Just got back from my road trip. It was around 4000 miles.
I averaged 32 mpg for the trip.
I'm now at over 28k miles on my RS-As. There are down to the wear bars in the center now and I'm due for some new tires. I just ordered Kumho Ecsta ASX and should have them on in a week.
I also need to get a few windshield chips fixed and an oil change.
The only problem I had was with the transmission and I think it is due to confusing the computer. I was coming across the Mojave in California and I lost 5th gear. It was 114 degrees out and I was coming up a hill. I had the cruise control set to 80 and had the A/C on. I had my foot slightly on the gas due to the hill. I felt it kick down from 5th to 4th right as I cut off the A/C and it cut back to 5th and right back to 4th. I held that and continued over the hill. I would not shift into 5th. I put it in manumatic mode and the digital number disappeared and I still could not get it to shift. I pulled off at a rest stop and it down shifted fine. I turned the car off, took a leak, back on and set for about 5 min with the hood up and running and then took off again. It shifted fine and still has ever since. I'm thinking (hoping) that the computer had too much going on at once and it reset what gear it thought it was in after I turned it off. Either that or they don't like doing 80 mph in 114 degree heat in 4th gear.

 

I took the car in for an oil change. That went normal.

I asked them to check the tranny fluid and for any codes due to the issue I had. There were no codes. So that's good but, the tranny fluid was brown. Kind of like a chocolate milk kind of brown. This car only has 29k miles on it. Is that normal to need a tranny flush that early for these cars? Anyway, I had it flushed. That was $215. That seemed steep too. They said Mazda uses their own tranny formula for these cars instead of the normal Dextron stuff at the store. Plus there's the filter and o-rings and the full flush and not just drain. Still, steep.

I get my tires Monday or Tuesday. I should get an alignment since they are new. The dealer charges $100 for an alignment. Sheesh.

 

30,000 is the interval for tranny service per Mazda, $215 is step.

 

Just change it yourself. There is a good right up with pictures on what you will need and how to do it. (One of the forums has it - google it) Plus, buy your M5 trans oil from the dealer. Not to be confused with Mercon 5 trans fluid. I would love to see the liquid metal on your magnet in the pan. I had a suffient amount of gunk and my fluid was still clean and pink.

 

I got my Kumho Ecsta ASX tires installed last night ($450 OTD at Discount Tire).
First commute on them this morning. They are definitely more quiet on the highway than the RSAs. And, from what I could tell on this first 30 mile drive, they do feel better (comfort, grip, cornering, bumps, control). I got 29K miles out of my RSAs so, I'm hoping to get 40 - 50k out of these tires.

 

This is just an update on my Kumho ASXs. I now have close to 7k miles on them. I am consistently getting 2 mpg less than I did with the Goodyear RSAs. I still like the tires but, I wasn't expecting that much of a drop in mpg.

 

Now about the tranny fluid change. At 30k like mazda recomends, does it need "changed" or "flushed", and what is the difference?

 

I think they just call it 'service'. A change is drain and filter replacement. A flush is where they actually pump it all out with clean fluid instead of drain it. I'm thinking the 'service' is a flush.

 

flush is a chemical cleaning. most dealerships charge so much for fluid and filters that you might as well just go with a flush at each service. it will make the trans last longer.

as for losing 5th, all that i can say is that the trans temp depends on fluid levels and ambient air temps. if it was that hot out and the fluid was low, it could get too hot and have issues with the seals. that's probably what caused the shifting issues. you should adjust the fluid levels for the environment.

 

I put those same tires on my '07 when the RSA's wore out and was very happy. I didn't have the car too long after that so I can't say how the treadlife was going to be. They did drive tons better than the RSA's, agree with that.

My '10 has Yokohama Avid S34's and the road noise is awful. The car only has 2k miles and I am already disliking it so much that I am thinking about my next car. I hate to spend $$$ to swap tires on a brand new car but maybe I can get some $$ on the Yoko's.