ouch

 

Damn, I must drive the **** out of my car. I'm lucky to get over 200 before the low gas light comes on. Over my last 3 tanks, I averaged 17.3 mpg. My best was 267 miles before fill up, and that was with mostly freeway driving, and babying it to try and get good gas mileage. With my normal driving I am getting between 15-16 mpg. When my wife drives it though... whoa nelly. I think if she were to drive for a whole tank she would get like 10 mpg. She hasn't learned the finer points of a manual yet though.

 

No, 17 mpg is what I get around town and I live in a fairly open area where highspeed travel is the norm. With that kind of driving I get 230-250 miles on a tank.

The road trip I was refering to earlier when I got 20-21 mpg and over 300 on a tank was litterally get on the highway set the cruise and go. When I need to accelerate in that mode I nomally do it with the cruise buttons, not my feet. What can I say my family and I have good bladders!:D

 

I consistently go 260 miles before the light comes on. On my best tank I was at 294 miles before the light came on. The most gas it ever took me to fillup was 14.1 gallons.

 

For real?? What's your driving style like?? and what about other things that you do? (such as never use A/C, or always keep windows up, or never driving on rough pavement, etc)...


I live in your area, and I have an RX8 also, but I don't get nearly as much mileage per gallon as you are...

My car currently has 2700 miles on it, and I typically get 14-16 mpg.

Tell me your secret???

 

puppy has been reporting that kind of mileage since day one
I dont think there is any secret

 

I would describe my style as "spirited" but not lead foot by any means.

I drive the 10 frwy every morning and evening between Monterey Park and Santa Monica in moderate rush hour traffic. A lot of it is bumper to bumper stop-and-go driving. I use the A/C far more than I ever have in any other car as I have been told I would get better mileage this way than with the windows down and the A/C off. Other than punching the gas and going up to 9k rpm everytime I get on the freeway to remind myself what a great car i bought, I generally shift at 3k in city traffic. On open roads I have been travelling between 75-85 mph.

Sometimes I think I just got lucky and my apex seals seated quicker than most.

 

Mike: What is a secret to me is how you ever got the parking light bulbs installed. My hands are far to big to get in there even after removing the covers you showed me. BUT THAT'S ANOTHER TOPIC.

 

Can you elaborate on this?? I'm not familiar with this.. I do know what the apex seals are (the little metal brushes on the tips of each rotor apex), right?

When you say they get "seated" quicker, do you mean to say they are broken in and provide a better seal over time thus improving MPG? (analagous to running the edge of a brand new bar of soap several times against a substrate until there is very little gap between the substrate and the soapbar, thus improving the seal from air/fuel/exhaust leak in between chambers, thus improving compression and better mileage?

Is that what happens or am I WAY off??

 

puppy if you are talking about the lights near the mazda badge in front, I know they are a pain but try using a needlenose or tool if you cant get your hands in there

 

I think trying to get better mileage by driving conservatively (shifting before 3,000 rpm) kind of defeats the purpose and fun of having this car doesn't it?

I do aggree, the 18 mpg Mazda predicted should have been based on a driving style that is "normal" for this car.

I intend to drive the car the way I feel like driving it...if that means some quick accelerations and winding the RPM's, so be it.

Hey, I have an idea....the best way to improve mileage would be to just push the car everywhere or stick your feet through the floor and turn it into a flinstone-mobile...what? 80 MPG? yabba-dabba-doo! :D

 

Damn, I've gotta upgrade from K-mart sneakers to NIKE or something, braking flintstone style would go through some heels and soles... I wonder if the pessimists would complain about heel wear (cost) though.

 

Thanx.

1 hour after I posted that my low fuel light comes on at around 260, it came on at exactly 260.5! I was kinda shocked at how consistent my fuel mileage is.

 

Just posting my info to compare.

All you people getting shitty gas mileage........ learn how to drive a car for mileage. It's interesting to see someone talk about fuel efficiency and redlining in the same sentence. ***** DRIVE IT, GRANDMA DRIVE IT - WHATEVER. Go easy on the car with some highway miles for a few tanks and see how much your fuel efficiency will improve. The mileage is hardly different from that of comparable cars.

The "E" comes about way before the tank is actually dry. I usually put about 13-14 gallons in on a fill-up. My worst mileage was just under 250 and my best was just over 330 miles.

YES THAT'S RIGHT - 330 Miles !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So, that equates to just about 24 mpg. OH, and SURPRISE, that's what the sticker says.... amazing !!!!!!!!!

Call bs if you want, but them's the apples .... so deal.

 

I was getting about 200 miles on a tank full when I first got the car. I am now about 1700 miles and I am getting 260 with the A/C on MAX and a heavy lead foot and DSC on. In other words I am not doing a damn thing and the mileage is improving. I drive about 60 % highway 40 % city.

I know some of you do not believe that this will happen so I am just telling you like it is. Things will get better.

 

Yesterday, our fuel light cut on at about 271 miles. And that was city/parade lap at VIR twice/highway combination. It's not terribly hard to get decent gas mileage on this car if you try.

 

EXACTLY

 

HA. I think you would be better off with bare feet than with a pair of Nike shoes.