New commute record

"Funktheduck" (funktheduck)
11/06/2014 at 10:34 • Filed to: None

Take that EPA estimated mileage...

DISCUSSION (14)

Imirrelephant > Funktheduck
11/06/2014 at 10:38

Is that a Skyactiv Mazda?

Funktheduck > Imirrelephant
11/06/2014 at 10:45

It is. 2015 Mazda 3 manual. Before today my best was 42.1

Imirrelephant > Funktheduck
11/06/2014 at 10:46

Nice. I am considering a Mazda 3 or 6 for my next vehicle. What mix of driving do you do?

Funktheduck > Imirrelephant
11/06/2014 at 11:03

It's pretty close to 50/50 highway/city. Maybe more 60/40. It depends on how you classify GA-316. Speed limit is 65 mph, 4 lanes, but has red lights. Some days I miss most of the red lights (like today) and others I catch every one. When you miss them it's like a highway, when you don't it's like driving in the suburbs but with a higher speed limit. Around town I get 30-32 and highway I usually get 38-40 under normal driving. When I drive like fuel counts I've gotten 37 in town but there were some more down hills than normal so 36 is a little more reasonable.

I think it's the best car in its segment. I convinced my gf to look at them a couple years ago and she wound up getting one (2012). I convinced my best girl friend to look at them recently when her car was totaled and she got a 2013. I don't know your budget or when you're shopping but I would suggest the 2015 touring. Way more standard features than the previous gen and mine has standard features on the touring trim that were only available on the top trim in 2014 or expensive options.

The Little Engine That Couldnt > Funktheduck
11/06/2014 at 11:03

I haven't had to pass on the two-lane part of my drive in a few weeks, and the result has been I've beaten my car's highway MPG by 1% on two consecutive tanks!*

*1% is dumb. I might as well drive fast.

Shankems > Funktheduck
11/06/2014 at 11:07

I get 14.3 combined. Take that nature? lol

Funktheduck > Shankems
11/06/2014 at 11:09

Ha, sucks. I would go broke with how much I drive. That's still better than my truck. It's a '79 and the odometer stopped working so I couldn't calculate it if I wanted

Funktheduck > The Little Engine That Couldnt
11/06/2014 at 11:12

Normally I drive around 75 mph and get 38-40 mpg but wind up catching red lights on 316. Today I drove 60-65 (occasionally slower bc of traffic) only caught a couple lights and got done in about the same time. I'm gonna experiment driving like this for a few days and see if a trend starts

Funktheduck > The Little Engine That Couldnt
11/06/2014 at 11:13

are you still gray? I was trying to fix that for you so people could see you. Relatively new to kinja

The Little Engine That Couldnt > Funktheduck
11/06/2014 at 11:18

My last car averaged 10% better than the highway rating, with dedicated frugal driving resulting in 15-20% better economy over the course of a tank. I can't get my current car to do better than the EPA highway estimate by any significant amount.

Funktheduck > The Little Engine That Couldnt
11/06/2014 at 11:31

I've noticed with my fuel efficient cars (current 3 and previous corolla) they're pretty close to EPA. I can do better with less fuel efficient. My GS300 was rated 18/23 and I got 20/24. I forget what my e30 is rated but I usually get 2 mpg better when I used to dd it.

The Little Engine That Couldnt > Funktheduck
11/06/2014 at 11:39

My last was an IS300, so same motor. It was originally stickered at 18/24, but downrated to 16/22 by the new EPA standard. I averaged 24.5 mpg over the lifetime of that car. I average 27 now, on regular fuel, and have a lot more power, so net gains everywhere, but the window said 18/28 and I want to beat the EPA estimates as badly as I used to.

Funktheduck > The Little Engine That Couldnt
11/06/2014 at 11:46

I almost bought an IS300 back when I hit a deer in my GS but then I remembered how much of a pain in the ass it was to work on the GS and how even simple things cost more just because it had a Lexus badge. I fixed a couple things on my e30 and drove that for a few months. My gf got her mazda 3 and I bought her old corolla from her parents for less than half of blue book.

DasWauto > Funktheduck
11/06/2014 at 16:13

Nice. The third gen 3 was high on my list when I was carshopping. I ended up with a 2015 Golf 1.8TSI. I was swayed by the extra power and torque and I prefer the exterior design. I'm also averaging 40mpg so that doesn't hurt:

Kinja'd!!!

I upgraded from a 2004 Mazda 3 that averaged around 30mpg, which wasn't too bad either.