Real World MPG numbers?

[jesus_man]

Looking for a commuter car for my wife and I like the 5's for their styling, but wanted to get some good numbers for city/highway driving. Found one with 127k, new pistons and heads, automatic. Hoping I can squeeze out the low 30's I could in my Protege.

Also if you know of any others for sale under $6k and automatic, I'd like to know. Closer to CO the better! Thanks!

J.D.

 

[Jezis]

dude there's a ton in utah, check ksl.com its a local news station that has classifieds, thats where i got mine, but i have a habbit of checkin it to see if there's better deals than what i got on mine.

 

[hotcracker69]

on an auto? this will be really hard to get 30 mpg, i get between 25-28mpg with city and freeway driving. you might be able to get 30-32 freeway only driving at 55 mph.

 

[M4Carbine]

on an auto? this will be really hard to get 30 mpg, i get between 25-28mpg with city and freeway driving. you might be able to get 30-32 freeway only driving at 55 mph.

This. Most of the time I get about 25.5 and thats a mix of city/HWY. Now on my trip to Florida it was all HWY and I got 29. My car is in great shape too.

 

[Hank3]

I've had my P5 (manual tranny) for a little over a year now and have averaged right around 30 MPG. Last few months it's been right between 28 - 30 MPG with city driving. I've gotten as much as 34-37 MPG if it's strictly highway. Check Fuelly and other people's fuel logs:

http://www.fuelly.com/car/mazda/protege5

 

[i12drivemyMP5]

Mine is 03 sport auto with 86k on it and am currently pulling 30-31 mpg a tank. Last tank was 426 miles and 13.5 to fill it back up. Been hittin a bunch of 390+ tanks filling with 12.5-13 gallons before that. Running 40psi in my 205/40/17s and 10-30w Penzoil Platinum. That would be cruise set at 67 mph on my 30 mile 80/20 frwy/city driving. I drive very early so yes, I can use cc all the way to work and use toll lane on frwy in afternoon to do same speed but without cc.

 

[StealthWyvern]

I used to have a reg auto with around 170k on it and i always averaged 25/25 -27mpg in town.. Couldn't tell you highway because well i never took any trips with it. However that car saw redline everyday just about. lol

 

[M4Carbine]

Mine is 03 sport auto with 86k on it and am currently pulling 30-31 mpg a tank. Last tank was 426 miles and 13.5 to fill it back up. Been hittin a bunch of 390+ tanks filling with 12.5-13 gallons before that. Running 40psi in my 205/40/17s and 10-30w Penzoil Platinum. That would be cruise set at 67 mph on my 30 mile 80/20 frwy/city driving. I drive very early so yes, I can use cc all the way to work and use toll lane on frwy in afternoon to do same speed but without cc.

Wow 40psi huh. The ride must be pretty rough with the tires that hard.

 

[i12drivemyMP5]

205/40/17 aren't going to be very comfortable no matter the psi. Been running 35 and there is more tread left in the middle than the edges so I bumped it up to 40. It feels no different. Basically got 390 out of a tank with used oil and 30 psi when I fisrt went back to driving this instead of the 18mpg truck that has been my dd for awhile. Gas prices changed that. New oil and more psi got me another 35 miles per tank.

 

[jesus_man]

Great info guys, thanks so much!! While I love the styling, I guess I better concentrate on the Ford Focus because it can do low 30's with city/hwy mix. I was just hoping that the extra weight of the hatch back didn't hinder the MPG's. I had an '01 protege with about the same commute as I need this for, but got 31-32 with synthetics in engine and tranny, but it was also at sea level.We're now at 7k ASL.

Again, thanks for the help!

J.D.

 

[riverzendz]

Since we bought it, about 9 years ago, we've been consistently getting 24 - 29. Changed the air filter 3 times in 9 years, never plugs and wires, oil every 9 months or so with 10w/30, and tires are OEM with somewhere around 40psi. 116k on the clock.

 

[tweety2300]

How do you guys get over 30 mpg? I have an mp3 so I've got the exhaust plus intake and a better tune and I get about 28 mpg. Interstate kills my milage as well not sure why. My tank only holds about 12.5 gallons and I can squeeze 350 out of it

 

[Hank3]

I drive like a grandma, pretty much shifting around 3000 RPM.

 

[walkingchaos]

Im seeing 25mpg in winter and between 28 and 30 summer. 5 speed. means im seeing about 350 miles to a tank. whoever said they were seeing over 400miles to a tank tell me your secret !

 

[Lboogs]

yes please tell me. I have an '02 LX 5 speed and the most I've got was 27mpg. My commute is 80/20 city/highway and I shift at or before 3k rpm. So on average I am anywhere from 23-25. The more highway driving I do then it goes up to 26, but never over 27.

I just filled up this morning 344.5 miles, 12.8 gallons.

 

[Hank3]

How big is our tank? The people that go +400 miles per tank in city driving, do you see the light come on before refueling? I've seen +400 a couple times but that was ALL highway and at about 11 - 12 gallons used. With me averaging between 28 - 30 MPG in the city, I usually fill up before the light comes on.

I'm assuming you guys have clean air filters, newer spark plugs, and etc.?

 

[Justin2129]

i got 40.6 last week....filled all the way up as far as it would go both times, so it was accurate

 

[Justin2129]

How big is our tank? The people that go +400 miles per tank in city driving, do you see the light come on before refueling? I've seen +400 a couple times but that was ALL highway and at about 11 - 12 gallons used. With me averaging between 28 - 30 MPG in the city, I usually fill up before the light comes on.

I'm assuming you guys have clean air filters, newer spark plugs, and etc.?

i filled up with 15.496 gallons once....must've been bone dry!

 

[StealthWyvern]

i filled up with 15.496 gallons once....must've been bone dry!

dang must of been ridign with the light on for awhile. lol

 

[i12drivemyMP5]

whoever said they were seeing over 400miles to a tank tell me your secret !

intake, header, hi flo cat & catback, VTCS removed, lightened wp/alt/ps pulleys, UDP, 1.8 coils, long reach NGK copper plugs, 205/40/17s @ 40psi, 67 cc on frwy which = 3k rpms, syn oil, 626 filter, oil catch can to keep it out of intake, K&N air filter, lowered 1.4 & buncha suspension mods, sportronic so using oem ECU, live in mostly flat area. Was gettin avg of 24 mpg last time this was daily driver 2 yrs ago. Not sure what secret is now, other than keepin it below 70mph. Impressidly & happily mystified about now.


Oh yeah, 87 reg unleaded............