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Vans & Minivans Mazda Mazda5 Mazda5
1354 messages, Last post on Oct 25, 2009 at 7:04 PM
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Replying to: nissmazlover (Mar 23, 2007 9:50 am) |
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I was excited about the 5 when it first came out and still am but not as much.  The big advantage of a small minivan would be handling and mpg. For the 5 to really impress, it needs 30mpg. The EPA ratings are barely better than the Odyssey and Sienna bohemeths. And they have powerful V6s. A 5sp auto would help. A diesel would help a lot. I think the Kia Rondo gets 29hwy with its 4cyl. That's more like it. Mazda... good job, room for improvement. |
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Replying to: twain (Mar 24, 2007 9:45 pm) I bought a 5 despite the relatively poor "official" fuel economy. I bought the 5 because people who owned Odyssey's and Seinna were posting attrocious actual mpg results of city (under 15) highway (high teens) (see various forums). For the 5 I found people were getting close to the offical numbers and often better (see sub-forum at edmunds) I've driven 2500 miles and check my fuel consumption carefully. In that times, I've never gotten below 20 mpg and on pure highway driving (at high speeds 70mph) I do get around 26-28 mpg. People have reported higher than than when driving at 55 mph. So the take home message is, do not rely on official consumption numbers. Check what people are actually getting. Maybe the Rondo in practise gets 35 mpg ...
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Replying to: idavidson (Mar 25, 2007 4:54 am) consumption numbers. Check what people are actually getting. -------------------------------- I understand what you're saying and you're probably right. But it's very difficult to go by the mpg reported by individuals. It could be anywhere from 15 to 40. We need a reliable mpg system that is accurate. Maybe the new one will be. When the EPA rates a 4300lb vehicle with 250hp and a 3300lb vehicle with 157hp only a mile or two apart, something is askew. The lighter vehicle should get at least 5mpg better. To make the sacrifice in size and power worthwhile. As you say, maybe the fault isn't with the vehicle or its designers but with the EPA system. Because if the Mazda5 really is getting 28hwy while the Odyssey and Sienna are getting 20, that's acceptable. But it's too bad the EPA figures don't reflect that difference.
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Replying to: twain (Mar 25, 2007 8:38 am) So on the highway, I'll get about 25mpg driving in the low 70s MPH with the Freestyle, and about 36mpg. If I keep the speed between 65-70 MPH, I'll get about 26mpg with the Freestyle and about 38mpg with the Fit. And around town I'll get in the low 20s mpg with the Freestyle and in the low 30s mpg with the Fit. So based on the vehicle sizes, the 45% difference makes sense to me. Now something like a Mazda5 or Rondo are in between the Freestyle and Fit in size, so I would think that something of these sizes should be able to get at least what my Freestyle is getting, but I'd hope for something higher. But that assumes that vehicle weight is the prime factor with mpg, but it isn't. Look at the tiny Chevy Aevo, which gets really poor MPG, so I think poor engine/transmission design will create poor MPG regardless of vehicle size. Mazda's in general have poorer MPG versus their rivals. Look at the Mazda3 mpg versus a Civic or Corolla. But then Mazda tunes their engine/tranny for performance vs MPG. And the Rondo poor MPG may just be because of a old engine/transmission design. |
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| No matter how cramped it might be, is the reason why Mazda doesn't offer (even as an option) as a 7th seat a Karakuri in between the middle row seats is becuz it doesn't meet safety requirements in North America? And since it's offered in UK, then this means that safety standards are laxer in the UK? | |
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It's Tuesday, so that means Mazda chat night. If you haven't joined us before, stop in tonight for a little fun with the group! The Mazda Club Chat is on tonight. The chat room opens at 8:45PM ET Hope to see YOU there! Check out the schedule |
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Replying to: twain (Mar 25, 2007 8:38 am) OK, here's a real world example of upside down numbers.. I have a 2003 Toyota Matrix XR w/auto and on the highway it does no better than 26-27 mpg.. I also have a 2001 Mercedes E320 that on the highway delivers 28-29 mpg. The MB is 220 HP and 4000+ pounds vs. the Matrix at 130 HP and less than 3000 pounds.. So much for the 5 mpg MORE !!! Go figure...! I am convinced that Toyota fudges their numbers a LOT... I even took it back to the dealer complaining of the poor economy and they returned it after testing stating it was fine and giving 31 mpg...!! Maybe going downhill with the engine off..!! I have a friend with a Prius that gets around 40 mpg highway where they advertise 50 mpg !!! Keep in mind that the car companies do the testing, not the EPA. The testing procedure is defined by the EPA but they let the companies do the testing.. Who do YOU trust ?? 
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Hi, I love my Mazda5 for how quick it is off the mark. I especially appreciate this after driving a Chrysler PT cruiser and a Hyundai mid-size (can't forget the name). Both these cars really struggle when taking of at a traffic light, but my Mazda5 zips off. HOWEVER, both these other cars cruise at 70mph at about 2400 RPM but my auto Mazda5 does 70mph at 3000 RPM. Are the two connected? I think the Mazda5 gets not great fuel economy perhaps because the engine works harder to get to 70mph |
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Weight doesn't necessarily have much to do with MPG. Once a vehicle is moving, it doesn't take much hp to keep it moving. The bigger engine in larger cars is to give it more initial speed and power. Aerodynamics are the biggest factor for highway MPG. That's why a small boxy car won't get much better MPG than a larger, more aerodynamic sedan. Plus larger engines run at much lower RPMs on the highway, which equals less gas usage. Think about it. If you have a V-8 with twice the engine size of a 4cyl but the 4cyl is going 3200rpm vs the V-8 going 1600 rpm to keep the speed at 60mph for example, which would get the better mpg? |
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