what was the highest MPG you ever got in your mazda 3? the highest i've obtained was 32 MPG. i have a 2009 I Touring sedan with the 2.0 engine with the 4 speed auto tranny. i would probably get better mileage if i had the 5 speed manual. i do wish mazda could've made the gas tank bigger.

i've been thinking aobut getting a scan guage II so i can monitor my fuel economy better and know when i'm really close to empty.

 

Speaking of manual transmissions and mileage, I have aleways heard and read from car experts for years now, the sooner your car is in high gear, the better your mileage will be.
Shifting a manual between gears takes longer to reach the high gear than the shifting of an automatic, therefore the auto trans should give better mileage.
I had a 6 cyl stick shift (not mazda) and it was terrible on gas.
When I purchased the same truck with a v8 and automatic, my mileage was ten times better.
My Mazda with auto gets on adverage 27 around town, and on a trip, 33 mpg.
Bob.

 

As with everything else, it depends. As a general rule, two otherwise identical cars driven in the same manner, one with an automatic and one with a manual, the car with a manual transmission will get better mileage. Why? A number of reasons that include (but are not limited to) the following items:

• Lighter weight
• Mechanical coupling throughout the RPM and gear range
• No parasitic hydraulic pumps
• Far less heat generated/lost during the transfer of power

 

33.6 mpg / 2008 MS3 GT

 

On a recent trip between southern New Hamster and Manhattan, my 2009 Mazda3 i Touring 5-Speed gave me an average of a hair over 37 mpg at an average speed of 75, errr, that is, an average speed of 75 when I wasn't stuck in traffic which was about 10% of the trip. I'm thinking that I could coax nearly 40 mpg out of it if I had a straight shot to my destination.

 

i wish the auto tranny could be a 5 speed instead of a 4 speed. i'm sure the gas mileage would be slightly better. the 2010 mazda3 with the 2.0 engine has a 5 speed auto.

 

The 2006 3 with the 2.3automatic is 5 speed.
Bob.

 

about 37ish. 2008 3i Sport 5 speed

 

Right around 37 out of my 2.3 M/T HB at 65 miles per hour most of the Way loaded down going on vacation in Virginia.
It gets between 30 and 32 just driving back and forth to work.

 

about 37-38 mpg on manual 2008 mazda 3i touring 2.0