Gas Mileage of Grand Caravan Vs Mazda5!

M

ms2000

:
mazda
283-hp, 3.6-liter V-6 (regular gas) Vs 157-hp, 2.5-liter I-4 (regular gas)
Curb Weight: 4,321 lbs. Vs 3,417 lbs.

I have been on road trips of nearly 1k miles in California with both a GrandCaravan Vs M5.
M5 typically gives me 27.8 mpg. The meter on Grand Caravan showed me around the same! But one is a V6 283HP and heavier car.

How is it possible?

Can the Mazda5 be made to give better MPG?

Update:
- Both Automatic
- Both round trip
 
Last edited:
The powertrain used in the 2013 mazda 5 started in 2008 Mazda 3, while 2019 Grand Caravan was based on the 2017 generation. The fuel-saving technology in these 10 years will need to be taken into consideration.

Also is it possible that the fuel economy readings are taken doing one car in one direction, and the other car doing the opposite direction of the same route? If that's the case perhaps the more valid test is using the same driving direction.

I ask because based on Fuelly, 2019 Grand Caravan with 3.6L only gets 17mpg which makes your single test result (27mpg) really high:

2019 Dodge Grand Caravan MPG - Actual MPG from 73 2019 Dodge Grand Caravan owners

The most accurate 2019 Dodge Grand Caravans MPG estimates based on real world results of 1.1 million miles driven in 73 Dodge Grand Caravans
www.fuelly.com
while 2013 Mazda 5 gets 23mpg in average. 27mpg is normal for mostly highway driving if you are not carrying a lot. I get consistent 28+mpg in my 2015 mazda 5 with 80/20 highway/city driving.

2013 Mazda 5 MPG - Actual MPG from 47 2013 Mazda 5 owners

The most accurate 2013 Mazda 5s MPG estimates based on real world results of 1.2 million miles driven in 47 Mazda 5s
www.fuelly.com

You will also get more info and possibly an answer to your question by comparing the tire pressure of both cars. The lower the pressure, the worse mpg it gets (more rubber from the tire make contact with the road and cost more fuel to move the car). Is it possible that the tires on the caravan got over inflated?

The skyactiv version of the mazda 5 (2013 and later, not sold in North America) with 6sp automatic transmission gets 38mpg according to
autoc-one.jp

****************** -******SKYACTIV*******16.2km/L****-|*********************2024***********MOTA*

**************** *****************2013*1*24****************** *******************************SKYACTIV-G 2.0*****6******************SKYACTIV-DRIVE...
autoc-one.jp autoc-one.jp
 
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I wouldn't trust the dash meter*.......Do the math based on distance and fill up volume.

Weight mostly factors in during acceleration, and up hills. At a constant speed on flat ground other factors matter more. Cd, tire rolling resistance, powertrain efficiency, etc.

Peak HP doesn't matter either. If you only need 40hp (guessing here) to maintain a constant speed anything above that is not used.

*I still cant get over car manufacturers not being able to provide an accurate, linear reading gas gauges. Fill it up, 200km before the gauge comes off completely full, 400km says half, then its empty by 550km? They have computers capable of figuring this simple math out, and they're built into the car!! If they can't do this then why would the MPG meter be any better?
 
scottlong said:
I wouldn't trust the dash meter*.......Do the math based on distance and fill up volume.

Peak HP doesn't matter either. If you only need 40hp (guessing here) to maintain a constant speed anything above that is not used.
Click to expand...
Good catch - my revised estimate is around 26 mpg. When I picked the car, it was showing 22mpg - it went to 28+ and came down to 27. So its 26 mpg with two passengers and 45cu ft of cargo.

@teetee1 - I do this 1k drive periodically - it gives me on avg just under 28mpg.

This is news to me -> Peak HP doesn't matter either. I learned something.

Update:
On the same round trip, a Sienna gave me 22.5 mpg!
 
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teetee1 said:
The skyactiv version of the mazda 5 (2013 and later, not sold in North America) with 6sp automatic transmission gets 38mpg according to
autoc-one.jp

****************** -******SKYACTIV*******16.2km/L****-|*********************2024***********MOTA*

**************** *****************2013*1*24****************** *******************************SKYACTIV-G 2.0*****6******************SKYACTIV-DRIVE...
autoc-one.jp autoc-one.jp
Click to expand...
Thanks u for your detailed analysis.
I am saddened that M5 is unavailable with Skyactiv engine in the US,
Its no longer available in Canada and OZ.
Which countries still sell the Skacitv version?

ICE engines - each are different just like people - because no matter what I do to my stock Integra, I rarely seen more than 30mpg. Around city, it gives me 22-26mpg. I no longer take it to 1k trips.

Acura Integra LS MPG - Actual MPG from 142 Acura Integra LS owners

The most accurate Acura Integra LS MPG estimates based on real world results of 2.5 million miles driven in 142 Acura Integra Ls
www.fuelly.com

With lack of new vehicles I am also worried on issues with parts! Dealer told me there is 1 month back-order for the inner CV boot - perhaps my observation is not an outlier.
 
Yes, caravan has 6AT, Mazda has. 5AT. The 6sp was not offered on US Mazda 5.
 
There is a requirement (in north America at least) for manufacturers to supply service parts for 10 (?) years minimum. It doesn't necessarily mean they can't be back ordered though.

I work in the automotive field and all of my customers have to keep the tooling for manufacturing old/obsolete parts in order to supply the manufacturers service parts.

That said, it's a pain to stop building new parts, and change over to old, so they typically let the order build up until it reaches a reasonable size.
 
scottlong said:
There is a requirement (in north America at least) for manufacturers to supply service parts for 10 (?) years minimum. It doesn't necessarily mean they can't be back ordered though.
I work in the automotive field and all of my customers have to keep the tooling for manufacturing old/obsolete parts in order to supply the manufacturers service parts.
That said, it's a pain to stop building new parts, and change over to old, so they typically let the order build up until it reaches a reasonable size.
Click to expand...
Thanks - the youtube Scotty Kilmer was saying until the warranty - 3/4yrs?

I searched the local junkyard - PicknPull - there is no Mazda 5 inventory - 1st or 2nd gen!
 
If you're not calculating mpg by hand, over many fill-ups, you have no clue what kind of mpg you're getting.

Concerning parts support:
I've looked for the requirement for 10 years, not that long ago. I've heard (and believed) for many years that there's a 10-year parts support requirement, but I can't find it. I'd appreciate a reference. All I can find is an implied requirement to have parts available for the term of the longest-available warranty.

Also, it has been my experience that low-volume sellers seem to have parts manufacture stopped rather quickly after assembly ends, and the manufacturer relies on a built-up stock of parts that they seem to project will last 'long enough.' Is that how it's generally done?
 
bulwnkl said:
If you're not calculating mpg by hand, over many fill-ups, you have no clue what kind of mpg you're getting.

Concerning parts support:
I've looked for the requirement for 10 years, not that long ago. I've heard (and believed) for many years that there's a 10-year parts support requirement, but I can't find it. I'd appreciate a reference. All I can find is an implied requirement to have parts available for the term of the longest-available warranty.

Also, it has been my experience that low-volume sellers seem to have parts manufacture stopped rather quickly after assembly ends, and the manufacturer relies on a built-up stock of parts that they seem to project will last 'long enough.' Is that how it's generally done?
Click to expand...
I have no reference I can share publicly. I can share a story of one of my customers having to restart a mothballed tooling line in order to make a few parts that hadn't been made for 8+ years....He wasn't a happy camper due to the complexity of the line and the fact that it had all been moved to storage years ago. All for a non wearing part that any junkyard would have in abundance.
 
My 2015 Mazda 5 had ~30mpg during the summer. Then the most recent tank refill yield 25.2 mpg. With the temperature at the northeast region start to decline during winter season it will get worse mpg. Me spending longer time idling from cold morning start also contributed to lower mpg results. Tire pressure is around 38psi.
 
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