Mazda3 Real World MPG

networkguy

I've owned my Mazdaspeed 3 for almost exactly 1 year. Around town I've been getting about 23-24 mpg. I just took it on it's first real distance highway trip last week (about 350 mi. round trip). On the way there I got about 31(!) mpg and on the way back about 29. The trip out was very light traffic and I could run for miles with the cruise control. On the way back, it was heavier traffic and mostly off the cruise. Compared to the regular 3's 2.3 the mileage isn't great, but for a 260+ HP motor, I'm impressed.

roadburner

In suburban driving I'm seeing 21-23 mpg. On the road my highest figure was a bit over 26 mpg- and I kept it under 90 mph for most of the trip. I think that is more than good enough for the 1 to 1.5 years that I'll be keeping the car.

robotica2

first fill-up was 22mpg. Just filled again last night, and got 17mpg. Ouch! All city driving, steep hills in Seattle. Got a big freeway jaunt this weekend, so I've got my fingers crossed. Also, only 540 miles on the car so far, so maybe after break-in it will improve?

nsbio1

The car has about 1400 miles on it. Second tank in a row is 29.1 mpg mixed driving in NC. Fuel economy is on a low side, but not terribly low, but still I expect mileage to improve over time.

phostenix

Tank 3 - just under 1000 miles now - 31.7MPG

I intentionally drove it easy to see what kind of mileage I could get. My commute is more freeway than city street traffic.

duff333

Good mroning all. Haven't checked in for awhile but wanted to report that now with 21,500 miles on the ticker I'm still averaging 34.4 mpg (calculated manually). The mileage takes a hit in the winter here in Baltimore, maybe averaging 32.5 although I took some highway trips that averaged maybe 36 mpg. This past summer I had many tanks that got 37 or 38 and one that even hit 40.4!! Can't complain at all. I do drive maybe only 5 mph above the speed limit and have noticed a 2-3 mile per gallon drop off when I go 75 vs 65.

My daily commute is 50/50 highway traffic - -got to deal with the wonderful Baltimore Beltway at 4:30 in the afternoons so I do get alot of stop and go that keeps the average down.

The car hasn't had any problems at all and I'm quite pleased with my purchase although leg room is a bit tight up front and miss the torque after owning a '98 Regal GS for 8 years. Still, power is more than ample!!

Mark

clang001

I have now had my MSpd3 for around 7300 miles and I average around 22-24mpg all around depending on how I drive. Typically I do about 80mph on the highway and to still get mileage like that is pretty good. I expected less because of the 263hp from the stock engine. Of course, if you have a trip computer and you mash the gas, don't expect great mpg. The epa ratings changed from 07 to 08 from 20mpg city/28mpg hwy to I believe 18mpg city/26mpg hwy, so averaging 22-24mpg should be about the norm. I am curious if anyone has added a K+N air filter or intake and if you have noticed a decent power boost and perhaps better mileage and recommendations on what brand to buy? :shades:

gretsch6120

clang001, There is a bunch of K&N talk over on the mod and accessories board.

http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.f0cdb5a/33

roadburner

I am curious if anyone has added a K+N air filter or intake and if you have noticed a decent power boost and perhaps better mileage and recommendations on what brand to buy?

I would not use a K&N filter on any vehicle I own. These test results are one reason why. I plan to fit the Mazdaspeed CAI to my MS3 as it cannot void the new car warranty AND it uses a dry filter(an over-oiled wet filter can wreck the MAF sensor). And yes I know that the dealer has to prove an aftermarket part caused the problem in order to deny a warranty claim, but the Mazdaspeeed CAI works and it prevents any future hassles.

autonomous

the dealer has to prove an aftermarket part caused the problem in order to deny a warranty claim
Really? I would have thought the onus would be on the owner to prove that the aftermarket part did not cause the problem.

roadburner

I would have thought the onus would be on the owner to prove that the aftermarket part did not cause the problem.

Nope. Read all about it here.

clang001

I appreciate the information. I was thinking about putting the Mazdaspeed CAI in anyways because I definitely do not want to violate my warranty. Do you have any idea how much it costs and if it is hard to install? Thanks for your input. :shades:

roadburner

Do you have any idea how much it costs and if it is hard to install?

I see them online all the time for $273-$325. As for installing it, I don't believe it is that difficult. You do have to pull the LF wheel and remove part of the wheelwell lining, but it all looks to be pretty straightforward.

clang001

Thanks roadburner for your response. I appreciate it.

nemo

Ok so typically sixth gear should give you the best fuel economy when cruising, but they also say going 55-60 mph would give you better economy. But my trip computer seems to be telling me that 5th gear at 60 mph (3k rpm) is more efficient than 6th at 60mph (2.5k rpm)

The car seems to have enough of power in either gear at that speed but how likely is it that car is actually more efficient at 3k rpm explanations?

autonomous

I would have thought the onus would be on the owner to prove that the aftermarket part did not cause the problem.

Nope. Read all about it here.
The law means that the use of an aftermarket part alone is not cause for denying the warranty. However, the law's protection does not extend to aftermarket parts in situations where such parts actually caused the damage being claimed under the warranty. Further, consumers are advised to be aware of any specific terms or conditions stated in the warranty which may result in its being voided.

Hmm. So, if you have a problem and Mazda claims the part you installed caused the problem and you disagree then what happens? I would assume you would have to take them to court to have it settled. Obviously, installing a part that is unrelated to the problem would be difficult to prove as the cause. The issue arises when the part may be the cause of the problem.

ahightower

Thought I would post my gas mileage, having just reached 5,000 miles. 2008 3i touring, 5-speed manual. I've been keeping a spreadsheet. My lifetime average is 31.30 mpg. Best tank was 32.74, worst tank was 30.01 (not counting the very first tank which was about 28). Average miles per tank is about 360, which has me filling up about once a week. I'm pretty happy with this mileage. It's all city. More freeway than stop and go, but still. I suspect I'd get at least 35 on a long highway cruise. The opportunity has not arisen for that. Admittedly, I'm driving like a grandpa - obeying posted speed limits, shifting by 3,000 rpm most of the time. Safely, of course - I stay out of the passing lane. But I do play around every once in a while. I have no regrets about choosing the 3i. I test drove the 3s, and the 2.3 engine was noticeably smoother and faster. But the 2.0 has never left me wanting for more power, and seems to enjoy high revs when the occasion calls for it. Plenty of grunt down low, I often skip 2nd and 4th gear. Just a great car so far! Favorite feature - telescoping steering wheel. I'm 6'3" and my wife is 5'1". We are both able to find an ideal driving position. This was one feature that convinced me to get the Mazda instead of the Mitsu Lancer I had been considering. Anyway, I'm rambling now.

godaddy1

"I'm pretty happy with this mileage. It's all city. More freeway than stop and go, but still. " :confuse:

So, have you been doing all city or mostly freeway?

ahightower

That is kind of confusing as I worded it. I should say it's been mostly freeways, but not very fast. Flowing along at 30-50 mph. Not a lot of bumper-to-bumper or stoplights, but not exactly long distance 65-70mph cruises. My worst tank was probably about 70% bumper-to-bumper rush hour.

nsbio1

My 2008 3i Manual has reached 3500 miles. The best tank was 32.5 mpg when half the tank was pure highway and the other half city-ish. The worst tank was 28.3 mpg around town. Last tank is 30.5 mpg around town, the one before that was 29 and change.

Overall, the mileage is as advertised, although I am hoping that I will gain a couple mpg once it gets stably warmer.

acd

My 2007 Mazda 3i 5M (almost 23,000 miles now) is still doing pretty good on gas mileage. The last three tanks came in at 29, 34.5, and 30.3 mpg. The middle tank was almost all interstate driving between 70 and 75. The first and last were both around town with the last having about 50 to 60 miles of warmed up interstate driving.

ahightower

Today I just had my worst ever mpg of 29.36 (not counting the very first tank) and paid my highest price yet of $3.499.



I remember the first time it cost us more than $10 to fill up the Geo Metro my wife drove in college. We were in shock. Now it's $40 for my Mazda and will probably be damn near $100 for her Yukon XL when we go on vacation next month. She stays home with the kids and doesn't drive a lot of miles, so it only gets filled up once a month, but boy when you do fill it up, 28 gallons sure adds up!

I've got to start waking up a little earlier and beating this traffic in the morning. Also haven't checked my tire pressure in a few weeks. The warning light hasn't turned on, but 3-4 pounds may make a difference, it sure does in our Yukon. Also would like to get a K&N filter, that's been good for 1 or 2 mpg in all my previous vehicles. I was going to get one a couple weeks ago but they didn't have the right size in stock at the local Auto Zone.

It's also really dirty but I won't bother to wash it until it stops raining every other day. Okay, I'll stop whining now.

Overall I still love my car. Got my first iPod early this year because, well, the car had an iPod jack and I wanted to use it! Loving it, haven't heard a commercial in months. The AC seems competent. Doesn't blow quite as cold as our Yukon does, and you have to angle those vents just right, but it gets the job done so far (mid 80's and humid). We'll see how it handles low 100's and humid. Tinted windows definitely help.

autonomous

If you really want to have something to whine about consider this ... a senior bank analyst predicted gasoline at $200 a barrel by 2012. He applauded this as the only way of getting people out of gas guzzlers.

"On Thursday CIBC World Markets Chief Economist Jeff Rubin said oil production will barely grow over the next five years, and that shortfall, combined with solid emerging market demand, will drive oil to $150 per barrel by 2010 and $200 per barrel by 2012 ... U.S. gasoline prices will climb to as much as $7 per gallon by 2012" Source: bloggingstocks.com

matthew_11

Does anyone know if performance chips hold any truth, do they really increase a cars mpg? thanks

roadburner

Does anyone know if performance chips hold any truth, do they really increase a cars mpg? thanks

Ten or fifteen years ago a chip or-from 1996 on-an ECU reflash could sometimes produce significant performance gains. However, today's automakers have refined their powertrain management systems to the point that aftermarket reflashes almost never unlock measurable power or fuel economy increases on naturally aspirated engines. Forced induction is an entirely different matter.

txg60

I have a 2007 MS3 with just a touch over 24K miles...I avg about 130 miles round trip..mixed highway and stop/go...I average about 350 miles per tank..manually calculating I am avging 27 to 29mpg...the compter says anywhere from 31 to 33..any thoughts?...I have heard that with vapor lock etc. that manually calculating isn't always the most exact way...

shipo

For any given tank, the OBC is usually more accurate on the cars that I've driven (at least from a relative perspective), however, averaged over a period of months or years, the miles divided by the gallons of fuel used is the best method. Looking at the log for one of our cars (an old 1998 Dodge Grand Caravan 3.8), over its 157,000 miles of service the differences have ranged from a 0.32 mpg OBC reading below the calculated mpg to as much as 1.5 mpg OBC above the calculated average.

On average the OBC reads about 0.5 mpg optimistic compared to the running average for fuel economy, however, that isn't the end of the story. Compared to our portable GPS, that particular van travels approximately 10.15 miles for every 10 miles registered on the odometer, and if I was to recalculate the miles divided by the gallons figure, that would cut the difference roughly in half.

Best Regards,
Shipo

vision54

24.1mpg on my first tank, though that was a lot of city driving. I'm hoping to push it near 30mpg on my commute, which is a mix of mostly suburban driving (generally have a few extended stretches cruising 45-55mph) and some stop-and-go.

igozoomzoom

Although I make it a point to be a courteous and safe driver whenever possible, I will admit that I am also a bit of an agressive driver. If I'm stuck behind some yokel doing 65mph in the right lane with several cars piled up behind him/her, I will downshift and make a fly-by pass on the right and be on my way. I drive in Atlanta rush hour every day (86 miles roundtrip daily!) and gunning for empty slots to merge into faster traffic is a way of life.

Driving this way has resulted in my average fuel economy hovering around the 26 mpg mark. Not horrible for an '06 Mazda3 s 5-door with manual transmission, but there's always room for improvement with $4/gallon gasoline and $50 fill-ups.

About 40 miles of my daily trek is rural interstate, so I started setting my cruise control at 75mph for that stretch. Normally I would have varied my speed from 70mph or so up to 85mph depending on the traffic in my way. I also try to maintain my speed once I reach the much more congested part of my interestate commute. If I hit stop-and-go traffic, it still brings my average mpg down to around 28 for the trip. If I manage to keep rolling 95% of the time (as I did three days last week) I arrived at work with my trip computer displaying 30.0 or higher. When I arrived home on those same three days, the lowest average was 29.4 and the highest was 30.7.

rico1bad

I have been reading your informative feedback on mazda3 gas mileage.
Many posts don't specify which model they have, and there are many posts that specify the 3i. I am hoping to find mileage on the S version with Automatic.. 156-hp 2.3L DOHC 16-valve inline 4-cylinder - EPA Mileage, City/Hwy (mpg) 22/29

I am sold on the 3s, drove it, love it, want it, and husband finally said I can have it... but gas mileage is the whole reason for a new car as I already have an awesome powerful nice car... don't need another awesome car with slightly better mileage...
Can't do the i version because I need the hatch back. Pontiac Vibe is second choice, found alot of info on it's real world gas mileage for the model I would choose.
I can sacrifice a few miles for the driving difference / quality / styling of the Mazda, but if it is a considerable difference I have to re-think the decision since this whole thing was brought about by the need to save money on gas.

I hope many of you will take time to resond... I would LOVE to be able to choose this car!

redmazda3

I have a 2004 Mazda3 hatchback with an automatic transmission purchased in Oct. of 2004. I have consistently got an average of 24 mpg with mostly in town driving. My commute is 8 miles one way with numerous stop lights and signs. I don't drive as aggressive as I did when I first bought the car. My wife's car is a 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid and I find that I find myself driving my car using the same techniques as we use in the Camry. I have noticed that when I do drive the 3 harder, my worst tanks drop to about 2.5 mpg. I enjoy driving my car and have no intentions on getting another.

igozoomzoom

I can't specifically report on the Mazda3 s with automatic, but the Mazda6 i has the same 2.3L/5-speed automatic and weighs about 200 pounds more. I had a 6 'i' for about two weeks last fall while my 3 was being repaired after an accident.

I had been averaging about 25-26 mpg overall in my 3 and was amazed that I managed 28+mpg overall in the heavier, automatic 6 (my 3 is manual). It only seems logical that I would have achieved the same fuel economy in a 3 s (with the same engine and transmission).

One of my favorite websites is Mazda3forums.com. You'll find plenty of real world mileage figures posted including the 's' with automatic. Just click on the first topic listed on the main page- "Mazda3 (Axela)" and it's one of the first few topics listed...

It's a shame that Mazda doesn't offer the 5-door with the 2.0L here in the U.S. It is available in virtually every other market including Canada. In Europe, there's even a 1.6L version that averages 35mpg overall.

igozoomzoom

I just checked on Consumer Reports for their mileage ratings on the Mazda3. They actually have their own tests for calculating city and highway averages as well as a 150-mile highway trip.

Their results were 17mpg city and 35mpg highway. On their 150-mile highway trip, it averaged 30mpg. The vehicle tested was a 5-door s Grand Touring with automatic.

PF_Flyer

After a day of fun in the sun, why not stop in for some chat with your fellow CarSpace members?

The Mazda Club Chat is on tonight. The chat room opens at 8:45PM ET Hope to see YOU there! Check out the schedule

scryer_360

With about 60 miles city and 60 miles highway, and 133.4 miles on the dash (it came with a few), and now down to five eighths of a tank. Figuring that out its 25 miles to a gallon or so. Give that its half city or so, thats not bad.

lauradavid

My husband was sold on an Elantra because of gas mileage, but because I am 4'11" I had trouble getting close enough to the steering wheel without having it sit in my lap. We looked into the Mazda 3, and we test drove an 08.5 s. grand touring auto 4dr sedan. Admittedly, my husband was not happy with the higher price and lower mpg, but I LOVED the car. On the drive home, through the mountains of Ga. and NC, we averaged 30.5 MPG. Since having it home and driving it mostly around town, we are hovering around 26 mpg. Honestly, if I could have fit in the Elantra SE, we probably would have one parked in the garage. I have never been so glad to be short in my life!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :P

brted

Ugh. I was thinking I would get around 27 and hoping to get 30 mpg with a 2008.5 3i Touring Value manual transmission and 2.0 liter engine. My first tank was 25 mpg with more than half of that highway miles, so I was thinking maybe the dealer didn't top it off. My second tank, mostly city driving, was 22 mpg. This is a severe disappointment. It has been hot so I have been using the AC alot, but my Civic used to get 28 mpg city and I was thinking this car would get about the same. EPA estimate is 24/32, so maybe I shouldn't be too surprised.

mcmax

I've had my 2008 3i Touring manual for a few months - still under 3K miles. My first tank was 28 mpg. I've consistently averaged 30-32 mpg since. My mileage has been about 50% city/50% highway speeds up to 80 mpg. I turned on the AC for the first time today, so I'm not sure how that will change the mpg, but it did slow it down in the lower gears. I think you should be getting better mileage with the manual based on what I've previously read here - I think I'm getting what most others have posted if not less - it seems like I read a post awhile back that said they've gotten up to 40mpg - I wish I knew how to do that (I have to think it would be all highway 55-50 mpg). Was your Civic the newer model?

brted

I hope it will get better though I don't see how. I had a 98 Civic.

gretsch6120

brted, don't shrug off that your Civic had a smaller engine possibly a 1.4 or 1.6 which though less powerful provided better gas mileage. You may need to adjust your driving habits a little with your more powerful Mazda3 2.0. That being said many who drive the 2.3l motor achieving 30mpg average and are not having to only drive 30mph in the emergency lane. :P
A/C will impact gas mileage in city driving or constant stop and go situations.

ahightower

My first tank was 28, but it's been much better ever since. I now have 8600 miles on the clock. Worst tank was 29.36 with a lot of city, best was 33.30. Lifetime average is 31.40 I suspect I could get 35 on a long highway trip, but so far just commuting to and from the office. Admittedly, I am driving like a grandpa (speed limit, gentle acceleration, shift below 3,000 rpm) - kids will do that to you - you get both safer and cheaper. But still, 22 mpg with the 2.0 and manual transmission is pretty terrible. I bet it improves considerably with time.

roadburner

Just for giggles I abstained from my usual hooligan antics on my drive to work today. My route was @50% suburban/urban and @50% interstate. When I arrived at work the OBC showed the average fuel consumption to be 30.1 mpg. The OBC is a bit optimistic so I suspect that the actual number is closer to 29.5 mpg. That's excellent fuel economy considring the performance capability. I wonder what it will get when I spend three days lapping the Putnam Park Sports Car Course in a few weeks?

55nomad

I'm getting 27.4 average, mostly rural blacktop under 55 mph with a little small town stuff thrown in. That is with my 07Speed3.
VERY pleased, considering the blistering performance this car can deliver.

phostenix

With ~7500 miles on my '08 5-door, I've gotten a little over 32 MPG on the last 2 tanks (calculated manually). My commute is 80% freeway, but still rush hour & construction traffic. The MPG has gotten better over time and is not bad considering the AC is on all the time now (Phoenix).

I doesn't take many short full throttle blasts to drop the MPG down under 30, but if driven conservatively this car does great. It's really the best of both worlds. There aren't many cars that get over 33 MPG, and none are as fun as this one when you want it.

peddler3

Hi all,
I've been looking at several sites for info concerning mazda 3 MPG. I just found this one where a guy at CleanMPG is routinely getting 37+mpg on a 3s. FYI

http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6215

fuguf1sh

I have been routinely getting 34/35 MPG (during the the non winter months) in my 2006 3S GT (sedan/5-speed/53K on the clock, bought it new). I drive it 100 miles per day about 85 of which is on a 65 MPH highway. I have found the sweet spot to be 64-65MPH (it's tough to drive that slow but with the price of gas I have plenty of company), RPMs about 2800. I just had my best tank ever, 402 miles with the needle a little above E (low fuel light was still out). Mileage computer said 35.2 MPG and my math showed 36.16 MPG. All without the dangerous insanity that is hypermiling. Like the guy above states, when the 2.3 is shut off and restarted, you don't get your power steering back until you slow down to 20 MPH. Doesn't make for a good coasting (FAS) vehicle.

jazzmanstv

With my '08 hatchback, which has the 2.3L, I've averaged just under 30 mpg over my last 2 tank fulls. That's with 50/50 driving. That is with conversative driving - I haven't done anything too crazy. My trip computer has shown an average of about 25 mpg. I was hoping it would be more accurate and I was definitely surprised to find that it undercut my true mileage by nearly 4 mpg. I've reset it with each fill-up.

ahightower

I've been tracking my fuel economy on a spreadsheet since I bought my car ('08 3i touring 5-spd manual) in November. After 9,363 miles my lifetime average was 31.34 mpg. I've been driving purposely to increase mpg, obeying all speed limits, coasting down hill in neutral, even cutting the ignition at long red lights (assuming I'm not first in line). So, I decided to drive aggressively for a tank just to see how much I was really gaining. I sped along as quickly as I pleased, 75-80 on the freeway, shifting around 4,000 rpm rather than 3,000 rpm, accelerating much more quickly. It was kinda fun. My mileage for that one tank dropped to 29.57 mpg. I know it's not the most scientific experiment, but in a way I was kind of disappointed it didn't drop lower. I had hoped my efforts would be worth 15-20%, and in fact they appear to be worth more like 6%. That's less than $3 a week for me. A penny saved is a penny earned, but I was hoping for more. In fact, it wasn't even my worst recorded tank. I had one tank that was slightly worse at 29.36 mpg, and that was just a result of being stuck in a lot of bad traffic that week.

So, now I'm thinking it's not worth the effort to alter one's driving habits too drastically. Not in this car anyway. I see definite improvement when taking it easy in our Yukon XL, but the Mazda seems to be pretty darn efficient no matter what I do to it. I guess that's a good thing though, right? I'm still going to return to my old ways - not speeding. I find it relaxing to just set the cruise and not have to look for cops or try to pass other vehicles. But I won't be too obsessed about it. Clearly the best thing I can do is to leave the house early and avoid traffic. This little car seems perfectly content at higher speeds, and is a lot of fun too.

PF_Flyer

Gas mileage is on everyone's mind lately. Stop in at the chat and share your thoughts with us tonight.

Tuesday means Mazda chat night! The chat opens at 8:45 pm ET and runs until 10 pm ET. I hope you're able to join us tonight to meet and greet with your fellow CarSpace members!
See you there!

ahightower

Another interesting note, while looking at my spreadsheet here. My all-time high and all-time low tanks were back-to-back. The spread was only 3.34 mpg, or 13.4%. Purely traffic related. I have used the same filling station almost every time, so I think the pump's probably pretty consistent as far as when it shuts off. I don't "top it off".