Mazda5 real-world Mileage numbers

Silentnoise713 said:
Any heat issues so far in the heat of summer?
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None of any concern. Nothing out of normal at all really. Have been in stop/go traffic interstate parking lots in Miami/Orlando, all over the southeast including south Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and had a few days in some back country areas in the high 90's. Just finished a road trip to Savannah loaded up with the wife, kids and all related travel crap. All was perfect. I still can't break 30mpg but also haven't checked my tire pressure in a while. I left the van in Miami and flew back home this week. I'll pick it up the week after next when I go back to work and drive it back to Atlanta. I'll probably run about 37 to 38psi in the tires, draft and baby it back to see if I can crack 31mpg. I need to work on the tune some more too...
 
Had the 5 for a month now and am averaging 25mpg in a 50/50 mix of citymand highway driving.
 
Fuelly report below - my tank average dropped a little when I added a bike rack to the roof a few weeks ago.
 
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Argh, we drove from Louisville, KY to Hilton Head, SC today. 21.5 and 21.8mpg for the 2 full tanks that were all highway on the way down. 3 fill-ups in one day, yuck.

We're loaded down with the 5 of us, luggage for a week, and a 16 cu ft Yakima Rocketbox on the rack up top, running the a/c, and a bunch of rolling hills and 75mph cruising meaning a lot of downshifts to 4th and sometimes 3rd to maintain speed.
 
As a followup to the previous, our full tanks from the vacation:
21.5 100% highway in hilly SE KY/TN
21.8 100% highway in hilly TN/NC/SC
22.0 50% highway in flat coastal SC, a lot of sitting in traffic getting onto the island, driving around doing stuff under 35mph, all flat
25.0 100% highway in flat coastal SC
25.2 100% highway in hilly TN/NC/SC, possibly an anomaly from an early pump shutoff since it should be lower
 
I've stopped calculating full tank avg. I now just check myself when the needle is at the half way point. I shoot for ~180 miles by mid point.

Not sure if you anyone else does this but the moment after filling-up, I tend to be VERY heavy footed. When I'm near 1/4, my foot suddenly gets very light.
 
I am insanely jealous of all of your real world mpg's. I bought my 2012 Mazda5 sport version, automatic, brand new in November. I currently have 6500 miles on the car and have never gotten over 22mpg highway. My city/hwy (50/50 no traffic) average over the last 3 months is 18 mpg. I routinely get 16's and 17's and only if I drive a full highway tank can I break 20. 22 was only one time that I filled up and drove a full tank of highway on CC with no traffic just to see how high I could get it. Did that twice, once I got 21, once 22.

I have had the car into Mazda a handful of times and they give me the same dummy answer - no CEL codes, no problems. The have suggested I am too stupid to calculate my own mileage, and actually had me turn in receipts with ODO readings to verify. Finally after a call to the dealership owner directly, I got them to really test it. They ran some highway test where they drove 60 miles on the freeway and got 24.5 mpg so they say nothing is wrong with the car and it is my fault. I drive alone or with my kids (totalling 70 pounds soaking wet) don't lug stuff, no gearboxes, no stroller even so weight is not an issue. I keep the auto temp on which is what the dealer told me to do, and I tend to keep it close to the ambient temp so the a/c does not kick on. Our weather is fairly mild so no extremes either way. I drive totally flat, no hills, no crazy terrain. I use CC on the freeway whenever I can.

My mileage sucks and I am not happy with it at all. Mazda refuses to accept there may be a problem. My mechanic thinks maybe a problem with the electronic throttle control but no codes have come up so short of paying him to replace it, I can't verify that theory.

I see a couple of other people here and there getting crappy mileage like this ( @johnnieboy ) has anyone found an actual solution or identified a problem with the car itself (as opposed to bad driving habits)? Or any advice on where to go from here before I drive the car into a lake or leave it near the border with the keys in it?
 
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@Hvmazda5- what other car have you had and what MPG did you average driven in similar conditions?

I suspect it is your driving style (heavy foot, high hwy speeds) and conditions (50% local where a heavy foot will kill you, AC on) that are contributing to your low average. The local roads really takes a big hit, as with any car, on your avg MPG. Take what people say as their avg MPG with a grain of salt bc you don't know their drivin style and condition. I find it's best to check yourself with your previous car and driving habit. Btw, there's nothing wrong with a low avg. just means you are having more fun and not pedal conscious. :)

Below are some avgs I can reproduce on an given week on a very consisten basis for cars in my possession. Only change is driving habit on a daily 50 miles round trip.
Mz5: avg 21 normal, 26 reserved
Fit: avg 31 normal, 42 reserved
SRX: avg 17 normal, 22 reserved
 
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Silentnoise713 said:
@Hvmazda5- what other car have you had and what MPG did you average driven in similar conditions?

I suspect it is your driving style (heavy foot, high hwy speeds) and conditions (50% local where a heavy foot will kill you, AC on) that are contributing to your low average. The local roads really takes a big hit, as with any car, on your avg MPG. Take what people say as their avg MPG with a grain of salt bc you don't know their drivin style and condition. I find it's best to check yourself with your previous car and driving habit. Btw, there's nothing wrong with a low avg. just means you are having more fun and not pedal conscious. :)

Below are some avgs I can reproduce on an given week on a very consisten basis for cars in my possession. Only change is driving habit on a daily 50 miles round trip.
Mz5: avg 21 normal, 26 reserved
Fit: avg 31 normal, 42 reserved
SRX: avg 17 normal, 22 reserved
Click to expand...

In November I traded in my 8 year old jetta wagon which was nearing 90k and had a mystery engine light on for the last 4 years. I was getting consistently 21 mpg with the same 50/50 city hwy and no real change in my habits or route. I could still get 26-28 on 100% hwy in that puppy. I also always put cheap Costco gas in it religiously. The first thing mazda told me to do was pick a brand name station and only go there to see if it helped and it actually got lower by about 1 mpg when I did that.

Fuel economy.gov says my '04 jetta wagon averages 19 city/ 27 hwy/ 22 combined, so I was getting right on that or better. I never saw below 20mpg no matter how much I loaded that thing down.

I drive kids, and I tend to drive conservatively and safely. The salesman I worked with is so bugged by this he had me bring the car in and drove with me, he says my driving habits are fine and should not be causing it. He also noticed the car idles too low, around 500-600 when sitting at a light. It has stalled on my once but apparently it did not cause a cel.
 
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HBMazda5 said:
I am insanely jealous of all of your real world mpg's. I bought my 2012 Mazda5 sport version, automatic, brand new in November. I currently have 6500 miles on the car and have never gotten over 22mpg highway. My city/hwy (50/50 no traffic) average over the last 3 months is 18 mpg. I routinely get 16's and 17's and only if I drive a full highway tank can I break 20. 22 was only one time that I filled up and drove a full tank of highway on CC with no traffic just to see how high I could get it. Did that twice, once I got 21, once 22.

I have had the car into Mazda a handful of times and they give me the same dummy answer - no CEL codes, no problems. The have suggested I am too stupid to calculate my own mileage, and actually had me turn in receipts with ODO readings to verify. Finally after a call to the dealership owner directly, I got them to really test it. They ran some highway test where they drove 60 miles on the freeway and got 24.5 mpg so they say nothing is wrong with the car and it is my fault. I drive alone or with my kids (totalling 70 pounds soaking wet) don't lug stuff, no gearboxes, no stroller even so weight is not an issue. I keep the auto temp on which is what the dealer told me to do, and I tend to keep it close to the ambient temp so the a/c does not kick on. Our weather is fairly mild so no extremes either way. I drive totally flat, no hills, no crazy terrain. I use CC on the freeway whenever I can.

My mileage sucks and I am not happy with it at all. Mazda refuses to accept there may be a problem. My mechanic thinks maybe a problem with the electronic throttle control but no codes have come up so short of paying him to replace it, I can't verify that theory.

I see a couple of other people here and there getting crappy mileage like this ( @johnnieboy ) has anyone found an actual solution or identified a problem with the car itself (as opposed to bad driving habits)? Or any advice on where to go from here before I drive the car into a lake or leave it near the border with the keys in it?
Click to expand...

There are so many variables to the MPG, that we really need to know more about your situation in order to have all the data to assist.

You do not mention your throttle application style?... meaning are you giving it more than 25% throttle from a stoplight or sign?
Do you have a lot of stop lights and stop signs? MPG gets hit every time you touch your brake pedal.
What is the cold tire PSI that you are running at currently? 4psi can change it 1 MPG.
What time of the day are you filling up? You will get more fuel in the AM.
Is your filling station using fuel with 10% ethanol added? I think other folks in the Southern California area have also complained about low MPG and it can be traced to the fuel formulation that is mandated in your geographical area. Try using another fuel station in your area.
Cruise control can use more fuel than a soft foot will.
There are many other tips and suggestions as far as what the driver can do to help. You can do a google search on HYPERMILING, and come up with some additional techniques.

As far as I see, it would not hurt to do an ECU reboot, and do a full idle fuel trim throttle plate calibration relearn process.
 
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Here's something you might try. Run your tank mostly empty, then fill it with 91 or 93 octane gas and see what mileage you get. When I was younger, I had a 1988 Lincoln MarkVII that we only ran 93 octane gas in even though it wasn't necessary. That car ran great and got pretty decent mileage (maybe 17 city and 23 hwy). I would drive that car back and forth to college mostly on the highway. I tried running 89 octane in it once and though it still ran well, the mileage dropped enough to kill any $$$ savings from the cheaper gas.



HBMazda5 said:
I am insanely jealous of all of your real world mpg's. I bought my 2012 Mazda5 sport version, automatic, brand new in November. I currently have 6500 miles on the car and have never gotten over 22mpg highway. My city/hwy (50/50 no traffic) average over the last 3 months is 18 mpg. I routinely get 16's and 17's and only if I drive a full highway tank can I break 20. 22 was only one time that I filled up and drove a full tank of highway on CC with no traffic just to see how high I could get it. Did that twice, once I got 21, once 22.

I have had the car into Mazda a handful of times and they give me the same dummy answer - no CEL codes, no problems. The have suggested I am too stupid to calculate my own mileage, and actually had me turn in receipts with ODO readings to verify. Finally after a call to the dealership owner directly, I got them to really test it. They ran some highway test where they drove 60 miles on the freeway and got 24.5 mpg so they say nothing is wrong with the car and it is my fault. I drive alone or with my kids (totalling 70 pounds soaking wet) don't lug stuff, no gearboxes, no stroller even so weight is not an issue. I keep the auto temp on which is what the dealer told me to do, and I tend to keep it close to the ambient temp so the a/c does not kick on. Our weather is fairly mild so no extremes either way. I drive totally flat, no hills, no crazy terrain. I use CC on the freeway whenever I can.

My mileage sucks and I am not happy with it at all. Mazda refuses to accept there may be a problem. My mechanic thinks maybe a problem with the electronic throttle control but no codes have come up so short of paying him to replace it, I can't verify that theory.

I see a couple of other people here and there getting crappy mileage like this ( @johnnieboy ) has anyone found an actual solution or identified a problem with the car itself (as opposed to bad driving habits)? Or any advice on where to go from here before I drive the car into a lake or leave it near the border with the keys in it?
Click to expand...
 
I cane the hell out of my 5 and still manage 22mpg in the city with the 2.3. Foot on the floor nonstop, high speeds, lots of cargo.
 
phunky.buddha said:
I cane the hell out of my 5 and still manage 22mpg in the city with the 2.3. Foot on the floor nonstop, high speeds, lots of cargo.
Click to expand...
That sounds too optimistic but then I realize our definition of city (traffic/lights/flow) are different. All city in previous MT net me in the 18-19MPG and this is not pedal to the metal either. Unsynchronized stops lights and short blocks can be a killer.


Took a weekend road trip and got a best to date 230 miles by mid tank! 30% back roads and 70% hwy at "east cost pace" if you know what I mean.
 
Finally a real road triip

This is the short version, if you want to read more details, you can download/open the attached TXT file.

740 miles, Newport, OR, to Anacortes, WA and back. 3 passengers, 2 bikes on a roof rack, fairly small amount of gear in the back

3 tanks:

#1: 242 miles, 7.99 gallons, 30.29 mpg
#2: 288 miles, ~10.6 gallons (see explanation in TXT file), 27 mpg
#3: 210 miles, 6.676 gallons (full), 31.42 mpg

25.3 gallons total

Trip average: 29.24 mpg

See attached TXT file for further information
 

Attachments

  • SanJuan IsTrip M5 mileage.txt
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Silentnoise713 said:
That sounds too optimistic but then I realize our definition of city (traffic/lights/flow) are different. All city in previous MT net me in the 18-19MPG and this is not pedal to the metal either. Unsynchronized stops lights and short blocks can be a killer.

Took a weekend road trip and got a best to date 230 miles by mid tank! 30% back roads and 70% hwy at "east cost pace" if you know what I mean.
Click to expand...

I guess my right foot habits these days tend to include fuel saving techniques no matter how hard I'm driving- but city driving in DFW includes a good bit of highway too since we have to cover so much distance no matter where we go. Highway trips at 90 with the roof box on and a car full of people/gear only bring back about 20mpg though.
 
2012 Mazda 5 Touring. Had the car for 15 months and 25,000 miles so far. I log every single fill up, gallons, miles, mileage, trip meter mpg, tripmeter avgerage speed, into a google spreadsheet using a Google form on my phone. This is a live document. It loads a bit slow, but I have it analyze the data a couple different ways.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?key=0AhsaXd1CqdLydGR3MDJ0S3N1NkN5Y2JEYkxJdFRPOEE&output=html

2012 Mazda 5 Touring Lifetime mpgs

Stock Toyo Proxes A18 tires 32 psi. (obviously auto transmission). I wouldn't say I drive easy or hard.

There is a very strong speed correlation as you might expect. And a couple mpg better in summer than winter. Not sure how much is winter blend vs summer blend, more rolling resistance as rubber and other things stiffen up? Highest mpgs for me around June or so (might decrease slightly with more AC use in July?). And low 50's seems to give me the best mpg.

Life to date average is 25.33 mpg and 36 mph averaged over the first 25,000 miles on the vehicle.
 
Silentnoise713 said:
Back to reality. Avg ~150-160 mid tank in my daily commute. I'm sure I can slow down a tad to incrase MPG but what fun would that be :p
Click to expand...

Took a road trip from Syracuse, NY to NYC, over to Kingston, NY and back to Syracuse, NY. Per ScanGauge E, got 35.1 mpg avg on the trip back and about 32 mpg on the trip toward NYC. can't complain, I wonder how accurate ScanGauge really is, but I did get 390 miles on one tank
 
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