Cargo space?

[raspykart]

You don't need to "satify" me. I believe you but also think that your numbers are NOT the norm.

You must have me confused with someone else. I didn't change tire sizes and my signature says nothing about tires.

doh ya was looking at AIM's sig

 

[WhiteStar III]

Those are absolutely real and unpadded numbers. Before I bought my 5 I did much research and came to the conclusion that the EPA was off by about 3mpg across the board. I have gotten 25mpg city (I live in the US, so it is US gallons) since day 1 and occasionally if we drive across town multiple times on our lone interstate I've seen 28-30mpg. I stand firm that we get 25city and 30-35hwy with an occasional 40mpg stint if its 55mph or downhill. I'm am getting ready to embark on another 3000+ mile road trip, what would satisfy you as proof of our mileage? Here's the repeatable data I had on our last long road trip:

77mph = ~28mpg
70mph = ~32mpg
67mph = ~35mpg
55mph = ~40mpg

city which is typically 80% street and 20% interstate = 25mpg
city 50/50 = ~28-30mpg depending on traffic

we typically fill our tank about the time the light comes on which is 300-330 miles and 12-12.5 gallons.

Ive gotta agree with monsta; and going by the data you provided I can see where the problem lies.

The low fuel light comes on with 2.5 gal left + your 12-12.5gal of fuel input gives you a total of 14.5-15gal (given my experience you fuel up till the pump auto stops). Now given that according to Mazda youve got a 16 gal fuel tank (actually its a 17.25 gal total) which leaves a huge capacity unused, and adds to your margin of error.

In my experience driving 60-65 mph (2500 2750 rpms) at pure highway/rural Im averaging 29.5 mpg (with a high of 31.9).

 

[HotRodSaint]

we typically fill our tank about the time the light comes on which is 300-330 miles and 12-12.5 gallons

Which would be between 24 - 27.5 mpg.

 

[HotRodSaint]

Ive gotta agree with monsta; and going by the data you provided I can see where the problem lies.

The low fuel light comes on with 2.5 gal left + your 12-12.5gal of fuel input gives you a total of 14.5-15gal (given my experience you fuel up till the pump auto stops). Now given that according to Mazda youve got a 16 gal fuel tank (actually its a 17.25 gal total) which leaves a huge capacity unused, and adds to your margin of error.

Fuel mileage is based on the miles driven divided by the fuel consumed and not the total amount of gas left in the gas tank.

 

[jeffpurd]

I only have one toddler full-time but several times have had two toddlers plus a 5 yr old in it and everything worked real well for around the town driving. As a grocery getter - you might be using an empty passenger seat for overflow because with only one third row seat folded down, you're probably looking at 3-4 grocery bags max.

I have a yakima roof rack and a big 'n ugly sears 20-SV box for long road trips. Definitely a must for big luggage or cargo but expect a 3 mpg hit at 70+. I'd recommend the box vs. cage though because the last trip we got hit by absolutely torrential downpours and everything in the box made it completely dry.

they really need to put out a six speed manual for mpg improvement. In auto, I'd wait for the 5spd in '08.

 

[WhiteStar III]

Fuel mileage is based on the miles driven divided by the fuel consumed and not the total amount of gas left in the gas tank.

Yes it is. The problem I was having early on in my own calculations of fuel mileage was that with that much extra fuel space I was never truly confident that:
a) I was getting consistent full tanks, and as a result
b) I was getting a consistent measure of how much fuel I was really using between fillups.

Per your own calculations above you can see how much of a difference a gallon makes; add in the varying fuel flow rates between stations and pumps and you see how difficult it can be to get a true measure of fuel efficiency.

The max I've been able to squeeze in is 16.996 gal (& I may have had anywhere from .2 to .5 gal of fuel left in the tank before I did).

495.4mi - 16.996 gal - 29.15mpg - 1/10/2007 - 100% Hghwy/rural

 

[Jasonstiller]

If you buy it you will make it work, trust me. We traded in our titan for the 5 when we found out we were having our 3rd child. It works but is a slight pain sometimes. I only put half of the 3rd row down and that is where the 6yo sits. the 1 month old and 1 year old sit in the 2nd row. with the cargo space I have left folding half of the 3rd row down i can fit 2 strollers (1 big and 1 medium) and thats it. It works for us here in hawaii because we never have to go on long distance trips and whenever we go grocery shopping one of us will just bring the oldest.

 

[raspykart]

I had 5 adults and 1 baby in the car a few times recently... and the lack of cargo space did shine a bit, but we have made several grocery trips without having to fold the 3rd row down... big items tho and your in creative mode.

I did gather some more data on gas mileage as it seems to be a hot topic and nobody wants to believe me... just drove 3000 miles and my numbers still stand true. We averaged 73mph and 31mpg on the hwy driving. In town I did get worse mileage, but I think that can be contributed to many factors... multiple drivers, 6 passengers, more agressive driving, higher speed limits, and lower elevation. I only got 21mpg at 1000ft elevation and 45mph city speed limits. I live at 2800ft elevation and 35mph speed limits and get 25mpg consistently. I also found on the hwy when climbing from 1000ft to 7000ft over 800miles we got about 3-4mpg worse than normal, and when going down from 7000ft to 2800ft over 450miles we got 3-4mpg better. So elevation, elevation changes, and passengers definitely sway the gas mileage numbers IMHO.

 

[Jasonstiller]

Yes, its like playing Tetris when the family is full. Moving the 1st 2 row seats foward or back to fit stuff in between seats. We curse it every time we go on a all day family shopping/outing trip but it works. 22k for sliding doors and 6 passenger fittment is why we bought this thing.

 

[kyoshiro]

mmm i guess im lucky to be the driving the mazda5 alone most of the time. no wife no kids no girlfriend, license restriction to 1 passenger (hurrah BC laws ~_~), and a 6 seater as my first car woot woot