Getting more MPG?

[CX7POS]

Whelp after 1800miles on the dial.... and calculating it.. I am not ever going to get the 19-24mpg they advertise. So something needs to be done here. Since ECU remapping or isn't going to happen for awhile till someone is nice enough to share information with me.

What is the next alternative? Ignition...

Has anyone try the HKS Twin Spark?

Since I don't think this DISI engine have your normal spark plug wires, going to a thicker and non-resistances wire isn't an option.

[Raider]

There is an ECU reflash and TCM reflash out, we got our July 2006 CX-7 taken care of last week. 320 miles, more than 1/4 tank left.

Spark plugs are not gonna really do it, imo. I have thrown in just about every plug in the past, and OEM works best.

We do have modifications, change the synthetic oil every 3,000 miles, too.

Your car will run even better in a few thousand miles, too.

I am waiting to see how others with the exact mods we have do. We get 22 average, 20-25.5 mpg, and are waiting to see how the 2nd tank after reflash goes.

[CX7POS]

whelp I did a reflash 2 weeks ago, unless there has been another update, which I doubt. hopefully the MPG will come in more as the engine is breaking in.

[MadMax]

I can also say the mpg seem to be getting better with more miles on the car. I just did a trip, 800 miles total, and avg about 21mpg on highway going 75ish with ac on. Better then my city miles at 16.8mpg. Im hoping it continues to go up as the miles go up.

MM

[ataller]

Guys, how are you calculating your mileage? Are you doing it manually? I think I remember reading a post a couple months ago detailing a way to have the computer report your MPG but I cannot for the life of me find the thread.


Thanks

Adam

[Raider]

Just calculating miles per fill-up and the number of gallons.

[agstoll]

Hi,

This is my first post to the forum, and it's a topic that's really important to me. We traded in our 2001 Mitsubishi Montero, with its terrible mileage (15 MPG city/18 or 19 MPG highway) for a 2007 CX7, with its advertised 18/24 MPG. I know the jump isn't huge, but every little bit helps.

Our first tank of gas gave us 14.8 MPG, our second tank (which was purposely done entirely on the highway) was 19.7 MPG, and the third tank was 14.9 MPG.

We purchased the car used, with 41,000 miles on it. I'm been reading about people who had updates to the computers, and I have to look into that. Is there anything else that I can do to improve the mileage? I've been terribly disappointed so far.

Thanks in advance!

[MAZOOM]

Seems like really high miles, but I would have a service department print out everything that has been done on the CX-7, then look to see what you can update with the TSB's.

[Raider]

Is it AWD?

Our 2WD gets 22-25 MPG every fillup. We have a lot of aftermarket modifications to it, which allows the engine to run more efficiently.

One othe rthing, make sure you are running 91+ octane. We use fuel from only Top Tier providers, which means the fuel is formulated better. http://www.toptiergas.com/retailers.html

[gabrielshorn]

My AWD CX-7 started out getting 17-19 MPG until I had the PCM flashes done. One full tank through since got 20.5.

[mtncrux]

This is a really interesting article about a guy who can squeeze 60mpg out of a Honda accord. He is all about conservation of momentum.

http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2007/01/king_of_the_hypermilers.html

On a related note, this guy recommends installing a ScanGauge into your car to monitor the gas mileage in real time as the best way to improve your gas mileage. If you pay attention to how your driving style effects the mileage then you learn how to sqeeze every last mile out of a tank of gas. The ScanGauge might be a good addition to our CX-7s since they don't come with a lousy trip computer. Has anyone here used one? Is it worth the $169? Any tips on nice looking mounting locations?

http://www.scangauge.com/

[mikomi]

This is a really interesting article about a guy who can squeeze 60mpg out of a Honda accord. He is all about conservation of momentum.

http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2007/01/king_of_the_hypermilers.html

On a related note, this guy recommends installing a ScanGauge into your car to monitor the gas mileage in real time as the best way to improve your gas mileage. If you pay attention to how your driving style effects the mileage then you learn how to sqeeze every last mile out of a tank of gas. The ScanGauge might be a good addition to our CX-7s since they don't come with a lousy trip computer. Has anyone here used one? Is it worth the $169? Any tips on nice looking mounting locations?

http://www.scangauge.com/


Some of the methods used by hypermilers are down right dangerous and stupid

Dangerous to everyone Tailgating!
Dangerous to him/herself disrupting the flow of traffic, by tailgating, or whatever hypermiling technique they have....they risk road rage. True!

I had a co-worker who was Sunday driving on a Sunday. He was on the right lane, so faster cars were more than welcome to pass him on the left lane, so no biggie. Right? Wrong.
Some crazy guy in a 70s Chevy SHUNTS him from out of nowhere. Then pulls up on the left and and bumps him. Then tails him around town. And my co-worker, driving a pick up, is totally scared and flabbergasted as to why in bloody hell someone is ramming him. He eventually saw a dealership where he knows people who work there and he pulled right in, went right onto the showroom and got one of the salesmen to call the police ASAP. While the other man shunts his parked truck.
Eventually police arrive but the guy is long gone by then. Lucky for him, a lot of witnesses saw the going-ons so he was able to claim insurance. Police couldn't find the guy because he had no plates. They said there were more and more cases of road rage and to date, my co-worker's incident was one of the most bizarre cases. To his credit, my co-worker managed to stay calm and did the right thing by not retaliating, who knows if the deranged driver had a firearm or not.
He didn't cut anyone off, didn't block anyone's way, minding his own business and he became victim of road rage all the same. What happens if a hypermiler decides to tailgate someone and the driver takes exception?

[rexercx7]

I don't know about the so-called "Top Tier" gasoline retailers...take that with a grain of salt because advertising and other factors contribute to who's who on that list. But whatever...if you want to go by it I guess it's as good a gauge as any. However, I've found something interesting out about a relatively unknown retailer who's in the SouthWest, and apparently is putting out great gasoline. I use it. And they are getting bigger all the time, too.

The brand is Valero/Shamrock/Diamond Shamrock/Beacon...anyone here ever heard of them? One of my neighbors is a petro-chemical engineer with a Dow-Corning background, and he swears by the Valero brands, claims that they are headquartered in SoCalifornia in the City of Industry where they have a freakin' HUGE refinery, and they supply some of THE major brands, he tells me. So, taking his tip last year, I began running my Benz, the wife's Honda Accord, and in January the CX-7 on Valero Supreme 91-octane.

Results? Excellent drive-ability, and commendable mileage in all the cars, at least as good as I was getting with Chevron, Mobil, and Shell (which I occasionally still use). So I actively seek out the Valero brands when traveling, and so far have found stations all over California without any problem...even in Monterey County, Big Sur, and other Northern California towns and highways. They are apparently getting bigger all the time, growing especially in the last 2 years here.

A side benefit is that I'm paying up to 10 cents a gallon less than with the so-called major brands, and I report, I have no pinging, no detonation, no water in the fuel, excellent performance and mileage in all my vehicles from the Valero brands, all of them! For me, the test is in the performance not just good mileage, because I'm very, very sensitive to a vehicle's performance index. My feet, ears, eyes, and psyche have been "all automobiles" and are educated very well, having worked in the auto industry for more than 25 years, and having driven literally hundreds of Mazda, BMW, M-Benz, Volvo, Rolls-Royce, Jaguar, Porsche, Audi and other fine automobiles during that time.

So frankly I have been somewhat shocked at this little find of mine, after being tipped about the Valero brands by my neighbor last year about this time. Take it for what it's worth, but I've been very pleased with that brand.

As for the CX-7? Hell's bells, I didn't buy this SUV for high mileage, not even a little bit of that entered into the equation. And that EPA sticker of 19/24 for my FWD Mazda is taken on a stupid machine, for chrissake, so how realistic can that be? Not even realistic. Throw the sticker figures out the window.

I'm averaging about 18MPG overall, but that's 90% stop and go city and highway driving cycle, which is not a good gauge for others. When we went on our 1400-mile long trip to Northern California and vicinity in June of this year in the CX-7, it was loaded down for bear with all kinds of baggage, a microwave oven, a heavy cooler full of ice and beverages at all times, and at hyper-speeds of at least 75MPH and up, sometimes (in the SF Bay Area especially...people just drive insane speeds!) up to 85-90MPH, the CX-7 consistently returned 20MPG on the freeway. When we took it easy and cruised, like on one particular scenic drive up Highway 1 from Monterey to SF and back 3X that week, we got 22MPG, but that's about as high as I've ever seen in the SUV.

Around town here, I never get more than 16-18MPG, but that's nothing but stop and go driving with a little freeway thrown in for good measure. That's fine with me. What is there to expect out of a 2.3L high-output turbo motor pulling a 2-ton luxo-SUV? What's it supposed to get anyway? I think that getting up to 18MPG with my stop and go driving is commendable. I'm pleased with those results...the EPA figures don't mean a thing because I know how they're calculated, and it's NOT REAL!

Kindest regards,
rexercx7:cool:

[bonesx]

If you pay attention to how your driving style effects the mileage then you learn how to sqeeze every last mile out of a tank of gas.

how true.
we are lucky enough in Oz to have a "current fuel comsumption" as part of the standard trip computer, and to watch the fuel go from 15ish litres/100km to spike at 90 odd L/100km when on the hammer is freaky, and where possible;) makes you accelerate smarter rather than harder.

[katie]

Humm, it must be the big difference between the AWD & FWD models. My first fill up on my FWD with 500 miles on it, I got 21.5 mpg....50/50 city & hwy. I was very impressed with that result for being my first fill up. But from here on out, it will receive the best oil filter, synthetic oil and 93 octane...so we'll see if it improves.

[Detroit_Drew]

my awd cx-7 gets awfull gas mileage. I have tried different gas,grades of gas none seems to help. I have had the diffrent re-flashes didnt help. Might even be worse! I think the best miles per gallon average I have achieved is aprox - 17 mpg. I also spend 15 minutes of my 30 minute drive on the freeway at about 80 miles per hour! I am a little dissapointed to say the least. Any advice or recomendations would be greatly apreciated. Thanks !

[agstoll]

As for the CX-7? Hell's bells, I didn't buy this SUV for high mileage, not even a little bit of that entered into the equation. And that EPA sticker of 19/24 for my FWD Mazda is taken on a stupid machine, for chrissake, so how realistic can that be? Not even realistic. Throw the sticker figures out the window.

I'm averaging about 18MPG overall, but that's 90% stop and go city and highway driving cycle, which is not a good gauge for others. . . . When we took it easy and cruised, like on one particular scenic drive up Highway 1 from Monterey to SF and back 3X that week, we got 22MPG, but that's about as high as I've ever seen in the SUV.

Kindest regards,
rexercx7:cool:

I don't want anyone to think that I actually expected to get 25 MPG on the CX-7. We enjoy the vehicle, and it drives so much better than what we traded for it -- but I definitely expected to get more than 14 MPG on a regular basis! We brought the car in to get the flash recalls done, made sure we use 91 to 93 octane gas, and we've moved "up" to 17 or sometimes 18 MPG. A little over half of those miles are highway, so I still expect that our MPGs would have been better.

[HunterSwift]

i have been getting 260 miles a tank.

[Detroit_Drew]

I would say on average without running my tank empty i get about 270 on a full tank of gas. And from what i am reading that may not be as bad as I thought. It makes me miss my 1.8t Jetta!

[AWmustang]

I'm happy if I get 265 miles when the light turns on... but it's usually somewhere in the 240's.

Equates to 15-16mpg. I admit that I drive it with some zoom zoom.... but I don't drive it any harder than my Mustang and I was able to get somewhere between the city and hwy EPA numbers on every tank.

I've hit the city EPA rating of my CX-7 once with 100% open road highway driving.

[Raider]

The AWD Cx-7 and the FWD Cx-7 get different MPG's, for sure. To get better mileage, do not go 80 mph, Slow down, as higher rpms, higher speeds hurt MPG. tire pressure-keep them tires filled up. Get a good gauge. The 99 cent ones are worthless. Also, keep at 91+ octane, lower grades are not recommended for our car.

I remember last year, many AWD owners had bad mileage in winter, but it picked up in spring.

[HunterSwift]

yeah i thought the mpg would be better.

[rexercx7]

It's a 4-cylinder turbo propelling a 4000-pound CUV...no way the MPG is ever going to be stellar no matter how you try. It does help to not go 80-90MPH though, which is really hard to do for me personally. I do keep 36 pounds of air in my tires though, which is a good thing.

On our recent trip we did see 21.6 and 21.9MPG on the last two tankfuls of hi-test gasoline, a fully loaded CX-7 going 75-80MPH across the Arizona and California deserts, so I think that's commendable mileage. But once back home and the stop and go driving I do here, it's back to 16-18MPG around town taking it easy, and when I travel to LA, barring freeway tie-ups for bad traffic, I'm getting 18-20MPG. Just depends on my right foot and what it does!;) It's just so hard for me to go 70MPH on the freeways around SoCalifornia, virtually impossible in fact, otherwise I'd be getting much better mileage.

With 9500 miles on mine now, the motor's nicely broken in, and it just wants to Go FAST all the time, it seems.:D

I was talking with my service adviser at my home dealer today, while my CX-7 was being serviced/oil change and Full Circle Inspection etc/and he said that I should be happy with the mileage that I'm getting now, and I guess I am considering all factors. This CUV is not a mini-car by any means, so I think it's unrealistic to assume 25MPG is a possibility when it really isn't unless you drive exclusively in the right lane on the freeway @ 60MPH or slower, and never drive around town, never do stop-and-go driving.

I waited on my car today, for the 1st time, and they still washed it, cleaned the interior, and lightly detailed it for me!:) I was there just about 1 hour 45 minutes total time. Such a nice dealer I've got.:)

Kindest regards,
rexercx7:cool:

[MAZOOM]

On AWD models, since engaging it isn't done by the driver, you just need to drive like granny, meaning using minmal throttle, no sport shift, no taking the turns hard, because these are all ways that the AWD can engage, slipping as well, the extra weight isn't helping but shouldn't effect MPG that much.

[irishcan]

It's nice to hear that other folks are getting about the same mileage that I'm getting.

I've seen some other drivers quote 350miles with 1/4 tank to go on a regular basis. I couldn't believe it. Hell, I'm ecstatic when I hit 280miles coasting in on fumes. :D

I think most folks here realize that we're driving a turbo-charged CUV that looks fast, goes fast, and wants (even begs) to be driven. Wouldn't it be a perfect world (or at least a better one) if we could drive our CX's like they wanna be driven...and get 35+ MPG. Man...what fun. But then, the local CHP would love to see me coming. lol :cool:

[thr_wedge]

We have gotten 17 city and 27 highway.

That is 100% city, stop and go, 15 minute or less trips and the highway was 300 miles of highway, all highway, 70mph the whole time.

Mostly used for city driven. MPG isn't stellar, about the same as the Mustang we traded in.