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Vans & Minivans Mazda Mazda5 Mazda5 Owners MPG-Real World Numbers
378 messages, Last post on Nov 23, 2009 at 1:42 PM
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Replying to: 5_more (Feb 21, 2009 5:44 pm)
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Replying to: sbsteggs (Feb 21, 2009 7:13 pm) The highway test will determine if there is a problem with the 5. What did you get for mpg on your previous vehicle, just before getting the 5? What percentage of that vehicle's EPA rating was that? Other factors... snow tires luggage rack (at least at highway speeds) altitude ?? |
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Replying to: 5_more (Feb 21, 2009 7:11 am) How does letting off the gas and pressing the brake reduce MPG? You could put the car in neutral and slam on the brakes or put the car in neutral and coast to a stop and the amount of gas used would be the same. Now what will use more gas is quick accelaration from traffic lights and stop signs. How you use the gas pedal, not the brake pedal is what will affect your MPG. Also, using defrost in really cold weather won't engage the AC compressor. |
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Replying to: bobw3 (Feb 22, 2009 10:18 am) E=0.5mv^2 Stopping a Mazda 5 from 60mph requires doing something with about 588kJ of energy. There are four options. 1) turn it all in to heat with the brakes 2) coast out, loosing the energy to wind drag and rolling friction, but gaining distance 3) store it somewhere, such as rolling up a hill until you stop 4) some combination of the above Assuming you eventually park in the same spot you started from, the only source for the 588kJ is the fuel in the tank. 588kJ is approximately the amount of energy in 0.6 oz. of E10 gasoline. Combustion engines are not that efficient, so in reality, it would take more than an ounce of fuel to replace than energy. If you chose to coast to a stop, in neutral, with the engine off, you'd have gained all of that distance for free versus the braking option. The store-it option is what a hybrid does, only instead of rolling up a hill, a battery is used. Well, actually, a battery, a pressure tank, or a flywheel is used depending on the type of hybrid. The stored energy is then spent to accelerate when the driver decides to go again. You could put the car in neutral and slam on the brakes or put the car in neutral and coast to a stop and the amount of gas used would be the same. Miles Per Gallon... In your example, you would indeed use roughly the same amount of gas. The difference is in the distance that you're getting for that gas -- gas that you already spent to achieve the speed you were traveling at. In the braking case, it a little over a hundred feet. In the coasting case, its well over a thousand feet further -- for free. Do that a few times, and you picked-up an additional mile for no added cost. The same concept works at any speed. It all adds up. The closer you can get to coasting out on every stop, the higher you gas mileage will be.
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Replying to: bobw3 (Feb 22, 2009 10:18 am) Both matter -- and the brake pedal far more than most people appreciate.
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Replying to: 5_more (Feb 22, 2009 6:21 pm) I have a new 2009 mazda 5 sport auto trans. and I am getting overall approx. 25pmg (5 tankfuls so far). I live in northern ky and when I use the auto defrost the a/c always kicks in, so I turn it off (and it does get very cold here at times) so I have mentioned to my wife not to use the auto climate control whatsoever in the winter. Now the brakes were a bit touchy for my wife and I, but we adjusted as everyone does. I can't help but think if one gets 20mpg on the M5 then your probably safe to say that in the Sedona one would be averaging 3-4 mpg less as well? At any rate I would like to hear what comes about with this mystery...
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Replying to: 5_more (Feb 22, 2009 6:14 pm) Correct...coasting vs pressing will save you the gas...but the action of pressing the brake does nothing to your MPG. E=0.5mv^2 The energy lost is heat from brakes plus the drag of the engine (unless you're in neutral). Indirectly you're correct, but again it's not the action of braking saving gas, but if your are or aren't light on the gas pedal. I think you're confusing being light on the gas pedal and coasting with the action of pressing the brake. The former will give you better MPG. You should gradually accelerate after a stop sign or red light to improve MPG too. You don't want to zip off the line and then coast to a stop and think you'll get better MPG...that won't happen.
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Replying to: tomas_elantra (Feb 23, 2009 5:42 am) Your Mazda5 is getting 25MPG in Kentucky, and i'm getting 20.5 in my Mazda5 after 4 fill-ups. I live near Buffalo, so it's colder. But 4.5 MPG colder?? I'll find out Wednesday when i take it in. Hopefully I don't get a song and a dance. As for "5 More's" comments, your way past me in breaking this down. Thanks for your imput though. Here's how I drive: 1. Don't burn out when taking off from a stop. 2. Accelerate just enough so the guy behind me isn't all over me. 3. Don't tail-gate. 4. I usually go the speed limit, or 5 to 10 over, depending on traffic flow. 5. Try to get off the gas and coast some when approaching a stopping situation. As for the Sedona, I really wanted it  . I had a list of 5 values when I was shopping. MPG was on the list. An 8-10 MPG difference (assuming the Mazda5 would get 25MPG...HaHa) between the 2 cars resulted in me buying the Mazda. That 8-10 MPG difference adds up when the cost of gas shoots to $4 per gallon.
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Replying to: bobw3 (Feb 23, 2009 3:14 pm) Any time the brakes are used (wheel or engine braking), energy is lost in the form of heat. The source of that energy is in the gas tank. sbsteggs, To really make you mad... I've been getting better gas mileage in my Sienna than you're getting in your Mazda. My Sienna gas mileage is about 5 mpg lower than my Mazda 5, both in the city and on the highway.
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Replying to: 5_more (Feb 23, 2009 4:15 pm)  . I kept my 1994 Lumina APV over my 2001 Venture because the Venture was an absolute piece of junk. It had a major list of problems. I had only always bought Chevy's, but that Venture ended it for me. So i buy this Mazda5 and seem to have an issue with it right away. So i'm not mad, just bummed and kinda laughing a little.
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