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Let's say for the sake of argument that you were a gallon lower when you topped-off (not at all unreasonable), and that you really needed 7.331 gallons to bring your tank up to the same level as when you started. Reworking the math shows that your car delivered about 48 mpg, which is still good mileage, and maybe still a tad on the high side.
Best Regards,
Shipo
Anyways--I did this to my 06, 2.3 liter automatic hatch today and it says that my average is 23.4 mpg, which is atrocious if you ask me. I also averaged 26.5 mpg on a road trip from Phoenix to Flagstaff last week. Then again, I do live in the hottest place in the country (Arizona), but it would be nice for my gas mileage to be a little higher. It's even this low during the winter, when I often don't use AC or heat.
Are there any other Sonoran desert natives who have this same issue? Or is it my driving habits? I love my 3, but the step down in fuel economy from the Corolla I had before (often high 30s into the 40s on a road trip) is a little disappointing.
From other discussions & nice folks, here's the a way to unlock the trip computer built into your Mazda3 06 or 07 models--- & it's free !!!
0. Turn on radio.
1. Press and hold down CD and AM/FM buttons
2. Start your car while still pressing down on those buttons
3. The display will read, "DIS ON" which means Driver Information System On.
4. Release the CD and AM/FM buttons
5. Turn off and restart the car
6. Now press the Set button and cycle through your avg. mpg, miles until empty, current mpg!
Now you can truly know your Real MPG numbers!
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Good idea. A suggestion: next time record the mileage at which you are doing the fill up. That becomes your start mileage. From that point on, record the mileage and the amount of gasoline several (e.g. 10) times over the next weeks/months. At the tenth fillup, subtract the final mileage from the start mileage and then divide this by the amount of gasoline. The key is to get an average over several months otherwise you are just deceiving yourself.
Alternatively, read Consumer Reports as they do testing that I have found to be reliable.
Scott
Being a CPA, I love being able to monitor fuel economy on a regular basis...and I love getting useful things for FREE even more! The "Driver Information System (DIS)", as Mazda calls it, is probably my favorite feature of my '06 s Touring 5-door. Had I paid for the Grand Touring model (which has the DIS standard), it probably wouldn't seem nearly at cool to me. Discovering that it was hidden there all along for the first year I owned the car, then learning how to activate it was just the coolest thing to me!
I've taught more than one other Mazda3 driver how to do the same, often right at the gas pump. I even scored a date once that way! lol
But how much gas did actually use? You didn't drive the car 375 miles and then it ran out of gas, did it? If you stopped to fill up the tank before it went empty (as in completely empty, not gas gauge "empty") then you probably put in about 12.5 gallons, which means your mileage is closer to 30mpg.
Just a math correction, even if you had gone 375 miles and used 14.7 gallons of gas, that's still over 25mpg. It would be about 25.51mpg.
I'm sorry you don't like your Mazda, though. I didn't get one because when I was car shopping last time I was thinking sedan, and the trunk opening in the 3 is too small to be of any practical use. If I had been looking for a wagon, I would definitely have bought the 3 (and I may next time I need a car). Good luck increasing your mileage - hopefully it will improve as it breaks in!
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive
Thanks
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!
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Haven't had any problems with the car. My only complaint is the reduction in power with the A/C on (and no FOB button for the trunk)).
Overall, very happy.
Since Mazda engineers their cars more or less towards performance, their EPA estimates are understated. If you are just cruising, you will see that your mileage exceeds the EPA estimates, and when you really get on the car and really drive it, you get what the EPA says it will get. Since Mazda's are marketed towards people who really want to see what their car is made of, they engineer then that way, and the EPA estimate will follow that type of driving habit. If you baby it, you will far exceed the EPA estimate. The majority of Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla owners are not ones who look for driving excitement. Mazda owners do. Does that make sense? Ask the many Mazda3 i owners, they will tell you the same story.
I have a 05 Mazda6 2.3L and I get 32 highway.
I drive a 2006 Mazda 3i, 5-speed manual. My overall average is 30 mpg (about 50/50 city/highway). On highway cruises, flat ground, going about 75mph I easily average 35-36 mpg. If I slow down to 60-65 mph, my (unlocked) trip computer shows my instantaneous mileage to be about 40mpg.
However, driving style strongly affects mpg performance, and this car is fun to drive - can't really say that about the Corolla. My lowest mpg after a fill-up was 26, and that included a lot of spirited driving.
The Mazda3 and many other small cars are nowhere close to where they should be in terms of fuel economy. There are some exceptions (e.g. Honda Fit) but for the most part the fuel efficiency of cars has not improved substanitally in the last decade.
Since the use of an automakers numbers for fuel ratings is problematic many consumers go to independent sources like Consumer Reports. So how does CR* rate the overall (highway+city) fuel economy of the Mazda3 s grand touring hatchback? Answer: 25 mpg. Yes, you are reading the numbers in the correct order 25.
I drive a 2002 Mazda Protege (the predecessor of the Mazda3). What is the CR rating for my car? The exact same 25 mpg. Nearly seven years later and no significant improvement in overall fuel economy. Now, the Mazda3 has a bigger engine and weighs more, so what do we expect? What does that say about us consumers and automakers? Fuel economy is nowhere close to being a significant factor in the design of automobiles. With gas prices as high as they are there may be a change coming. But that is not self-evident as new cars (like the new Mazda6) seem to continue to gain weight and have bigger engines. Will the new Mazda3 have a larger engine and be heavier than the current model? Seems likely. Or, will Mazda change course and produce a vehicle that is spirited because it used innovative engineering and shed unnecessary weight? We can hope.
*Source: Consumer Reports April 2008
While you decided to just look at the FE, you forget to mention that the 2.0L has 18hp more and the 2.3L has 26hp more, while maintaining the same fuel economy. You cannot say they are not more efficient. Now, remember, both these MZR engines were new engines in 2003!!! The price of gas in 2003 was $1.63/gal!
Now, Mazda uses the new MZR 2.5L (09 Mazda6) which is rates at 21city-30hwy and has 170hp, which is on par with every other mfgr in the world.
The 2010 Mazda3 is due out in February, and the 2.5L will replace the 2.3L, and they are upgrading the 2.0L to be more economical.
This is not only the responsibility of the manufacturer but also ours. As consumers we should get the message out to auto manufacturers that a bigger, heavier box with more hp but without more mpg is not an improvement.
The writing has been on the wall for several years. As we all know, various auto manufacturers have proposed hybrids, diesels, biofuel, electric, hydrogen-based and other solutions. Mazda has jumped on the bandwagon but frankly I have not heard a coherent message about improved fuel economy for their North American market. For example, Mazda Canada has brought the Mazda3 hatchback with the 2.0 L engine (available in Europe) which seems like a sensible interim step. But what we are really looking for is the innovative step that realizes the demand for a car that is truly fuel efficient. Think 50 mpg for the commuter vehicle as the baseline.
Best regards,
Shipo
My point again is that auto manufacturers that keep on pumping up the HP without improving fuel economy will face the music. Has Mazda been listening?
Lighter, more fuel efficient, more innovative ... zoom zoom
Mazda has been listening, they are introducing their new start-stop idling engine technology starting with 2009 models. They already have a working plug-in hybrid that uses a lithium ion battery, however, unless the cost of the batteries come down, they will not mass produce it. (Something GM is having a problem with in their Volt.). Their new 2.5L I4 is on par with every other mfgrs mid sized 4 cyl. They are also revising the MZR 2.0L to be more powerful and fuel efficient. They also have the world's first production application of a catalyst combustion (MZR-CD) treatment process that enhances the removal of particulate matter from the exhaust gasses via a diesel particulate filter. It produces 184hp and 285 ft-lbs of torque and gets a remarkable 42mpg.
You keep ignoring the fact that their 4 cyl engines were designed 6 years ago. They have their new engines coming out. They already have out the 2.5L, and are introducing the new 2.2L MZR-CD in Europe, which is also a clean burning diesel, and a revised 2.0L. Outside of a gas-electric hybrid, they offer everything else, with the exception of the Tribute HEV (hybrid) which is really a Ford.
I assume you're quoting EPA numbers and not real world numbers. FWIW, even the EPA has acknowledged that their new test does not reflect the real-world mileage capabilities of Diesel cars. If you go over to any of the sites that are popular with the Diesel crowd, you'll see that there are in fact many-many folks that average over 50 mpg in mixed driving.
Best regards,
Shipo
I really hope Mazda decides to bring over their 2.2L MZR-CD. For me personally, I would not buy a VW. I understand they have a reputation of building good diesels, however, it's the rest of the car that worries me!
I agree.
I would not buy a VW
Consumer Reports rates the current Rabbit superior to the Mazda3. I think consumers may want to give VW another try.
I stand by my earlier statement about fuel economy that "Mazda has jumped on the bandwagon but frankly I have not heard a coherent message about improved fuel economy for their North American market." It's one thing to have protoype vehicles on a test track, it's another thing to have them available as options in the consumer market. It's painful to read European auto magazines that show the wide array of models (like the Mazda2 or the Mazda diesels) that are unavailable in North America. I find it difficult to understand in the current environment how auto manufacturers can think that big boxes (like Mazda's CX9) are the future even in North America. These heavy behemoths obviously offer the potential for increased profit, but only if someone buys them.
Interesting. Any additional information?
"Kiyora helped the designers to imagine a city car cutting cleanly through an urban landscape, with water as the design theme. Equipped with Mazda’s next generation 4 cylinder direct injection engine and featuring the company’s unique Smart Idle Stop System, the car achieves excellent fuel economy and low CO2 emissions ... an all-new platform designed to maximize weight reduction "
Source: Mazda global site
At the same show, Honda will launch its Prius-fighter, an entry level hybrid. The Honda CR-Z hybrid looks pretty amazing too but will be coming in a future show.
And that's a good thing? :confuse:
Define a good deal and you'll have half the answer.
I did not know that! What was your source? Is the information online?
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!
I had a 1991 Accord with the 2.2L that was rated at 19city-26hwy and I never got the EPA estimates.
Maybe it was the 87 Civic Coupe 1.5 HF which had the old estimates of 57/52. I don't remember the Civic having that high of a mpg. That must have been the CRX to get that high.
Ever since I bought my MS3 I've been tracking it's fuel economy and comparing it to the OBC calculation. I've found that the true mileage averages @95% of the OBC number; if my OBC shows 28 mpg the actual mpg will be around 26.5.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive
My commute is urban stop and go but I live very close to work and probably a quarter of the miles are on the highway on weekend trips. It currently has 3500 miles.
I have never and I mean NEVER gotten above 22mpg. Usually it is 20 or 21 mpg sometimes less. The only time I got 22MPG was on out of town round trip which was almost entirely on the highway. I measure the mpg by always filling up the tank at the same gas station and dividing the mileage on the gallons filled. I don't race from traffic light to traffic light and I rarely go above 75mph on the highway.
Somebody has mentioned that it takes time for the engine to 'settle' but I am beginning to get a little frustrated since obviously a lot of Mazda owners are getting much better MPG even right out of the bat.
So what I may be doing wrong? Does it sound like I just got a lemon? Any suggestions or driving tips would be greatly appreciated!