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- 2008 Mazda5 5MT Sport w/ Popular Package
Mazda5 real-world Mileage numbers
- Thread starter perfecto
- Start date
I always fill at the slowest setting and when its full its full. But the wife filled it up last at a BP, I bought gas at our local no name convience store/grocery/hardware/restaurant/cubscout den, well you get the idea. I'll just have to wait and see what happens over the next couple days. I will be really suprised if my SG stays off by 12+ digits. I reset everything except the car and dialed out that @#$ fuel cut funtion just like I had it before.
I guess I'm confused because I thought the SG had a calibration function where you set it +/- by a few % to get the screen to match how many gallons you actually just put in your tank... leaving subsequent fillups to be very close to the calibrated (correct) one. Granted yeah, fill-to-fill consistency matters, you should calibrate it on the pump that you'll use most often, but not in the order of that magnitude it shouldn't?
And yeah, I fill up at full blast until I hit 10 gallons then I release the pump handle to about 25%-50% flow until the first click. I guess, whether right or wrong, I assume that a slow flow will yield a more consistent shut off point then full blast.
And yeah, I fill up at full blast until I hit 10 gallons then I release the pump handle to about 25%-50% flow until the first click. I guess, whether right or wrong, I assume that a slow flow will yield a more consistent shut off point then full blast.
You can adjust it to more accurately report your true mileage by correcting thru tank fill ups etc. But straight from car to car it normally is pretty accurate. I've never seen it off by so much. I pumped a gallon more then even I expected, hence my need to drive thru a tank. You can also adjust a SG for tire size correction or speedo variation. My rio brand new off the lot the speedo read 3 mph fast. My speedo would read 60, radar showed I was going 57 and the sg read 57. I switched from a 65 aspect ratio to a 70 aspect ratio so now my speedo reads close to true ground speed by radar but the SG still reads 3 mph slow with out correction. You can correct for the change and get it matching but it will change your mpg's on the gauge. If you over correct for speed you can end up with some wild predictions 12+ is pretty wild but the speed correction was 0 and only 4 for my tire size change.
Since my Rio hates my SG I don't input tanks at fill up but use it when I need to check something on the gauges etc. So all of my Rio tanks are manual only but I do know what it will do at a given speed over a given distance.
WhiteStar III
Member
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- Mazda5 Sport
WhiteStar, I give you much credit because I remember since way back months and months ago youve consistently been throwing fabulous FE numbers down. Great job
Thanks, but I don't think it would be fair to compare as 99% of my driving is highway/rural.
coolmazda5 said:
(dunno) I do it all the time, and have yet to have any CEL come up; but as my favorite fill up is 12 mi from the house I'm already down 1/3 gal so maybe that's enough room. Besides overall range was an important decision when I purchased the car, at the time 14 gal would not have given me enough range for three round trips to and from work.
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- 2008 Mazda5 5MT Sport w/ Popular Package
Cool, I've read somewhere here or other forums about Mazda3s and Mazda5s with this CEL issue, and it comes down to trying to top it off after the auto release. It is something to do with the vapors and gas "swelling" at higher temperatures, as the sensor(s) go kaboodles beyond certain max level. Also, my wife learned how to drive in Germany and, differently from here, they need to also learn some car basics before getting a DL. That is one of the first things they are taught.
But anyway, you know, I'm paranoid too, LOL.
Envy tone perceived here?
nah, I never envy the people that hold me up on the road because they are focused on mileage so much that they drive like grandmas.
I decided to edit out a much longer rant to this post, but here's the bottom line... It's not a matter of driving like grandma, it's simply a matter of not driving like an idiot. There are plenty of common sense things to do besides driving slow. But if you're happy dishin' out $3.25/gal as frequently as possible, well, whatever floats your boat.
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rweatherford
Member
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- Mazda 5
Says the guy getting low 20 MPG numbers...(smoke)
So far my new tank is 29.9 USMPG.
I decided to edit out a much longer rant to this post, but here's the bottom line... It's not a matter of driving like grandma, it's simply a matter of not driving like an idiot. There are plenty of common sense things to do besides driving slow. But if you're happy dishin' out $3.25/gal as frequently as possible, well, whatever floats your boat.
lol. I figured you would chime in. It's not just about "not driving like an idiot". I enjoy driving my cars. And by driving, I mean actually hitting the accelerator sometimes. I don't complain about mileage, and I actually get pretty decent mileage in all my cars (above EPA average) because I know how to drive, keep my cars maintained, etc.
I don't get envious of people that regularly get 30MPG in a Mazda5. I can and have pulled off extreme mileage in all of my vehicles at one time or another, but choose not to because it's unbelievably boring to do so. I got 31MPG in my '98 BMW M3 from Portland to Seattle and back, averaging 72MPH. I was happy to see that number, but much prefer getting 27MPG with a few blasts to 120 when I feel like it.
I take my fun cars to the track, or even out to the nearby business parks just to do donuts...regularly. I get onto the freeway at WOT in almost every vehicle I drive. I have done WOT pull after WOT pull after WOT pull in an attempt to tune my vehicle's ECU (not the mazda lol).
I choose vehicles that get good economy at times, like my Mazda5 or the Honda Fit that we just sold, but I don't try to eek out every last bit of fuel every time I jump in, and I find it offensive when the prius driver in front of me is trying so hard that he makes me want to rear-end him to wake him out of his hippy dream.
So no, I don't really care all that much about gas at its current price. Which, by the way, is around 3.65 for regular right now where I am. But I don't go out of my way to buy vehicles that suck down fuel at astronomically high rates either.
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- 2006 Mazda 5 GT 5spd
My tires say max 44psi - and the tire guys say 40... dealer service shop keeps lowering to 32 and I keep going back to 40 after every service.
Its my zoom zoom foot getting me the low 20s... not the tire pressure(wrc)
Plus I don't go tank by tank... I've been as high as 30 and as low as 16.5 for tanks in various conditions.
OK I'll now be moving over to the right lane or possibly the shoulder.
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Did I mention I spend more then $6k a year in gas now with my grandparent driving style. I've got the cash but why exactly do I want to give it to someone else?
I assume you also pay whatever the dealer asks for a car. I on the other hand loaded the wife and baby in the Sedona I was trading in just to shake a few more dollars out of the sales manager.
I assume you also pay whatever the dealer asks for a car. I on the other hand loaded the wife and baby in the Sedona I was trading in just to shake a few more dollars out of the sales manager.
jeeb, 10-4… I know where you’re coming from. And yes, unfortunately I generally take the bait for those kinds of comments. 
I hold to my ground against the aggressive idiots in my morning commute (where personally, I couldn’t have fun if I tried)… but yeah, I also do enjoy wringing my 5 out in the twisties when the mood strikes me right.
mazda5mike, I keep mine at 40 too. Goin in for service tomorrow, so I'll bring 'em back down to spec 34 tonight... they'd bring the psi down regardless, but this way I don't get a tongue lashing for prematurely wearing out my tires. Ugh.
I hold to my ground against the aggressive idiots in my morning commute (where personally, I couldn’t have fun if I tried)… but yeah, I also do enjoy wringing my 5 out in the twisties when the mood strikes me right. mazda5mike, I keep mine at 40 too. Goin in for service tomorrow, so I'll bring 'em back down to spec 34 tonight... they'd bring the psi down regardless, but this way I don't get a tongue lashing for prematurely wearing out my tires. Ugh.
WhiteStar III
Member
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- Mazda5 Sport
Interesting, I agree with what you said to a point but Ill throw in the ying to your yang.
Honestly, what is really all that fun about interstate driving? Its boring anyway you slice it, unless its rush hour traffic and its more maddening than boring.
Obviously, Im one of those offensive, high gas mileage, hippy dreamers but Im conscious of the flow of traffic and always try to stay to the right as often as possible.
Now paraphrasing what you said:
I dont get envious of people that regularly drive 80 mph in a 50 mph zone. I can and have pulled off extreme speeds in all of my vehicles at one time or another, but chose not to do so because its unbelievably wasteful and counterproductive to do so.
Many times Ive seen fools blow by me only to be stuck in the same traffic chokepoints a couple of miles further down or even better pulled over by state troopers at one of the many speed traps along my route but I guess he had fun doing it.
In my commute, upping my speed really nets me no benefits (10-15 min saved - wow) and driving for fun is less about speed than just taking in the sights along some scenic route with the wife & kid. Granted outside of the twisties, where a lot of the fools that blew by me get eaten up in turn by the Mz5 as they cant hold the same speed, the 5 isnt really much of a fun-speed demon car.
Most drivers would be well served to heed your advice: "Leave the fun at the track".
as you should.
If you are spending $6k/yr. Assuming 3.25 gal gas and 25MPG, that means you are driving at least 46,000 miles/year. Obviously a few extra MPG helps in your case, but it would help a lot more to simply drive less. We put 20k miles/yr combined on our 2 cars, yet my wife commutes each day to her job, we go on family trips, visit family 300 miles from here, etc. And we live in San Diego...it's not as if everything is all clumped together here.
why would you assume that? I get all my new cars at invoice or lower and sell my cars at high retail. I would never be so foolish as to "trade-in" a car. THAT is throwing money away.
I have sold 4 cars for a PROFIT in the last 2 years.
Sometimes it's boring. But it can be fun.
I don't have any issues with people that GTFO of my way. On single-lane roads I don't have issues with people that drive the speed limit, or people driving slower that pull off to the shoulder when available. People that choose not to do so because they believe they are driving the speed everyone else behind them should drive...well, they can all die in a fire for all I care.
I don't regularly speed excessively. It would be too risky to do so. I drive for the conditions. If the speed limit is 50 and it's sunny, warm, and light traffic...I drive 60 or so.
I have 0 tickets in my entire driving career. That's not to say I haven't gotten lucky more than a few times.
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Dude breath, everythings OK you need to loosen your grip on the keyboard before you break it.
My agrogate mileage is roughly 46K miles yes. I do 25k to and from work a year, wife does roughly 12k, F150 a couple more, GC see's a few miles, my Vdub gets a couple it all adds up. The F150 only averages on a really good day about 15mpg's, if I drove it to work it would cost over $5k by itself. I don't live in San Diego I live in the middle of no-where so I have to drive to VA where I work and most everything in NENC is unless you are going to OBX. I wish I could sell a car for a profit who wants a 2 year old car with 50-60K miles or a 4 year old car with over 100k. This area is full of cars with over 200k miles easy.
You sound allot like I used to be about 10 years ago actually. I've learned to slow down, take things as they come and just relax, why get stressed?
I can afford to drive faster and further but I can use that cash to buy children! I don't get them for free I have to buy them. The Jones Institute just loves reaching into my pocket looking for loose change. The wife already told me she's ready to go back for another one. I cannot blame her though, we just had our 1st after 14 years.
Back on topic: Whitestar the info you provided looks like roughly 520 miles to the tank, correct? I've got well over 220 miles already and still over half tank so I'm trying to gauge how its going in case the SG is off still. The mpg's to the tank look about right but my trip home averaged 38.6.
My agrogate mileage is roughly 46K miles yes. I do 25k to and from work a year, wife does roughly 12k, F150 a couple more, GC see's a few miles, my Vdub gets a couple it all adds up. The F150 only averages on a really good day about 15mpg's, if I drove it to work it would cost over $5k by itself. I don't live in San Diego I live in the middle of no-where so I have to drive to VA where I work and most everything in NENC is unless you are going to OBX. I wish I could sell a car for a profit who wants a 2 year old car with 50-60K miles or a 4 year old car with over 100k. This area is full of cars with over 200k miles easy.
You sound allot like I used to be about 10 years ago actually. I've learned to slow down, take things as they come and just relax, why get stressed?
I can afford to drive faster and further but I can use that cash to buy children! I don't get them for free I have to buy them. The Jones Institute just loves reaching into my pocket looking for loose change. The wife already told me she's ready to go back for another one. I cannot blame her though, we just had our 1st after 14 years.
Back on topic: Whitestar the info you provided looks like roughly 520 miles to the tank, correct? I've got well over 220 miles already and still over half tank so I'm trying to gauge how its going in case the SG is off still. The mpg's to the tank look about right but my trip home averaged 38.6.
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I know I personally didn't help the situation, but let's just move on. No sense dragging it out, because jeebus will continue driving how he does and we will keep driving how we do. He thinks he's right, we think we're right. I'm sure there are different subjects we may all agree on, so best not to burn bridges over this pety issue. In the end, what does it really matter... I mean seriously, the guy lives 3k miles away from the three of us (hi)
