Mazda CX-9 Real World MPG

lukesdaddy

I am considering the CX-9 as well as a few other vehicles and would like to know what realistically I could expect for MPG. If you own one, please post your MPG as well as what type of driving you do IE city/highway, mountains/flat and if you have AWD or not.

Thanks in advance for the information.

brickfrenzy

I have just under 1000 miles on my GT AWD, and my commute, which is all city and never over 45 MPH, is coming in at about 14.5 MPG, and my sole long trip, which was about 280 miles, about 2/3 of which was highway driving, was just under 20 MPG.

I'm going to be taking a couple of long highway hauls for Memorial Day this weekend. I'll be interested in seeing if I can get better than 20.

99zoomr

My FWD GT has almost 3000 miles in the last three months. My commutes are about 50% highway and 50% in-town driving without a lot of hills (Central Illinois). So far I've been averaging right around 19 - 20 mpg.

tooold

New CX-9 GT AWD @ 3500 to 4500 ft above sea level mostly highway @ 82 mph. First tank 17.75mpg. Hopefully it'll improve some. I have been leaning on it pretty hard on the on-ramps and such. It replaced a Denali XL that got 14, so I'm not complaining.

brickfrenzy

Most recent tank, all city - 15.02 MPG. So I'm right where the revised EPA ratings are.

tsmdragon

I've had my CX-9 GT FWD for about 2.5 months and my commute is about 50% hwy and 50% city and I average almost 19mpg. And I get into the gas hard occasionally too. I don't always drive as fuel economy minded as I probably should with the price of gas these days.

It replaced a Durango that was getting about 14mpg, so I'm pretty happy. I could probably get better mileage if I would not stomp the pedal so hard some times.

cude

First tank, about 60/40 hwy/city got 19.7 mpg. GT trim, towing package if it matters. Second tank about 90/10 hwy/city as it was our first long trip. We got 24 mpg out of it. I kept in manual, 6th gear as much as possible to prevent it from kicking into 5th and sometimes i noticed it tries to go into 4th up some hills. I'm going to try this out again on my next trip to see if i can repeat the result. I'm curious if anyone else has seen this kind of mpg?

imamg

Is your's 2wd or awd? Those are great numbers.

cude

2wd, i couldn't believe it myself. just filled up my 4th tank after all city driving and only got 15mpg out of it. seems like too big a difference in the city and hwy but i'll keep tracking to see. it did seem like we had to "gun" it a little more than i would like here lately. maybe my next tank will be better.

x5killer

I'm interested possibly in a Mazda CX-9 to replace my 2006 Subaru B9 Tribeca. Its between the 2008 CX-9 and the 2008 MDX.

Being that mpg of neither of these seems to have better mpg then the Tribeca and in fact slightly worse, i'm thinking I whould wait and see what other hybrids get produced.

as many suvs as there now is, its amazing how there aren't a lot of perfect or great choices and very very limited choices as far as hybrid or better mpg from a diff method.

When are we going to see more hybrids and/or bio fuel/bio diesel?

todos

Hi All, I had a an interesting gas experience today. I bought my CX9 FWD, Copper Red towing with nav, last week and decided to determine how much my first tank of gas was. I filled up last saturday and do about 50/50 highway/city.

This morning the E light came on and so i drove about 3 miles on E to the office. I left the office this evening heading home and decided to see how far this CX9 runs on E. So I drive about 10 miles from work to the nearest gas station home. When I arrived at the gas station (thanking God that the vehicle didn't run out of gas) I calculated my MPG and proceeded to fill up. Based on my calculations (329 miles/20.1 gallons) my first tank of gas registered 16.1 gallons per mile. I was somewhat disappointed but knew this going into the purchase.

Here is what threw me off . The gas station attendant filled my tank which was orignally on E and the pump recorded 17.847 gallons to fill up. Now this means to me that with an additional 2.25 gallons of gas left over in the tank prior to filling up, I should have been able to travel an additional 36 to 60miles (FWD rated 18/24) or even a little bit more which would truly bring my MPG total to any where between 19-22 MPG on my first tank. This also means that I should expect some good mileage on a long highway trip.

Now this to me solidifies the comment made by folks herein that a trip computer is relevant, because I could have done a Cosmo Kramer and squeezed out a lot more MPG has I been mroe aware of the reserve in the tank.

anyway, I love my car!!!

trini5

I am looking to buy within the next 2 weeks and was quoted the following:
Original price - $29,630
less discount - $ 2,000
====> $27,630.
I got the salesperson to give me the options at invoice price.
Moonroof/bose - $1514, Remote start - $280, Splash Guards - $100, All weather mats - $100, Alarm - $160, Roof Rack - $200. Total : $29,984. I assume I can also get the $500 mazda cash back. Has anyone gotten a better deal out there? Thks Trini5

satwar

I think you are making things a little more complicated than they have to be. Start with a topped up tank of gas, zero your trip odometer and drive until you need to fill up and again top up the tank. The mileage on your trip odometer divided by the volume of gas you put in, is your mileage rate, period. As per your example, 329 miles / 17.847 gal = 18.4 mpg.

andrewtx1

We bought our vehicle two weeks ago and promptly went on a 1,600 mile (round trip) vacation. So far, with probably 90% highway and 10% city driving, we are averaging 22.4 mpg. The best mileage on any one fill up (all highway driving) was 26.3 mpg. The very FIRST fill up (before we left on the trip) was 16.3 mpg. We averaged 23.3 on the vacation trip.

We have been VERY happy with the vehicle. We fit four people (2 adults, 2 kids) with all our beach "stuff" (2 med. suitcases, 2 smaller suit cases, beach umbrellas, cooler, chairs, etc) in the back (with 3d seat folded down) and still have visibility through the back window. The seats were VERY comfortable for an 800 mile (one way) trip (no aching back at end of journey!). Kids had plenty of room in 2nd row seat. Handling/ride was SPECTACULAR!
We are VERY pleased with our purchase so far.

cude

That's a relief to see someone with similar results. I've been seeing about the same mpg on city vs hwy. City around 16 or so and hwy a major improvement, 25 or 26 mpg. I hope more people keep posting their actual mileages. Seems like a rather large spread. Regardless, though, I agree, my family of 4 loves our CX-9 as well. No complaints.

www

I have had my Grand Touring since the last week of august. Have filled the tank 4 times not counting the full tank that I had when I picked it up from the dealer. Did not calculate the mpgs for the first tank but have for the next 4 and this is what I get

14.5
14.2
12.5
17.2
The last trip (which gave me 17 mpg) had about 220 out of the 280 miles of straight highway, otherwise the rest of the miles have been around town, with a couple of 30-60 mile round trip highway trips each tank.

Background - I used to drive a standard, I am very conscious of my driving and generally drive conservatively - No jack rabbit starts, always accelerate as smoothly as possible etc. Generally it is me and two young kids in the car - not a lot of weight.

So, I have to say I am quite disappointed. I knew my mileage would not compare to the high 20's that my standard passat got around town, but really - these numbers are pretty poor, with the exception of the one tank that gave me 17. I am not even really in the range of the 16/22 estimates. Anyone else finding the same thing? Any thoughts on how to improve this? Love the car otherwise – this is the one thing I am having a hard time accepting.
Thanks!

frugalsc

What type of gas does Mazda recommend and which type to you use?

99zoomr

My CX-9 is 2WD and I've had it for 8 months and put almost 8000 miles on it. I'd estimate that my driving is about 60% highway and 40% city driving most of the time with very few hills. For the first few thousand miles I averaged around 18 to 19mpg. It seems to be a little higher now when I check it, usually between 19 and 20mpg. The worst mileage I ever got was 16 (lots of stop and go when it only had about 2000 on the odo), and the best was 23 (mostly interstate)...

99zoomr

Runs on unleaded regular (87 octane)...

coolvibe

You did good! I purchased a CX9 Sport also. I assume you are ordering one with all the goodies installed or are you going to have those items installed?

sigepruss

So I leased a 2008 CX-9 Grand Touring AWD about a month ago. I now have a little over 1000 miles on the car and have gone through 6 tanks of gas! Given most of my miles are city driving, lots of stop and go, but my average MPG is 12 and my best ever, a tank with mostly highway miles was 14. The car drives great, I totally love it, but having the fuel light go on every 200 miles is annoying as heck. Do I bring it in to the dealer?

bdyment

Heavy stop and go traffic with a 5000lb. vehicle does equal about 12 MPG. Mostly highway should be better than 14 though. I would book an appointment.

martin_m

Here is some real data of the Fuel Usage of my 2007 CX9 Touring AWD. Please keep in mind that I drive this thing on the German Autobahn (without speed limits) Each line represents one Gas Station Stop

ltr GAL Mls km L/100km MPG
40.71 10.75 201 323 12.59 18.7
31.09 8.21 186 299 10.39 22.6
55.13 14.57 355.1 571 9.65 24.4
59.74 15.78 321.3 517 11.56 20.4
21.75 5.75 126.6 204 10.68 22.0
20.78 5.49 125 201 10.33 22.8
36.36 9.61 195 314 11.59 20.3
49.36 13.04 287.2 462 10.68 22.0
41.02 10.84 238.7 384 10.68 22.0
46.83 12.37 259.8 418 11.20 21.0
32.91 8.69 186 299 11.00 21.4
44.31 11.71 282.5 455 9.75 24.1
34.18 9.03 147.7 238 14.38 16.4
46.8 12.36 220.5 355 13.19 17.8
53.52 14.14 262.1 422 12.69 18.5
64.94 17.16 358.9 577 11.24 20.9
37.97 10.03 167.8 270 14.06 16.7
31.01 8.19 145.5 234 13.25 17.8
26.88 7.10 135.5 218 12.33 19.1
AVG MPG AVG km/100
20.5 11.6

niners99

First let me say that I love my new 2008 AWD GT CX-9. It is an awesome car to drive! Great appointments for the money. My budget was less than $40k so when I brought the car home for the first time I had to emphasize to my wife that the car was cheaper than it really looks. This being said.....

The gas mileage is extremely disappointing. I have filled up three times so far and have been getting a little less than 11mpg in city driving and about 14 highway! Although I knew that my actual mpg would differ from the estimated 15/21 mpg I did not expect this huge gap especially with the highway. Gas milage was one reason (albeit not the main reason) why I stayed away from looking at SUV's with V-8 but I might as well be driving a V-8 with this poor milage. I hope that the poor mileage is a result of some defect that will hopefully be fixed with a recall.

martin_m

Maybe it has to do with the larger size engine you have in your 2008. I sure don't miss the extra power, and as you can see, I get a fairly decent gas milage (if I don't drive like the Germans). The worst milage I got was 14MPG, the best was 24MPG. Since it's Winter time already over here & I'm not crazy, I will wait for better road conditions before I do the real world Maximum Speed Test. The fastest I had the Mazda was 115MPH the beginning of September. With speed like this, forget about 6th Gear....

99zoomr

I've had my 2007 CX-9 w/FWD with the 3.5 since last February and am about to hit the 10k mark. So far the worst mileage I've had (in stop and go city) has been 15mpg, and the best I've got on freeway driving is 23mpg. The last few tanks, with combined city/highway, have been between 19 and 20...

pulleydog

I picked up my car today from the dealer and drove home - 100 miles. The tank was filled by the dealership before I took delivery. I did approximately 85% highway driving against 20~40 MPH winds. I couldn't quite squeeze 5 gallons into it when I filled up at home. 20 mpg on a new car, fighting a head wind, isn't too shabby. Granted, it's only 1 instance, but I was starting to get nervous about the mileage I might expect in the 2008 after reading these other posts. I just wanted to let others know that those getting poor fuel economy might be the exception, rather than the rule. I was very relieved when the pump shut off at 4.7 gals. I drive about 700 miles per week (on average) so I will check back with more updates in a week or two.

kmo

I just picked up a new CX9 AWD Grand Touring. First two tanks of fuel, almost all highway driving at high speed (75-90 mph) provided 18 mpg for both tanks. I bet if I slowed down, the mileage would go up - duh. However, I'd waste more time getting where I'm headed. :shades:

99zoomr

This reminded me that one of the things I found out about the CX-9 that I wasn't aware of before I bought it was how well it handles at speeds over 70. Very stable and quiet, in my opinion...

thbarrett

I have a CX-9 GT with AWD. With just over 800 miles all city, I haven't seen better than 13.5 MPG and I am not heavy footed.

Its a great car, but if I had known how bad the gas mileage was I would of though twice.

Just my .2c

Tom

nxs138

That's about right, if it's a lot of stop and go. Heck, even the venerable Acadia that supposedly gets good mileage is only rated 16 mpg in the city (for both AWD and FWD).

Sounds like you need the new Highlander hybrid: I think it gets about 26 or 27 mpg in the city? Starts at $34k, though, for the base model.

onepeople

Yeah, the gas mileage is ridiculous. I knew it wouldn't be great, but it's worse than advertised. I get 20 highway if I'm lucky.

niners99

I have about 2.2k miles on my 2008 AWD GT. In San Francisco, I get anywhere from 11-13 mpg city driving. On the freeway I have been getting anywhere from 15 to 17 driving about 65-70 mph. Great car; fun to drive but gas milage is really bad! A friend of mine drives a Yukon V8 gets similar gas milage! The dealer who sold me the car thinks this is odd too. The car will be closely examined when I bring it in for my 3k mile service which will be very soon. I'll post the results when I get them.

scottinky

reading this forum, i am glad I didn't opt for a CUV, my Armada gets as good
of mileage in the city. Takes a lot of V6 pedal to move a big CUV, less foot
with the big V8!

pulleydog

On my trip today from the Springfield MA area to Allentown, PA and back, I averaged 22.5 MPG. Of course, that is almost all highway, but it also included numerous traffic jams on the way down and back - some due to the normal stuff and some due to yesterday's storm. When it was clear in front of me, I was going about 70 ~ 75 MPH.
22.5...That's what I was averaging in my Subaru - a car that weighs at least 1/3 less, was 4-cyl (albeit a Turbo) and took Premium gas. I can now go well over 400 miles on a tank of Regular gas with highway driving. And since I typically see my worst gas mileage in the winter months, I expect the mileage to improve after the first couple of oil changes (I may switch to full synthetic) and when the warmer weather arrives. No complaints about the gas mileage here.

imamg

Is your's awd? I'm curious how it performs (if so) thru the snow ...

jb03

New CX-9 GT FWD owner. First fill up was about 16.5 gallons with about 360 miles according to the wife. This works out to about 21.8 mpg right of the lot. Needless to say, I was a bit surprised after reading some of the low mileage here. This first tank was based on about 70/30 Hwy/City driving. The next tank will be more City driving so I'll post the results soon.

Regards,
JB

haymista

I am not counting the complimentary tank from the dealership since I don't know if it was topped off. 90% of my driving will always be in the city with most trips around 10 minutes or less. I got 16.4 mpg and I was pleasantly surprised after reading a few threads. This weekend I have a rare 2 hour trip each way, and I will update the forum.

I bought the 07 because I could not tell a difference in performance after test driving both and I got a much better deal. Have there been better mpg reports on the 07 as opposed to 08 models, or are they identical?

pulleydog

Yes, mine is AWD.
Even though we've had 2 snow storms, I really don't have enough personal experience driving IN the snow with this vehicle to comment. I assume the AWD will help to get me through the snow, but I also suspect the size and weight will pose a bit of a problem when it comes time to 'stopping' in the white stuff.....we'll see.

nxs138

My current car (Audi) is AWD. I found that it's the tires that make the difference in the snow, not so much the AWD. The AWD will help in accelerating and going up steep hills in wintery conditions (simply because all 4 wheels are moving), but a good set of tires makes all the difference.

Not sure how good the CX-9 tires are. Haven't driven one in the snow yet.

imamg

What tires do you run on your audi? size/make etc...

nxs138

Keep in mind my tires are Ultra High Performance tires (all season), since this is for a car, not SUV. They are Nitto Neo Gen, 225 40/18. Low profile, but the grip on snow is better than the Pirellis P-Zero Nero M/S I was running before. I'm not sure if the difference is in the tread pattern or the chemical composition of the tire, but I can move and turn through the snow and slightly icy roads better than I could with the Pirellis (even when the Pirellis were new).

I find that the Pirellis were better for dry weather, i.e. cornering, etc--they felt sportier and somewhat more responsive. Maybe the Pirelli sidewalls were stiffer...who knows. But the Nittos are more confident in the rain and in the snow, so it's a good compromise.

haymista

First tank 16.4 100% city. 2nd tank was 18.5 50/50 city/highway. 3rd tank was 20.8 with 100% highway. Now I am back to my normal routine of 90-100% city, and I got 16.2 with lots of stop and go and short trips less than 10 minutes. These tanks were completely filled for accurate measurement. While filling up, I can nurse about another 1.2 gallons after the gas pump stops. The MPG is about what I expected so I am happy. This is a large practical car, and I know it is much better than a Suburban or other SUVs that offer a 3rd row.

kcwhodey

I purchased my '08 CX-9 Touring AWD in November and have filled it 5 times since. I have only crossed the 16 MPG threshold once (16.7), and that was after significant highway driving; all four other tanks were in the 13.3 to 14.1 range, on mostly city driving. I am hoping this is due to the fact that we have had some ice and snow that required more than normal use of AWD, but that has accounted for maybe only 15-20% of drive time over the last two months. Otherwise, I have carried little weight in car. Not good!

msuvet

I have about 1500 miles on my AWD GT, have had it since the beginning of November.

I've averaged around 16.5 on my fill-ups. I drive a mix of highway & city, and usually drive 76-78 mph on the freeway.

bbcx9

Hi all, I'm a newbie to the forum and just got my CX-9 Sport AWD three weeks ago. So far, I'm very happy with the purchase - it's a superb car. The downside, like most have indicated, is that real world mpg could be better. My first fill gave 16.5 with about 70/30 city/highway. My second fill only gave 13.3 with 100% city driving. No heavy load and conservative driving all the time. Hope it gets better! Overall, the positives are far outweighing the poor gas mileage, so I'm not complaining too much, but thought I'd add to the real world data posted here. Happy motoring.

kj123

Just filled up for the first time, CX9 touring (not AWD). Averaged 18mpg with 75% City driving. My Tahoe averaged 14mpg under the same scenario, so I'm at least moving in the right direction.

niners99

I have had my CX-9 Grand AWD since 10/31/07. Currently I have been averaging about 18.4 mpg with mostly freeway driving, and about 12-13 mpg with mostly city driving (albeit in hilly San Francisco). The maintenance manager at the dealership suggested that after a long drive and/or a period of time mpg MIGHT improve as the engine breaks in. I have had several long trips and with about 5.7k miles on my car to date milage has only improved by about 1 mile.

jchcraig

Yes my mileage sucks I now have 5,000 miles on an AWD and still I am only getting 12 mpg in city and 15.5 mpg on the highway at 65 mph. I drove up from Houston, TX to St. John, NB at the beginning of the year. On the trip up using regular gas I got 13.6 pulling a little 4x6 trailer and 14.7 is the best using premium gas on nice freeways. The weather was great and the temperature did not seem to affect the mileage. I do have the dealer checking with Mazda and will be bring the SUV in for service to have the computer checked.

imamg

U know you're not supposed to be using premium gas though right?

kenmarc

16.5 mpg, 90/10 city/hwy, nothing over 60 mph. Not too bad. Our 04 Pilot was always 18-19. I would hope with the 6spd, it should be able to accomplish that.