Return trip from NYC to FL...used either Shell, Cheveron or Exon HT...currently 4200 miles on car. Automatic, no sports package. Speed generally 75mph or on occasion higher...average speed for trip around 69mph. One passenger, loaded with luggage, etc in trunk and filled back seat. (we evacuated FL for hurricane.) AC on most of the time. Average MPG for trip 24.5. Very satisfied with performance, comfort and mpg.

 

sorry bout the typo...should have been 23.5 mpg overall

 

My first drive was about 18 MPG. The dealer filled it up to full when I picked up the car. There was 230 miles on it and I added 180 miles (410 miles when I arrived at gas station). I filled it up to full ... and I added exactly 10 gallons (it was like 9.85 gallons but I forced more gasoline into the tank). So, I thought for a first drive 18 mpg was not bad after reading that some here are getting 13.

 

LOL !

 

my mileage seems to have improved a tad since I hit 20k on the car

but whatever , I love this car

 

For what it's worth, I am at at close to 19K now and drive around 150 miles a day-mostly on the highway between 70 and 85 mph in 6th with downshifts to 5th for engine braking and for passing and am pretty consistently getting just under 21 mpg. I stay close to 4200 on the highway and try to stay below 2000 rpm on the backroads. Premium or Plus doesn't make any difference except I smelt thet "flooded smell" every so often with premium, so for the last 5 tanks I've used Plus. Brands don't seem to matter. Today I cut it pretty close 265 miles on 13 gallons about 2/3rd of that highway. I really don't ever expect to see 25 mpg unless I forget to set the mileage when I get $5 or $10 worth of gas.

 

I have an auto with 15+K on it. I filled it til I could see gas in the neck then drove it for 2+ hours with the cruz set at what ever the trucks were doing in the slow lane usually 60-70mph. I filled it to the neck again and got 29.3mpg! This is hard to do with as much fun as the rotary is to rev. This is my 7th RX since '71 among other Mazdas. Every once in a while I like to see what it can get on the hwy. When It was new the best I saw was 23.5mpg. It will loosen up.....enjoy...

 

Wow. Should be interesting to see if you can come close again.

 

Build June 2004, delivered Sept 5th. Now at 2683 miles. Build date June 04 --so was presumably "flashed" at factory. Last four tanks average mpg: 15.74. (down from 16.93 the first 9 tanks that included one 500 mile trip). I let idle about 5 minutes to warm up before starting out in morning and in parking lot after work prior to drive home. (a gentleman was kind enough to send PM and point out idle is bad for engine--will stop doing that) Short trips about 11 miles each way. Best mileage was 19.2 mpg on one highway trip.

Have never been to redline. It's only "beeped" once. Remembering that was around 7000 when I wasn't watching the tack close enough.

I use the spendy stuff at Chevron. Premium, I think it's called. Am I using the wrong octane?? Paying about $2.25/gal. Will drop to their midrange gas on next tank and see if that makes a difference.

****
Addendum: tire pressure variable. Light went on couple days ago. I bought a digital guage and took readings. Cold: one tire at 24, two at 26 and one at 27. Filled them all to 32. Hoping this too shall make a positive difference in gas mileage. 32 all around seems to make a difference in overall handling. Surely feeling the bumps more....

Ever since I began to read posts in this forum, have been wondering what "drive like a grandmother" means? I am a grandmother X 3 so I suppose I drive like one? Well maybe a "reasonably assertive" grannie. No grass grows under my wheels...:p

 

I have 2700 miles on my Rx8. I started out getting 13 mpg no matter how or where or for how long I drove the car. The temps were mostly in the 70s. Now the temps have been mostly in the 60s and 50s and for the last 3 tank fulls. I have been getting 10mpg. I don't really care what the EPA ratings are this is ridiculous. Before this I owned a Bonnelville SSEI Supercharged and got better gas milage. I am sure I have owned forty or fifty cars in my life and this is the worst milelage I have ever gotten. I got better milegage with my 1970 Dodge Charger 440 RT weighing what twice as much and twice the horse power. I do mean twice the horsepower. It dynoed at well over 500. I have had LTDs, Chrysler New Yorkers and even a Lincoln Town Car a couple of years ago that got better milage. It got 16mpg in town. I have owned other sports cars and thet got better milelage. I go in to the dealer this week a but I am not expecting they will fix the problem. If you are getting horrible gas milage like 14 or below then please send me a private message. I am going to start compiling a list of RX8 owners in case it comes neccesary to contact MAZDA dirrectly or maybe an attorney. I will make this list available to who ever wants it. I like this car a lot and I can't afford to take the several thousand dollar loss I would take by selling it or trying to trade it in. I am frustrated and becoming more so when I see there others with this same situation. Those getting a little under the EPA like 16 to 20mpg are really not the kind of thing I am talking about.

 

I do think some of these cars have a mechanical problem. Calling people who are getting 10 mpg a dummy makes you an ***.

 

I got 19.3 mpg on my last tank. I drove it pretty hard too! But wait, before you hate me this was on a road trip to San Diego and back. The traffic was awesome.

I'm pretty sure my original estimate of my mileage of 15/21 is accurate for my car. I'm pretty sure if I cut out the crappy city driving (and me showing it off a bit in the city) I could've hit 21 mpg. Though the amount of city driving I did was pretty low compared to the highway. (Probably around 20 % city, 80% highway).

Howard, I'm pretty sure your car is defective. Take it in. I think I said this in antoher thread but it seems like the mileage on the car is really 15/21. If you get 18/24 or better, you're either a superb driver or you got a lucky car. If you get less than 15/21 something is wrong. Though I'm still holding out hope that I'll get close to 18/24 some day. Just hit 2K miles on my car.

 

I also agree that the people who are getting exceptionally low mileage have room to complain.

Whether it is from bad MAF sensors or bad side seal gaps, or whatever... there is a defect somewhere... ie something that can be fixed by mazda.

 

Holy Resurrected Thread Batman!!!!

 

chuckle.

resurrecting something from back in march to call somebody an ***, I just now realized how silly that is.

 

I work across the street from MNAO... I could literally throw a rock at them. I can sit outside and picket if you think that will help. I am one of the fortunate 12MPG people. I just wonder if I'd lose power if my gas mileage improved. :D

 

While complaining might do some good of some sort it won't cause Mazda to restate the fuel economy of the cars. They have to use the EPA ratings, no matter how far off the EPA ratings are. Talk to a few hybrid car owners and see what they think about the mileage ratings on their cars, many of them are getting considerably lower MPG's than the EPA ratings (some reporting they are getting less than half of the stated fuel economy ratings).
If there is a problem with the car then that might be Mazda's fault, but if the ratings are wrong (and they most certainly are since the EPA's testing methods have nothing to do with real world driving) that is the EPA's fault and you should complain to the EPA. Mazda is sadly bound by law to stating the EPA's ratings and nothing else.

 

I hate to break it to you. But Mazda does not publish the EPA numbers. The EPA numbers, by definition, are published by the EPA based on their out-dated test method. Even Mazda wants to change the numbers it can't.

The hybrid cars owners also complain about not being able to achieve the EPA numbers. So, you are not alone.

You should write to EPA insead. By the way, EPA had said they knew about that their test method is out-dated. They are looking into updating it.

 

This issue is not about EPA ratings. It appears most owners avearage 16-18 mpg in the city while a small handfull are getting 10-13. It seems likely that there may be a problem specific to these vehicles. Trying to determine what is causing the poor milage on these few vehicles the issue not trying to change EPA ratings.
Most of the owners, both of the normal mileage owners and those with the unusually low milelage, have tried different driving techniques. It seems this does not change mileage significantly. Yherefore there is a belief that certain RX8s have a mechanical issue that is as yet not determined.

 

watch out howard, someone is bound to say your complaining, just because you
have a valid point. Don't you know this is a love your car no matter what forum.

denial of any possible problems is most accepted here.

 

Maybe you shoulda bought something else? I don't drive mine slow, I just accelerate judicially usually shifting around 4k rpm (unless I really need the speed) and I'm routinely getting 18-19 mpg in suburban driving. My hwy mpg is usually around 23-24 running 70-80 mph with an occasional illegal jump to triple digits. So what's th complain about? If I drive it in street racer mode, it gets about 15-16 mpg. Mine was an early arrival, 8/27/03 and has had all the flashes, etc. No problem for me!

 

All this maybe you should have bought something else is a crock. I drive mine routinely easy shifting around 4K and when I checked the other day it was 14 MPG. The F150 I traded in did as good or better pulling a freaking boat. 14 is terrible and I could maybe expect that with alot of spirited driving. Started out getting 19-20 driving the same places I do now and its getting worse and worse. Real easy for someone with no problems to spout about buying something else so if yours starts dropping to the 13-14 range you'll see its no fun.

 

I definitely agree with you here. I traded in my M3 which was a 3.0 Inline 6 that was getting 16-19 mpg in the city. It was also putting out 289 hp stock and most likely closer to 310 with my Dinan chip upgrade and Dinan exhaust. So don't give me the hp sports car=more gas crap. Hell even my highly upgraded '91 Toyota MR2 that was pushing 575 hp was getting 15-16 mpg average in the city and that had Supra fuel injectors and I had to add a seperate fuel pump to keep up with the air consumption. Rotaries by nature use more fuel but the Renesis was supposed to have worked all that out. It seems that the EPA and Mazda need to think this fuel consumption thing through. What was different with the pre-production cars from what some of us are driving around?

 

Tybeerx-8 I glad to here you don't have a problem. Maybe I should have bought something else. but I didn't and now I am stuck with a car that getsa 10 miles to a gallon. I would sell it but I would take a 5000 dollar lost as I payed too much it seems. Actually I like it a lot but I get tired of those who don't have a problem telling those of us who do we should have bought something else. If your tranmission or something goes out and you have trouble with service how would you feel if someone told you , you should have bought something else.

 

Did anyone that wrote to Mazda actually receive a reply? It seems that most people receive answers from low-level customer support reps when asking a specific question, but asking if Mazda is doing anything to improve mileage is open-ended. They probably don't have a form letter to address it, or do they?