At almost 2500 miles, I am seeing 24-27 in mixed driving. I have yet to make an all highway trip.
You guys getting 30mpg are the ones I don't want to be behind at lights.
You guys getting 30mpg are the ones I don't want to be behind at lights.
If you use Premium (93 octane), you will get better mileage. There's a MazdaForum.com member Shippo that vehemently oppose to this concept, however, I've owned more than 20 different cars since I've been driving since 1985 and never had engine issue(s) as a result. I would say you will get instant 1 to 2 mpg improvement over regular unleaded.
Even when I had an 87 MR2 I only ever have used 87 Octane. There is zero difference except is one thing: the price at the pump. For "1 or 2MPG instant difference" I'm not going to pay 0.10 to 0.15 cents more per litre. I've never had engine issues on any vehical and blamed the gas for it.
I like giving my MZ5 a full tank of Shell Premium every once in a while. For my new Speed3, I give it Plus but filled up with full tank of Shell Premium the other day. For this car, I saw an instant increase of about 2MPG and engine shakes less, maybe the knock sensor is working less? Who knows. Anyway, not trying to convince anyone of anything here. Whichever makes sense for you that's the right answer. There's no right or wrong answer, just stating my experience.
For the Speed3, a I didn't know you were referring to that car (oops) ...and you are right, use what works for you.
I like giving my MZ5 a full tank of Shell Premium every once in a while. For my new Speed3, I give it Plus but filled up with full tank of Shell Premium the other day. For this car, I saw an instant increase of about 2MPG and engine shakes less, maybe the knock sensor is working less? Who knows. Anyway, not trying to convince anyone of anything here. Whichever makes sense for you that's the right answer. There's no right or wrong answer, just stating my experience.
No biggie, I love both cars either way. Hopefully, in the next few years, if Mazda continue to offer Mazda5 here in the U.S., we'd be talking about high 30's for MPG on the highway, not upper 20's. I have a feeling that a lot of the part or maybe the whole engine is a leftover from the Mazda-Ford days (you can see this when you remove the engine cover). I'm not saying that's the reason why engine is not that fuel efficient but maybe it's not totally a Mazda engine. I just can't see Mazda can sell the 5 in Japan markets with the 2.5L engine as the fuel prices over there is more than double, let alone rest of the world.
It is indeed a Ford relic; it's a Duratec engine with slight Mazda modifications done to it. The MZR25 is a placeholder until the new Sky-2.5G comes online in full. It'll go into the 2014 Mazda6 first, followed most likely by the CX-5, then the Mazda3 (I presume as the range-topping non-Speed engine), then if we still have the Mazda5 in North America, it'll go there last. Most markets with the Mazda5 don't see the MZR2.5 at all.
It was Ford who commissioned Mazda to design the whole line of MZR/Duratec I-4 engines in the early 2000's. The MZR is a Mazda design that was engineered to go 275,000 without any major problems. They are very dependable engines and Mazda engineered them well. So well, that Ford is the only car manufacturer that is still using them in new eco-boost models, and has no intentions of getting rid of them anytime soon. The transmissions that Mazda uses for the 5 has a lot to do with gas mileage too. The transmission is the other half of the mpg equation. 28-30 mpg's highway for the 5 isn't bad for a vehicle that has a curb weight of 3,457 lbs. A co-worker of mine has a 2008 Cobalt that only gets 28-31 mpg's on the highway, and that is a compact car. I have been pleased with the mpg's of my 2010 5, it isn't the best of them all, but it is competitive.