Switching from Two Wheel Drive to All Wheel Drive, what are the differences?

[181962]

My car's instant MPG gauge is pegged at 50-60 MPG when cruising between 60-70 mph on a flat road. During this time, 2 cylinders are shown to be "off" and I'd assume it's basically FWD at this point.

You should watch that more closely and longer. In my experience, if you get it running steady on 2 cylinders you will gradually decelerate. Maybe you had a 50 mph tailwind. If what you say were true people would be reporting 50 mpg, give or take, on a tank of free-flowing highway driving, not 33 or so at the high end.

As for FWD vs. AWD fuel economy, the additional weight in the AWD would be a bigger factor than than the affects of AWD engagement if there is any at all in that factor. Even the added weight of the AWD is small enough that it might not be detectable given the variability of conditions from tank to tank.

I would also not trust the gauge's cumulative mpg reading. I've found some meaningful overstatements in that reading relative to a manual calculation--top off to pump shut off, reset the cumulative gauge. drive, refill at the same pump to shut off, then calculate.

 

[reeves-cx]

You should watch that more closely and longer. In my experience, if you get it running steady on 2 cylinders you will gradually decelerate. Maybe you had a 50 mph tailwind. If what you say were true people would be reporting 50 mpg, give or take, on a tank of free-flowing highway driving, not 33 or so at the high end.

As for FWD vs. AWD fuel economy, the additional weight in the AWD would be a bigger factor than than the affects of AWD engagement if there is any at all in that factor. Even the added weight of the AWD is small enough that it might not be detectable given the variability of conditions from tank to tank.

I would also not trust the gauge's cumulative mpg reading. I've found some meaningful overstatements in that reading relative to a manual calculation--top off to pump shut off, reset the cumulative gauge. drive, refill at the same pump to shut off, then calculate.

Lol I've done nothing but watch it closely for the first ~600 miles of driving since I'm still sort of in my break-in period. My screen is basically locked on the Cylinder Deactivation screen as I'm driving 90% of the time. No way did I say the MPG gauge is accurate, nor that I trust it either. I've had 6 cars prior to this one, I know better than that. I was simply curious what the AWD gauge reads compared to the FWD model since that is in line with the topic of this thread..? I'd assume Mazda's using the same calculations for both models, but guess we better not assume that either lol.

No tailwind either, it's pretty consistent. And yes 2 cylinders is enough to keep my CX-5 steady at 60-70 mph on a flat road, could be a few degrees downward incline I didn't exactly measure with a gyroscope. Anyway that's what the screen shows, take it for what it's worth.

Any amount of upward incline and you'd have to press a bit more on the gas, which will not only kick it back into 4 cylinders, but also plummet the instant MPG gauge down to around 20-25, sometimes lower depending on how hard you're pressing. It's a small amount of pedal-pressing difference between 50-60 MPG and 20-25 MPG, so that explains why no one is reporting 50 MPG's

Although now I'm anxious to take the car on a long out-of-state trip to see what kind of MPGs I'll get. Not that I care to drive like a grandpa all the time, but I'm just more curious what the MPG ceiling is for my route in particular.. Maybe one day I'll be able to rent a used FWD CX-5 and take it on the same trip just to compare, assuming things ever get back to normal in the car industry.

 

[181962]

No tailwind either, it's pretty consistent. And yes 2 cylinders is enough to keep my CX-5 steady at 60-70 mph on a flat road, could be a few degrees downward incline I didn't exactly measure with a gyroscope. Anyway that's what the screen shows, take it for what it's worth.

Any amount of upward incline and you'd have to press a bit more on the gas, which will not only kick it back into 4 cylinders, but also plummet the instant MPG gauge down to around 20-25, sometimes lower depending on how hard you're pressing.

And then when you descend a downhill on that highway you'd apply even less gas pressure and the real time mpg goes even higher. I can only repeat, if you were able to maintain constant 60-70 mph speed on 2 cylinders / 50-60 mpg on a flat road you would be reporting record breaking highway mpg.

 

[Soba1]

Wait you can get the mph on your gauge cluster? Or did you mean mpg?

The 2017’s looked different but yes u can. I have been doing short hops I’m averaging 23mpg right now. Longer in city runs because the speed limits average 55/60 on surface streets 26/27mpg.
When I did that long drive this past weekend. Mostly downhill when going once off the fwy back roads slight hills I averaged 39mpg going between 55/60. On the way back the average went down to 36. The top gage shows the current mpg’s when driving. It’s very helpful. Once u get up to the speed you want that sweet spot is about 2rpms. It’s not hybrid mileage but it’s still pretty good.

 

[Soba1]

And then when you descend a downhill on that highway you'd apply even less gas pressure and the real time mpg goes even higher. I can only repeat, if you were able to maintain constant 60-70 mph speed on 2 cylinders / 50-60 mpg on a flat road you would be reporting record breaking highway mpg.

Definitely on a flat road these things are stellar guaranteed.

 

[reeves-cx]

And then when you descend a downhill on that highway you'd apply even less gas pressure and the real time mpg goes even higher. I can only repeat, if you were able to maintain constant 60-70 mph speed on 2 cylinders / 50-60 mpg on a flat road you would be reporting record breaking highway mpg.

Lol never said I'm doing 2 hrs on a flat road, not sure what you're trying to disprove. I could care less I'm simply reporting what the screen shows, and it only shows 2 cylinders activated with the gauge at 50-60 MPG.. Which got me curious regarding the FWD model.

I'll take your "advice" to not trust the MPG gauge, just as I don't fully trust the cylinder deactivation screen. Hence, no one's reporting record breaking highway MPGs.

 

[reeves-cx]

The 2017’s looked different but yes u can. I have been doing short hops I’m averaging 23mpg right now. Longer in city runs because the speed limits average 55/60 on surface streets 26/27mpg.
When I did that long drive this past weekend. Mostly downhill when going once off the fwy back roads slight hills I averaged 39mpg going between 55/60. On the way back the average went down to 36. The top gage shows the current mpg’s when driving. It’s very helpful. Once u get up to the speed you want that sweet spot is about 2rpms. It’s not hybrid mileage but it’s still pretty good.

Do you have the FWD 2017? That's pretty good to see close to 40 mpg.
My first long drive I got ~34 mpg.. Those 50-60 mpg stretches in the photo were on flat and/or downward inclines Haven't had many highway trips since then but I'm anxious to take this on a long trip knowing it can easily get mid-30's mpgs.

Total life mpg (according to the screen) is ~28 as of today after 600 miles on the odometer. Small road/city driving is consistently in the low 20's for me, again according to the guage. Take all of this with a grain of salt of course, wouldn't want to get anyone too excited.

 

[181962]

....not sure what you're trying to disprove.

I would not want somebody thinking of buying one of these vehicles thinking they will get anything like the 50-60 mpgs you suggest under optimal conditions.

I can guarantee that if you happened to be somewhere with hundreds of mile stretches of flat roads, doing a steady 60-70, you cannot hold it in 2-cylinder mode or get anything close to the flat road mileage you suggest. In fact, I've driven from Cleveland to Buffalo, all but a mile of free flowing expressway about flat as a pancake, 200 miles, trailing wind, part 50-55 mph, mostly 75 mph, where I logged my best mpgs--33. Maybe 34 if my wife had not been in the car. This is a commonly reported highest figure, give or take a bit.

 

[181962]

Do you have the FWD 2017?

FYI, cylinder deactivation was not introduced until 2018. Otherwise, the drivetrains and the vehicles in general being of the same generation would have no applicable differences. CD earned an extra 1 better mpg city and zero change in EPA highway ratings as one indication. Getting better than 31 EPA highway when driving free flowing expressways is to be expected if you know what "highway" means to the EPA.

 

[Soba1]

Do you have the FWD 2017? That's pretty good to see close to 40 mpg.
My first long drive I got ~34 mpg.. Those 50-60 mpg stretches in the photo were on flat and/or downward inclines Haven't had many highway trips since then but I'm anxious to take this on a long trip knowing it can easily get mid-30's mpgs.

Total life mpg (according to the screen) is ~28 as of today after 600 miles on the odometer. Small road/city driving is consistently in the low 20's for me, again according to the guage. Take all of this with a grain of salt of course, wouldn't want to get anyone too excited.

I had a 2017 traded it for the 2020 AWD kind of slightly kicking myself. But I like the color and the features. Once u get it up to speed let off the gas pedal until u hit that sweet spot where it maintains your speed and the mpg will kick right up. Around town accelerate to the speed you want let up n let it cruise. U have to find the sweet spot on the gas pedal once u get your desired speed

 

[ruthrj]

I'd be interested to see what the instant MPG is cruising at 60-65 mph, between the FWD with no Cylinder Deactivation vs the AWD with CD (my car). I'd assume the AWD at that point is just FWD (steady cruising with little engine load), I'm just not sure when & how often the clutch disengages the rear wheels. Especially if the highway is slightly inclined or curved, there's too many variables to know. I don't even need to know the percentage of power, I just wish Mazda gave you an on-screen graphic to at least let you know when the rear wheels are being engaged.

My car's instant MPG gauge is pegged at 50-60 MPG when cruising between 60-70 mph on a flat road. During this time, 2 cylinders are shown to be "off" and I'd assume it's basically FWD at this point.

I do like my ‘21 RAV4 Hybrid display for that. It has a cute diagram you can pull up. It’ll show what is delivering power where (engine to front wheels, electric to front wheels, electric to rear, regenerative power back to battery etc). A separate screen for both the gas and hybrid shows power delivery to the front vs rear wheels. If you put it in Sport mode, a little center of mass bubble pops up to show which direction the vehicle may be leaning toward.

 

[Soba1]

I do like my ‘21 RAV4 Hybrid display for that. It has a cute diagram you can pull up. It’ll show what is delivering power where (engine to front wheels, electric to front wheels, electric to rear, regenerative power back to battery etc). A separate screen for both the gas and hybrid shows power delivery to the front vs rear wheels. If you put it in Sport mode, a little center of mass bubble pops up to show which direction the vehicle may be leaning toward.

That’s a big help if I’m able I may go back to hybrid in a couple of years. Since I don’t commute well. I wanted a sunroof, and that Mazda stereo rocks