Fuel Economy

[Flagrum_3]

It's misleading because the only meaningful comparison for MPG figures is with US figures. The metric measurement is L/100km. If you're going to provide a figure for MPG, the only value is because we have so much available US literature.

We don't measure distance in miles and nobody buys fuel in British gallons, so why is this figure used at all? Because it makes the numbers look good.

You seem to be forgetting a whole demographic here, What about the fact that they are still selling millions of vehicles to older Canadian consumer's whom for many many years used the MPG (Imperial Measure) method, which they are comfortable with and is undoubtably why it is still used!!...Anyways all you have to do if your comparing the Canadian spec with the US spec is minus 20% from the Canadian spec and you'll end up with the U.S spec.If you have a problem with the whole thing, than maybe you should write the Canadian Government because they are the ones who control how the info is stated, not the manufacturers.I'm just stating the way it is, I don't make the rules.


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[fuzzytony]

Wow huge thread. Just figured I'd throw my 2 cents:
My '07 GT has 20,400km on it and these have been my observations:
1) During summer I get approximately 250km/half tank (I always fill at half).

2) Once this mega winter kicked in it dropped to about 240km (probably due to the heater being on at max fan most of the time).

3) I always use 87 octane gas. 98% of the time it is ESSO gas as it seems that here is always an ESSO gas station around. On two occasions I filled using premium 91 octane fuel because the local ESSO was out of regular and was selling premium gas for "regular" price. Both these occasions were during late summer (late aug, early sept). In both occasions I found the the half tank lasted me 260km. Now I am no expert nor do I endorse spending an extra 10-15 cents on premium gas i just through that was an interesting note worth sharing.

4) Having said all of the above I must say one of my biggest pet peeves with the 3 is the fuel economy. A good friend of mine with similar driving style to my own purchased an 07 Nissan Altima 2.5s (brand new) around the same time I got my 3. We both drive about 60 km per day as well. The Altima has a 2.4L, 175HP engine and his car only uses 9.5L/100 (as per the on board computer in his car). The Mazda 3 fuel consumption gauge reads 10.9L/100km on mine. Obviously I am very disappointed than a bigger engine with more power manages way better fuel economy than the 3.

5) I still love my 3 regardless!

Cheers,

FuzzyT.

[Flagrum_3]

Wow huge thread. Just figured I'd throw my 2 cents:
My '07 GT has 20,400km on it and these have been my observations:
1) During summer I get approximately 250km/half tank (I always fill at half).

2) Once this mega winter kicked in it dropped to about 240km (probably due to the heater being on at max fan most of the time).

3) I always use 87 octane gas. 98% of the time it is ESSO gas as it seems that here is always an ESSO gas station around. On two occasions I filled using premium 91 octane fuel because the local ESSO was out of regular and was selling premium gas for "regular" price. Both these occasions were during late summer (late aug, early sept). In both occasions I found the the half tank lasted me 260km. Now I am no expert nor do I endorse spending an extra 10-15 cents on premium gas i just through that was an interesting note worth sharing.

4) Having said all of the above I must say one of my biggest pet peeves with the 3 is the fuel economy. A good friend of mine with similar driving style to my own purchased an 07 Nissan Altima 2.5s (brand new) around the same time I got my 3. We both drive about 60 km per day as well. The Altima has a 2.4L, 175HP engine and his car only uses 9.5L/100 (as per the on board computer in his car). The Mazda 3 fuel consumption gauge reads 10.9L/100km on mine. Obviously I am very disappointed than a bigger engine with more power manages way better fuel economy than the 3.

5) I still love my 3 regardless!

Cheers,

FuzzyT.

Try switching to Shell, I promise you'll notice a difference


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[fuzzytony]

Try switching to Shell, I promise you'll notice a difference


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Seems like everyone feels different brand of gas is better/worst than others. I actually have a friend whose mechanic seriously recommended against Shell, saying ESSO was the better quality gas -- I wonder, don't all these companies receive the fuel from the same refinery or does each company "post process" the fuel further once they receive it?

-FuzzyT.

[Flagrum_3]

Seems like everyone feels different brand of gas is better/worst than others. I actually have a friend whose mechanic seriously recommended against Shell, saying ESSO was the better quality gas -- I wonder, don't all these companies receive the fuel from the same refinery or does each company "post process" the fuel further once they receive it?

-FuzzyT.

I think alot of times its car specific.My previous vehicle loved Sunoco gas, it would always run smoother with more power and get better mileage.With my Mazda I find it runs much better with Shell gas as compared to Sunoco, Esso, or Petro.(I have 67k on her now and never had a problem with her, engine wise), But I have always found Esso fuel to be the worst of the bunch, and I know from doing alot of reading that Esso fuel is one of the dirtiest fuels out there and that Shell is one of the cleanest as it pertains to carbon build-up in your engine.(Not enviromental emmisions)


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[Fuman]

The Mazda 3 fuel consumption gauge reads 10.9L/100km on mine.

I don't find the gauge too accurate. I always do my own calculations. That being said, I can get 300km/h at 1/2 tank. Give or take 20 km/h depending on conditions. During the colder weeks where I have to warm up the car, I get 280 km at 1/2 tank.
I get 9L/100KM (somewhere in the 9 range).

[doughboyr6]

my gas has dropped significantly over this winter....i usually get 475-500kms before the reserve light comes on....now the reserve light comes on 430-450...

[Wild Weasel]

The computer's reading for mileage is a load of hogwash. Mine's always read at least 1L more than my own calculated results.

Same here for the drop over the winter.

Remember that the cold itself has an impact. Until your O2 sensors heat up and start making accurate readings, the car runs rich in open loop mode so the mileage sucks. If you make mostly small trips so the car mostly runs cold, your mileage will suffer dramatically.

[Gizzmo_jr]

Yeah no kidding WW. I barely get 250km to the 1/2 tank now that its winter. That's what you get for putting around a town that only takes 15min to get around. I get between 18-22MPG and on my last trip to Jay Peak I got 29MPG.

The MZ3 2.3L comes out of Open loop just under 1500rpm in the mornings, but engine load is still 25-30% at stop lights. It's not until the car is fully warmed up that your right, I get the proper mileage.

[fuzzytony]

I think alot of times its car specific.My previous vehicle loved Sunoco gas, it would always run smoother with more power and get better mileage.With my Mazda I find it runs much better with Shell gas as compared to Sunoco, Esso, or Petro.(I have 67k on her now and never had a problem with her, engine wise), But I have always found Esso fuel to be the worst of the bunch, and I know from doing alot of reading that Esso fuel is one of the dirtiest fuels out there and that Shell is one of the cleanest as it pertains to carbon build-up in your engine.(Not enviromental emmisions)


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Very well, I will try going Shell only for a month see if it makes any difference. Though if the wether warms up the results may be skewed. Perhaps the fairest thing would be to do it in July and August when the weather is always warm. I'll let you know how it goes ...

[fuzzytony]

The computer's reading for mileage is a load of hogwash. Mine's always read at least 1L more than my own calculated results.

Same here for the drop over the winter.

Remember that the cold itself has an impact. Until your O2 sensors heat up and start making accurate readings, the car runs rich in open loop mode so the mileage sucks. If you make mostly small trips so the car mostly runs cold, your mileage will suffer dramatically.

I'd say mine are pretty close. I do 240 - 250km per 1/2 tank. If the tank is 55L then this would amount to about 480 - 500 km / 55L.

500 km/55L = 11 L per 100km.


Cheers,

[x_o_k_x]

600-620km if pushing to the limit, light comes on at around 530ish... btw Thats mazda3 gt

[Zoom_mer]

regarding the first question in this string: it would seem the guy who gets 60L/100km when he hits the gas from a stop is set on Current Consumption anmd not Average Consumption.

[whiteomega]

i've never been able to bring myself to trust the "current consumption" thing, as it seems to be based on accelerator position, rather than actual computation..on my car, i can be using the engine to slow down, and the current consumption reads 0.0..

[doughboyr6]

woohoot, last week i got great milage....my tank yielded me more than 500kms before the light came on....

[sudz]

2.0 manual... 100% highway driving i can sqeeze 700km out of a tank on a fall day with no a/c going 110kph. otherwise... 500km before fuel light...... but i'm a "spirited" driver. premium does next to nil. CAI made consumption rise slightly... anyone else notice this?

[WTKAOS]

2005 Mazda3 GT Sport Auto (2.3) 82,000km

Winter with winter tires: 1/2 tank is ~280km and 495km when the light comes on.

It's all highway at rush hour...so it probaly equals 50/50 city/highway.

changing over to my new Yokohamas soon with less rolling resistance, we'll see if that makes a difference.

[bunchi]

regarding the first question in this string: it would seem the guy who gets 60L/100km when he hits the gas from a stop is set on Current Consumption anmd not Average Consumption.

was that me? yes it is in current consumption, not avg. consumption. i'll be damned of it was! lol i play around with the buttons a lot so i'm sure I saw I was seeing the value in the correct mode. i don't look at my current consumption anymore i don't want to see how muich i consume when I accelerate anymore because it scares me for march, so far the best i can get from a tank full of gas was 470km, least kms at 430km per tank.

[Flagrum_3]

Here's my latest, just filled her today, had put in some Redline gas treatment last fill to clean her out, so I ran her right till the low fuel light came on....

520 kilometers driven, used 45.1 Litres...works out to 322 miles and 9.91 (CAN) gallons, figure my fuel consumption at 8.67L/100km or 32.5 mpg (CAN) or approx 26 mpg (US).

Approximately 70/30-city/hwy

Not bad considering its still pretty cold out.


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[Malcolm991]

I get 450-500 city and up to 650 at times on the highway

[mzuccarini]

im only getting my m3 GS about 450km per tank.. im averaging about 10.2L/100km

maybe because its still brand new... anyone notice better consumption the longer youve owned it?

[KenYork]

2004GS sedan. I get about 450 in the cold winter. 580-600 summer. 700+ all highway.

[Flagrum_3]

im only getting my m3 GS about 450km per tank.. im averaging about 10.2L/100km

maybe because its still brand new... anyone notice better consumption the longer youve owned it?

I believe alot of people noticed higher consumption at first, including myself, during the brake-in period and sometimes longer.Just give it some time.


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[sudz]

I believe alot of people noticed higher consumption at first, including myself, during the brake-in period and sometimes longer.Just give it some time.
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+1... I thought "oh god... This things going to kill me at the pumps. BABYING it i got 450 on my first full tank. I don't think i broke 3000 RPM for the first 3 weeks. (well... maybe once or twice) and that was including a trip down to waterloo and back then to markham and back (highway)

Now i can barely touch 700 on pure highway driving.

I can easily get to the cottage and back (460KM) and still have a quarter tank left. (highway diving, 50% at 90km in 5th!

[McGuyver_3]

05 2.0L 5speed push the car hard 50/50 highway traffic 480-500 @ approx 43-45L never went past the light being on