I've been driving a 90 RX7 Turbo for years and it's been my DD. I'm so use to how many miles I get per tank that hopefully I just fill up once a week and don't pay much attention to my MPG.

I'm thinking about upgrading and getting an R3. I am very unfamiliar with rx-8s but hear they take premium? i currently just run unleaded at the moment.

Also..for those who've owned a 7 too what does it compare in terms of MPG?

Thanks! looking forward to join the club.

 

Yes Mazda recommends premium in the RX8 (though there are multiple people who post here that run 87)

I haven't owned an rx7 but over the 3k+ miles I have owned my car I am at 21+ MPG (thats 250ish miles before the fill up light comes on)

This site has a bunch of people on it if you are wondering about MPG:
http://www.fuelly.com/car/mazda/rx-8

 

yes 91 octane or higher.
around 17mpg mixed driving, 16/24 mpg

 

im about to hit a half tank and i have gone about 70 miles. why my gas sucks i have no idea but im not driving it hard, and its mixed city/highway. im lucky to hit 15mpg on a regular basis

 

Not gonna thread jack, so I'll just say to you that there are PLENTY of reasons why you're getting low mpg (plugs/ coils/ cat/ maf/ etc, etc, etc) search is your friend here

 

You'll get about the same mileage as your FC, maybe a hair less.

Even if the rx8 is in top running condition, they don't do well on MPG. In fact they often do worse than a gently driven FD or FC.

My rx8 has rebuilt engine, flowed/cleaned injectors, new coils/plugs/wires, good cat, and still has never gotten 20mpg highway. I see a touch over 200 miles to a full tank if I drive only city and baby it. If I am hard on it I get about 180. If I drive mostly highway and a little city, I might get 225-240. I don't think I've ever gone more than 250 to a tank, and that is running it all the way to the "E" mark, 15-25 miles after the yellow light comes on.

In contrast my 466rwhp 90 turbo II could get as much as 23 on the highway if you stayed off boost. It probably did better than the 8 around town if you drove it like a normal person, too. I've also known of good condition FD's getting 17 city and 24 highway if driven gently in the summer.

The rx8 is geared shorter and is a heavier car for one thing.

 

Dunno, but I get quite decent mpg for the breed with about 70 pct highway miles. It depends on how you drive it of course and probably moreso than with other cars. High EGTs will kill the cats so it runs pretty rich if you have your foot in it. I drive pretty hard sometimes, but in 35 mph traffic where racing to the next stoplight is utterly pointless, drive pretty lightly. In those circumstances, I usually shift 1-3-5 which is not only smoother, but gives much better mpg (watching a scangauge).

 

While the car was stock and I drove 75% city, I usually saw 15-16mpg. Now with a tune and driving 75% highway instead, I get 19-20mpg. I can't get above 20 unless the tank is basically spent entirely on the highway though.

 

Yep, consider 14 to 16 mpg.

Also, remember you can not modify an R3. No tune available.

 

I'm a little more lucky than the average person then... but nowadays I'm driving also a lot on the freeway. See the Fuelly log.
The best on the freeway so far was 22.3 mpg on a whole tank but this is a hilly area and I'm doing 73-75 mph wherever I can.
According to the (properly calibrated) Scangauge, driving my normal commute route I see 24+ mpg sometimes and 23+ on a fairly regular basis. At the end of a tank, it hovers betweeen 21 and 22 mpg routinely. That's because of the little city driving I do I guess.
So it's not great but it is by far not as bad as some say. I think the EPA estimates of 16 city, 22 freeway are pretty much spot-on.

 

Fixed that for ya.

 

While driving 100% highway, I can get 21-25 mpg (Depending on how fast I am going. 21 if I'm going 80 MPH, 25 if I'm going 70)

City is usually 15 MPG and I'm impressed considering how much red lining I do.

 

Well, my experience is different

 

I get 220-250 per tank (usually well into the yellow light) and average about 17.5MPG, mixed driving (but always beeping!).

 

ok, my rx8 is wierd.... i drove on the highway, from chicago to FL... one full tank, in the middle of the night, pretty flat terrain, cruise control on at 80 for literally the entire tank with only maybe 1 short break when a semi was passing another semi, my fuel light kicked on at 238 miles.... then, another tank.. same night, same situation, but doing 90, fuel light kicked on at 244 miles... then, driving around town, red lining here and there, short short trips on the highway, but overall driving slightly more aggressive than i should maybe.. fuel light kicked on at 236 miles... Last one here. driving on the blue ridge parkway mountain pass, started with a full tank, went 180 miles down the road, ***** to the wall with only short breaks to pee and take in the sights at idle without shutting her off, temp around 20 degrees... finished the tank off on the highway, light kicked on at 232 miles... it doesnt matter where i am, how i drive, i make the same mileage... so idk lol

 

First off, you should buy the R3 and love every minute of it because it is the best sports car for the money. second, you should not worry about gas mileage because if thats one of your main concerns you should probably buy something else......

 

COMMIT TO PURCHASE AND OPERATION OF NEW CAR FOR 4-6 YEARS

DISREGARD OPERATING COSTS










































....really? You're suggesting that somebody do this?

 

Ha, ha, ha!


Unless you live in NJ. Damn, gas is really cheaper there, like up to 50 cents cheaper than NY

 

MPG my FC is fine as I do 70% freeway driving anyways but jesus christ the rx8 sounds horrible! as long as I get very close to what I'm getting now I'll be okay. I've never driven a honda or anything so don't really know what normal people get haha. thanks for all the inputs guys

 

While not wise, based on the number of SUV's in mall parking lots and German cars speeding through yellow lights, I'd guess that 50% of the car buying public does just that.

From a left-brain perspective, the RX8 makes little sense anyway. As a hobby, with occasional practical uses, it works just fine for me (and is still way cheaper than marriage.)

 

I have an SUV. I considered the costs before purchase. Having a family, and needing a vehicle that can haul/tow stuff, it makes perfect sense. My wife and her family can all fit in my truck, something no one else in the family can do, so if we are going to eat an hour away it saves everyone gas and time. It's also very easy to get in and out of and very comfortable/stable to drive.

If I need to tow a car, the truck has plenty of power and stability for that. If I need to haul large packages to the UPS terminal when it's raining outside, I don't have to throw them in the bed of a pickup, they fit inside my truck and stay dry. Same for going on vacation with a bunch of bags etc.

The MPG is no worse than the rx8. It does just as good in the city and almost as good on the highway.

I never understood all the SUV hate.

 

Over the last 10 months, I've driven 80% Highway running 80 MPH with occassional stop and go traffic (Philadelphia, comes with the territory), and I get 21.1 MPG (see my fuelly below). My commute is 75 miles round trip and I drive three days travel to a tank because I just miss getting 4 (I tried once and got about half way home before I was just to afraid to go further).

So at 225 miles I am showing exactly 1/4 tank left, though I couldn't actually make it to 300 miles on a tank. The first and last quarter tanks seems to go a little faster for me.

HTH

Oh and my SUV is an 08 Mercury Mariner, 6 cylinder, AWD and I get around 21 MPG with it too.

 

It sounds like you're wanting something a bit more MPG friendly.

 

Click on our fuel mileage links and you shall see what we are getting.