Very disapointing fuel economy from recent roadtrip...

[buyingconstant7]

Oh my, wow. I can't believe this thread blew up in a few days! Anyways, I'd like to clear up some controversy with the drive and driving style on that trip:
1) All figures were hand calculated(she has a log book and has records of all of her cars from 2006 and newer)
2) Her tires are already at 40PSI, the dealer sets all their cars to that pressure for whatever reason
3) She drives easy however on the highway she sets the cruise and forgets it
4) Yes wind drag will obviously play a massive role in MPG however a car that should get 30mpg got 21 on the highway, doing reasonable speeds. Thats ludicrous!

I don't care how much science plays a role, my diesel Jetta gets identical mileage at 60mph, than at 70. At 80, it drops by 2mpg. But then again it's a diesel car so that's different.

Back to her frustration, her Tiguan with PERMANENT AWD(never switches to FWD), its turbo engine and in winter conditions(got down to -35c), got 26mpg the whole trip from Calgary to Winnipeg and back. And even with that, she was hoping for better, let alone summer conditions in her new car supposed to get better mileage, yet it got 1mpg worse than her Tiguan did in the dead of winter. But oh well. There's nothing wrong with her car, in her 70% highway commute of 100 miles a day, shes getting 33mpg and is thrilled with that, so I guess these CX-5's fall flat on their face when posed with actually working hard. Can't say I'm that happy with it in that regard. Oh well, I guess the roadtrip tasks will be given to my TDI...I can always count on it to put a big smile on my face when observing fuel economy...

 

[yrwei52]

Honda has tried to cover up the engine revving and rubber-band feel of the CR-V's CVT, but during hard acceleration it has the same droning, rubber band feeling I so dislike.
And Honda's traditional powertrain refinement is missing in action because of noticeable vibration at idle and low engine speeds.

Before its 2015 re-do, the CR-V was one of the most comfortable riding small SUVs.
Not anymore.
Bumps, ruts and broken pavement come through as hard rubbery knocks, taking away from comfort.

The AWD system is not the most confidence inspiring either.
Driving on slippery surfaces, it usually spins the front tires on take-off, then power transfers to the rear momentarily to get you going.

Honda's infotainment systems have become too complex in recent years, growing more frustrating and distracting to use.
The one in the new CR-V is the worst yet. There no knobs, the onscreen logic is unintuitive and the hard buttons are too tiny and hard to use.

Most interior plastics are hard to the touch, except for a small band of stitched padded material that runs across most of the dashboard. There are wide gaps between some panels, especially where the dashboard meets the windshield pillars. Pretty shoddy.

With all the reasons you mentioned above on new Honda CR-V, especially the CVT, which made me giving up the CR-V even though our 98' CR-V is so reliable. And I fully aware Honda is not the Honda used to be although a 9-speed auto tranny is going to be offered for next-gen 7-seater CR-V in EU market.

But CX-5 isn't perfect either. Live Traffic feature advertised in its sales brochure is simply MIA. The A-pillar trim is weathered and crooked and there's a TSB for it.

 

[jhu8]

You think our CX-5 is perfect and it can't be criticized for anything otherwise it's trolling? Very funny! I fully understand the advantages and deficiencies of the CX-5 so that when I make recommendations there's no surprises! I give my honest opinions as well as facts and I don't bury my head in the sand. See other's opinions and facts you don't like and start some sort of petsonal attack or tell people selling the car is only showing your true color.

Out of curiosity, how many CX-5's you've persuaded your friends and families getting one? And how many "How To" posts or threads you've posted in this forum?

That is not what I said. My claim of you trolling is because you constantly complain about the cx5, yet you claim that you always recommend the vehicle. I just don't get how someone who complains as much as you do, would then recommend that same vehicle. Like I said, makes no sense.

Yes, our cx5 can be criticized. I've discussed things I don't like. Mainly the navigation system.

I've gotten a co-worker to get one and my fiance will be getting one at some point. I haven't posted anything in the how to personally . But what's your point?

 

[Unobtanium]

That is not what I said. My claim of you trolling is because you constantly complain about the cx5, yet you claim that you always recommend the vehicle. I just don't get how someone who complains as much as you do, would then recommend that same vehicle. Like I said, makes no sense.

Yes, our cx5 can be criticized. I've discussed things I don't like. Mainly the navigation system.

I've gotten a co-worker to get one and my fiance will be getting one at some point. I haven't posted anything in the how to personally . But what's your point?

His point is, that this thread is about a negative aspect of the CX-5, and he shared his opinion in agreement, as have I, and as have multiple others.

Why don't you go look at the threads about the POSITIVES about the CX-5 where he and I have shared THAT aspect of the vehicle, along with others, and accuse us of being paid Mazda spokes people. It makes as much sense as what you and a couple of others are doing in this thread...

 

[jhu8]

His point is, that this thread is about a negative aspect of the CX-5, and he shared his opinion in agreement, as have I, and as have multiple others.

Why don't you go look at the threads about the POSITIVES about the CX-5 where he and I have shared THAT aspect of the vehicle, along with others, and accuse us of being paid Mazda spokes people. It makes as much sense as what you and a couple of others are doing in this thread...

Then his point doesn't make sense or isn't what you're implying. I get what you're saying but he asked how many people I've recommended the cx5 to and how many how to posts I've done. I didn't understand what that had to do with anything that we were discussing. It's all a moot point and quite frankly doesn't mean anything to me. The cx5 is just like any other pieces of consumer product out there. Full of positives and negatives. That's it.

Side note, I think the predictive awd system plays more of a role in gas mileage than we think. It's been raining constantly here in Maryland. And maybe it's just coincidence but I feel gas mileage is always worst when it's raining. Perhaps the system is running in awd more in preparation for slipping.

 

[erhayes]

My 2014 CX5 2.5T FWD just turned in 28.67mpg over 1,836 miles. I also checked the government site, where CX5 owners turn in their real world mileage and they averaged 28 mpg (24-31) which is over the EPA est of 27 combined. That suggests that poor MPG is the result of poor driving technique or a defective vehicle but, I suspect the former. Ed

 

[Dr. Awkward]

My 2014 CX5 2.5T FWD just turned in 28.67mpg over 1,836 miles. I also checked the government site, where CX5 owners turn in their real world mileage and they averaged 28 mpg (24-31) which is over the EPA est of 27 combined. That suggests that poor MPG is the result of poor driving technique or a defective vehicle but, I suspect the former. Ed

I routinely get 28 to 30 MPG in my FWD CX (PB was 34) but I do use some basic hypermiling techniques.

http://www.cleanmpg.com/community/index.php?threads/15044/

 

[piotrek91]

Oh my, wow. I can't believe this thread blew up in a few days! Anyways, I'd like to clear up some controversy with the drive and driving style on that trip:
1) All figures were hand calculated(she has a log book and has records of all of her cars from 2006 and newer)
2) Her tires are already at 40PSI, the dealer sets all their cars to that pressure for whatever reason
3) She drives easy however on the highway she sets the cruise and forgets it
4) Yes wind drag will obviously play a massive role in MPG however a car that should get 30mpg got 21 on the highway, doing reasonable speeds. Thats ludicrous!

Your story doesn't add up.

In your fuelly log you wrote that your sister drove back the whole way by herself and that she drove like a maniac.
Looks to me like your mom got a respectable 28MPG on the way there driving around 115kph and your sister got ~23MPG on the way back driving 130kph "like a maniac".

Also, it makes no sense to compare the 26MPG your mom's Tiguan once got in winter (likely driving below 100kph) to driving the CX-5 at 130kph in the summer.

 

[Lbear]

Your story doesn't add up.

In your fuelly log you wrote that your sister drove back the whole way by herself and that she drove like a maniac.
Looks to me like your mom got a respectable 28MPG on the way there driving around 115kph and your sister got ~23MPG on the way back driving 130mph "like a maniac".

Also, it makes no sense to compare the 26MPG your mom's Tiguan once got in winter (likely driving below 100kph) to driving the CX-5 at 130kph in the summer.

Good find! It's like an episode of Perry Mason.

 

[piotrek91]

Good find! It's like an episode of Perry Mason.

lol!
gotta keep the CX-5 safe from false accusations!

 

[Unobtanium]

Then his point doesn't make sense or isn't what you're implying. I get what you're saying but he asked how many people I've recommended the cx5 to and how many how to posts I've done. I didn't understand what that had to do with anything that we were discussing. It's all a moot point and quite frankly doesn't mean anything to me. The cx5 is just like any other pieces of consumer product out there. Full of positives and negatives. That's it.

Side note, I think the predictive awd system plays more of a role in gas mileage than we think. It's been raining constantly here in Maryland. And maybe it's just coincidence but I feel gas mileage is always worst when it's raining. Perhaps the system is running in awd more in preparation for slipping.

I have not noted much change, rain or not , unless standing water is causing drag. My highway trips were all in the dry. Best I ever got was around 28 to and from tulsa.

 

[buyingconstant7]

Your story doesn't add up.

In your fuelly log you wrote that your sister drove back the whole way by herself and that she drove like a maniac.
Looks to me like your mom got a respectable 28MPG on the way there driving around 115kph and your sister got ~23MPG on the way back driving 130kph "like a maniac".

Also, it makes no sense to compare the 26MPG your mom's Tiguan once got in winter (likely driving below 100kph) to driving the CX-5 at 130kph in the summer.

No you're right it doesn't add up. I added sister when I should've put "mom" on fuelly. I corrected it. When I added the fill up from her log, she said she drove 130km/h the whole way. 130km/h=80mph exactly. I say "maniac" because that's 20km/h over the speed limit and she usually drives within the speed limit, but knowing her, it would've taken her an hour to accelerate up to 130.

Yes, I recognize that she got 28mpg going there, but she was going slower and driving downhill. Doing 80mph on the way back, she got as low as 21mpg(which is what a half ton V8 pickup would get) and as high as 24.9mpg.

And with the Tiguan going to Winnipeg in the winter, I clearly remember I had the cruise control set to 120km/h the whole way with 3 people in the back with their luggage. The CX-5 had warmer temps and lighter weight on it's side, yet it does noticeably worse on fuel just because speed was 8mph higher.

All I'm saying is, it's disappointing to find out that these busy engines have to work so hard to perform a task that many cars would not even notice doing(like high speed highway driving). With the high road noise, buzzy engine and taking the massive hit on MPG, the CX-5 is best suited for local driving with some bits of highway.

 

[Dr. Awkward]

lol!
gotta keep the CX-5 safe from false accusations!

Just about every car forum has a thread where a couple of posters claim that they just cannot get decent mpg from their respective vehicles.
They are almost identical to this one and feature the same two or three people continuously making the same claim; no matter what they do their cars are getting poor mileage.

Here is an example:
http://www.hyundai-forums.com/sonat...367-my-sonata-hybrid-only-getting-28-mpg.html

After years of reading similar redundant posts and other members' attempts to enlighten and help this tiny percentage of complainers, I have drawn some conclusions:
1. some people just don't know have to drive their (insert vehicle) properly
2. some of these folks may not be legitimate (not saying any of you here ARE doing this, just that it is possible SOMEONE easily could be)

 

[Unobtanium]

Just about every car forum has a thread where a couple of posters claim that they just cannot get decent mpg from their respective vehicles.
They are almost identical to this one and feature the same two or three people continuously making the same claim; no matter what they do their cars are getting poor mileage.

Here is an example:
http://www.hyundai-forums.com/sonat...367-my-sonata-hybrid-only-getting-28-mpg.html

After years of reading similar redundant posts and other members' attempts to enlighten and help this tiny percentage of complainers, I have drawn some conclusions:
1. some people just don't know have to drive their (insert vehicle) properly
2. some of these folks may not be legitimate (not saying any of you here ARE doing this, just that it is possible SOMEONE easily could be)

Exactly how would you have me drive my vehicle differently than I do now?

 

[Dr. Awkward]

On the Sonata Hybrid forum just after the hybrid was introduced back in 2011, a member popped up and began posting about all the problems he was having with his hybrid.
Every issue that was ever posted by all the other members would happen to him.
His last claim was that Hyundai had seized his Sonata and he was awaiting a buyout.

His threads:
http://www.hyundai-forums.com/search.php?searchid=21041033

For perspective, there were some serious issues with the first gen Sonata Hybrid.
I knew first hand about the most serious, sudden loss of power that usually could be overcome by stopping and turning the car off and back on. A reset.
I began detailing my experiences with corporate and was assigned a case mgr. He set me up for a Hybrid Power Control Unit ($4200, I saw the invoice) replacement.
It took all day and the tech at the dealership was online with Hyundai engineers most of the 6 hours he spent swapping out the HPCU.

Later it was determined that the HPCUs were not the problem but the connecting bolts on them couldn't support the massive electrical loads it had to carry and Hyundai began replacing just them. I ended up being one of a very few owners that had the expensive HPCU replaced.

I also communicated with a member of Hyundai's US problem resolution team. While documenting my experiences I pointed out to both Hyundai employees some of the ridiculous claims being made on that forum and that I thought something was not right about one member's reputed experiences.

My contacts never confirmed that my concerns were responsible for the unprecedented step of a Hyundai engineer joining that forum.
The engineer, thru PMs, got info on the problems and the VIN of the vehicles involved.
Interestingly two of the most rabid whiners failed to communicate at all with said engineer and vanished. Other members were assisted and most issues were resolved.
I was PM'ing with the Hyundai rep but we did not post about the two primary complainers who disappeared.
He stayed active for about 6 months and then wasn't really getting any more business and stopped.

So bear in mind that this is the internet and forum managers (or other members) really do not have any way to verify if a member is a real owner or bogus or a paid troll.
In conclusion, the Mazda CX sub-forum is one of the most active auto venues I have found which says a lot about the popularity of these SUVs.
Mazda's business plan since ditching Ford has been to focus on the driving experience and fuel economy, culling the truck and mini van products and offering best in class vehicles.
The CX 5s, the Mazda 3, and now the CX 3s are selling well and the new CX 9s will too.
The 6 is in a tougher market having to battle Camrys, Accords, Fusions, etc., etc. but overall the rebuilt Mazda brand is in fine shape here and around the world.

 

[craigo]

Just about every car forum has a thread where a couple of posters claim that they just cannot get decent mpg from their respective vehicles.
They are almost identical to this one and feature the same two or three people continuously making the same claim; no matter what they do their cars are getting poor mileage.

Here is an example:
http://www.hyundai-forums.com/sonat...367-my-sonata-hybrid-only-getting-28-mpg.html

After years of reading similar redundant posts and other members' attempts to enlighten and help this tiny percentage of complainers, I have drawn some conclusions:
1. some people just don't know have to drive their (insert vehicle) properly
2. some of these folks may not be legitimate (not saying any of you here ARE doing this, just that it is possible SOMEONE easily could be)

Or they make up things to support whatever claim they've made... it's a weird phenomenon but happens on pretty much every internet forum.

 

[buyingconstant7]

If you guys are accusing me of falsely claiming that the CX-5 is bad on fuel, well you're wrong. I'm not. In it's daily commute it gets fantastic fuel economy, above 30mpg(highest so far is 35) on each tank. HOWEVER, I'm accusing the CX-5 of getting poor mileage at higher speeds, where most cars would not notice it and therefor be largely unaffected, such as the previous car, the Tiguan, which was replaced by the CX-5 which got better mpg in the winter, riding on 19' wheels that were 255mm wide. And yet the CX-5 has 17's at 225mm wide, which had a lighter load and warmer temps, yet it got worse since the engine needed to work harder. I have the evidence of both Tiguan and CX-5 fuel economy doing long trips, thanks to my fuelly logs. For a more apples to apples comparison, let's take a look at the Tiguans mileage last summer(not in the winter, since we do visit Winnipeg a lot). Overall MPG was 30.2mpg on the way there and way back. Albeit speeds may have been 5km/h slower than the CX-5 but we did have a fierce cross wind as I recall, for about 1/3 of the trip. Yet with the CX-5 it's overall MPG was 26.5. Yet on local commutes, the CX-5 gets about 2mpg better than the Tiguan did. So it just shows how hard the 2.5 has to work in this car just go at highway speeds. I love the CX-5 but it's a disappointment on long trips, that's all. Don't believe my numbers? Look at my fuelly profile and find "Tiggy R-Line", the 2014 Tiguan. The summer trip to Winnipeg was near the last fillups we did with it before it was traded in, so you don't have to go digging through logs, just read my notes on the fillups and look at the corresponding MPG.

 

[craigo]

If you guys are accusing me of falsely claiming that the CX-5 is bad on fuel, well you're wrong. I'm not. In it's daily commute it gets fantastic fuel economy, above 30mpg(highest so far is 35) on each tank. HOWEVER, I'm accusing the CX-5 of getting poor mileage at higher speeds, where most cars would not notice it and therefor be largely unaffected, such as the previous car, the Tiguan, which was replaced by the CX-5 which got better mpg in the winter, riding on 19' wheels that were 255mm wide. And yet the CX-5 has 17's at 225mm wide, which had a lighter load and warmer temps, yet it got worse since the engine needed to work harder. I have the evidence of both Tiguan and CX-5 fuel economy doing long trips, thanks to my fuelly logs. For a more apples to apples comparison, let's take a look at the Tiguans mileage last summer(not in the winter, since we do visit Winnipeg a lot). Overall MPG was 30.2mpg on the way there and way back. Albeit speeds may have been 5km/h slower than the CX-5 but we did have a fierce cross wind as I recall, for about 1/3 of the trip. Yet with the CX-5 it's overall MPG was 26.5. Yet on local commutes, the CX-5 gets about 2mpg better than the Tiguan did. So it just shows how hard the 2.5 has to work in this car just go at highway speeds. I love the CX-5 but it's a disappointment on long trips, that's all. Don't believe my numbers? Look at my fuelly profile and find "Tiggy R-Line", the 2014 Tiguan. The summer trip to Winnipeg was near the last fillups we did with it before it was traded in, so you don't have to go digging through logs, just read my notes on the fillups and look at the corresponding MPG.

Not you, the other guy and his wild statements that have gone on for awhile.

MPG's are complicated and there are many, many variables that it is difficult to do a true apples to apples comparison outside of a laboratory - terrain, driving style, gearing, tire pressure, energy density of the fuel... any of these things can push it around.
Lets say you gassed up at a station that didn't have ethanol in the fuel and one that did a year later - you could even see a ~1-3 mpg drop from that alone. Fuelly is handy because you'll even out these day by day variations. With hundreds of drivers and thousands of trips you get a more accurate picture of performance over time than any single trip you take can give you.

And finally, how you calculate your MPG is very important if it matters that much to you. Measurement errors abounds if you do it manually using some station's pump - how do you know how much fuel was actually used? In a lab (or EPA test) they will precisely measure the fuel consumed by emptying the tank after the test. Instead try this: reset the onboard once you're on the highway. It gets it right off the ECU's input to the injectors.

 

[buyingconstant7]

I never said they were cheap, but now that I think of it...they kinda are. I love these cars to bits and I think they are the best in the CUV class, however they aren't built as well as something like a Tiguan. Slam the door on the Tiguan and slam it on the CX-5. Also take a look at fit and finish, material quality, panel gaps on the sheet metal, metal thickness, etc. There is no doubt in my mind that the Tiguan is built better. But the Tiguan suffers from many other problems, like the lemon engine under its hood suffering from zillions of common problems, high maintenance and expensive maintenance. Not to mention absolutely 0 value and being too small especially for its price. So the Tiguan has its own problems but so does the Mazda. The Mazda definitely feels much cheaper, the infotainment system(on 2013-2015 models only) is terrible, the Bluetooth system is not user friendly at all, the Tiguan was much more straightforward for voice commands), the engine sounds buzzy, and it has lots of road noise. There's no car without faults, but the Mazda is still a better car...much better.

Also don't believe me on the quality? The hood on the Mazda vibrates shakes on the highway. When I test drove a 2016 with 55 kms on it, the hood shake was even worse. And the Tiguan hood never had that issue. That's just one example.

 

[yrwei52]

If you guys are accusing me of falsely claiming that the CX-5 is bad on fuel, well you're wrong.
...
For a more apples to apples comparison, let's take a look at the Tiguans mileage last summer(not in the winter, since we do visit Winnipeg a lot). Overall MPG was 30.2mpg on the way there and way back. Albeit speeds may have been 5km/h slower than the CX-5 but we did have a fierce cross wind as I recall, for about 1/3 of the trip. Yet with the CX-5 it's overall MPG was 26.5. Yet on local commutes, the CX-5 gets about 2mpg better than the Tiguan did. So it just shows how hard the 2.5 has to work in this car just go at highway speeds. I love the CX-5 but it's a disappointment on long trips, that's all.

I have the exact same feeling that while city gas mileage is fine on our AWD CX-5, but the highway gas mileage is way off the EPA mark. For those who accused us don't know how to drive to save the fuel, we're comparing two different vehicles with the same driver and similar environment. In my case our old Honda CR-V AWD can easily beat EPA highway MPGs, especially those EPA marks are from old EPA test cycle which is unfavorable driving at current higher highway speed!

I hate to see people start questioning the authenticity of the posters whenever the topic is negative towards CX-5. I still remember a sales guy from a Canadian Mazda dealer mentioned dealer's CX-5 shuttle is having oil burning issue. Certain members from this forum started to questioning if he is a paid trolling poster due to his minimum posting history and in fact criticizing CX-5 is burning oil. In the end he proved he's genuine but he's no longer willing to post here! I actually believe the attitude of certain forum members here who don't want to see any negative comments against Mazda or CX-5, which caused many people stopped posting here!