Mazda5 real-world Mileage numbers

AIMWO4 said:
How long between fill-ups at 20-22 mpg?
Click to expand...

7 to 10 days I guess... I normally do a lot of short trips (< 8km). It's only when I go fishing I drive on highway and long distance (say, more than 50 miles one way). No, I don't tow a boat with this car ;-)

Anyway, it's now over 440km on the 6th tank (filled up on Sunday) and it's just a little bit under half way. For the previous tanks, it would be 3/4 mark with 400km. So I'm getting like 100km more on this tank (thanks to the 300km highway driving). If it gets this kind of mpg every tank I'll be VERY HAPPY.
 
I usually go about 2 weeks between fill-ups. Which makes me happy even if mileage is lower. I've tracked moving vs. stopped time with my GPS, and about 1/4 of my time is spent stopped.

randyl said:
7 to 10 days I guess... I normally do a lot of short trips (< 8km). It's only when I go fishing I drive on highway and long distance (say, more than 50 miles one way). No, I don't tow a boat with this car ;-)

Anyway, it's now over 440km on the 6th tank (filled up on Sunday) and it's just a little bit under half way. For the previous tanks, it would be 3/4 mark with 400km. So I'm getting like 100km more on this tank (thanks to the 300km highway driving). If it gets this kind of mpg every tank I'll be VERY HAPPY.
Click to expand...
 
We're now up to 15k miles (it's a 2006 - we don't drive very much!) and I removed the big Thule coffin off the roof to see if mpg improved. Nope, still around 19.8mpg. This is a mixture of highway driving (70mph+), city traffic, local errands, etc.

I'm starting to think something's wrong. This car is not heavy enough to get only 20mpg out of a 4 cylinder with VVT. Driving range is 250 miles or less before the low fuel light comes on.
 
Last tank was 8.4L/100 km, or 28 mpg (American). It was only the second tank through the car... :)
 
Recently I had a chance to check mileage with 100% city and 100% highway.
So results are city 10.8L/100km or 21.7 mpg
hwy 7.5L/100Km or 31.4 mpg
 
Just got back from a 2,070 mile round trip voyage from Toledo Ohio to Hilton Head Island South Carolina.

The drive was a mix of flat plains, mountains and everything in between.

Averaged between 65mph and 80mph. Trip was about 90% Highway and 10% traffic jam/city.

Temperatures were from 80 to 97 Farenheit so the AC was blasting constantly.

Car was fully loaded with four adults and enough luggage for myself and my wife and two teenage daughters and 8 days at the beach. In other words I had about 6 inches of vertical space at the top of the cargo area and every spare space had a bag or other item cramed into it.


First tank 29.2 mpg
Second tank 33.1 mpg
Third tank 30.1 mpg
Fourth tank 29.4 mpg
Fifth tank 31.2 mpg

Overall I am very happy with these results. Once again the 5 proved to be the best possible vehicle for our needs.

I also noticed that the 5 is very popular in the South, I saw at least 7 while in South Carolina alone.
 
opus said:
Just got back from a 2,070 mile round trip voyage from Toledo Ohio to Hilton Head Island South Carolina.

The drive was a mix of flat plains, mountains and everything in between.

Averaged between 65mph and 80mph. Trip was about 90% Highway and 10% traffic jam/city.

Temperatures were from 80 to 97 Farenheit so the AC was blasting constantly.

Car was fully loaded with four adults and enough luggage for myself and my wife and two teenage daughters and 8 days at the beach. In other words I had about 6 inches of vertical space at the top of the cargo area and every spare space had a bag or other item cramed into it.


First tank 29.2 mpg
Second tank 33.1 mpg
Third tank 30.1 mpg
Fourth tank 29.4 mpg
Fifth tank 31.2 mpg

Overall I am very happy with these results. Once again the 5 proved to be the best possible vehicle for our needs.

I also noticed that the 5 is very popular in the South, I saw at least 7 while in South Carolina alone.
Click to expand...

Well that is a 30.6 mpg overall average, which I think is hard to beat for moving that much cargo, and that many people.

Did you happen to check your tire pressure?
 
Tire pressure was at factory spec of around 34psi at each corner. Had my daughter check them before the trip and while on the island. It was about 1-2mpg better than we experienced last year on the same trip.
 
27.7 here

Prior tank was 29.5 MPG (US) but filled yesterday and calculated 27.7 mpg.

Probably more impatient and using the AC more. I had the windows tinted a couple of tanks ago but still very hot in Michigan
 
08 5speed Auto just went from San Diego to Phoenix and back. Averaged 72-75mph with AC running the entire time in auto. Car was pretty well packed with my wife and 1 year old in the car(and all their.....urr, I mean our stuff). We averaged 27mpg both ways, which was a little less than I thought we would. I think the main mileage killer was all the weight in the car and the long grades the make up part of the 8 freeway. I was able to maintain 70-75 up the hills, but it required a few trips to 3rd gear which probably killed the mileage.

I had two odd things happen mechanically on the trip. The front vent controls refused to blow air out any vents after about 260 miles at 105 degrees F. The rear continued to work. We pulled over, ate lunch, and came back about 45 minutes later to working vents. It never happened again on the trip, even at triple digit temps climbing grades. Also, the transmission refused to shift out of 4th after climbing the final grade. I shifted it to neutral and then back to drive and it shifted into 5th. When shifting to Manual, the gear selector went blank. I have a feeling the trans got a little warm, but I didn't get an AT light.
 
Road Trip

Road trip from Vancouver to the Okanagan, via the Coquihalla (nice big hill, for those not in the know).

I filled up, hit the tachy, drove, filled up again and noted the distance on the tachy.

We put in (2nd time) 36.8 litres, and the tachy was showing 424kms covered or 8.7litres/100kms. Using some online calculator, that works out at 27.1 MPG.

This was with 2 Adults, 2 Kids (in carseats), 29" suitcase (full), full size stroller, scooter, golf clubs and a cooler.

ACC was on full time and I was driving it pretty quickly (hey, I don't often get the chance to drive it!).

I also had the RPM's up to 5,500RPM on cruise control as it tried to maintain the 120kph/75mph speed going uphill.
 
SparkyBhoy said:
I also had the RPM's up to 5,500RPM on cruise control as it tried to maintain the 120kph/75mph speed going uphill.
Click to expand...

ZOOM-ZOOM right there ;)

I also just finished a road trip, same as the Thanksgiving trip from last year, around 400mi each way. The non-scientific results tell me the 08 is a little bit better on gas than the 06:

Last year on the 06:
coolmazda5 said:
2006 Mazda5 (Sport, 5MT). Thanksgiving trip:
Getting there. Hilly Highway @75-80MPH: ~24MPG
Return. Hilly Highway @65-75MPH: ~27MPG
Click to expand...

Same trip on the 08, same 3 passengers and fully loaded...

2008 Mazda5 (Sport, 5MT)
Getting there: 26.3MPG
While in there: 23.7MPG
Return: 29.3MPG (yeah, it seems to be downhill in average)

Stopped-by hilly Pittsburgh on the way back, and it is the 1st time I really feel that the 2.3L engine needed more dough while getting out of there. Yet not bad for a 4cyl family hauler after 3 years of Mazda5 ownership...
 
40 MPG segment (140 miles)

I had my first 40 MPG segment today on a 140 mile trip. I normally drive with 5-6 people in my Mazda5 and 4 of those are kids so the AC is always on, etc.. Not really "hypermiling". However I set out on my own to pick my sister up at the airport in STL. I taped on a full lower grille block from black plastic and masking tape and headed out to see what would happen.

I was able to sustain around 40 MPG the entire way. I ran without the AC and near 60 MPH the entire way. I used a steady throttle position some, but eventually went to cruise control as I wasn't seeing a big difference. I also used engine on coasting down hills. When I got to I-70 the traffic was moving nicely and I was seeing 40-55 MPG at 55 MPH. By the time I got the the airport I was at 40+ MPG. Pretty impressed. The coolant temp hovered in the 216-220 degree range the entire trip, which is pretty warm. I guess Mazda's temp gauges are fakes because it never even moved from half way. Stayed there the entire time. I have to look up the temp that my fan comes on to see if it was running or not. I didn't notice it. The intake temp was between 90-97 degrees.

EDIT: After looking up the fan control it looks like the fan was on "some". I guess we have a variable speed fan. It is 0% via coolant temp up to 212 degrees. At 223-226 degrees it is up to 75% duty cycle and above 226 degrees it is at 100% duty cycle. So a full lower grille block is a little too much going down the highway in 80-85 degree temps. Should be no problem in the winter. Guess I'll try again when it is cooler. I'm not sure how much it really helps MPG.

After picking up my passenger (had to circle 3 times before she made her way to be picked up) we turned on the AC and I ripped off the grille block. We drove @ 60 MPH most of the time and hit some rush hour traffic. It didn't hurt the MPG any when driving properly. I think it actually helped. You guys that drive on multi lane roads every day have it made for MPG. We stopped for supper and stopped again to grocery shop. After getting home the final tank total was 36+ MPG . Very nice for a 6 passenger mini-mini van. This was more of conservative driving than actual hypermiling.
 
Last edited:
remarquian said:
So Rex,

Are you getting your numbers via the Scangage II w/XGauge (tm)?
Click to expand...

Yes. It has been tuned in so it is accurate within 0.1 gallons on a tank fillup. I've been pretty impressed.

I filled the car after returning from the trip to get the total trip mileage. I always fill at the same pump at the same station facing the same direction. In a small town at a "membership" station that is easy to do.

The trip numbers from the car (not the Scanguage) are 284 miles and 7.8 gallons of E10 gasoline. Since the Scanguage is calibrated so well it showed the same numbers.
 
my best mileage so far in 20,000 miles of driving was this week: 28 mpg, mostly highway, various rates of speed, sometimes as high as 80 mph, usually around 70 mph.
 
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