Fuel Economy

[CanadianReaper]

Forgot to mention I'm at 9xxx KM now.

[sarujo]

New engine + cold temps + winter fuel formulations + winter tires + non-synthetic oil = lousy fuel economy

Give it another 10,000km's and then see where she's at. If it makes you feel any better, my mileage is dropping as well.

I've been doing 90-100% city driving lately as I'm back in school and not working in Toronto. I've been around 10-10.5 L/100km lately. I don't accelerate quickly, I lift off the gas early and coast to red lights, and brake late/as little as possible. 2.5L engine is pretty gross fuel eco wise

[MAZDA3GXOWNER]

Just a newbie here 08 Mazda3gx here in Winnipeg. I have 28500k on now.Gas gauge almost half and showing 170k on trip odometer GEEZ

[aris]

I'm getting the wrost gas mileage this year....rrrrrrrrrrr

[sarujo]

Perhaps more ethanol is sneaking into the blends? ;-) The cold plus winter formulations really take a bite out of mileage.

How much of a difference compared to previous year(s)?

I'm getting the wrost gas mileage this year....rrrrrrrrrrr

[milz]

some one please help. i got a 2008.5 mazda 3 gs bought new and since day 1 im only getting 300 km per tank.brought to dealer and they keep telling me everything is ok. need help thanks

[Maico]

Picked up my new Mazda3 a few weeks back (GS) and finally brought it in for it's first fuel-up - i wanted to see how long I could go on the tank. Happy to report that I was at 483km and it took ~47L to fill the tank, putting me under 10L/100km. It was pretty much all city driving but I was starting to get worried when I was reading all the reports here. I've signed up for Fuelly too to get a better idea of how it's going. I've wanted to do a quick fill-up just to get the stats padded

As an aside - the fuel light came on with one bar left in the fuel level indicator. Does the indicator actually go blank (no bars) with fuel still in the system?

[Maico]

Picked up my new Mazda3 a few weeks back (GS) and finally brought it in for it's first fuel-up - i wanted to see how long I could go on the tank. Happy to report that I was at 483km and it took ~47L to fill the tank, putting me under 10L/100km. It was pretty much all city driving but I was starting to get worried when I was reading all the reports here. I've signed up for Fuelly too to get a better idea of how it's going. I've wanted to do a quick fill-up just to get the stats padded

As an aside - the fuel light came on with one bar left in the fuel level indicator. Does the indicator actually go blank (no bars) with fuel still in the system?

[rzapata]

Picked up my new Mazda3 a few weeks back (GS) and finally brought it in for it's first fuel-up - i wanted to see how long I could go on the tank. Happy to report that I was at 483km and it took ~47L to fill the tank, putting me under 10L/100km. It was pretty much all city driving but I was starting to get worried when I was reading all the reports here. I've signed up for Fuelly too to get a better idea of how it's going. I've wanted to do a quick fill-up just to get the stats padded

As an aside - the fuel light came on with one bar left in the fuel level indicator. Does the indicator actually go blank (no bars) with fuel still in the system?

I assume you have the regular GS (w/o sky)? If yes, its rated consumption is 9.8L/100km (for an auto) so you're just below the average (47L/483km x 100 = 9.73L/100km), which is ok. Your tank size is 55L so you have about 8L left in the tank when the light came on, which means that you had about 82km to go before you run out...

[Maico]

Yes... I should have bought the GS-SKY just because it looks better than writing GS (no-sky).

I was driving it pretty erratically as well trying to do a "break-in" as per the recommendations of others. Once I get back to my normal driving mode and into better temperatures in the summer, hopefully I can bring it down a bit. I'm used to the fuel light coming on when I've hit "empty" on the fuel indicator so it was a bit of a shock to see it come on so early.

82 km huh? I'll have to remember that next time and freak out my passengers. "Oh no - gas light came on, we're running on fumes!!" Make them sweat for a half hour...

[rzapata]

82 km huh? I'll have to remember that next time and freak out my passengers. "Oh no - gas light came on, we're running on fumes!!" Make them sweat for a half hour...

I don't know about that.. If it was me and I know that I'm running on fumes, I'd be the one sweating. Passengers generally don't think about gas and stuff. Also, I read that it's better to keep a quarter on the tank when you fill up. Helps out with the fuel pump.

But hey, that 82 km is only theoretical. In reality, with this weather and all, it could be less. Better safe than sorry IMO.

[htc***]

Picked up my new GS-SKY less than 2 weeks ago from Jeff and finally brought it in for it's first fuel-up this morning when the fuel light came on with one bar left in the fuel level indicator (I think reserve tank has around 15L or 20L but don't want to take a chance). I was at 487km and it took ~36.71L to fill the tank, putting me around 7.54L/100km with most of city driving (maybe 5% Hwy).

[Maico]

Nice... I picked mine up from Jeff during Christmas break too. I was going to get the Sky but the cash discount on the regular GS was too much of a gap for me. We worked out that at my mileage and the difference in price it would be 6+ years before it came back around in my favour.

I loved the headlights and the new auto on the SKY ... It will be a decision I think about over and over for as long as I own the car

[ipse]

Picked up my new GS-SKY less than 2 weeks ago from Jeff and finally brought it in for it's first fuel-up this morning when the fuel light came on with one bar left in the fuel level indicator (I think reserve tank has around 15L or 20L but don't want to take a chance). I was at 487km and it took ~36.71L to fill the tank, putting me around 7.54L/100km with most of city driving (maybe 5% Hwy).

OK...you just ruined my day

[Booter22]

OK...you just ruined my day

i was told yesterday by our dealer rep we have a driver out in bc with winter tires who has been driving a sky for about 25,000 KM and averages 750 km per tank. they suspect in the summer with average temperatures and all season tires the vehicle should be 825-950 km per tank. he also said they suspect the diesel will average over 20+ fuel economy more then the VW TDI's which would sit them at approx 1200-1600km per tank or so from the spec sheets he has seen.

now thats some impressive numbers.

[DumpInfo]

i was told yesterday by our dealer rep we have a driver out in bc with winter tires who has been driving a sky for about 25,000 KM and averages 750 km per tank. they suspect in the summer with average temperatures and all season tires the vehicle should be 825-950 km per tank. he also said they suspect the diesel will average over 20+ fuel economy more then the VW TDI's which would sit them at approx 1200-1600km per tank or so from the spec sheets he has seen.

now thats some impressive numbers.

Definitely interesting numbers for a mazda. As for my tdi my average tank going at 120-130 kms with about 70% city driving is 1000 ish km's per tank. Best tank overall with a combination of city and highway was 11xx a tank. I yet still need to arrange a day where I can drive strictly highway and see what I can numbers I can pull. I have friends on the TDI Forum that have pulled over 1600 a tank.

[3sky]

Hi All, I got my sky last month and have been keeping track of the numbers to see how close to the 4.9L/100km it actually comes. I drive about 90% highway. Here you go.

Dec 08, 2011 *****48L ****700km ***$58.00
Dec 15, 2011 *****48L ****690km ***$56.00
Dec 19, 2011 *****45.5L ****665km ***$53.00
Dec 30, 2011 *****45.6L ****586km ***$54.50
Jan 05, 2012 *****46.6L ****690km ***$57.50
Jan 10, 2012 *****44.3L ****642km ***$54.25
Jan 11, 2012 *****6.1L ****107km ***$7.60

[rzapata]

Hi All, I got my sky last month and have been keeping track of the numbers to see how close to the 4.9L/100km it actually comes. I drive about 90% highway. Here you go.

Dec 08, 2011 *****48L ****700km ***$58.00
Dec 15, 2011 *****48L ****690km ***$56.00
Dec 19, 2011 *****45.5L ****665km ***$53.00
Dec 30, 2011 *****45.6L ****586km ***$54.50
Jan 05, 2012 *****46.6L ****690km ***$57.50
Jan 10, 2012 *****44.3L ****642km ***$54.25
Jan 11, 2012 *****6.1L ****107km ***$7.60

Since I'm kinda bored, let me do the calculations for you.

Dec 8, 2011 - 6.86L/100km
Dec 15, 2011 - 6.96L/100km
Dec 19, 2011 - 6.84L/100km
Dec 30, 2011 - 7.78L/100km
Jan 5, 2012 - 6.75L/100km
Jan 10, 2012 - 6.90L/100km
Jan 11, 2012 - 5.70L/100km

Not to shabby but still not to spec though...


Sent from my iPhone using the internet web portal

[3sky]

I hear you. I based a lot of my decision to buy the sky on the fuel economy! I am hoping it gets better. I would be happy if i get in the 5.7's as an average. I will keep counting and updating. Would love to hear what others are getting.

[rzapata]

I hear you. I based a lot of my decision to buy the sky on the fuel economy! I am hoping it gets better. I would be happy if i get in the 5.7's as an average. I will keep counting and updating. Would love to hear what others are getting.

Well, the car's fairly new and still kind of breaking in. Things might get better. Plus, it's winter so fuel economy worsens for most. Heck, I use to get 9s in the summer. Now I'd be lucky if i get to the 10 range.

All good though.


Sent from my iPhone using the internet web portal

[Xtropy]

I hear you. I based a lot of my decision to buy the sky on the fuel economy! I am hoping it gets better. I would be happy if i get in the 5.7's as an average. I will keep counting and updating. Would love to hear what others are getting.

Me too but I would be happy with rzapata's numbers. I am about 60/40 City/HWY (401 is a parking lot, not getting highway speeds but it's 80% of the travel)

My numbers are:

Dec 19, 2011 - 46.26L - 547KM = 8.46/100
Dec 22, 2011 - 18.82L - 236KM = 7.97/100
Dec 29, 2011 - 41.69L - 531KM = 7.85/100
Dec 29, 2011 - 11.62L - 170KM = 6.84/100
Jan 04, 2011 - 37.13L - 494KM = 7.52/100
Jan 10, 2011 - 37.38L - 452KM = 8.27/100

[Xtropy]

Sorry misread whose numbers those were...

[sweetadad]

Me too but I would be happy with rzapata's numbers. I am about 60/40 City/HWY (401 is a parking lot, not getting highway speeds but it's 80% of the travel)

My numbers are:

Dec 19, 2011 - 46.26L - 547KM = 8.46/100
Dec 22, 2011 - 18.82L - 236KM = 7.97/100
Dec 29, 2011 - 41.69L - 531KM = 7.85/100
Dec 29, 2011 - 11.62L - 170KM = 6.84/100
Jan 04, 2011 - 37.13L - 494KM = 7.52/100
Jan 10, 2011 - 37.38L - 452KM = 8.27/100

Wait...are these SKY numbers? I have a 2011 GX ( so no SKY) and I was averaging 9km/100 in the summer and around 10.5km/100 nowadays in the winter. Your numbers are awesome and will get better in the summer. I have 14000km on mine and drive mostly highway with no stop and go.

[3sky]

Yep, these are sky numbers, Xtropys numbers are a little higher than mine but I have been doing mostly highway 407 (120km/h). I've been looking but haven't seen any other sky's on the road yet.

[Elusivellama]

Just pulled off 7.6L/100 km (pump measured), 98km trip all highway, done as part of an out of town trip and as an experiment.

2010 MS3

pluses:
- drove between 100 and 105, sometimes 110
- cruise off, fan off, radio on
- no sudden accel or boost
- SRI possibly improves air intake efficiency
- did not drive behind anyone for much of the trip so slipstreaming is not a factor

minuses:
- winter gas
- minus 11 C
- winter tires
- RA mudflaps create drag
- driving soooo slowly

Interesting experiment but hardly scientific. Still pleased with the result.