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Now something I have noticed with my vehicle is when I am going about 50-60 and roll down the windows (the other day was warm and my 6yr old wanted to try out the windows) my ears hurt a bit, and my wife agreed... so is this normal?
Nothing big, just my new experiences on the vehicle. Anyone have the same on their M5?
Engine vibration on these engines is a normal characteristic that they posses. Is it bad? No Is it annoying at times? Yes. But it is one of those things you will have to live with, I learned to live with it and now I do not even notice it.
Wind buffeting noise is annoying on our MZ5 because the shape of the car. If you think the front windows make the buffeting noise try lowering the rears, its even worse. It will ususlly go away if you roll down a front window.
I've been sort of bummed from the get-go about the relatively high RPMs my manual five speed turns at 65-70mph. It got much worse when I read today that the Feds report that the 2010 Camaro w/ 3.6L V6+6speed manual is capable of 29mpg highway.
Don't see why I couldn't break 30 if Mazda had given us a 6-speed.
right where I should be, in the middle between 21 and 27. My car only has 2000 miles on it, so it isn't even broken in yet. So far, I'm very pleased with the car.
I've had mini-vans for years (everything from an MPV to a Caravan, to the Windstar). To me the Mazda 5 is a micro-van and I've been very happy with it.
I'm getting 23 mpg around town and 28-29 mpg highway - my typical mileage on one tank of gas in mixed driving is around 25 mpg. Very respectable and not out of line with what I was expecting.
Thanks!
http://www.autoweek.com/article/20090824/CARNEWS/908249995
2009 M5 with MT. 2 people, generally around 65 MPH
This was not gentle driving - Packasport cargo box on the roof plus 3 bicycles on Thule hitch mount rack on the back. Tent camping gear for 4 plus all the college stuff eastbound. Speeds as fast as the flow of traffic, usually 70-80+ mph. But only 2 people on board except for the middle 1800 mile part (the girls of the family flew back east and only did Buffalo-Boston-Maine-Buffalo).
Including driving around while there had 516 miles on the tank when I returned and put in 15.37 gal for 33.57 mpg. ( 90% hwy miles)
The only " tricks " I used to get this milage was to set the tires near max pressure, and use the cruise set at 68 mph max. From past experience, I have found that milage drops off fairly fast as you pass 70 mph.
Tanks tracked so far:
264 miles / 10.703 gal = 24.7 mpg
264 miles / 9.700 gal = 27.2 mpg
368 miles / 13.146 gal = 28.0 mpg
That last tank was my experiment to see when the low fuel light would come one. 15.9 gallons total, right? So something like 2.8 gallons left in "reserve" after the light.
Is my 5 crying 'uncle' too soon, compared with what yours does?
Got a bit over 31 mpg, and again, all I did was make sure the tires were at max pressure, use the cruise control when possible and keep it below 70 mph.
I really don't understand how people are getting only mid 20's from the 5. I average around 28mpg around town
The ION was similar 4cyl 2.2L vs 4cyl 2.3L, both automatic but the 5 is about 800lbs heavier. (In fact the length, width, turning radius are almost identical which is why this was the perfect replacement for the ION, but I'm getting off topic). Using 87 octane.
So based on some of the other posts, I'll try to keep it under 70 on the highway and see if that helps. I also can't vouch for the dealer 'topping' it off, but it was very close to full.
I have more new data too as I just got back from another long trip. We went from milwaukee to yellowstone and then on to arco ID to see craters of the moon nat'l monument, nearly 3700 miles total, and to avoid using ethenol gas in yellowstone, I wound up trying premium.
Suprisingly, the premium gas produced higher mpg. Previous best was 34 mpg in an unusual drive of 60 mph with no air, no wind and level terrain.
New best of 35.04 mpg was in moderately hilly, 68 mph with air on, only difference being the premium fuel.
In mountainous yellowstone with a speed limit of 45 mph I also saw 34 mpg with 87 octane and a new record of 39 mpg with premium. ( the 5 gets really good milage in the mountains for some reason).
I think that the motor must allow more timing advance with higher octane to produce these results. To my mind this probally means that there would be no advantage for low load city type driving.
I did save a tiny bit on my total trip fuel costs as the mpg improvement was slightly higher than the % increase of the premium fuel, with the added advantage, at least for out west driving is extended range. 16 gallons at 35 mpg is 560 miles.
Larry
My average, with basically 100% city driving, has been about 18 mpg.
On a road trip last summer to Michigan, our top mpg was 33.6 on the highway.
I was expecting better - and this most recent reading really floored me. Surely I can't be *that* much of a lead foot! Very strange...
Dave
Well, as for the most recent reading... where do you live? Here in NJ, we get reformulated gas in the winters and mileage drops quite a bit.
As to your driving... how do you drive? I've always gotten superior mileage with a stick vs automatic. I've read the best way to get good mileage in a manual trans car is "foot to the floor and short shift." So you can pin the go pedal, but just shift 2500rpms or so and you should do OK.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
I don't generally wait to shift at higher rpms, so that shouldn't be much of an issue.
I don't know much about the gas we get here, though I do generally opt for the mid-range octane choice. Maybe I should try the higher octane gas to see if that makes even a bit of difference.
I was just surprised to see that my mileage was so much lower than seemingly everyone else's that I came across on the forum. Two or three mpg's wouldn't be cause for alarm, but six or eight less sure seems odd.
Dave
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
I checked the manual and it says the proscribed speed to upshift from 2>3 for "cruising" from would be at 18 mph, and from 3>4 29 mph.
I've pretty much always shifted my manuals over the years from 2>3 at about 27 or 28 mph, and from 3>4 at 38 or above (with adjustments for hilly conditions, etc.).
Assuming their recommendations take into consideration fuel economy and general engine health, it looks like I might benefit from lowering my shifting points quite a bit.
It also has a grid with general upshift recommendations for "acceleration", which I presume would be not for cruising but accelerating to top speed - which specify 24 mph for 2>3, and 34 mph for 3>4.
Either way, I come out well above those numbers with my usual practices.
I've always felt funny cruising along for any length of time with the tachometer stuck down on the lower end of the register, feeling like it might be putting undue strain on something in the engine or transmission. (Worst case scenario, sitting in the passenger seat while someone else rolls around a corner in third gear...!)
Is there an optimal range to observe for rpm's?
Dave
My Sport5MT is usually in 5th at 40mph, no issues, and I tend to use the tallest gear that works in the given situation. Which is, actually, how many modern automatics are programmed for best fuel economy (to the point where enthusiastic drivers will gripe, for vehicles where "kickdown" to a lower gear doesn't occur quickly/seamlessly).
Just a data point.
As to your question... if I'm dealing with low-speed city driving, I only look to keep it at 1500 rpms or above. So if I'm driving so slow that 4th gear puts me at, let's say, 1800, but 5th would be 1300, then I use 4th. If you do need to put your foot down while cruising at such low rpms, then you simply downshift.
Let us know how you make out.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
Dave