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If you reset the average mpg gauge just before you set out on your trip, will it be more accurate in predicting your mpg then if you did not reset it before the trip?
Yesterday I took a trip from Western Pa. to Columbus,Ohio with the climate control on AC Off 200lbs of cargo loaded outside temp 40 degrees. Taking the back and winding country roads to Pittsburgh and down to the hills of West Virginia and going 70mph where I could. Made the 280 mile trip and got 27.8 mpg. God I love this Van.
Does Mazda recommend the use of synthetic oil?
No. Mazda does not recommend the use of synthetic oil. To determine which oil should be used for your specific model, consult your Owner's Manual.
As far as using synthetic oil, let's not forget that the Mazda V6 is really a Ford V6. Plus, I have never heard of synthetic oil actually harming any engine, but it may exacerbate oil leaks. I plan on using synthetic once the engine is broken-in, say 8000-10,000 miles or so.
60/40 Highway / City miles
950 miles on van now
22.0 mpg calculated
25.0 computer calculated
These automatic MPG calculators are estimates. the only way is to measure actual mileage vs actual gas. If you leave it on for about 300 miles you get a pretty decent comparisons, but it is still an estimate. I would hazard a guess that after 3000 miles there would be less then a 5% difference
it's a very optimistic vehicle!
Someone once gave me a comparison; 'listening to the manufacturer explain the benefits of a gizmo like this is equal to asking a 16-year old boy how far he should be allowed to go on a first date.'
I've never got over 21 mgp on the highway ('02 Oddy) and I drive quite conservatively around 70 mph. I tend to keep the tire pressure around 35 psi
hoping for steady improvement as the miles rack-up...
Camry: 27-28 MPG consistently, 50/50-city/highway, it gets 40-42 MPG, 100% highway when speed stay around 70-75.
Both subject to 10% cut in MPG during winter.
I have been averaging right around 18 mpg for city driving and have been able to get 25.5 mpg on all hwy driving in our 2002 MPV.
SUV fuel mileage - Feel free to participate
Can't help w/ Sedan mpg :-)
Steve, Host
368
364
392
393
406
422 and so on.....Remember that by switching to synthetic oil you will improve your mpg over regular oil...I do have over 10000 miles on the vehicle so you can pretty much consider it broken in.....all the driving was "highway" not downtown.....I did use cruise....the weather was beautiful and last but not least ..I do hope that you also obtain the mpg I and others on this board are receiving.
God Bless
I have yet to take it on a truely "long" trip - full tank of 100% highway, but have had mixes as high as 80% highway and getting 22 mpg in cool weather (20's to 40's) without a loaded down car. Car not fully broken in either (2500 miles at this point) and of course the oil you mention (I'm using standard 5W-30 as of first oil change - not sure what came with it). Last van increased mpg all the way to 40,000 miles before reaching peak mpg.
Just telling it like I see it as evaluated at 2500 miles in early spring in upper midwest. Could be a different story in 3 months if warm weather ever makes an appearance (warmest temp for year is 64 F and only for about 2 hours).
SO I suggest everyone here convert to synthetic
motor oil made here in the USA....your thoughts?
BTW...gas in South Carolina was 1.57 gal.
God Bless
Steve, Host
I went back to 3 to 4K miles oil change interval after I read about Camry sludge problem when owners followed the manual said 7500 miles interval.
This could be a major reason you are not getting higher mpg. Ethanol has much less energy content than gasoline (about half as much). Using 10% ethanol will cut your mpg by 4-5%. So a vehicle that gets about 28 mpg would only get about 26.5 or so using 10% ethanol feul.
Synthetic oil could add another .5 to 1 mpg. Higher tire pressures also help with mpg (and tire life - see Firestone/Explorer re: low pressures)
If you need verification just look in the EPA guide to feul mileage. All the ethanol feul (e-85) vehicles get horrible mileage.
I think the 3,000 mile interval dates back to WWI and some poor motor pool sergeant just pulled the number out of thin air to satisfy General Halftrack. I've never seen a good explanation of just where that number came from, and until I do, it's just an urban legend in my book.
I'm running my own 7,500 mile interval dead dino experiment on my Quest which now has around 95,000 miles on it. Remind me when I hit 195,000 miles (it's gotta still be running, lol) and I'll post "I told you so" all over Town Hall.
If I throw a rod next week, you'll never find out from me :-)
Steve, Host
OTOH, I have not had any type of oil-related failure, nor have any of my vehicles (there have been many, of various brands) been oil burners.
I usually use Mobil 1, but have used Castrol if it is on sale.
For our new MPV, I intend to use the recommended 5-20W oil for at least the first few changes, until about 10,000 miles or so. The only problem is that the ONLY 5-20W oil I have found is Ford Motorcraft synthetic blend, @ $1.82 per quart. Has anyone out there found any additional brands of 5-20W?
BTW- A thinner oil can also increase gas mileage a small amount, which is one reason Ford & Mazda recommend 5-20W (that's what I was told by my Ford dealer when we bought a new Expedition in 2001).
Steve, Host
* Use good quality, energy-conserving (EC) oils with viscosity grade consistent with your owner's manual. Look for cans marked with the symbol ECII, which is the American Society of Testing Materials logo for fuel-efficient oils. Try Genuine Mazda Oil, available at your dealer.
* Use a fuel with good detergent additive. It will help keep your engine clean and performing efficiently.
* Use a high-quality fuel with an octane rating appropriate for your vehicle, and use the lowest octane possible.
* Keep your engine tuned up to keep your car running efficiently. See your vehicle's recommended maintenance schedule for tune-up intervals.
* Keep your wheels properly aligned. Wheels that are fighting each other waste fuel.
* Underinflated tires increase rolling resistance, reduce fuel economy, and wear rapidly. Check the vehicle's door-post sticker for appropriate tire pressure.
* Start slowly, avoiding rapid acceleration. Jackrabbit starts are terrible fuel wasters.
Drive at posted speed limits. It saves fuel - and possibly a life.
* Minimize the use of the air conditioning system. Rather than run it continuously, use the vent setting as much as possible.
* When you get to your destination, park in the shade to reduce the need for air conditioning.
1st fill-up: 22.4 mpg (Costco)
2nd fill-up: 25.8 mpg (Shell)
2) Is your Odyssey a US spec version, or some european spec version?
3) If a euro spec, do you have the exact same 3.5L V6 that is sold in the US, or are different engines sold in Belgium?
The reason I'm asking these questions is to ascertain whether the mileage you're getting on your new EX (which is OUTSTANDING!) can be directly compared to Odysseys sold in the US. If you have some sort of unique-to-Europe engine, then US Odyssey buyers will likely never get the mileage you're getting.
my thoughts were concluding because of more highway miles i've been driving. It will most likely will drop down to around 23 this week.
there's no way this could be US gallons with a 6cyl honda engine in the Oddysey.
BTW; I have never done better than 22 mpg in my '02 oddy.
22.3MPG highway, 75MPH +/-5MPH, A/C on, 2 adults + 4 children (7mo, 2yr, 5.5yr, 6.5yr), 2 bicycles, lots of bags, sand and sea shells, and situated between the roof rails on top of the vehicle, a Kanga "Typhoon" Roof Pouch System 3/4ths filled with luggage.
I think these Kanga brand soft pouches are excellent as they are easy folding at your destination and at home for storing when not in use. they are waterproof. they are easy to get on and off the car. they conform to the roof and can be dogged to the rails easily.
i set it back from the front of the rails a bit so as to not create a major distrubance to air flow travelling up over the hood, windshield and over the top of the pouch.
also no appreciable noise increase nor vehicle drift / controllability issues due to increased drag from the pouch.