Hi there,
I would like to first of all let everyone know that I am pretty happy with my new Mazda 3. It has a auto 6 speed and is the skyactive and the leather package.
Anyway, my post is about the fuel mileage.

I do have to note that I live in Vancouver, BC and yes there are some mountains here. I drive 50 KM round trip each day and 5-10% of that is city.

The fuel economy on this thing is nothing like quoted in ads. 5.8 L/100 KM or 40 MPG......yeah, maybe with the wind at your back and downhill.
If you are a possible future customer looking for real numbers, dont expect better than 7.5 L/100 KM or 31 MPG average fuel mileage. And also, to get that, dont drive faster than 90 KM/H.

If I knew this ahead of time, I would have driven back to the VW dealership and bought the TDI Jetta. $3500 more, but worth every penny. Atleast you can drive 110 KM/H and still get 6.5L/100 KM or 36 MPG.

Anyway, just thought there might be someone out there who could use the info.

 

Until Mazda introduces the diesel versions of their cars to the NA market its not fair to compare a gasoline powered car to a diesel powered, the diesel will trump the gasser any day in economy. Here in Europe the small diesel 3 is rated at 4.5L/100 whereas the smallest gasser (1.6) is rated at 6.3 with the MPS at 9.6 and the 2.0 at 7.6. If you have the 2.0 you are right at the mileage Mazda says you will get. Also for economical driving you should not exceed 80kph anyways, any faster and your just burning money, even the Jetta TDI will get MUCH better at 80kph than 110kph. As an example, my former car, a 2006 Ford Mustang with the 4.6L would on average from Reno, NV to Sacramento, CA get about 25mpg doing the speed limit, now I did (yes I REALLY did) a trip over and back once and ONLY did 50mph (80kph) and that car got an average of 38mpg.........38mpg!!! Now granted at 50 mph and not passing anything that was faster I did sit behind a few trucks and got a draft off of them but its not much when your far enough back to see both mirrors. In the end if your out for economy just drive slower and do not accelerate fast, dont accelerate up hills and avoid braking. Also since your car is new it will take a little time for everything to break in and get into a good driving cycle, alot of cars now adjust to how you drive so if you drive gently and carefully they wont deliver as much fuel because it learns your driving style, adjusts its shift patterns to you.

 

I run a 2005 2500HD Chevy Silverado Duramax for work. I live in BC (ie. hills). Wiping the memory on my truck trans actually helped my mileage, driving slow helps, Diesels are better, yes.....I know these things.

My post is to give people a little reality on the situation and not let Mazda tell people that the car gets amazing fuel mileage in BC, when once again the reality is it is average if that. The post is not a comparison, it is the facts I have come to realize after running a new Mazda 3 for 3000 KM. I happen to have been ready to buy a VW, when I was convinced to test out a Mazda....

Yes, everyone says it MIGHT get better over time and blah blah....I have never seen an improvement in any of my vehicles over time, but hey here is hoping...

By the way, most normal people drive at speeds over 80 KM/H in North America from what I see. That is why i quoted those speeds. Every morning as I drive the Sea to Sky Highway, I am passed by most people when I myself am doing an average of 90 KM/H.

So, to sum up the post, I will say this is my findings of the skyactive 2012 Mazda 3 doing what average humans do on route to and from work in a some what more hilly area than the car was tested in it seems. A daily commuter, the car gets average fuel mileage, and if I was informed on the actual numbers I would have possibly continued shopping and be informing future buyers of a different vehicle about the interesting findings I had found....

My Mazda 3 fuel mileage rates were quoted in the original post.
Once gain, I thought I would post my findings because there just might be one or more persons out there that could use the info....

Good Luck and Happy Buying

 

I do have a question though, what octane fuel you running? From what I have learned from others here is since the car is DI (direct injection) with very high compression you can run very high octane fuel and should get better mileage then as well.

 

As with any other commuter car, I would only run regular. In my 1984 Porsche 944 I will run 94 octane, but a 2012 mazda 3 should be made to run regular. BC's regular is 87 octane I believe, but not positive.
Your understanding is correct, Higher compression engines are generally fed with Higher Octane fuels because the higher the octane, the higher the compression the fuel can take before it detonates.
A mazda 3 is not a sports car, or a performance car. Judging by the price point, you might find 0.01% of owners that will spend the money on higher octane fuel.