I don't get it. My air filter still looks good after 22K. I've been checking it routinely and it is keeping quite clean. The local Mazda dealer agrees as they have not marked it for replacement yet. Meanwhile, the air filter in my SUV needs to be changed every 6-10K.

 

What makes you think that the filter in your SUV needs changing so often? The betting is that the filter is good to go for an easy thirty to fifty thousand miles.

 

The filter in my SUV tends to suck up dirt like mad.

This pic isn't mine but the top filter is indicative of what mine looks like after maybe 15K in my SUV, if I let it go that long. The vehicles drive in the same places so my best guess as to the difference is how I drive through those places. If I am driving through a dirt/gravel lot I will go very slowly in the Mazda so as not to chip the paint w/ flying debris. My truck is 10 years old so I will just blaze on through like it's pavement, kicking up s**t everywhere.