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MeteorGray · 10-06-2016, 02:18 PM

There's so much stuff on the highway I'd hate to create even less clearance than I have now. My '15 Mazda3 measures about 7 inches clearance under the front bumper valance, and about 5.5 inches clearance under the streamlining panel hanging beneath the engine.

I very well may not be able to clear an armadillo laying flat in the road.

I hate to drive at night because by the time I see an object on the Interstate it's too late to move over, so straddling is about the only option left, which is a very poor one given 5.5 inches of clearance. It seems to me that to give my car even less clearance is strongly challenging the laws of diminishing returns.

So far, I haven't hit anything hard enough to cause any known damage to my Mazda, but road gators coming off an 18-wheeler caused $5K damage to my wife's Explorer, which is much higher off the ground than my Mazda.

I'm already averaging 43mpg with the Mazda. The risk of increasing the damage potential by lowering the car even more is not worth it to me. I guess it would be a different story if I drove only in town where one has time to stop or maneuver to keep from hitting something, but then the efficiency gained by a lower car in town is probably negligible anyway.

10-06-2016, 02:18 PM	#13 (permalink)
MeteorGray Master EcoModder Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Louisiana Posts: 361 Thanks: 275 Thanked 132 Times in 102 Posts	There's so much stuff on the highway I'd hate to create even less clearance than I have now. My '15 Mazda3 measures about 7 inches clearance under the front bumper valance, and about 5.5 inches clearance under the streamlining panel hanging beneath the engine. I very well may not be able to clear an armadillo laying flat in the road. I hate to drive at night because by the time I see an object on the Interstate it's too late to move over, so straddling is about the only option left, which is a very poor one given 5.5 inches of clearance. It seems to me that to give my car even less clearance is strongly challenging the laws of diminishing returns. So far, I haven't hit anything hard enough to cause any known damage to my Mazda, but road gators coming off an 18-wheeler caused $5K damage to my wife's Explorer, which is much higher off the ground than my Mazda. I'm already averaging 43mpg with the Mazda. The risk of increasing the damage potential by lowering the car even more is not worth it to me. I guess it would be a different story if I drove only in town where one has time to stop or maneuver to keep from hitting something, but then the efficiency gained by a lower car in town is probably negligible anyway.