23.46 MPG on an NB??

[POS Racing]

SHMBO and I made a last minute decision to blast out to San Angelo we took mainly back roads ran no more than 80 mph with A/C on and top up and the car gave us 23.4 MPG.

Is that normal? I know it isn't a Prius but seems rather SUV like with those kinds of numbers! The 2002 doesn't do many road trips these days I tend to only drive it around parking lots on Weekends.

Car ran great A/C blew cold and good time was had by all.

[sammm]

SHMBO and I made a last minute decision to blast out to San Angelo we took mainly back roads ran no more than 80 mph with A/C on and top up and the car gave us 23.4 MPG.

Is that normal? I know it isn't a Prius but seems rather SUV like with those kinds of numbers! The 2002 doesn't do many road trips these days I tend to only drive it around parking lots on Weekends.

Car ran great A/C blew cold and good time was had by all.

Back roads = stop-n-go = lower mpg.

[POS Racing]

No stop and go that I saw during the drive. San Angelo is about 240 miles from here. Most roads were posted 75 mph. Every once in a while, I'd have to jump out of the cruise control to go through the small towns. Pretty much a 4 hour nonstop run.

San Angelo -> https://goo.gl/maps/ryFm7B5zhHG2

[POS Racing]

Got on the googler

Fuelly results on the 2002 - http://www.fuelly.com/car/mazda/mx-5_miata/2002

Based on data from 76 vehicles, 2,849 fuel-ups and 730,197 miles of driving, the 2002 Mazda MX-5 Miata gets a combined Avg MPG of 26.49 with a 0.17 MPG margin of error.

EPA Data - https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/bymo...-5_Miata.shtml

So looks like 23.4 mpg is on the low end of the scale...

[redmenace]

My guess is that most of your cruising was done at an RPM higher than the threshold where the ECU changes over to open loop.

[Majik]

I cruise at 70-75 for work with only one stop light getting off of the freeway, so almost exclusively highway every day. Maybe 1 out of my 25 mile commute on surface streets. I usually average mid 28 to mid 29mpg. Top up and AC on this time of year. Of course 99 vs 01+ could make a difference.

[jrj512]

I also wonder about power modifications the two previous owners performed without your knowledge that could be affecting the mileage.

[POS Racing]

I cruise at 70-75 for work with only one stop light getting off of the freeway, so almost exclusively highway every day. Maybe 1 out of my 25 mile commute on surface streets. I usually average mid 28 to mid 29mpg. Top up and AC on this time of year. Of course 99 vs 01+ could make a difference.

VVT Yo??

[cwisenheimer]

I got just about the same in mine over 800 highway miles this weekend. Must be the color.

[POS Racing]

I got just about the same in mine over 800 highway miles this weekend. Must be the color.

cwisenheimer does your Vivid normally do better than that MPG wise?

[cwisenheimer]

By a couple MPG, yes. Full-blast a/c doesn't help, though. Might be summer gas too, for all I know (dang corn fuel).

[CosmosMpower]

Weak, my prius does 50 mpg.

[sammm]

^Is it in the garage with your other queens?

[POS Racing]

By a couple MPG, yes. Full-blast a/c doesn't help, though. Might be summer gas too, for all I know (dang corn fuel).

Stupid Corn!

I even filled it before we headed out with some top shelf 93 Octane Shell V-Power® NiTRO+ Premium Gasoline.

[CosmosMpower]

^Is it in the garage with your other queens?

Nah it's a dirty little whore and stays outside in the rain and hail.

[onething]

I've gotten as high as 33 mpg with my 01, but not since they started growing corn for fuel. 27 or 28 with no AC and top down is about as good as it gets in the corn age.

[POS Racing]

Drove it to Huntsville and back on Saturday (Approx 400 miles) to visit my wife's side of the family.

Got the same result sucked gas like an SUV guess I should have got the Prius.

[865]

Check air filter, replace if dirty. Clean the MAF sensor and throttle body.

[Jctattoos]

What's the RPMs at 75-80mph? The fifth gear isn't that much of an overdrive ratio. I bet it'd improve a bit at 65mph. It's an awesome drive in a miata on the back roads south thru hill country. Did it once in my 97 and it was great.

[POS Racing]

Check air filter, replace if dirty. Clean the MAF sensor and throttle body.

Filter is recent less than 2,000 miles on it. I cleaned the MAF sensor not too long ago. Intake looks decent. But I may clean it all for good measure.

What's the RPMs at 75-80mph? The fifth gear isn't that much of an overdrive ratio. I bet it'd improve a bit at 65mph. It's an awesome drive in a Miata on the back roads south thru hill country. Did it once in my 97 and it was great.

It is a 6-Speed and at 75mph it shows right at 4,000 RPM.

Car runs great! I'm thinking it is the Corn that is killing the Mileage.

I was going to take my OBD scanner and see how it was doing "live" and I forgot it.... Was laying on the table right where I left it so I wouldn't forget it....