.

[jandree22]

nah, I never envy the people that hold me up on the road because they are focused on mileage so much that they drive like grandmas.
I decided to edit out a much longer rant to this post, but here's the bottom line... It's not a matter of driving like grandma, it's simply a matter of not driving like an idiot. There are plenty of common sense things to do besides driving slow. But if you're happy dishin' out $3.25/gal as frequently as possible, well, whatever floats your boat. :rolleyes:

[rweatherford]

45 is too high... you're going overboard...

Says the guy getting low 20 MPG numbers...(smoke)

So far my new tank is 29.9 USMPG.

[jeebusm3]

I decided to edit out a much longer rant to this post, but here's the bottom line... It's not a matter of driving like grandma, it's simply a matter of not driving like an idiot. There are plenty of common sense things to do besides driving slow. But if you're happy dishin' out $3.25/gal as frequently as possible, well, whatever floats your boat. :rolleyes:

lol. I figured you would chime in. It's not just about "not driving like an idiot". I enjoy driving my cars. And by driving, I mean actually hitting the accelerator sometimes. I don't complain about mileage, and I actually get pretty decent mileage in all my cars (above EPA average) because I know how to drive, keep my cars maintained, etc.

I don't get envious of people that regularly get 30MPG in a Mazda5. I can and have pulled off extreme mileage in all of my vehicles at one time or another, but choose not to because it's unbelievably boring to do so. I got 31MPG in my '98 BMW M3 from Portland to Seattle and back, averaging 72MPH. I was happy to see that number, but much prefer getting 27MPG with a few blasts to 120 when I feel like it.

I take my fun cars to the track, or even out to the nearby business parks just to do donuts...regularly. I get onto the freeway at WOT in almost every vehicle I drive. I have done WOT pull after WOT pull after WOT pull in an attempt to tune my vehicle's ECU (not the mazda lol).

I choose vehicles that get good economy at times, like my Mazda5 or the Honda Fit that we just sold, but I don't try to eek out every last bit of fuel every time I jump in, and I find it offensive when the prius driver in front of me is trying so hard that he makes me want to rear-end him to wake him out of his hippy dream.

So no, I don't really care all that much about gas at its current price. Which, by the way, is around 3.65 for regular right now where I am. But I don't go out of my way to buy vehicles that suck down fuel at astronomically high rates either.

[mazdaFIVEmike]

Says the guy getting low 20 MPG numbers...(smoke)

So far my new tank is 29.9 USMPG.

My tires say max 44psi - and the tire guys say 40... dealer service shop keeps lowering to 32 and I keep going back to 40 after every service.

Its my zoom zoom foot getting me the low 20s... not the tire pressure(wrc)

Plus I don't go tank by tank... I've been as high as 30 and as low as 16.5 for tanks in various conditions.

[SLOWALKER]

I find it offensive when the prius driver in front of me is trying so hard that he makes me want to rear-end him to wake him out of his hippy dream.


OK I'll now be moving over to the right lane or possibly the shoulder.

[SLOWALKER]

Did I mention I spend more then $6k a year in gas now with my grandparent driving style. I've got the cash but why exactly do I want to give it to someone else?

I assume you also pay whatever the dealer asks for a car. I on the other hand loaded the wife and baby in the Sedona I was trading in just to shake a few more dollars out of the sales manager.

[jandree22]

jeeb, 10-4… I know where you’re coming from. And yes, unfortunately I generally take the bait for those kinds of comments. :o I hold to my ground against the aggressive idiots in my morning commute (where personally, I couldn’t have fun if I tried)… but yeah, I also do enjoy wringing my 5 out in the twisties when the mood strikes me right. :)

mazda5mike, I keep mine at 40 too. Goin in for service tomorrow, so I'll bring 'em back down to spec 34 tonight... they'd bring the psi down regardless, but this way I don't get a tongue lashing for prematurely wearing out my tires. Ugh.

[WhiteStar III]

It's not just about "not driving like an idiot". I enjoy driving my cars. And by driving, I mean actually hitting the accelerator sometimes. I don't complain about mileage, and I actually get pretty decent mileage in all my cars (above EPA average) because I know how to drive, keep my cars maintained, etc.

I don't get envious of people that regularly get 30MPG in a Mazda5. I can and have pulled off extreme mileage in all of my vehicles at one time or another, but choose not to because it's unbelievably boring to do so. I got 31MPG in my '98 BMW M3 from Portland to Seattle and back, averaging 72MPH. I was happy to see that number, but much prefer getting 27MPG with a few blasts to 120 when I feel like it.

I take my fun cars to the track, or even out to the nearby business parks just to do donuts...regularly. I get onto the freeway at WOT in almost every vehicle I drive. I have done WOT pull after WOT pull after WOT pull in an attempt to tune my vehicle's ECU (not the mazda lol).

I choose vehicles that get good economy at times, like my Mazda5 or the Honda Fit that we just sold, but I don't try to eek out every last bit of fuel every time I jump in, and I find it offensive when the prius driver in front of me is trying so hard that he makes me want to rear-end him to wake him out of his hippy dream.

So no, I don't really care all that much about gas at its current price. Which, by the way, is around 3.65 for regular right now where I am. But I don't go out of my way to buy vehicles that suck down fuel at astronomically high rates either.

Interesting, I agree with what you said to a point but I’ll throw in the ying to your yang.

Honestly, what is really all that fun about interstate driving? It’s boring anyway you slice it, unless its rush hour traffic and it’s more maddening than boring.

Obviously, I’m one of those offensive, high gas mileage, hippy dreamers but I’m conscious of the flow of traffic and always try to stay to the right as often as possible.

Now paraphrasing what you said:

I don’t get envious of people that regularly drive 80 mph in a 50 mph zone. I can and have pulled off extreme speeds in all of my vehicles at one time or another, but chose not to do so because it’s unbelievably wasteful and counterproductive to do so.

Many times I’ve seen fools blow by me only to be stuck in the same traffic chokepoints a couple of miles further down or even better pulled over by state troopers at one of the many speed traps along my route – but I guess he had “fun” doing it.

In my commute, upping my speed really nets me no benefits (10-15 min saved - wow) and driving for fun is less about speed than just taking in the sights along some scenic route with the wife & kid. Granted outside of the twisties, where a lot of the fools that blew by me get eaten up in turn by the Mz5 as they can’t hold the same speed, the 5 isn’t really much of a “fun-speed demon” car.

Most drivers would be well served to heed your advice: "Leave the fun at the track".

[jeebusm3]

OK I'll now be moving over to the right lane or possibly the shoulder.

as you should.



Did I mention I spend more then $6k a year in gas now with my grandparent driving style. I've got the cash but why exactly do I want to give it to someone else?


If you are spending $6k/yr. Assuming 3.25 gal gas and 25MPG, that means you are driving at least 46,000 miles/year. Obviously a few extra MPG helps in your case, but it would help a lot more to simply drive less. We put 20k miles/yr combined on our 2 cars, yet my wife commutes each day to her job, we go on family trips, visit family 300 miles from here, etc. And we live in San Diego...it's not as if everything is all clumped together here.


I assume you also pay whatever the dealer asks for a car. I on the other hand loaded the wife and baby in the Sedona I was trading in just to shake a few more dollars out of the sales manager.

why would you assume that? I get all my new cars at invoice or lower and sell my cars at high retail. I would never be so foolish as to "trade-in" a car. THAT is throwing money away.

I have sold 4 cars for a PROFIT in the last 2 years.


Honestly, what is really all that fun about interstate driving? It’s boring anyway you slice it, unless its rush hour traffic and it’s more maddening than boring.


Sometimes it's boring. But it can be fun.



Obviously, I’m one of those offensive, high gas mileage, hippy dreamers but I’m conscious of the flow of traffic and always try to stay to the right as often as possible.


I don't have any issues with people that GTFO of my way. On single-lane roads I don't have issues with people that drive the speed limit, or people driving slower that pull off to the shoulder when available. People that choose not to do so because they believe they are driving the speed everyone else behind them should drive...well, they can all die in a fire for all I care.



I don’t get envious of people that regularly drive 80 mph in a 50 mph zone. I can and have pulled off extreme speeds in all of my vehicles at one time or another, but chose not to do so because it’s unbelievably wasteful and counterproductive to do so.


I don't regularly speed excessively. It would be too risky to do so. I drive for the conditions. If the speed limit is 50 and it's sunny, warm, and light traffic...I drive 60 or so.



Many times I’ve seen fools blow by me only to be stuck in the same traffic chokepoints a couple of miles further down or even better pulled over by state troopers at one of the many speed traps along my route – but I guess he had “fun” doing it.


I have 0 tickets in my entire driving career. That's not to say I haven't gotten lucky more than a few times.

[SLOWALKER]

Dude breath, everythings OK you need to loosen your grip on the keyboard before you break it.

My agrogate mileage is roughly 46K miles yes. I do 25k to and from work a year, wife does roughly 12k, F150 a couple more, GC see's a few miles, my Vdub gets a couple it all adds up. The F150 only averages on a really good day about 15mpg's, if I drove it to work it would cost over $5k by itself. I don't live in San Diego I live in the middle of no-where so I have to drive to VA where I work and most everything in NENC is unless you are going to OBX. I wish I could sell a car for a profit who wants a 2 year old car with 50-60K miles or a 4 year old car with over 100k. This area is full of cars with over 200k miles easy.

You sound allot like I used to be about 10 years ago actually. I've learned to slow down, take things as they come and just relax, why get stressed?

I can afford to drive faster and further but I can use that cash to buy children! I don't get them for free I have to buy them. The Jones Institute just loves reaching into my pocket looking for loose change. The wife already told me she's ready to go back for another one. I cannot blame her though, we just had our 1st after 14 years.

Back on topic: Whitestar the info you provided looks like roughly 520 miles to the tank, correct? I've got well over 220 miles already and still over half tank so I'm trying to gauge how its going in case the SG is off still. The mpg's to the tank look about right but my trip home averaged 38.6.

[jandree22]

I know I personally didn't help the situation, but let's just move on. No sense dragging it out, because jeebus will continue driving how he does and we will keep driving how we do. He thinks he's right, we think we're right. I'm sure there are different subjects we may all agree on, so best not to burn bridges over this pety issue. In the end, what does it really matter... I mean seriously, the guy lives 3k miles away from the three of us (hi)

[SLOWALKER]

You are wise beyond your years, I salute you!(usa)

[coolmazda5]

Geeeez, so much hate in here (nailbyt) ;)

OK, moving on, I managed to swap cars with my wife with the valid excuse that I would stretch its legs on my daily commute (whooaa! I hit 80MPH twice, LOL). Filled up today and calculated 24.75MPG. Nothing scientific here, but then this let's me assume that the 06 and 08 get somehow very similar MPG under the same driving conditions. The only "difference" I can imply is that the Auto A/C was running more on the 08 than the Manual A/C on the 06, but not a big thing if you ask, that is the point (I think, (scratch))

[jeebusm3]

I think it's funny that you guys think because I have a differing opinion, that there is some animosity or "hate" floating around.

I guess I'm a member of too many forums where people have much thicker skin, lol.


....NOW back to your regularly scheduled program.....

[jandree22]

I guess I'm a member of too many forums where people have much thicker skin, lol.
There was no sense in continuing that line of discussion… where was it getting us? Just caught up bickering back and forth, defending our different driving styles… no point to that. It was going nowhere fast at the cost of pissing people off so I suggested we move on.

We’re not ‘thick skinned’ enough? lol okay, whatever, go there. Reason I like this community is because people can generally hold conversations without constantly turning into a flame-fest, which PLENTY other forums are like. So if you want thicker skinned people, sorry we can’t help you out. :)

[jeebusm3]

There was no sense in continuing that line of discussion… where was it getting us? Just caught up bickering back and forth, defending our different driving styles… no point to that. It was going nowhere fast at the cost of pissing people off so I suggested we move on.

We’re not ‘thick skinned’ enough? lol okay, whatever, go there. Reason I like this community is because people can generally hold conversations without constantly turning into a flame-fest, which PLENTY other forums are like. So if you want thicker skinned people, sorry we can’t help you out. :)

you are proving my point. (jerkit)

[jandree22]

you are proving my point. (jerkit)
OK, you win.

[jeebusm3]

OK, you win.

back on topic here...

how drastic of a difference in MPG have you guys seen with the A/C on or off? I know some cars have more of a parasitic loss from the system than others, and I haven't had the Mazda long enough to compare. Plus I've had to run the A/C probably 1/2 the time I've been in the car since I bought it in Feb because of the temps out here.

[jandree22]

Minimal. Winter to summer makes a 5 MPG or so difference, AC is maybe like 1 or 2 IME.

[WhiteStar III]

Whitestar the info you provided looks like roughly 520 miles to the tank, correct? I've got well over 220 miles already and still over half tank so I'm trying to gauge how its going in case the SG is off still. The mpg's to the tank look about right but my trip home averaged 38.6.

IIRC it's actually close to 530 mi but remember that I'm at full overflow of 17.25 gal. The highest mpg I've ever gotten was just under 32 mpg - so I've very skeptical of any claims over that.


back on topic here...

how drastic of a difference in MPG have you guys seen with the A/C on or off? I know some cars have more of a parasitic loss from the system than others, and I haven't had the Mazda long enough to compare. Plus I've had to run the A/C probably 1/2 the time I've been in the car since I bought it in Feb because of the temps out here..
I've noticed anywhere from 4-5 mpg drop if the temps get below freezing. I don't think it's fuel formulation as any time the temps get above 40F it's back to normal.

[jeebusm3]

I've noticed anywhere from 4-5 mpg drop if the temps get below freezing. I don't think it's fuel formulation as any time the temps get above 40F it's back to normal.

(scratch) What does that have to do with AC?

[SLOWALKER]

IIRC it's actually close to 530 mi but remember that I'm at full overflow of 17.25 gal. The highest mpg I've ever gotten was just under 32 mpg - so I've very skeptical of any claims over that.


I didn't fill the tank to overflow I just let it cut off at the slowest setting. I've gone over 300 miles already and still have half a tank(shrug) I was figuring on buying gas today not tomorrow. Not that I am complaining but I'm actually allot more comfortable in my little cheap Rio. I had knee surgery 5 years ago and I still have problems with my hip on the same side. Tuesday was a hard day for me driving the 5 for the 1st whole day, I've adjusted the seat better but still not really comfortable.:( Right now the SG reads 33.8 for the tank could be off a couple mpgs though I'm just waiting to see. I'll grab my camera in case I need Nomex underwear, it may help at least a little bit.

[coolmazda5]

IIRC it's actually close to 530 mi but remember that I'm at full overflow of 17.25 gal. The highest mpg I've ever gotten was just under 32 mpg - so I've very skeptical of any claims over that.


(boom08) 530 miles per tank! Is it Diesel? :D and I thought my 380 miles record was out of this world :(

That reminds me of this:


:-)

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b5/kf6vgz/Scion%20xB/SSPX0215.jpg

[rweatherford]

I think we are all right. Sometimes I like to drive fast, sometimes normal, sometimes for FE. It's all OK!

This is the USA and we can drive like we want (well sometimes). I do think I am mellowing out as I get older though. When I lived in ATL you couldn't find me driving less than 80 MPH on the interstate unless it was rush hour. I love racing, but traded in my big honking V8 car on a smaller 4-cyl that excells in famiily hauling. SO I LOVE IT FOR THAT!

[WhiteStar III]

(boom08) 530 miles per tank! Is it Diesel? :D and I thought my 380 miles record was out of this world :(

10/26/2007 - 504.8 mi - 16.298gal - 30.97312554 mpg

[WhiteStar III]

I didn't fill the tank to overflow I just let it cut off at the slowest setting. I've gone over 300 miles already and still have half a tank(shrug) I was figuring on buying gas today not tomorrow. Not that I am complaining but I'm actually allot more comfortable in my little cheap Rio. I had knee surgery 5 years ago and I still have problems with my hip on the same side. Tuesday was a hard day for me driving the 5 for the 1st whole day, I've adjusted the seat better but still not really comfortable.:( Right now the SG reads 33.8 for the tank could be off a couple mpgs though I'm just waiting to see. I'll grab my camera in case I need Nomex underwear, it may help at least a little bit.

I'm usually at 300mi at the mid-way point too. And I hear you on the lack of leg room - actually I think it's more the way the center console is shaped that forces your leg into a slightly awkward position. If you can stand it just keep on going until the low fuel warning.

[SLOWALKER]

I'm usually at 300mi at the mid-way point too. And I hear you on the lack of leg room - actually I think it's more the way the center console is shaped that forces your leg into a slightly awkward position. If you can stand it just keep on going until the low fuel warning.

The center console is exactly part of the problem as well as the armrest on the drivers side door. I need more room between my knees, but even with that I am not really loving the seat. When I 1st drove a 5 I knew for me I wouldn't buy it but since it was for her I had her drive 1 and I pointed out all the things I didn't like. She loves it, so I bought it. I won't be able to make the low fuel light, that would mean going into next week too. I already got the stink eye this morning for taking "her" car yet again. I was also informed that she has a Dr.'s appointment at 4pm and I need to meet her so I can buy dinner at a yet to be determined restaurant. I'll fill it up tonight and get to posting probably tomorrow. Nights and weekend I'm incharge of the baby.(rockon)

[AO928]

What kinds of speeds are you guys driving at on the highway to get these MPGs? Unfortunately, most of my driving is city and so far (500mi) I'm only getting ~20MPG. When I'm on the Highway, I usually go 70-75MPH.

[jandree22]

I go 65 on 65 roads. Yeah, 99 out of 100 pass me rather than vice versa, but I don't have a problem being that guy. Driving below the speed limit would be very unexpected by other drivers so I wouldn't do that for safety reasons, but I feel doing the speed limit is reasonable. As you go above 60MPH, fuel economy drops exponentially.

[pkreds]

My 08 manual seems to be ave. about 30mpg in mixed driving(only 3 fill-ups so far, no highway trips) but I already can see the benefit of a 6th gear... shes turnin' over pretty good @75mph.

[SLOWALKER]

Well you can all call me a F'in liar right now. I filled it up and I did even better then the SG was reporting. As soon as I figure out how to load all the pics I took trying to cma I will post the actual numbers. I will say I had over 428 miles and had just dipped slightly below 1/4 tank. Thats in 1 of the pics.

I have to go spend time with the baby right now. If someone can post or shoot me a quick link to how to post all these pics I'll throw them all up with my actually numbers. I am super excited by the results though.(drive2)

[coolmazda5]

I already can see the benefit of a 6th gear... shes turnin' over pretty good @75mph.

6th gear??? (wow), Europe!

[jandree22]

If someone can post or shoot me a quick link to how to post all these pics I'll throw them all up with my actually numbers. I am super excited by the results though.
To attach pictures (or most any file format) to your post, first you must be in Advanced Post mode (not Quick Reply). Then if you look below the Submit and Preview buttons, there's be a button for Manage Attachments... click on it. Once you're in there, click Browse to find your file(s), then click Upload to upload them to your post, then you can just close that popup window.

After your files are attached, just click "Submit Reply" like normal and your attachments should appear at the bottom of your post.

[BlueThunder]

I have a '08 GS 5 speed AT. I filled up 3 times and got 11.9, 9.5 and 10.2 L/100. It's had to say but it's almost 70% road and 30% city. I'm not that impressed. I'm hoping to do better that 8.5 L/100 on a 70/30 driving. I got to admit that it runs so smootly that I often doing 120 km/h (75 mph) which doesn't help. So far, I love driving the 5.

[SLOWALKER]

To attach pictures (or most any file format) to your post, first you must be in Advanced Post mode (not Quick Reply). Then if you look below the Submit and Preview buttons, there's be a button for Manage Attachments... click on it. Once you're in there, click Browse to find your file(s), then click Upload to upload them to your post, then you can just close that popup window.

After your files are attached, just click "Submit Reply" like normal and your attachments should appear at the bottom of your post.

Should I re-size the photo's 1st? I don't want to bog anything down but I want them to be as clear as possible. Is there a maximum number I guess would be a good question as well? I don't want to bog anything down but I want to offer as much proof as I can. My post will be a little long just to give as much pertinent info as I can.

[SLOWALKER]

I have a '08 GS 5 speed AT. I filled up 3 times and got 11.9, 9.5 and 10.2 L/100. It's had to say but it's almost 70% road and 30% city. I'm not that impressed. I'm hoping to do better that 8.5 L/100 on a 70/30 driving. I got to admit that it runs so smootly that I often doing 120 km/h (75 mph) which doesn't help. So far, I love driving the 5.

I beat 8.5 by a good bit, I'll have to remember to include metric.

[jandree22]

Should I re-size the photo's 1st? I don't want to bog anything down but I want them to be as clear as possible.
nah, just make sure they're below the 1.95 MB max file size. When you attach files they'll just show as a small thumbnail below your post, and it's up to the readers to determine if they want to download the full size image for viewing or not.

[SLOWALKER]

Test pic I'm having trouble finding them could be (argh)vista

[SLOWALKER]

You forgot to mention 5 pics max per post. Anyway to refresh I topped the tank off at this same pump monday night. My tires where only at 30psi so I pumped them upto 36psi other then that I just drop it into D since its an auto and drive. My commute is from zip 27974 to 23708 each day, about 50 miles, the return trip has been 60 miles but takes less time then taking the shortest route possible. I do allot of rural and highway but I also went thru the BK drive thru and bought groceries etc just like I do every week.

The pics show the results, 38.8mpg for the trip from Moe's Southwestern Grille in chesapeake Friday night to the Shiloh shopping center about 35 miles. The tank should have been 34.1 per SG but was actually 35.81mpg for the tank. Conditions had been very good except for Tuesday morning being in the 30's the rest of the week morning where in the 50's with a day time high on Friday of 80. The only detractor was wind from the SW at 10-20 mostly 20 in the afternoons that I would hit after Moyock, NC. The only day I was traveling with the wind was friday when we had wind when I left the house, normally its only an afternoon wind.

On a side note if you accidently hit the key with your hand like I did and turn the car off 1) it will turn the lights and everything off 2) don't turn the key all the way to engage the starter (that hurt) 3) your steering maybe dead meaning no power assist which helped my mpg's for a red hot minute. Eventually the steering did kick back in but it was a few miles.

35.81mpg over 428.9 miles or 6.56L/100km over 690.24km.

I took the pics of my sg and dash while I waited for the person at the pump in front of me to pull off. It took her a couple tries. Hopefully I have provided enough proof for everyone since there have been a number of comments about an claims of MPG's in the mid 30's.

On a side note the epa did change their testing proceedures. The 08's if tested by 06 standards would be roughly 24city/30highway. Most cars seem to have been docked roughly 3mpgs, including my 06 Rio under the new testing.

[SLOWALKER]

I ment to include this link to the store as well. http://www.itpi.dpi.state.nc.us/COUNTIES/Camden/Camden/shiloh.html

I'd have to double check Sumner Midgets album on the store/school to be sure but I think the dates it opened as a school are wrong.

[coolmazda5]

On a side note if you accidently hit the key with your hand like I did and turn the car off 1) it will turn the lights and everything off 2) don't turn the key all the way to engage the starter (that hurt) 3) your steering maybe dead meaning no power assist which helped my mpg's for a red hot minute. Eventually the steering did kick back in but it was a few miles.


(boom08) (scratch)

[SLOWALKER]

I accidently turned the car off while I was doing 60mph on a rural back road at 5:45 am. Popped it to neutral turned the key and ground the starter on the flex plate because the engine was still spinning. But my PS was dead, don't know why must be something to do with the sensor input. Within a couple miles it was back on and working again just like normal. Once I get going I don't tend to stop, I knew I didn't toss the belt so at most I was going to restart the car at the next stop sign. I don't suggest it but my trip mileage did start increasing rapidly while the PS was in-op.

[SLOWALKER]

I didn't notice this before but it looks like the 2nd photo cutoff so I reloaded it here.

[coolmazda5]

I accidently turned the car off while I was doing 60mph on a rural back road at 5:45 am. Popped it to neutral turned the key and ground the starter on the flex plate because the engine was still spinning. But my PS was dead, don't know why must be something to do with the sensor input. Within a couple miles it was back on and working again just like normal. Once I get going I don't tend to stop, I knew I didn't toss the belt so at most I was going to restart the car at the next stop sign. I don't suggest it but my trip mileage did start increasing rapidly while the PS was in-op.

I replied earlier because to be honest I never heard of accidents like this before, yet brought me memories of when my old carburetor based cars would suddenly die at 60MPH when running idle (i.e. braking under distorted carburetor and timing tune). Since all my cars have been manual tranny (except one Ford Topaz (Tempo here) and one Volare K (Reliant K here)) the only thing you had to do is to get it on 4th-5th gear and disengage the clutch, that would turn them on again and you were on business (and sometimes you would hear a loud detonation coming from the exhaust, LOL. Anyway, off-topic :D)...

[SLOWALKER]

I replied earlier because to be honest I never heard of accidents like this before, yet brought me memories of when my old carburetor based cars would suddenly die at 60MPH when running idle (i.e. braking under distorted carburetor and timing tune). Since all my cars have been manual tranny (except one Ford Topaz (Tempo here) and one Volare K (Reliant K here)) the only thing you had to do is to get it on 4th-5th gear and disengage the clutch, that would turn them on again and you were on business (and sometimes you would hear a loud detonation coming from the exhaust, LOL. Anyway, off-topic :D)...


You want to know what makes this really funny? I have a Mercury Topaz engine and transmission in my garage right now it was a 1993.

I'm not sure how I managed to hit it. Seems to be a combination of the size of the key and the size of my mits along with the tighter leg area when I went to scratch my leg. Unfortunately I cannot pop the clutch on an auto although no sudden deceliration either when it happened.

[pkreds]

with the key off you will not have p/s since its electronic ,not the usual run off the engine pump, but at 60 mph the differential will be turning the transmission rpms forcing engine rpms. not recomended because trans pump is operated directly off engine speed . this is why auto trans cars should not be towed with drive wheels spinning.

[coolmazda5]

My 08 manual seems to be ave. about 30mpg in mixed driving(only 3 fill-ups so far, no highway trips) but I already can see the benefit of a 6th gear... shes turnin' over pretty good @75mph.


That speed number sounded familiar, check some earlier posts from a member in Sweden (2008 Mazda5, 6MT, Gas, 2.0L Engine). 6th gear is a good thing in general (including a lot of envy and fun) but as RPMs goes it *might* not be too different. The "observed" difference at 75MPH from a European 2.0 to a USDM 2.3 was only ~100RPM...


Took a picture driving my new Mazda 5 home from my dealer yesterday. The illuminated gauges looks great (took the picture with my mobile phone). Love the car!
Pic:
http://www.mazdav.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=121025



Hey Blue Swede, How is life in 6th gear? (lol2)

Well, I now drive one full time and I had the chance to check the RPMs at 75MPH. It hovers around 3500RPM so I don't see a drastic difference from yours on 6th. Your 6th may be a similar ratio as the US/Canada 5th gear so to compensate for the 2.0 vs. 2.3 engine power, fuel economy at other speeds or blah. I'm not an engine expert, so my comment may be quite flawed anyway (boom02)

Regardless, I would still love that extra gear. I'm sure the zoom-zoom driving/acceleration is much more fun with a 6th push :D

I may be all wrong though (chair)

[dreamym5]

i just got 32MPG

90% highway driving. 10% local. (3 passengers with 200lb luggages)

Go 5(yippy)

[rweatherford]

i just got 32MPG

90% highway driving. 10% local. (3 passengers with 200lb luggages)

Go 5(yippy)

Sweet! What speed did you drive most of the time. You may make me wish I had just purchased a new 08. (band2)

[dreamym5]

Sweet! What speed did you drive most of the time. You may make me wish I had just purchased a new 08. (band2)


On highway.. between 70-75..sometimes.. even 80..

i wonder,, if it is due to 5 speed auto on 08.. or my driving style..(shrug)

[SLOWALKER]

On highway.. between 70-75..sometimes.. even 80..

i wonder,, if it is due to 5 speed auto on 08.. or my driving style..(shrug)

Well you did more highway then I did and you went considerably faster then my 60mph max and only lost a little over 3 mpg. It may have something to do with the new auto 5 speed. I know the SG was showing numbers that my Rio, 1000lbs lighter and .7 litre less displacement won't do with out popping it into neutral. (spank) The 5 on decel. was jumping into the 250's mpg wise, my Rio will not do anything similar to that without shifting to neutral. Oh that's with the fuel cut set to 0 so it wouldn't affect the numbers.

[mrbwa1]

On highway.. between 70-75..sometimes.. even 80..

i wonder,, if it is due to 5 speed auto on 08.. or my driving style..(shrug)

It's probably a bit of both. We did a road trip with myself, wife. baby and gear. Our '07 Sport only has the 4sp AT, but managed a little over 31 MPG (either 31.2 or 31.5). We were doing 72ish most of the way on cruise. I imagine that the 5sp probably spots you the extra 1MPG. If you could keep it at a constant 70-72, I imaging you might make 33 MPG. I notices it is work to hit 30MPG at 70+ MPH though, as it seems very sensitive to wind, hills, gas pedal input changes. On the plus side, the relatively high RPM give plenty of power to motor up hills.

[rweatherford]

I'll try 70 MPH on Saturday, but I think that will result with about 26-27 MPG with my car. If so I'll back off on the MPH.

[jandree22]

On highway.. between 70-75..sometimes.. even 80..

i wonder,, if it is due to 5 speed auto on 08.. or my driving style..(shrug)
What was the weather like? Particularly, warm/cool and rainy/dry?

And yeah, I agree that with the smallish 2.3, headwinds will make a significant difference at those speeds.

[dreamym5]

What was the weather like? Particularly, warm/cool and rainy/dry?

And yeah, I agree that with the smallish 2.3, headwinds will make a significant difference at those speeds.

it was around between 45F and 55F .. chaning between warm and bit chilly..

Man! My Honda Fit 1.5L usually goes 34mpg on average...on same condition..

Mz5 is bigger, smoother, stronger, (usa) YET! still manages good MPG..

Go 5

[mrbwa1]

I found my gas receipts for our trip. The first one was about 100 miles in rain/snow with headwind and was 27.8 (Again about 72ish MPH). The return was a full 300 miles, over a mountain pass, with a few rest stops and freeway ramp returns. IT was 31.2 MPG. There was not much of any wind, maybe a slight cross wind)

[rweatherford]

Filled up the car with 1.5 gallons of E85 and the remaining of E10 gasoline. Long term fuel trim went from -4 to 0. The PCM added fuel to compensate for the ethanol content from running less than "base" on E10 to exactly "base" fuel trim on 17% Ethanol. Here are the numbers.

Went to STL yesterday. Trip south was into a full headwind with flags flying straight out. I drove 60-65 MPH. Pulled down a 31.5 MPG trip with 2 adults, 3 kids and a stop for lunch. Rolling hills on 4-lane most of the trip.

The return trip had a tail wind. Drove 60 MPH for most of the trip and pulled in a 34.5 MPG segment with no stops. I found on the last few miles that if you could drive 50 MPH you might pull out a 40 MPG average.

I love this because my last car was 18 MPG all the time.

[5zoom]

08 Mazda 5 auto

1st 30.1mpg - mostly highway, 25% AC
2nd 26.1mpg - 50%city/50%Highway, 50% AC

I think the new 5 speed auto gets better real world mpg than the manual on the highway due to the lower revs at cruising speed.

[5zoom]

Just made a day run to Vegas from San Diego in our new 08 auto.

The trip there gave me 30mpg with about 75% usage of AC
The trip back gave me 32mpg with AC on 100%

There were two of us in the car both ways and we drove about 72-75mph.

I noticed the auto does a great job of selecting the proper gear for grades and has grade logic(it knows how to hold the gear all the way up).

Has anyone gone over 500 miles on a tank yet? Doing the math, it looks like its possible at about 32mpg.

[jandree22]

Has anyone gone over 500 miles on a tank yet? Doing the math, it looks like its possible at about 32mpg.
Yep, it's definately possible, particularly if you overfill your tank and play chicken with the gas light.

http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?t=123664768 - Post #34 is your winner.

[SLOWALKER]

I could have gone deep into the 500's. I was at 428 with 1/4 tank still to go with the wifes 08 auto. I wish I had that kind of tank capacity on my work car, I do 500 miles per week just driving to work. Per my Scanguage I got as much as 38.8 mpgs over 50+ miles of driving.

[mrbwa1]

Never made 500 miles, but I'm very cautious with the fuel gauge and rarely get below 1/4 tank. I guess I'm set in my ways about the in-tank pumps needing some gas in there for cooling....

The wife did get back from an extended trip through WA, OR and ID and reported these figures. The trip was with 3 adults, the baby and a car crammed full of stuff.

WA-OR (68-73 MPH; 65 or 70 posted) 31.5 MPG
ID (80MPH; 75 posted; also "high-altitude" 85 octane gas) 29.7 MPG

While I would love to see north of 35 MPG (Out 01 Echo spoiled us with 38-41 MPG hwy), the practicality of a car of this size/weight that can hold this much (people and stuff) makes 29-31 very respectable. I suppose the '08 5AT might get closer to that 35MPG mark, but we make do with the 07 4AT.

[coolmazda5]

2008 Mazda5 MT. 26.7MPG Highway, full house, 5 passengers and cargo box, 60-70MPH

Eventual heavy rain and cross-winds...

http://www.mazdav.com/forum/showpost.php?p=3850922&postcount=109

[AIMWO4]

I do get 30+ MPG when I hit the highway.

[5zoom]

I got 33.2mpg out of my 08 auto today on a trip to Los Angeles with the AC blasting and three of us in the car. I averaged between 70-72mph and had to sit in some LA traffic, which makes the number even more remarkable. The trip odometer showed about 263 miles and I put in 7.9 gallons, so 500 is definitely possible.

[pick41]

last 3 tanks, mostly rush hour intestate driving with the 06, AT

28.080 mpg
30.667 mpg
28.193 mpg

so almost 29 mpg.

[PolarBear]

95% city driving heavy traffic returned me 11.2 L/100 KM or 21 MPG.

[mrguy19]

On my recent trip to Las Vegas and a little bit of city driving I hit a whopping:

33.1 Mpgs.......

On the way back to LA i didnt fair to good the high winds were making my 5 work overtime.....

28 Mpgs

[jeebusm3]

Impressed:

2008 Mazda5 5MT w/3200 miles on the clock, all stock, running 36PSI in the tires.

294 Miles, 9.07 Gallons = 32.4MPG

Travelling north from San Diego. From San Diego to LA, averaged 80-85MPH. Through LA, 70-80MPH with some traffic slowdowns. Through the grapevine @ 75-80MPH. From Grapevine to my destination cruise was set at 80MPH with the A/C on.


The way back I only managed 28MPG, but I had the AC on the entire way and I felt more headwind. Still, averaging 30MPG for the entire trip is fantastic.


Good thing it was so light on gas, here's what prices were like this weekend...(oh and there were actually more expensive places)

http://www.travisharrell.com/gasouch.jpg

[BLACKOUT]

not bad, but i'm glad i don't have to pay those prices YET(headshake

[mrbwa1]

http://www.travisharrell.com/gasouch.jpg

Hey! How did you get a photo of my car! (The wife gets the 5). Thankfully my little ECHO soldiers on to the tune of about 30MPG city. Then again, when I filled up 2 weeks ago, gas was only $3.60/gallon. Maybe I need to fill up short...

[Dyx]

Consider this, I found a receipt from January this year, regular gas was still $1.06/liter here in Canada. Now it's $1.30/liter, that meant for $45 I had 42 liters last January and now it's only 34 liters, that's a difference of 8 liters. (shocked)

[Orangutan]

Consider this, I found a receipt from January this year, regular gas was still $1.06/liter here in Canada. Now it's $1.30/liter, that meant for $45 I had 42 liters last January and now it's only 34 liters, that's a difference of 8 liters. (shocked)

If I did the math correctly that's the equivalent of a jump from ~$4.05 per gallon (US) to ~$4.97 per gallon (US).

[themagni]

If I did the math correctly that's the equivalent of a jump from ~$4.05 per gallon (US) to ~$4.97 per gallon (US).

1.369 / L here, so that's $5.20 a US gallon. Every station in town has the exact same identical price.

For my first fillup ever (the odometer was reading 480 km; I fill the tank every time I fuel the car.) I got the following:
1. Trip odometer: 451.6 km
2. Gas purchased: 49.387 L

Metric consumption:
10.93 L / 100km
Imperial consumption:
21.63 mpg

This is primarily city driving, with a sprinkle of highway. My daily commute is about 20 minutes, including dropping the kids off at daycare.

[randyl]

themagni, I am not too sure about your calculation, 10.93L / 100 km would be 25.84 mpg (imperial), or 21.52 mpg (U.S.)... I use this page for conversion (http://www.euronet.nl/users/grantm/frans/fuel.html)

I am still on my second tank after 3 weeks of having the 5. Around 20 mpg (U.S.) for the first tank, but I don't know how full the first tank was so will have to see. I'm in Toronto, and from the posts I read here, I don't think I see any Canadian owner getting over 24 mpg (U.S)?!

[5phreak]

one year into owning my 5 i am still getting around 23-24 mpg.

[mazdaFIVEmike]

July 2008 will be 3 years owning my 5 and my average over the 34 months is 20.86 US mpg (notcool)

[mrguy19]

well that means you have a lead foot!!!!!

Take it easy on the pedal...and you might get some better nombers.

I average about 30 mpgs..... (well about 80% highway)

[mazdaFIVEmike]

well that means you have a lead foot!!!!!

Take it easy on the pedal...and you might get some better nombers.

I average about 30 mpgs..... (well about 80% highway)

Thanks for the tip - that one never occurred to me.... yes there was a tone of facetiousness to that....

But the nature of the city I live in (Victoria, BC) - there is very little highway driving - if any. It's very hilly and lights are not timed very well.

My last trip to Seattle where I could actually drive on the highway - I averaged about 28 US mpg.

And admittedly I do enjoy the zoom zoom every once in awhile but certainly not enough to warrant the odd tank of gas that gets 16 US mpg....

[mrguy19]

YEah those hills will kill your mpgs,

[jeebusm3]

Thanks for the tip - that one never occurred to me.... yes there was a tone of facetiousness to that....

But the nature of the city I live in (Victoria, BC) - there is very little highway driving - if any. It's very hilly and lights are not timed very well.

My last trip to Seattle where I could actually drive on the highway - I averaged about 28 US mpg.

And admittedly I do enjoy the zoom zoom every once in awhile but certainly not enough to warrant the odd tank of gas that gets 16 US mpg....

Wow. Even when I have driven the 5 in all city with hills, with the AC on constantly, driving fast from light to light, it never dipped below 19.5MPG. This was one of those "hit every red light days", with tons of traffic, etc.

[mazdaFIVEmike]

Wow. Even when I have driven the 5 in all city with hills, with the AC on constantly, driving fast from light to light, it never dipped below 19.5MPG. This was one of those "hit every red light days", with tons of traffic, etc.

Both times were cold miserable Januarys...

I've asked the dealer about it many times - they insist my car is running within spec.... I just wonder if it's "just" within spec....

I'd like to try an 08 for a month or 2 just to see if I get the same mileage. Then I'd know for sure if it was me or the car.

[jeebusm3]

Both times were cold miserable Januarys...

I've asked the dealer about it many times - they insist my car is running within spec.... I just wonder if it's "just" within spec....

I'd like to try an 08 for a month or 2 just to see if I get the same mileage. Then I'd know for sure if it was me or the car.

do you run stock PSI in the tires? I find a little above stock helps mileage and actually feels more comfortable, plus has better turn-in.

[twentysixtwo]

We have a 2008 sport in Stormy Blue, I think I just put in the second or third tank (Only 650 miles so far) and the average was just over 24 mpg with 60/40 city highway and tires at spec pressure.

I pushed the tires up close to max inflation pressure allowing a little headroom for temperature. Got used to the stiffer feel from Autocrossing where I'd push my Miata's tires up to 46 PSI...

I'll be driving it to the office more which is 80/20 highway/city. My wife wants me to drive the Taurus X which is a more cushy, comfortable car, but rated 24 mpg hwy instead of 27.....

[mazdaFIVEmike]

do you run stock PSI in the tires? I find a little above stock helps mileage and actually feels more comfortable, plus has better turn-in.

Just the spec tires but I keep them at 39 or 40psi - the max is 44.

[jeebusm3]

Just the spec tires but I keep them at 39 or 40psi - the max is 44.

oh ok, so it's definitely not that. (breakn)

[AIMWO4]

July 2008 will be 3 years owning my 5 and my average over the 34 months is 20.86 US mpg (notcool)

That's Victoria for you...

You should keep track of how long you move vs. stop time with a GPS receiver. I had a tank where over 2 hours were spent stopped! (boom05)

I think I went about 9 hours on that tank (344 miles).

[mazdaFIVEmike]

That's Victoria for you...

You should keep track of how long you move vs. stop time with a GPS receiver. I had a tank where over 2 hours were spent stopped! (boom05)

I think I went about 9 hours on that tank (344 miles).

My wife might think I'd gone over the edge if I started keeping track of idle time... although it is something that intrigues me... Any special kind of GPS that I would need???

[AIMWO4]

My wife might think I'd gone over the edge if I started keeping track of idle time... although it is something that intrigues me... Any special kind of GPS that I would need???
I'm just using a Navi. Just reset the trip computer every time you fill up. It will do the rest.

[AIMWO4]

My wife might think I'd gone over the edge if I started keeping track of idle time... although it is something that intrigues me... Any special kind of GPS that I would need???

Do you ever go up island or across on the ferry? I guess going up the Malahat and up to Nanaimo might get you better gas mileage, but you'd have to fill up more often. (freak)

I wonder what kind of mileage you'd get if you left the GPS on during the crossing. LOL

[mazdaFIVEmike]

Do you ever go up island or across on the ferry? I guess going up the Malahat and up to Nanaimo might get you better gas mileage, but you'd have to fill up more often. (freak)

I wonder what kind of mileage you'd get if you left the GPS on during the crossing. LOL

We have achieved higher mileage on trips to Mt Washington, however, even the new Nanaimo so-called by-pass has 7 or 8 traffic lights that I seem to have to stop and inspect them ALL!! (bang)

I take it from your knowledge of the Island, you've been here or lived here before. So, combine the hilly terrain and poorly timed lights with half the "nearly dead" population.... driving in this town is not the most fun. Which is why I'm looking forward to my little Seattle trip... might actually get to go 75mph for longer than 8 seconds... (alright)

[fam]

Im now averaging 27 even on my 5 with new tires. mostly highway at break neck speeds although I now hyper drive to the best of a speed demons ability. (slow starts and avoid braking when I can, cruise at 55 instead of 60-65 when im running early), 90% hwy, 10% city. Freeway speed is around 72mph.

[AIMWO4]

I take it from your knowledge of the Island, you've been here or lived here before. So, combine the hilly terrain and poorly timed lights with half the "nearly dead" population.... driving in this town is not the most fun. Which is why I'm looking forward to my little Seattle trip... might actually get to go 75mph for longer than 8 seconds... (alright)

Yep. I'm from Victoria. After moving to California, my family would go to the island every summer. My mom grew up and my grandparents lived on Luxton Rd. My mom eventually moved to the Duncan area and is now in Mill Bay.

My last visit was in June 2006... so I know what you mean about hitting every light. I think it's job security for the department of highways. They just slowly upgrade enough to inhibit the ease of travel. (headshake

Not much you can do about Victoria though. More people, same streets.

[SLOWALKER]

the wife finally told me her mileage and gallons for once, its 28.56 MPG not bad for constant AC on recirculation with the fires we have in the area.

I got to drive a 2008 Mazda3i automatic while her 5 was back in the shop. I got 42 mpg on the way to walmart and 44 on the way back. Oh that's about a 30 mile round trip maybe a bit more I haven't checked but I know its more then 15 miles each way for sure.

[_jp]

mazda 3i 5spd - filled up this morn (at 2.84 pg) 11.5 gal all highway this week was 31.8 mpg. ac one 2/3 most of the time, no tint.

ms3 26, lol. went down from 28 something cause ive been a little rough with it.

and hey, slow. quit burning everything down over there. lol. the smoke from those fires made it all the way to the triad. damn it was smoky.

[randyl]

After 3 tanks of gas (just filled up my 4th this morning), I'm only averaging around 21mpg (11L/100km). My daily commute is 7km one way, and rarely drive more than 20km per trip. A bit disappointing but I think the short trips is really killing the mpg.

On the plus side, I only have to fill it up once every 10 days or so. Really hope it will improve to at least 24+ mpg for my kind of driving.

No, I don't have lead foot, A/C is on less than 20% of the time, and half of the time I'm the only one in the car. I rarely get over 3000 rpm, the traffic isn't bad in the area I live either. I think my MZ5 is just bit more thirsty that's all. (still love the car, just hope I can get some better mpg)

[Frink]

I've been averaging about 7.4 l/100km or 32mpg per tank for the last while, mixed city and hwy.
Hoping to better once my Scangauge arrives.

[twentysixtwo]

Second tank was 24.6, third tank was 28.2, fourth tank was 26.5. Lots of city driving on that fourth tank.

[coolmazda5]

I have swapped vehicles with wife mostly due to the 2nd row A/C, plus the car seat fabric seems to be cooler in hot weather.

So now I'm driving the 06. 23.8MPG last tank. Lots of A/C (scratch) and I'm stretching its legs a little, 60%city/40%hwy

[5phreak]

25.4 today 75% city, 25% highway - 30% a/c useage, slightly heavy on pedal lately.

[bulwnkl]

27.55 for our '06 M/T yesterday, nearly all around town, A/C on most of the time (ACC wants to always use it). This represents ~10-15% better than it's been for the last couple years until very recently. Also had our first tanks of >30 mpg a few weeks ago on a fast freeway trip. I've recently switched to a different type of oil which has shown outstanding results in our fleet at work, and I'm also testing a fuel supplement combination that has contributed. I'm so happy (again!)!

[coolmazda5]

^^ Possibly is a sign that the "new" engine is finally settling in :p

No, just kidding of course, but would be interested to know about the fuel supplement combo you mentioned (naughty)

[dreamym5]

6.22.08 33MPG 90% highway & 90% A/C on currently 7300 miles

[twentysixtwo]

Me, I'm suspicious of fuel additives or other snake oil, but would definitely believe that a 5w20 synthetic or other low friction oil could give you a few percent improvement...

Me, I run my tires just below the max pressure, IIRC the max is 40 so I run at 38 PSI....

Getting the windows tinted next week so that should reduce the need for AC, which can easily suck 1 or more mpg from your FE.

One thing I do with the manu-matic is to force it to "5" as soon as I hit the highway. By lugging the crap out of the engine, you will get better FE though it's obviously crap for accelleration. That's OK cause if you stomp it the tranny will still kick down to 3.

[rweatherford]

I can verify today that 75-100 MPH continuous will net about 20 MPG. Had to go to the hospital 80 miles away. Everything turned out ok.

BTW 100 MPH is NO BIG DEAL in the 5. I had to keep slowing down.

[jeebusm3]

I can verify today that 75-100 MPH continuous will net about 20 MPG. Had to go to the hospital 80 miles away. Everything turned out ok.

BTW 100 MPH is NO BIG DEAL in the 5. I had to keep slowing down.

I got over 30MPG at 80....I suppose 90-100 could zap a lot more MPG though. I hit 90 pretty regularly, but 100 almost never in the 5. I hit 110 pretty commonly while merging onto the freeway in my bimmer though.

[rweatherford]

I was pretty hard on it. Some of that was on a 2-lane road so there were stretches of accelleration from 60 and above. 100 MPH in my state is a trip to jail so I was trying to stay off of it. I also had one self rightous lane blocker that thought I was trying to bully him with my flashers and flashing high beams. He was nice enough to block me in with another car and act like he was calling someone. I wanted to go around and pass on the shoulder, but I'm not that big of an ass. I hope he felt like an idiot when he saw my passenger.

[jeebusm3]

I was pretty hard on it. Some of that was on a 2-lane road so there were stretches of accelleration from 60 and above. 100 MPH in my state is a trip to jail so I was trying to stay off of it. I also had one self rightous lane blocker that thought I was trying to bully him with my flashers and flashing high beams. He was nice enough to block me in with another car and act like he was calling someone. I wanted to go around and pass on the shoulder, but I'm not that big of an ass. I hope he felt like an idiot when he saw my passenger.

what was the deal mang?

[MD5]

I got back on Wednesday from central Kansas to DFW, Texas and averaged 32.8 mpg.

I was shocked to see it that high, but I was also curious to why the cheapest gas was in OK City, OK.

Most everywhere else it ran from 3.83-3.89/gal, but in Oklahoma city it was 3.69/gal.

As soon as we got back to Texas it was back up to the 3.89-3.93/gal...

[randyl]

I'd take 3.89/gal any day.... it's over $5/gal here in Toronto area.

I'm on my 6th tank now, was getting 20 - 22 mpg (US) for the first 4 tanks with 0% highway. About 20% highway on the 5th tank and I got 25mpg.

Drove about 300km (190 mile) highway on the 6th tank and it's still over half tank with AC blowing half the time (normally, I only get a bit less than 300 km at the half mark). So I think I should get somewhere between 26 to 28 mpg on the 6th tank. (it's at half mark this morning with 360 km, that's about 70 more than usual)

So much happier now comparing the 20-22mpg for the first few tanks....

[AIMWO4]

How long between fill-ups at 20-22 mpg?


I'd take 3.89/gal any day.... it's over $5/gal here in Toronto area.

I'm on my 6th tank now, was getting 20 - 22 mpg (US) for the first 4 tanks with 0% highway. About 20% highway on the 5th tank and I got 25mpg.

Drove about 300km (190 mile) highway on the 6th tank and it's still over half tank with AC blowing half the time (normally, I only get a bit less than 300 km at the half mark). So I think I should get somewhere between 26 to 28 mpg on the 6th tank. (it's at half mark this morning with 360 km, that's about 70 more than usual)

So much happier now comparing the 20-22mpg for the first few tanks....