close to giving up....
 

this last tank of gas has made me so frustrated its disgusting....
my worst mileage to date at a measely 28.03mpg...
granted, I found that 2 tires had close to 20psi and its been rainy and windy due to Irene going by, but still, that is disgusting that Im not consistently breaking 30mpg.
what bothers me the most, is my SGII always shows a reading of 30+ avg. so how come I only got 28mpg ?

It's this exact frustration that makes us push harder, find those extra mods, squeeze more technique, and fix those items that hold us back. When it gets easy, we get complacent.

I've been in this position many times, said something very similar, and ended up breaking personal records after turning that despair into drive.

Best FE,
-RH77

Filling error can giveth, and filling error can taketh away.

I drove many different models, all new, before deciding on the one I bought. The Mazda's were barely ahead of the Subaru's in mpg, and both were at the bottom of the list.
Granted all the cars I drove were 4 door midsize.

Well hey, at least it has a standard trans. With lotsa air in the tires there's potential.

In FL you're gonna have rain. And probaby run a/c most days, too! Just a fact of life.

Make sure you keep those tires pumped. I'd suggest whatever the sidewall imprint says, for starters. I won't print what pressure I run...

Maybe some modest aero mods to help things along? Windy days hurt you less if the car has better aero. Specifically, I'm thinking flat wheel covers. Low cost, removable, and pretty much no doubt you will get some benefit. Some guys are doing them in plexiglass or lexan (scratches much less than plexiglass) so you still see the pretty wheels underneath. I used perforated sheet aluminum, but it's NOT a quick project that way!

http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...tml#post254856

I've been at a 35 mpg plateau since June. I can eek out 1 or 2 more occasionally, if I drive a lot slower than I'd like, but 35 seems to be it for now. ...can't complain, the car is only supposed to max out at 29, but of course I want 39. I'm a bit obsessed with fabricating a belly pan for it, but have not put in that great an effort to get that project off the ground.
My suggestions: map out a new route for your most-travelled drives, jettison some weight, add a pound or two to the tires...and just enjoy the drive. One good windy/rainy/trafficky(?) week will always be waiting around the corner.

Right?! Wheel covers, too. ...should be good for 1/2 mile/gal.

Sounds like your SG could use some more calibration? It should be closer to the truth than that.

BHarvey -

Yeah, that's been my impression. True or not, I look at Mazda as the "Pontiac" of the Japanese auto manufacturers, aka tuned for performance, not MPG.

d0sitmatr -

Every drivetrain has it's sweet spot, so keep searching and you will find it.

CarloSW2

I feel a bit the same. I was averaging well over 30 but i had a few trips down in the mid 20's MPG that pulled me down. I have been working overtime and taking a class, no time to finish my long list of mods but I see now more than ever how much I need them! Sometimes life does not lend a great hand to the hyper miler but keep trying new things! Seek and ye shal find!