Going from a Protege5 to a Mazda3 - have ???

[Twinzer]

I'm thinking of moving from a 2002 Protege5 to a 2005 Mazda3s 5-door hatchback. I love the protege5 and wanted to hear thoughts from other people who made the switch to the mazda3 hb.

Also, what kind of gas mileage can I expect. I have read the other mpg threads but people do not specify if they drive the 3i or 3s or if they have auto or 5speed. This is what I will be driving;

Mazda3s 5-door hatchback 2.3L
5 Speed
Combination driving but mostly short distances. I'm a bit of a leadfoot.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Gambino]

Sounds like we have similar driving habits. I have a 2.3 5 spd and my best mpg was 30.7, usually between 24-27 though. my dad is usually 35ish in his 3i but gotten as high as 43.6!

 

[Protege52003]

my dad is usually 35ish in his 3i but gotten as high as 43.6!

wow, that is some great milage......

 

[Solo2Protege]

you will experience about the same mileage, give or take. I have seen sedan mileage that is prety damn good. The 2.3L is quite a bit peppier than the FS 2.0L, so you'll be happy with that.

Otherwise, both cars are awesome and the switch over will be near seamless. Other than getting use to no gas pedal feedback due to the hotwire trottle body. But the brakes on the 3 will suprise the hell out of you.

 

[Twinzer]

Sounds like we have similar driving habits. I have a 2.3 5 spd and my best mpg was 30.7, usually between 24-27 though. my dad is usually 35ish in his 3i but gotten as high as 43.6!

Thanks for the input - I can't see myself getting 24-27 on the Mazda3s though because I consistently average 24 mpg with my P5.

 

[Gambino]

wow, that is some great milage......

yeah, he never uses third gear though, so he hits 4th at about 20-25 mph and lke 1200 rpm. When he got 43.6 he was up in the mountains looking for a lost scout (if you heard the story about the scout here in utah), and on the way home he kept it in neutral for like 30 miles.

 

[tsunami]

yeah i get about 24-27 with only a smidge of distance, the longer the distance the greater the mileage... good luck with a seamless transition....

edit*** same car and driving habits...

 

[ZoomVT]

i definitely have different driving habits. i drive longer distances and my avg speed is probably 85mph. Im getting 21 MPG in average. Even with this mileage i highly recommend the 3s sedan.

 

[Rhawb]

I got into the 19s one time, but I usually get about 17mpg...I think it gets about 30mpg on oil though.
Sooo, don't buy an RX8 if you're concerned about any sort of fluid consumption.

Anyway, both my roommates just bought 3s (one got an i one got an s) and they've been getting crazy gas mileage. I'm particularly surprised with the guy who got an s, because he drives like he's trying to blow a piston through the hood and he hasn't even dropped below 1/2 tank in the week he's had it. I think you'll be pretty happy with the mileage.

 

[Lord_Zath]

Something w/our Mazda engines and their love for revving is very strange indeed.

I've driven my p5 hard, opening her up whenever I'm going from a stop to 55 mph. I'm at 296 miles, with a little over a quarter of the tank to go. w00t!

 

[ccracing19]

I get 25 - 30 on mine, my drive to and from work each day is 3/4 hwy and back roads, the rest is mild city. I am a little of a heavy foot and like to stretch out my shifts. I traded in my RX-8 6S for my Limited SP23 5 door, 5 speed with no hesitation. The RX is a great car but just not wasn't doing it for me. I traded in a MSP spicy orange for the 8, took me 7 hours to let loose of the sterring wheel on it.

By the way im 43 and female.

Enjoy!

 

[Rhawb]

Ah, I almost got a V.Red 8 myself, but ended up falling for the black. I absolutely love mine for its performance in the twisties, even if it lacks the power of its competetors. It isn't for everyone though - It's a pretty tough sell if you want it for anything besides the performance.

Its also cool how Mazda owners are super loyal to the brand. (I'm a former P5 owner) I always hear about people buying second and third Mazdas, which you don't hear so much with other companies.

/thread hijack