I have a 2002 DX with over 100K miles on it already. I drive 250 miles a day as a bank courier, about 1/2 freeway and 1/2 stop and go traffic. I get about 29 MPG daily in the summer (A/C on alot in the central Calif heat 100+) and about 30-31 in the cooler months. I drive fairly moderately most of the time, but solo II on the weekends. An Injen CAI and MazdaSpeed exhaust didn't seem to affect mileage either way. As a sidenote the car has been bulletproof so far. Zero repairs. I put 300K miles on a 1996 w/1.5L (God what a wheezer that was) and it was reliable as dirt. Hope they haven't changed.

 

Filled up yesterday--13.86 US gallons. With 470.4 miles on the odo, I pulled 33.94 mpg.

Most of the mileage was over 60 mph, maybe 10% stop 'n' go.

Can't complain when you're putting your foot through the floor more than occasionally...

 

I have a '03 MP5 A/T and with a full tank of gas I avg. about 375 miles on the ODO. I drive about 50 miles a day going to and from school.

 

I use premium octane fuel in my 2001 ES 2.0 (91 or 93). I started a thread about this ages ago and pretty much everyone scowled at me--accept for one of the admin's who emailed me that he had experienced the same thing. With premium, MY car (maybe not your car... they're all different) runs smoother to redline with more power in the upper ranges of the tach. It was especially noticeable cruising above 60mph (100km/h) with the AC on. No longer did I feel like I was fighting a wicked headwind...

Pete, have you calculated your mileage the right way yet? Remember, a buick might get more miles to a tank when the tank is twice the size of the mazda's! Doesn't mean the mileage is better.

 

some of the people here make me laugh, they buy a sporty car then complain when it has sports car like atributes.
do you really think that mazda just happened to overlook the highway rpm when engineering the rest of the car? like "hey let's spend waaaaay too much time designing a complicated restrictive air intake system but overlook basic fuel economy/rpm issues." i think they did it on purpose.

 

As a new owner of a 2003 P5 (5sp manual), I thought I'd weigh in on this topic. I bought the car new and have only had it since the end of February 2004. My first tank averaged 29mpg. My second tank was 30 mpg. My third tank is still in progress, but on target for about 30 mpg again.

I drive about 50/50 hwy/city, including "spirited" driving (meaning fun, but not pushing it to the limit). My hwy driving averages about 75mph. I am very pleased with the mpg/performance mix, but yes, I do wish there was a 6th gear for hwy driving, but still, I can certainly live with it just the way it is. I really like this car and it is the first new car that I've really had any passion about. I look for any excuse to drive now.

 

I'm a new owner of a 2003 P5 - 5sp since mid-Jan04. I get about 27-30 mpg on 87 oct. I agree w/T Slick. I've read all these complaints about mpgs, firm ride, vibrations, etc...all symptoms of a sport ride. If I wanted mpgs and soft bottom I would have gotten a Corolla or Civic. I knew what I was getting into and I'm satisfied, and it's not all just about hp's. Mazda knows what it's doing and fits a niche. Also the P5 is just a $15k ride, not a Ferrari. If your not happy, get a Mits Evo if you have an extra $15k+ over the P5 and an even firmer ride, more noise, and fewer mpg's. BTW just did the Mazda Rev It Up in Alameda, CA last Sunday, it was awesome, highly recommended.

 

Glad you like your car! I thought this too when I got my 2001 ES. I was comming from a 1990 SHO that turned 2-2.5K at expressway speeds. Once you get used to the rev happy little motor you'll appreciate how mazda's gearing allows for a minimum of downshifts when passing at speed. What also helps is to take a long (3-4 hour) trip down the expressway in a Miata--and that car HAS 6 gears!