Just got a 2016.5 CX-5 - Tips, Tricks and MPG

Irenicus said:
The more I read the more I think it's not terribly abnormal. The city driving here is horrendously bad, lots of weird uphills and a s*** load of red lights/idling. It's maybe as worse as it can get, plus a lot of stops and starts putting around town. The highway driving MPG I think is right on the money. That being said I really don't think I can possibly drive any lighter/smarter for fuel consumption.
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I agree. Whenever you are averaging a significant amount ot idling, which gives you '0'mpg, your overall mpg will be pretty low.
 
Spark Plugs are due at 60 or 70...where did you hear 120? YES change them right away.
 
Some minor things that helped with my CX-9's fuel economy recently:
  • Roll into moderate throttle from a stop to get to your target speed.
  • Get familiar with the car's shift points - I've found that my car will usually shift just after 60 km/h, so I'll accelerate to reach that speed until the transmission shifts, then I ease off the throttle to maintain that speed. That keeps the revs as low as possible while cruising along.
  • This can be tough to do in the city, but if you can, make a conscious effort to coast as much as possible.
Doing all of these things, I'm able to bring the average on my CX-9 down to 12.4L from over 14.5L. This is with heat set to 20c, rear climate control on, front seat warmers on, both windshields set to defrost, and steering wheel heater on.
 
I took a 45 minute trip yesterday. 75-80 mph. 30F. Little wind.

27.0 mpg on the tripmeter! Ouch. Winter tires freshly pumped to 32 psi with a known-good pressure gauge.

In summer i've got 30+ MPG. Cold air is heavier, and causes more drag.
 
Another thing too is the driving here is dreadful. The highways are filled with red lights, lots of curves and uphills everywhere. Definitely not very friendly for sipping fuel. Gonna try to run a 100% highway tank soon and see
 
Irenicus said:
Hey guys,

Just picked up a 2016.5 (or so I think) CX-5. It is a GS trim and has an 05/15 date stamp on the door, sunroof, Navigation (no GPS chip) and touch screen display and all my research says it's a 2016.5. The carfax and VIN only show 2016 for this year and I believe they will not actually list 2016.5.

At any rate I'm stoked on this car but I'm looking for some basic tips to help with the gas consumption and some other tricks and tips I might be able to find here. I know the 2.5L AWD models are a bit thirsty but I feel like since I've owned it it's really chugging gas more than the advertised MPG. I'm a super light footed driver and I'm getting like 12-13L/100km or 19MPG for mainly city driving. The air filter is mint and this thing has had regular maintenance done it's whole life and done recently before I bought it. I know it's not a vehicle you're going to save tons of money on gas with but just trying to get a good start with my new baby. Advertised MPG is 24 city and 30 highway for 2016 AWD models. I'm super light on the gas and not getting close.

Cheers!

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Looks exactly like my 2015(.5). You won't get really good mileage in the city. The longer your trip the better mileage. I've managed to get up to 37 mpg on a long highway trip with typical speed 65-70. Tire pressures at 36 psi cold. Looks nice.
 
Mazdiod2 said:
Shouldn't it be more than that? I think the door label on mine says 34 or 35.
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Yes, whatever the door label says is the recommended tire pressure for the OEM wheel and tire setup.

A lot of people run a slightly lower tire pressure in colder temps to help improve traction, at the cost of fuel efficiency. In warmer temps, highway drivers often run a slightly higher tire pressure for better fuel efficiency, but traction is slightly reduced.
 
Oh, and tips:
- Get a Nav card off of Amazon or eBay. Even if you don't use it, it's nice for the cross road feature.
- If you are on a FM/AM radio station, push and hold the * (Favorite button) to add that station to your favorites.
 
sm1ke said:
Yes, whatever the door label says is the recommended tire pressure for the OEM wheel and tire setup.

A lot of people run a slightly lower tire pressure in colder temps to help improve traction, at the cost of fuel efficiency. In warmer temps, highway drivers often run a slightly higher tire pressure for better fuel efficiency, but traction is slightly reduced.
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Yup! I run 30psi during winter weather months.

They will be back to 35-36psi during the summer.

I will only put on ~1000-2000 miles during that time so I'm not too concerned with increased wear.

It also helps ride quality with cold, hard rubber.
 
Irenicus said:
- new air filter
- new spark plugs (not sure if it's worth it at 86k) no
- MAF sensor cleaning (to do still) sure, not necessary tho.
- PCV valve (not sure about this, buddy recommended) unless its diagnosed as faulty, why?
- Fuel stabilizer or seafoam in gas (no clue about this either) no! try a fuel system cleaner
- 37-38psi (just filled it to this) pressure according to what's in the door jamb. don't over pressurize.
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N7turbo said:
Yup! I run 30psi during winter weather months.

They will be back to 35-36psi during the summer.

I will only put on ~1000-2000 miles during that time so I'm not too concerned with increased wear.

It also helps ride quality with cold, hard rubber.
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I prefer to inflate my winter tires at the recommended pressure since I live in pothole heaven o_O and don't want to risk damaging a tire (it happened before). Also sharper steering response and handling but it's up to everyone to decide what they want as long as it's only a few PSI above or below recommended values. ;)
 
Irenicus said:
Just to confirm it is a 2016 not a 2016.5 based on the date.

The car has 86,000km on it and had regular maintenance done. Not sure if the spark plugs were ever changed - as far as I know they due every 120k. Haven't cleaned the MAF sensor but it's on my list. I filled the tires to 37psi.

The more I read the more I think it's not terribly abnormal. The city driving here is horrendously bad, lots of weird uphills and a s*** load of red lights/idling. It's maybe as worse as it can get, plus a lot of stops and starts putting around town. The highway driving MPG I think is right on the money. That being said I really don't think I can possibly drive any lighter/smarter for fuel consumption.

It was just serviced at the dealership prior to me buying it. My list so far consists of

- new air filter
- new spark plugs (not sure if it's worth it at 86k)
- MAF sensor cleaning (to do still)
- PCV valve (not sure about this, buddy recommended)
- Fuel stabilizer or seafoam in gas (no clue about this either)
- 37-38psi (just filled it to this)
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You are on the right track.

At 100k mi I replaced the Map sensor and O2 sensors and plugs on our old Honda. FE improve right away.

As recommended, check all wheels to be sure it's not dragging a brake. If you own an infrared gun, drive 10 miles on the highway, coast to a stop and read the brake rotors. I had brake drag before and this is bow I checked.

MAP sensor is easy to clean. I'd replace if it was a suspect. I'll replace mine and O2 sensors at 100k MI.

Air filter, check and replace. I replace every oil change. I buy on Amazon and replace.

Your trans will relearn your driving style quickly.

How are the tires wearing. Alignment is important for FE.

I run StaBil, marine, in our 24 turbo. I'm getting a 2 mpg bump. Marine is the same formular as auto but concentrated.
 
sm1ke said:
Some minor things that helped with my CX-9's fuel economy recently:
  • Roll into moderate throttle from a stop to get to your target speed.
  • Get familiar with the car's shift points - I've found that my car will usually shift just after 60 km/h, so I'll accelerate to reach that speed until the transmission shifts, then I ease off the throttle to maintain that speed. That keeps the revs as low as possible while cruising along.
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Right! This is the essence of how Mazda tuned the Skyactiv's.
 
Freedom55 said:
I prefer to inflate my winter tires at the recommended pressure since I live in pothole heaven o_O and don't want to risk damaging a tire (it happened before). Also sharper steering response and handling but it's up to everyone to decide what they want as long as it's only a few PSI above or below recommended values. ;)
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Mazda actually recommends inflating winter/snow tires 4.5 psi above the inflation values on the placard, it's in the owners manual. I run my all seasons at 36 and my snows at 39.


"Use snow tires on all four wheels
Do not go faster than 120 km/h (75 mph)
while driving with snow tires. Inflate
snow tires 30 kPa (0.3 kgf/cm2, 4.3 psi)
more than recommended on the tire
pressure label (driver's door frame), but
never more than the maximum cold-tire
pressure shown on the tires."
 
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