2011 Mazda 3 - Very high in gas consumption

[stefanmane]

I've purchased a 2011 Mazda 3. After two months of driving this car I was unpleasantly surprised to see that is consuming 12.5 Litres per 100Km. Most of it is Hwy. I actually booked an appointment for servicing this car this Thursday but they told me (over the phone), pretty much nothing can be done. This is frustrating; I didn't sell my old car for this.

Any ideas?

[cwp_sedan]

I've purchased a 2011 Mazda 3. After two months of driving this car I was unpleasantly surprised to see that is consuming 12.5 Litres per 100Km. Most of it is Hwy. I actually booked an appointment for servicing this car this Thursday but they told me (over the phone), pretty much nothing can be done. This is frustrating; I didn't sell my old car for this.

Any ideas?

Maybe try getting rid of the heavy foot?

If you are in stop-and-go highway traffic, that doesn't count as highway mileage.

My 2007 easily gets under 8-9L/100km on straight highway mileage. Either the car DOES have a problem, or it's either your driving style &/or traffic.

[Kiyomi]

2.0 or 2.5? if its brand new, it needs time to break in. change the oil after a thousand k or so. also do alot of city driving, will help the break in faster.

[XTOTHEL]

Even with AC on and city driving I get 9-10...I don't know how or what you have to do to get 12.5

[bluemazda3]

let it break in... im averaging 7.8/L ... it will get better in time.

[boyracer]

Maybe try getting rid of the heavy foot?

If you are in stop-and-go highway traffic, that doesn't count as highway mileage.

My 2007 easily gets under 8-9L/100km on straight highway mileage. Either the car DOES have a problem, or it's either your driving style &/or traffic.

I was thinking the same thing....heavy foot, cause my 2010 speed3 averages around 9.6/100km

[Fack_Dude]

You should be lucky my car averages about 5/100km:whoa

[Mr Wilson]

^^^That's your meth consumption.....

[Fayvir]

I used to get avg of 9L/100km when i was driving between markham and waterloo for school every so often.
But now I'm closer to 10L/100km, strictly in markham/toronto (more city driving)

[peterm15]

Are you going by the dash or by calculations.
How many km/ tank

[Charlie S]

First of all the car is new and the fuel consumption is not going to be very good initially. All cars are like that. Let it break in. Secondly the bigger he engine the less kpg you are gonna see. Mazdas are pretty powerfull and peppy on the road and that comes with a price. If you wanted fuel economy you should have considered other smaller cars.
Try driving a G35 or G37. They are fast but they dump gas.
Just enjoy your car. Personally I don't care about the fuel economy, I just drive and I love my car.

[cwp_sedan]

The break in period isn't going to change the gas mileage all that much. You may see a slight decrease in fuel consumption, but not that much.

It's all about your driving habits/location or a mechanical problem with the vehicle.

[Booter22]

i didnt notice the fuel econ really start to increase until it was about the 2nd service or between 16 000 to 24 000. now at 37 000km i average about 7.6L/100 km.

[Fuman]

Secondly the bigger he engine the less kpg you are gonna see.
This is not true, and has no factual basis. Many factors come into play to determine gas consumption (excluding the driver)

350z: 17/24 mpg (city/highway)
370z: 18/26 mpg (city/highway)

G35 coupe: 17/25 mpg (city/highway)
G37 coupe: 19/27 mpg (city/highway)
Keep in mind, for mpg higher is better. source (http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/bymake/Infiniti2009.shtml)

[sol_searchin]

Sure it does, why do you think a 4.0L engine burns more gas than a 2.0L engine? Adding shit like cylinder deactivation, hybrid or other "gas saving" measures helps but overall higher displacement = more internal engine area = more fuel needed. Anyways, 12.5L to 100km is not bad but not great, wait until you hit 10 000km and check your mileage at that time.

[Hoodzy]

OP is probably using the dash calculations.

[Fuman]

Sure it does, why do you think a 4.0L engine burns more gas than a 2.0L engine? Adding shit like cylinder deactivation, hybrid or other "gas saving" measures helps but overall higher displacement = more internal engine area = more fuel needed. Anyways, 12.5L to 100km is not bad but not great, wait until you hit 10 000km and check your mileage at that time.
Sure you have more volume to put gas in, but that does not mean you have to fit it all with gas.

I already provided examples when "bigger engine consumes more gas" does not hold true.
Improvement in determining the best AFR helps as well, other technologies such as variable intake/exhaust timing has improved consumption as well.

Sure there are cases when bigger engine consumers more gas, but that is not always the case

[TheAnswer_03]

I too am getting terrible gas mileage also on my '07 Mazda 3 2.3L, it's comparable to most V6 cars :( but my driving is 100% City driving though.

[sol_searchin]

If you remove all fuel saving technology a basic higher displacement engine will burn more fuel than a lower one. Your examples are from manufacturer ratings which are far from true... (just so you know!). I'm not even going to go into AFR on stock cars but the majority of eco car manufacturers optimized for fuel economy rather than performance.


Sure you have more volume to put gas in, but that does not mean you have to fit it all with gas.

I already provided examples when "bigger engine consumes more gas" does not hold true.
Improvement in determining the best AFR helps as well, other technologies such as variable intake/exhaust timing has improved consumption as well.

Sure there are cases when bigger engine consumers more gas, but that is not always the case

[sol_searchin]

On the topic of the 2.0 vs the 2.5L the dude was right, the engine will burn more fuel. It's very rare when a higher displacement engine (same manufacturer and same model) is burns less than the lower displacement engine.

[Fuman]

If you remove all fuel saving technology a basic higher displacement engine will burn more fuel than a lower one. Your examples are from manufacturer ratings which are far from true... (just so you know!). I'm not even going to go into AFR on stock cars but the majority of eco car manufacturers optimized for fuel economy rather than performance.
The fact of the matter is these cars have these technologies and engineers will continue to make step by step technological advances. Anyway, I believe this debate has reached a point of beating a dead horse.

to the OP: Let us know how it goes with the dealer. Wish you luck with your issue.

[Timotee]

When I first got my GT, I was surprised as well. Then I realized, my driving style was too "spirited" and hence monitored my driving after that. True enough, my "heavy" foot was the cause as my average went down from 12.2 to 9.9.

[Astig02]

I've purchased a 2011 Mazda 3. After two months of driving this car I was unpleasantly surprised to see that is consuming 12.5 Litres per 100Km. Most of it is Hwy. I actually booked an appointment for servicing this car this Thursday but they told me (over the phone), pretty much nothing can be done. This is frustrating; I didn't sell my old car for this.

Any ideas?

same situation here!! i even replace my Air filter with a K&N drop in filter.. initially it drop to 9~10l/100k, but now its back to 11.5~12l/100k after a day... I dont think i have a heavy foot.. i dont rev pass 2500 from full stop (like granny driver)... i'm easy on the breaks and gas too...

info: '11 M3 Sport GT AT, ODO: 960 Km

[stefanmane]

Thanks anyone for your answers.
I'll try to be more specific:
2011 Mazda 3 with 2.0L engine, 1500 K
The consumption is done based on calculation since I bought this car.
For example last time when the gas light came on I filled up my tank with 42 Litres.
Now it has two bars left on the gas indicator (probably around 100Km left until the gas light will be on again), and the trip indicator (which was set up to 0 when I filled up my tank) shows 248 Km. So as a basic math is about 42 litres for 350 Km.
Now to answer about my driving habits, even if I would be the worst driver I don't think this will make such a big difference from what the book said (5.9 Hwy and 8.1 City). Other than this high gas isue I can't say anything bad about driving this car.
Anyway, today I dropped my car to the service shop and tomorrow, if they will call me to pick it up, I'll give you an update.

[sol_searchin]

That is pretty bad for the 2.0L...

[XTOTHEL]

Thanks anyone for your answers.
I'll try to be more specific:
2011 Mazda 3 with 2.0L engine, 1500 K
The consumption is done based on calculation since I bought this car.
For example last time when the gas light came on I filled up my tank with 42 Litres.
Now it has two bars left on the gas indicator (probably around 100Km left until the gas light will be on again), and the trip indicator (which was set up to 0 when I filled up my tank) shows 248 Km. So as a basic math is about 42 litres for 350 Km.
Now to answer about my driving habits, even if I would be the worst driver I don't think this will make such a big difference from what the book said (5.9 Hwy and 8.1 City). Other than this high gas isue I can't say anything bad about driving this car.
Anyway, today I dropped my car to the service shop and tomorrow, if they will call me to pick it up, I'll give you an update.

See how rough your estimates are? If you want to find out, try doing it accurately. Fill up at a gas station until the pump stops you, don't try to squeeze in a bit more.

Reset trip counter, drive until fuel light comes on (don't estimate about 100kms) left.

Go to the same gas station(same pump even) and fill up until the pump stops you.

Take your receipt, it should say exactly how much fuel you filled up. Divide the amount of fuel by the kilometers indicated on the trip counter (gets you L/km) and multiply by 100. That should be a much more accurate L/100km reading.

[Felks24]

When I first got my GT, I was surprised as well. Then I realized, my driving style was too "spirited" and hence monitored my driving after that. True enough, my "heavy" foot was the cause as my average went down from 12.2 to 9.9.

I'm down into the 9's as well now...9.8 on my last fill up, and I only have like 1300 km on the car. And I do a LOT of city.

[r4BBiT]

same situation here!! i even replace my Air filter with a K&N drop in filter.. initially it drop to 9~10l/100k, but now its back to 11.5~12l/100k after a day... I dont think i have a heavy foot.. i dont rev pass 2500 from full stop (like granny driver)... i'm easy on the breaks and gas too...

info: '11 M3 Sport GT AT, ODO: 960 Km

I always wondered about shifting gears at lower RPMs. Personally I think my car would burn more that way, because when I shift at that low RPM the car is gutless so when I'm in next gear I would be opening throttle more to get up to speed faster (wider open throttle = more fuel being injected). Correct me if I'm wrong.

Also I have 2010 M3 2.0L manual (2 year old+) and summer of 2010 I averaged about 6L/100km all highway with A/C on and usually driving more than 120km/h. In the city I do about 7-8, but I do have heavy foot :D

[Enjoi]

Odd... I`m driving a 2010 3 GT with only 1100km`s and the computer averages at 10.2L/100Km...

going by the Trip A ODO, I got 654 Clicks on a full tank to empty... I drive from Mississuaga to Woodbridge and mostly a Mix of City and Highway.

[Harbour Rat]

My 08 2.0L got pretty disappointing fuel mileage for the first couple of months. I bought it at the end of February that year and it was maybe some time in June, with about 5,000 km on the car before I started consistently getting 38-40 mpg. Since then I've averaged 40-42 mpg fairly consistently.

[Axelarate]

Maybe try getting rid of the heavy foot?

If you are in stop-and-go highway traffic, that doesn't count as highway mileage.

My 2007 easily gets under 8-9L/100km on straight highway mileage. Either the car DOES have a problem, or it's either your driving style &/or traffic.

+1 on easing up on the throttle. 12.5L/100kms? Wow. That's all I can say. My 2011 STI gets 12.4L/100kms driving 50/50 city/hwy.

[Impressive]

I average about 10L/100KM in my '06 2.3 with 176,000KMs on it in the city and it goes down to about 9.5 or so with increased highway use.

[Astig02]

+1 on easing up on the throttle. 12.5L/100kms? Wow. That's all I can say. My 2011 STI gets 12.4L/100kms driving 50/50 city/hwy.

i recently changed my drop in filter to K&N now my average fuel consumption is 14~15l/100k! is there something wrong with my car then??

[Fuman]

i recently changed my drop in filter to K&N now my average fuel consumption is 14~15l/100k! is there something wrong with my car then??
That doesn't sound right. My mileage went up after my K&N drop in filter. Are you using 87 gas for your Mz3?

[Axelarate]

i recently changed my drop in filter to K&N now my average fuel consumption is 14~15l/100k! is there something wrong with my car then??

Doesn't sound right at all. Even with a heavy foot during off the line acceleration shouldn't give you that bad of fuel consumption. The only time I get bad fuel economy is when I use S# mode and do semi-hard runs when I feel the need for speed. But for regular driving I get 12.2-12.4 average. Are you going by what the car computer tells you for fuel consumption? Just like what Fuman said, the K&N should help increase your mileage a bit.

[Fuman]

Doesn't sound right at all. Even with a heavy foot during off the line acceleration shouldn't give you that bad of fuel consumption. The only time I get bad fuel economy is when I use S# mode and do semi-hard runs when I feel the need for speed. But for regular driving I get 12.2-12.4 average. Are you going by what the car computer tells you for fuel consumption? Just like what Fuman said, the K&N should help increase your mileage a bit.
To expand on what Axelarate said, the computer is not accurate, do the math yourself. On my 2006, the computer reports a good 0.7L/100km/h than if I did the math myself.

[Axelarate]

To expand on what Axelarate said, the computer is not accurate, do the math yourself. On my 2006, the computer reports a good 0.7L/100km/h than if I did the math myself.

Thanks, I forgot to tell him that. LOL Always do your own calculations. Computer is not accurate.

[peterm15]

Something is off I run about 7.5 -8 l/100km and do 80% city. I'm also pretty heavy footed. I don't shift before 3500 rpm unless in traffic.

[Astig02]

That doesn't sound right. My mileage went up after my K&N drop in filter. Are you using 87 gas for your Mz3?

Regular 87 for the gas.. 1000k on Odo.

[Astig02]

Doesn't sound right at all. Even with a heavy foot during off the line acceleration shouldn't give you that bad of fuel consumption. The only time I get bad fuel economy is when I use S# mode and do semi-hard runs when I feel the need for speed. But for regular driving I get 12.2-12.4 average. Are you going by what the car computer tells you for fuel consumption? Just like what Fuman said, the K&N should help increase your mileage a bit.

when i first put in the K&N filter, my average was around 9~10l/100k. I was so static at that moment, but the next day, i was reading 14~15L/100k. I only travelled 150Km and 4 bars where down from my gas gauge.

[Kiyomi]

when i first put in the K&N filter, my average was around 9~10l/100k. I was so static at that moment, but the next day, i was reading 14~15L/100k. I only travelled 150Km and 4 bars where down from my gas gauge.

try and reset the ecu, may help.

[sudz]

Wow, you guys are killing it. I'm a spirted driver (from a stop) With the 5 spd, 2007 2 litre - I average 8.2l/100km mixed driving. If I'm going to the cottage and calculate, My record is 625km when the gas light turns on. Best Observed Milage for a full tank is 6.9l/100km. Worst in the last 6 months is 8.9/100km.

[Fuman]

Regular 87 for the gas.. 1000k on Odo.
1 mil on the odo? or did you mean 1,000 KM?

If you are at 1,000KM, then wait for a bit, you are still in the break-in process. Although, that is still on the high side.

Hmmm, check your tire pressure as well. If you are still getting a high L/100KM at the 7000 to 8000 KM mark, I'd go to the dealer then.

[Astig02]

1 mil on the odo? or did you mean 1,000 KM?

If you are at 1,000KM, then wait for a bit, you are still in the break-in process. Although, that is still on the high side.

Hmmm, check your tire pressure as well. If you are still getting a high L/100KM at the 7000 to 8000 KM mark, I'd go to the dealer then.

Just passed 1,000KM... i checked the tire pressure and they were around 31 psi.. the sticker on the car says 32psi (cold)...

Also, I recently took out my tires for some painting and put them back myself, should i go to a mechanic to have aligned/balanced OR they should be fine??

[stefanmane]

Ok, this is the report from Mazda Service:
Checked:
- DTC'C, FUEL TRIMS,
- trouble codes(DTC'S) in on-board computer (PCM). None found.
- Oxygen sensor cycles. Normal.
Cannot find any problems at this time.

They said after a test drive of 85 Km (mixed Hwy & City), the consumption found was 6.84 which is perfect.
The only explanation about the high gas consumption they gave me is that when you go on the Hwy over 90 Km/h you just forget about fuel economy.
The fuel consumption is rated by Natural Resources Canada and in their tests to achieve 5.9 Hwy, they don't exceed 90 Km/h.

I'm not the fastest guy on the Hwy, I'm just following the trafic which is probably 100 - 120Km/h.

For me this is hard to believe they got 6.84 L/ 100Km, but next time I'll try the Hwy with 90 to see if this would make such a big difference.:(

[cwp_sedan]

I didn't think anything would show to be wrong with the car. No offence but a lot of the time it's the driver. You may not realize you are on the gas so much but you probably are. I find myself using a lot more gas than I used to because I'm doing a little more spirited driving lately.

Try this for the next tank. Make the L/100km setting visible on your info and watch it when you drive. It's not the best way to calculate how much gas you are ACTUALLY using but it will show you when you need to let off a little bit. If you are driving at 100km/h or around that on a slight uphill and you are on the gas a little, you won't be getting low numbers. I find it really hard to keep the numbers low some times but the info helps.

6.84 is way too low and I'm sure that's not what they got. I find even feathering it in the city that would be hard to get.

Either way. Try that and see if that gets your numbers down a little bit.


I even find I get better gas mileage sometimes at 115-120 over 90-110. Totally depends on the circumstances though.

[stefanmane]

Hi Xtothel,

The calculation I've done are very accurate as you can see in my post "based on calculation since I bought this car", which is more accurate than emptying a single fuel tank (even Mazda Service agreed with the accuracy of my calculation). That was just a rough example I gave you to have an idea. The isue here is not how do I calculate this.

[kckev99]

Thanks anyone for your answers.
I'll try to be more specific:
2011 Mazda 3 with 2.0L engine, 1500 K
The consumption is done based on calculation since I bought this car.
For example last time when the gas light came on I filled up my tank with 42 Litres.
Now it has two bars left on the gas indicator (probably around 100Km left until the gas light will be on again), and the trip indicator (which was set up to 0 when I filled up my tank) shows 248 Km. So as a basic math is about 42 litres for 350 Km.
Now to answer about my driving habits, even if I would be the worst driver I don't think this will make such a big difference from what the book said (5.9 Hwy and 8.1 City). Other than this high gas isue I can't say anything bad about driving this car.
Anyway, today I dropped my car to the service shop and tomorrow, if they will call me to pick it up, I'll give you an update.

Your basic math is still an estimate. You should consider doing this instead of estimating:
1. Fill gas tank and Zero your trip meter and note the gas station and exact pump used.
2. Drive
3. Fill up again at the same gas station using the same gas pump

Note the trip meter and # of Litres filled for more accurate consumption calculation. I track every single fill up in an extensive spreadsheet for analysis.

In the colder months you can expect to see as much as 10.2L/100kms on the 2.0L engine driving mostly city. Summer months you can expect to see about 7.91L/100kms between Jun-Aug in the city.

The best Hwy milleage I've ever gotten on the 2.0L mazda was 7.1L/100kms averaging 120+.

If you want better consumption with similar features consider getting a Hyundai. YOu would have saved some money too:
http://www.hyundaicanada.com/Pages/showroom/showroom.aspx?model=Elantra
6.8L/100kms (hwy) 5.95(city)

Also try going easy on the gas pedal. Be steady and gentle with the accelerator and that will help. If you hammer the accelerator it will make a huge difference. Taking my car to the track and hammering the accelerator and pegging the needle at the red line consistently will easily got me 25L/100kms on my old Honda which normally would get upper 9'sL/100kms in the city.

[aZuMi]

Your basic math is still an estimate. You should consider doing this instead of estimating:
1. Fill gas tank and Zero your trip meter and note the gas station and exact pump used.
2. Drive
3. Fill up again at the same gas station using the same gas pump

Note the trip meter and # of Litres filled for more accurate consumption calculation. I track every single fill up in an extensive spreadsheet for analysis.

In the colder months you can expect to see as much as 10.2L/100kms on the 2.0L engine driving mostly city. Summer months you can expect to see about 7.91L/100kms between Jun-Aug in the city.

The best Hwy milleage I've ever gotten on the 2.0L mazda was 7.1L/100kms averaging 120+.

If you want better consumption with similar features consider getting a Hyundai. YOu would have saved some money too:
http://www.hyundaicanada.com/Pages/showroom/showroom.aspx?model=Elantra
6.8L/100kms (hwy) 5.95(city)

Also try going easy on the gas pedal. Be steady and gentle with the accelerator and that will help. If you hammer the accelerator it will make a huge difference. Taking my car to the track and hammering the accelerator and pegging the needle at the red line consistently will easily got me 25L/100kms on my old Honda which normally would get upper 9'sL/100kms in the city.

+1 I do the exact same calculations whenever I fill up my tank from zero. It's pretty accurate it and helps you identify if you're doing spirited driving in a given week of fill up.

That said, I average 11.2-11.4L/100km per fill up, mainly due to the way I drive :)

[greaves82]

First of all the car is new and the fuel consumption is not going to be very good initially. All cars are like that. Let it break in. Secondly the bigger he engine the less kpg you are gonna see. Mazdas are pretty powerfull and peppy on the road and that comes with a price. If you wanted fuel economy you should have considered other smaller cars.
Try driving a G35 or G37. They are fast but they dump gas.
Just enjoy your car. Personally I don't care about the fuel economy, I just drive and I love my car.

+1

[Hoodzy]

I can get 7.5L/100km on my 2.3L. Going a steady 120km/h. That being said I don't use the cruise. I can get better mileage with my foot.

[Fayvir]

It definitely has to do with the weather, I used to average 8L/100km up to 9L/100km, if I do more city (mainly due to driving between toronto and waterloo during school terms) but now that I'm workin in toronto for 4 months, I find my mileage much worse, even if I do take highways whenever I can. I'm averaging 9.7 - 10.5L/100km for the last 4-5 tanks. Maybe cuz it's getting colder? Maybe cuz I drive more city? Maybe I'm driving more aggressive?
Could very well be the combination of them all..and I'm only on a 2.0L engine.

[ElectroJay]

I read through three pages of this thread an no one has mentioned Fuelly? lol. Try using Fuelly to track your Kms! :)

PS I'm averaging 9.8L/100km.
2011 Mazda 3, 1700kms ODO, 80% city

[Astig02]

I read through three pages of this thread an no one has mentioned Fuelly? lol. Try using Fuelly to track your Kms! :)

PS I'm averaging 9.8L/100km.
2011 Mazda 3, 1700kms ODO, 80% city

I used fuelly to track my fuel ups and average fuel econ.. right now its at 12.0l/100k. I think its too high. i had 3 fuel ups already in 3 weeks. at the moment my car average 14~14.3L/100km on the dash display. I i know its not accurate but it bothers me a lot... i dont even floor the gas and brake... I did not expect the car to be this bad on gas.. we have a family SUV (2.4) and i dont even think about being easy on it when i drive it but still i average around 9.8~10.5l/100km way better than my mazda 3...

any suggestions on how i can improve my fuel econ on this car? I had the car for 3 weeks and i'm kinda regretting on the getting it already...

[Hoodzy]

I used fuelly to track my fuel ups and average fuel econ.. right now its at 12.0l/100k. I think its too high. i had 3 fuel ups already in 3 weeks. at the moment my car average 14~14.3L/100km on the dash display. I i know its not accurate but it bothers me a lot... i dont even floor the gas and brake... I did not expect the car to be this bad on gas.. we have a family SUV (2.4) and i dont even think about being easy on it when i drive it but still i average around 9.8~10.5l/100km way better than my mazda 3...

any suggestions on how i can improve my fuel econ on this car? I had the car for 3 weeks and i'm kinda regretting on the getting it already...

Astig02 you never said how you are calculating your fuel mileage.
There are tricks which can improve your mileage by about .25%-2%
Synthetic oils= You will pay way more for the oils then you would save in fuel
Inflating tires slightly higher than recommended = Wears out tires faster
Buying those economic tires= these are probably only going to give you 1-2% gains
Reducing weight of the vehicle= remove spare tire and all that stuff you don't need if u are willing to risk not having a spare if you get a flat
What is going to effect your mileage the most is how you drive as mentioned above.
I would give it to 10k until you start seeing better mileage.

[Astig02]

Astig02 you never said how you are calculating your fuel mileage.
There are tricks which can improve your mileage by about .25%-2%
Synthetic oils= You will pay way more for the oils then you would save in fuel
Inflating tires slightly higher than recommended = Wears out tires faster
Buying those economic tires= these are probably only going to give you 1-2% gains
Reducing weight of the vehicle= remove spare tire and all that stuff you don't need if u are willing to risk not having a spare if you get a flat
What is going to effect your mileage the most is how you drive as mentioned above.
I would give it to 10k until you start seeing better mileage.


I used "Fuelly" as site that helps you track you gas mileage. I think its very accurate.
I believe my '11 sport GT used synthetic or semi synthetic oil since it used 0w-20 engine oil though i could be mistaken.

one time i inflated the tires a little bit above on what was recommended and i saw an increase in fuel efficiency but it only last for a couple of hours...

Do i need the car to be checked?

[aZuMi]

I used "Fuelly" as site that helps you track you gas mileage. I think its very accurate.
I believe my '11 sport GT used synthetic or semi synthetic oil since it used 0w-20 engine oil though i could be mistaken.

one time i inflated the tires a little bit above on what was recommended and i saw an increase in fuel efficiency but it only last for a couple of hours...

Do i need the car to be checked?

Yes, try and get it checked. I still can't comprehend how you can drive 14+L/100km while trying to calculate your gas mileage correctly.

[krimsalt]

any suggestions on how i can improve my fuel econ on this car? I had the car for 3 weeks and i'm kinda regretting on the getting it already...

For me, when i picked up my mazda3 i noticed about 15.5L/100km
I put a bottle of fuel injector cleaner bought at canadian tire, when i filled up from (nearly) empty, and instantly noticed the consumption dropped to 12L/100km, then did it again on a second fill up from (nearly) empty and now notice 9L/100km

when cars sit on the lot for some time, the injectors sometimes foul or plug up, injector cleaner is a very good way to cleans the lines from gas tank to injection. Try it and notice the difference

[Hoodzy]

I know fuelly..
So you are filling your vehicle up full. Tripping your odo. Then when you fill up again you are using your trip odo and how much fuel you just put in correct???

[Astig02]

For me, when i picked up my mazda3 i noticed about 15.5L/100km
I put a bottle of fuel injector cleaner bought at canadian tire, when i filled up from (nearly) empty, and instantly noticed the consumption dropped to 12L/100km, then did it again on a second fill up from (nearly) empty and now notice 9L/100km

when cars sit on the lot for some time, the injectors sometimes foul or plug up, injector cleaner is a very good way to cleans the lines from gas tank to injection. Try it and notice the difference

How do i apply this injector cleaner?? what what brand of product did you used??
tnx!

[Astig02]

I know fuelly..
So you are filling your vehicle up full. Tripping your odo. Then when you fill up again you are using your trip odo and how much fuel you just put in correct???

exactly!

[Hoodzy]

How do i apply this injector cleaner?? what what brand of product did you used??
tnx!
You just put it in the fuel tank.. However in the manual it says not to use the products just so you kno.

[Kiyomi]

You just put it in the fuel tank.. However in the manual it says not to use the products just so you kno.

why would it say that? i put cleaner in once a month, engine runs mint.

[Hoodzy]

"Never add fuel system additives. Never add cleaning agents other than those specified by Mazda. Other cleaning agents and additives may damage the system"

Page 4-2

[HuskerDu]

I just bought a Mazda m3 black (2011) and am trying to work out my budget for gas.

Basically, I'm driving 48 KM to and from work combined, which is mostly city driving (high way 7, leslie/don mills to get to work) and am stuck in traffic a lot.

So doing the math, I assume I should be filling up a complete tank twice a month? Am I better of waiting till my tank is almost empty before filling up, or should I just be putting in $20-30 bucks and fill up in smaller amounts?

I'm just trying to be fuel efficient as I can, and any tips/advice would be appreciated :0)

[gonzo25]

You may be surprised how accurate the fuel consumption calculator is on your vehicle. I have fille dthe tank and reset the trip meter then refilled when empty and the dash was within .1km....

[vinnierap]

watch your tire pressure. The tire pressure if too low will affect your fuel consumption as well.

[Hoodzy]

I just bought a Mazda m3 black (2011) and am trying to work out my budget for gas.

Basically, I'm driving 48 KM to and from work combined, which is mostly city driving (high way 7, leslie/don mills to get to work) and am stuck in traffic a lot.

So doing the math, I assume I should be filling up a complete tank twice a month? Am I better of waiting till my tank is almost empty before filling up, or should I just be putting in $20-30 bucks and fill up in smaller amounts?

I'm just trying to be fuel efficient as I can, and any tips/advice would be appreciated :0)

You shouldn't let your tank get below 1/4. During winter the more gas in your tank the better to prevent condensation.

[sarujo]

+1 this is very good advice. Extending this practice to the Fall is a good idea as well, with many frosty/cold/damp nights.


You shouldn't let your tank get below 1/4. During winter the more gas in your tank the better to prevent condensation.

[XTOTHEL]

I think the condensation thing is nonsense(doesn't hold water :P).

[knowitalljerk]

I just bought a Mazda m3 black (2011) and am trying to work out my budget for gas.

Basically, I'm driving 48 KM to and from work combined, which is mostly city driving (high way 7, leslie/don mills to get to work) and am stuck in traffic a lot.

So doing the math, I assume I should be filling up a complete tank twice a month? Am I better of waiting till my tank is almost empty before filling up, or should I just be putting in $20-30 bucks and fill up in smaller amounts?

I'm just trying to be fuel efficient as I can, and any tips/advice would be appreciated :0)
I drive a somewhat similar route (43km each way, city+rush hour 401) and have an average (in the summer) of 7.358L/100km (as calculated on gasbuddy.com's fuel logbook). All the trips I make that aren't commuting are city-only, then I get about 8.1L/100km fill-up. Lowest I've had was a 6.6L/100km fill-up.

Bottom line: I spend ~50 a week on gas.

Note: If you're willing to get a gas-station branded visa/mastercard, Husky has a 2% discount card, and Petro-Canada has a 2c/l discount. Therefore, Husky saves you less. Doing the math (regular fuel, 2c/litre discount, petro-points w/ caa membership and the 5c/l discount card after accumulating the appropriate number of petro-points) saves you ~2.15 c/litre at Petro-Canada, which (depending on the price) is still not as much as Husky gives you back (2.4c/litre @1.200/L).

As for economy, usual stuff, properly inflated tires, alignment done right, no lead foot, etc.

[knowitalljerk]

I drive a somewhat similar route (43km each way, city+rush hour 401) and have an average (in the summer) of 7.358L/100km (as calculated on gasbuddy.com's fuel logbook). All the trips I make that aren't commuting are city-only, then I get about 8.1L/100km fill-up. Lowest I've had was a 6.6L/100km fill-up.

Bottom line: I spend ~50 a week on gas.

Note: If you're willing to get a gas-station branded visa/mastercard, Husky has a 2% discount card, and Petro-Canada has a 2c/l discount. Therefore, Husky saves you less. Doing the math (regular fuel, 2c/litre discount, petro-points w/ caa membership and the 5c/l discount card after accumulating the appropriate number of petro-points) saves you ~2.15 c/litre at Petro-Canada, which (depending on the price) is still not as much as Husky gives you back (2.4c/litre @1.200/L).

As for economy, usual stuff, properly inflated tires, alignment done right, no lead foot, etc.
Err... just re-read your post, I drive 2x the distance, so you're budget would be ~25/week.

[XTOTHEL]

Note: If you're willing to get a gas-station branded visa/mastercard, Husky has a 2% discount card, and Petro-Canada has a 2c/l discount. Therefore, Husky saves you more. Doing the math (regular fuel, 2c/litre discount, petro-points w/ caa membership and the 5c/l discount card after accumulating the appropriate number of petro-points) saves you ~2.15 c/litre at Petro-Canada, which (depending on the price) is still not as much as Husky gives you back (2.4c/litre @1.200/L).

I think you meant More for Husky :)

Though I find Pioneer has the cheapest gas around here and I have a American Express from Costco which gives discount 2or3% on all gas purchases.

[ryan2.3]

I drive a somewhat similar route (43km each way, city+rush hour 401) and have an average (in the summer) of 7.358L/100km (as calculated on gasbuddy.com's fuel logbook). All the trips I make that aren't commuting are city-only, then I get about 8.1L/100km fill-up. Lowest I've had was a 6.6L/100km fill-up.

Bottom line: I spend ~50 a week on gas.

Note: If you're willing to get a gas-station branded visa/mastercard, Husky has a 2% discount card, and Petro-Canada has a 2c/l discount. Therefore, Husky saves you less. Doing the math (regular fuel, 2c/litre discount, petro-points w/ caa membership and the 5c/l discount card after accumulating the appropriate number of petro-points) saves you ~2.15 c/litre at Petro-Canada, which (depending on the price) is still not as much as Husky gives you back (2.4c/litre @1.200/L).

As for economy, usual stuff, properly inflated tires, alignment done right, no lead foot, etc.

i just bought a 2011 black m3 2 weeks ago and doing almost the same distance route (warden/401 to Ford Dr (oakville). it's ~55km. i filled up today 10km after the light came on. it was 40L and i did 540km on that. I've done this 2 weeks in a row with the 2011 and do almost the same in my 04 2.3 hatch. on that note, is the reserve really 15L? that's pretty large, is it not? That's easily a couple hundred more km.

[Astig02]

i just bought a 2011 black m3 2 weeks ago and doing almost the same distance route (warden/401 to Ford Dr (oakville). it's ~55km. i filled up today 10km after the light came on. it was 40L and i did 540km on that. I've done this 2 weeks in a row with the 2011 and do almost the same in my 04 2.3 hatch. on that note, is the reserve really 15L? that's pretty large, is it not? That's easily a couple hundred more km.

540 km is amazing i wish i can get at least 400km on mine. As i have been posting here, I'm has terrible mileage. I filled it up again today (4th )and i only got 372 Km from last fuel up.

[HuskerDu]

Some great advice on here, I appreciate everyone's answer to my question.

[gomac]

540 km is amazing i wish i can get at least 400km on mine. As i have been posting here, I'm has terrible mileage. I filled it up again today (4th )and i only got 372 Km from last fuel up.

If your only getting 372km per tank I think it would be safe to assume its your driving habits, ie. heavy foot, hard braking...I sell Mazda's and I've never seen or heard of anyone have that bad mileage unless there was an issue with their car.

[XTOTHEL]

Just did 570km and filled up 44L at the station. Used to do 7.2ish in the summer, now about 8L getting cold. Also didn't help that I was stuck in traffic for over an hour. 50/50 city/highway

[sudz]

Hows the power?
could be a super dirty Air filter starving the engine?
Also, A/C on all the time? that honestly adds an extra .5l/100km for me. Maybe more in city.

[Fayvir]

After putting on my mazdaspeed3 exhaust, probably due to back pressure - my mileage went straight down...
so any aftermarket parts may have an effect especially if they're performance-driven. I dropped by 8.5L to close to 10L/100km.

I really wanna switch out the exhaust lol

[Astig02]

If your only getting 372km per tank I think it would be safe to assume its your driving habits, ie. heavy foot, hard braking...I sell Mazda's and I've never seen or heard of anyone have that bad mileage unless there was an issue with their car.

How do i verify if i have a "heavy foot"? I tried "grannying" the car and still no improvement.
I'm not looking for super low gas mileage, I'm just after the EPA rating - somewhat close will make me happy.

I'll asks a friend to drive my car and then see if anything changes.


Thanks for all the tips and infos...

[sarujo]

As has been stated over and over, your car needs time to break in. This can take upwards of 10,000 to start seeing the best mileage. If you have the 2.5L, it's going to drink more fuel as well. Unfortunately your mileage will likely not improve much now as we are getting into colder temps, winter tires and winter gasoline formulations. I have been tracking my 2.0L for almost 30,000km now and I have started to see declines in mileage since late October.


How do i verify if i have a "heavy foot"? I tried "grannying" the car and still no improvement.
I'm not looking for super low gas mileage, I'm just after the EPA rating - somewhat close will make me happy.

I'll asks a friend to drive my car and then see if anything changes.


Thanks for all the tips and infos...

[krimsalt]

Also, A/C on all the time? that honestly adds an extra .5l/100km for me. Maybe more in city.

A/C on causes around a 10% increase. if you get normally 10L/100km, it will become 11L/100km. A/C just in the car, the belt running on it, will add about 0.5L/100km due to excess engine drag

check tire pressure, i always fill to 37psi (on 17 inch rims tho)
and replace oil with synthetic

[Flunk]

Is it a Manual 2.5L Mazda 3? The rated city fuel economy of that model is 10.2L/100KM city and that assumes good traffic. Add in bad traffic and you're so far off. This week I got over 9L/100KM in my 2.0L Auto this week because I was sitting in lousy traffic so much.

[XTOTHEL]

8.0/100 2.0 auto sport

[boo-yah]

8.1/100 2007 Mazda3 2.3L manual

[cheeky001]

8.19 L/100km 2011 2.0L sedan only 2 months old with just over 3,000km on it

[Astig02]

see the my signature.. 1.5 month old. :(

[Astig02]

A/C on causes around a 10% increase. if you get normally 10L/100km, it will become 11L/100km. A/C just in the car, the belt running on it, will add about 0.5L/100km due to excess engine drag

check tire pressure, i always fill to 37psi (on 17 inch rims tho)
and replace oil with synthetic

why 37 psi on stock?? isnt the recommended is 32psi.. this forum recommends 35 psi.

[sarujo]

Check the sticker on the driver's door - for most MZ3's it is 35PSI. This is what Mazda recommends for tire pressure - not forum members.


why 37 psi on stock?? isnt the recommended is 32psi.. this forum recommends 35 psi.

[Swerny]

the trip computer on my 2008.5 Sport GT (2.3) says we're averaging 9.4L/100 km....and it's been getting worse over the years.

I have added a roof rack in the past 2 years though (summer only) and often carry bikes.

Overall, the mileage isn't great.

[rzapata]

the trip computer on my 2008.5 Sport GT (2.3) says we're averaging 9.4L/100 km....and it's been getting worse over the years.

I have added a roof rack in the past 2 years though (summer only) and often carry bikes.

Overall, the mileage isn't great.

If you're 50/50 city/highway, then you're just on par with the suggested fuel economy. It should be 8.1L/100km Highway and 10.7L/100km city (9.4L/100km on 50/50). If it's an automatic, it should be "about" the same...

Source: www.fueleconomy.gov (http://www.fueleconomy.gov/)

EDIT: How do you calculate your numbers? I find that the meter on our cars are showing slightly lower numbers.. Mine shows 9.4L/100km but in reality it should be 10.6L/100km..

[CanadianReaper]

If you're 50/50 city/highway, then you're just on par with the suggested fuel economy. It should be 8.1L/100km Highway and 10.7L/100km city (9.4L/100km on 50/50). If it's an automatic, it should be "about" the same...

Source: www.fueleconomy.gov (http://www.fueleconomy.gov/)

EDIT: How do you calculate your numbers? I find that the meter on our cars are showing slightly lower numbers.. Mine shows 9.4L/100km but in reality it should be 10.6L/100km..

On that site the 2.5L engine is quoted as follows: 10.7City 9.4Combined 8.1Hwy. I've averaged 10.2 since I got the car, around 60city/40hwy so I'm right on the money. Thanks for the link :)

[Zuluwun]

EDIT: How do you calculate your numbers? I find that the meter on our cars are showing slightly lower numbers.. Mine shows 9.4L/100km but in reality it should be 10.6L/100km..

Mine overreads; shows about .3 to .5 L/100km higher than actual. I average 8.8 in my 2007 GT 2.3L manual. Starting to rise now with temps dropping though :(

[Swerny]

If you're 50/50 city/highway, then you're just on par with the suggested fuel economy. It should be 8.1L/100km Highway and 10.7L/100km city (9.4L/100km on 50/50). If it's an automatic, it should be "about" the same...

Source: www.fueleconomy.gov (http://www.fueleconomy.gov/)

EDIT: How do you calculate your numbers? I find that the meter on our cars are showing slightly lower numbers.. Mine shows 9.4L/100km but in reality it should be 10.6L/100km..

I am strictly going by the computer.

I realize it's pretty much the norm, but as mentioned, it's got worse over the past 2 years....we initially averaged 9.1 according to the computer.

All things considered....the mileage isn't great for a small car compared to other small cars.

I still like the car though, don't get me wrong!

I cleaned the throttle body and the K&N drop in filter 2 weeks ago...hopefully that helps.

[rzapata]

From what I understand, the computer takes the average in a per second basis (or something like that). So essentially it's got a lot more numbers to average out. If you calculate your fuel economy in a tank per tank basis, you'd a have a clearer view of how everything is. Perhaps the throttle body and filter cleaning will do some magic, we'll see...

But yeah, mileage is not so good but I'd still take this car over any other.. :) It's that feeling that I always look forward to whenever I jump in the car. :)


I am strictly going by the computer.

I realize it's pretty much the norm, but as mentioned, it's got worse over the past 2 years....we initially averaged 9.1 according to the computer.

All things considered....the mileage isn't great for a small car compared to other small cars.

I still like the car though, don't get me wrong!

I cleaned the throttle body and the K&N drop in filter 2 weeks ago...hopefully that helps.

[XTOTHEL]

my last one was a 7.3L/100... idk how :whoa

[TheAnswer_03]

My 2.3L gets about the same gas mileage as a 2012 Accord V6 :(

Those shopping for a 2012 Mazda 3, there should be no reason to not buy the SkyActiv model.

[Kiyomi]

My 2.3L gets about the same gas mileage as a 2012 Accord V6 :(

Those shopping for a 2012 Mazda 3, there should be no reason to not buy the SkyActiv model.

wut if it turns out to be a dud, and the engine fails at 100xxx-150xxxkms?

[TheAnswer_03]

wut if it turns out to be a dud, and the engine fails at 100xxx-150xxxkms?

I'm glad you're confident in Mazda's Engineers. lol

[Astig02]

wut if it turns out to be a dud, and the engine fails at 100xxx-150xxxkms?

mine has 2.5 and AT and its terrible, i drive mostly city and its goes up to low 13L/100k (cold engine)

since its new engine, you can only hope for the best. But u can never go wrong with fuel econ it gives you. and off course the 6 speed tranny.
You can always get the GX/GS with the old 2.0 engine if u really concern about gas.

[figofan]

I doing a mix of highway/city of 70/30 and I'm averaging 8.5 L/100 with a 2011 Sport GS with auto. I think that's pretty fair considering some of that highway is in stop and go traffic.

I wouldn't trust thost trip computers, just do the math yourself or find a site on the internet that will do it for you.

[zmz3]

wut if it turns out to be a dud, and the engine fails at 100xxx-150xxxkms?

that can be said about many new engines that come out every few years... this is a risk you always take with a new powertrain, much like the one people took on the 2006 redesigned Civic - turned out alright so far... or the new GDI series of engines from Hyundai and their 6spd atx...

Let's keep some optimism for the future :)

On a side note, my 2007 GX with 4spd gets about 9.8L 50HWY/50CITY...

[Kiyomi]

that can be said about many new engines that come out every few years... this is a risk you always take with a new powertrain, much like the one people took on the 2006 redesigned Civic - turned out alright so far... or the new GDI series of engines from Hyundai and their 6spd atx...

Let's keep some optimism for the future :)

On a side note, my 2007 GX with 4spd gets about 9.8L 50HWY/50CITY...

lol i know. was just saying for those who are thinking about buying it.
Personally, i got one of the first gen 2 sedans in Canada. im fairly confident in Mazda Engineers :D.

[tase25]

This is what I get on my '04 Sport!

[toopy]

Sympathizing to these woes, my trip computer says 11.1 Li / 100Km. after 23,000 Kms. Still bad after all these years...

[Red Mist]

2011 GS with 3000km on board. Avg 7.6/100km for last fill up. Which was 50% city and the rest hwy niagara falls n bk.

[Hoodzy]

Sympathizing to these woes, my trip computer says 11.1 Li / 100Km. after 23,000 Kms. Still bad after all these years...

You can't go by your trip computer man.