Mile Per Gallon!!!!

[sp535]

Dear all,

My cx9 Touring has 1800 mile for past 2.5 month and still have city/highway combined 13mile per gallon.

The dealer told me it will start to break-in (what does that mean anyway?) from 12,000 mile or so.

my previous car was Jaguar XJS V12 with 10mpg. I dont want to feel the same after selling my precious Jag with this lovalble CX9.

Please kindly advise whether this is normal or what to do to achive 16-18 mpg at least. by the way, I am using 87 regular unleaded.

Thank you.

[Durfdaddy]

Well...I can't say for sure because I drive a CX-7. After I had a flash done my mileage went down from an average of 19-20 to 16-17. I even saw 15 one time! I am using high octane for the turbo and that is hard to deal with.

I had them make sure ALL flashes were up to date and that got my mileage back up to 19-20. I even saw 21 today on the HWY!! Good times...

As far a break in time, I never had one as far as mileage. I am not sure how much I trust Mazda with my questions. These are new probs for them too.

[CX9 SportOwner]

Even very poor driving shouldnt yield anything near 13. I drive our '9 the way it was engineered to be, fast, and always get 20 to 21 combined.

[AussieCX9]

Dear all,

My cx9 Touring has 1800 mile for past 2.5 month and still have city/highway combined 13mile per gallon.



I feel your pain sp535!

I have just look at an online conversion calculator to measure US MPG as I only understang litres/100klms here in Australia.

This is my findings.....When I bought my CX9 2 months ago the economy was running at 9.4 miles to the US gallon.

Now I have traveled city/hwy 3000klms and my reading is at 11.7 miles to the US gallon.

Mazda reckon I dont have a problem because my fuel economy is getting better....what fuel economy??(piss)

I will let it go for another 1000klm but if there isnt any real improvement my Mazda dealership will definately hear me coming(fight)

[l-miwa]

Please kindly advise whether this is normal or what to do to achive 16-18 mpg at least...

There are a number of things that can affect your mileage:

Cold weather - Do you let your CX-9 warm up (using gas) before driving? It's a good idea, but it sucks gas. Even if you don't, the idle mixture and rpm are set higher while it warms up, also using more gas. I find that my mileage has dropped by about 2mpg just due to the colder weather.

City / suburb / highway - If you do a lot of downtown, stop every block driving, you'll be doing well to get 9-10mpg. In the suburbs with stops every half mile or so, I get about 14mpg, driving VERY conservatively. On the highway (at 70mph), I've gotten 21mpg a couple times. So depending on your mix of driving, your mileage will vary greatly.

Cruise control - The computer can modulate the gas pedal much more smoothly than I can. Thus it gets better gas mileage than I do! I use it on the interstate, I use it in the city, I use it whenever I'm maintaining a constant speed for any length of time. Definitely helps the gas mileage.

Trip computer - I installed a ScanGuage II (takes only a couple minutes to plug it in) and having the instant mpg feedback helps remind me to keep my foot out of the pedal when it isn't necessary. Just watching the mileage plummet to 4mpg is painful! You'll also be able to see where you're losing the mileage. If you're seeing 13mpg at constant speed on a flat road, there is definitely a problem!

All that said, if you're still getting mileage much worst than you expect, take it back to the dealer and see if there's something wrong. A problem with any one of a number of sensors could have the engine running richer than necessary.

[ceric]

I'll say being lead-footed is probably the major cause of low MPG.

I got (mixed 50/50% city/highway)
- 16.5mpg (1st tank)
- 16mpg (2nd tabk)
- ? (3rd, ongoing)
For a vehicle that is 4500lbs, these are good numbers.

I keep up with traffic and not trying to be 1st all the time to reach the next light.
Trying to time the traffic lights will also help MPG.

[njerald]

There are a number of things that can affect your mileage:

Cold weather - Do you let your CX-9 warm up (using gas) before driving? It's a good idea, but it sucks gas. Even if you don't, the idle mixture and rpm are set higher while it warms up, also using more gas. I find that my mileage has dropped by about 2mpg just due to the colder weather.

City / suburb / highway - If you do a lot of downtown, stop every block driving, you'll be doing well to get 9-10mpg. In the suburbs with stops every half mile or so, I get about 14mpg, driving VERY conservatively. On the highway (at 70mph), I've gotten 21mpg a couple times. So depending on your mix of driving, your mileage will vary greatly.

Cruise control - The computer can modulate the gas pedal much more smoothly than I can. Thus it gets better gas mileage than I do! I use it on the interstate, I use it in the city, I use it whenever I'm maintaining a constant speed for any length of time. Definitely helps the gas mileage.

Trip computer - I installed a ScanGuage II (takes only a couple minutes to plug it in) and having the instant mpg feedback helps remind me to keep my foot out of the pedal when it isn't necessary. Just watching the mileage plummet to 4mpg is painful! You'll also be able to see where you're losing the mileage. If you're seeing 13mpg at constant speed on a flat road, there is definitely a problem!

All that said, if you're still getting mileage much worst than you expect, take it back to the dealer and see if there's something wrong. A problem with any one of a number of sensors could have the engine running richer than necessary.

Run your tires about 4 psig higher than your manual says will help a little.

[Force-1]

My 20 mile commute to work is 75% hwy, 25% city, and I am averaging about 18.5 MPG in my 3 month old AWD GT.

I have made 2 R/T runs to Denver (900 miles) at average 80 MPH, and gas mileage is about 21. Okay with me, considering my CX-9 replaced an Escalade that got 14-15, no matter where I drove.

[sp535]

O.K. after the lamp issue, low mileage, I changed from Guiffree Mazda to Manhattan Mazda. And they did all checkup to find out any error causing low mileage.

While I was happy to see them taking care of the car, we could not find any reason for the low mileage. The mechanic suggested to monitor some more cycle for fuel filling vs mileage and asked me to get back to him.

[bill42]

Well I just calculated my milage again using the fill-up to fill-up method, and my milage is getting worse- 13.5 mpg on the last tank which was 80% city driving. I have about 4000 miles on the engine so I would say it is broken in. I don't drive really slow but I also don't floor the car at every stop light. I know I could baby the throttle and get 15mpg, but I wanted to see how my mileage would be if I just drove the way I am used to driving. (my last car was a small volvo wagon with a turbo 4, and it got about 17 mpg when I drove it this way for city driving)
I knew the car would be bad but I never knew I wouldn't even get 250 miles on a 20 gallon tank!
I guess it is my driving, but man if I drove the car like I used to drive as a teenager I bet it would get 10mpg.
Anyway I still love the car. I guess I am complaining because there is really nothing else I can complain about this car.

[AreYouWithMe]

I got my 08 Touring Wednesday night (Former Exec car with 7k miles). I drive 100 miles to / from work and averaged 20 MPG on the first half tank on mixed highway / local.

[CX9 SportOwner]

There MUST be something wrong with your car. I LOVE taking off from lights fast, pass hard, fly around corners and curves (rails), and STILL average 20 to 21.

[bill42]

Just when I am about to accept that it is normal that my car gets 13.5mpg, the two posts above open up the mystery again. Are you all calculating you mileage by dividing miles driven by gallons added to top off the tank?
If so, then perhaps you others who get 20mpg have the lighter 2 wheel drive CX-9 which also has less friction than my heavy 4600 lb. AWD model.
Also, I drive mostly around town, from light to light, and I only get past 4th gear on the weekends. Therefore I rarely take advantage of the tall 6th gear overdrive.

To back up my low mileage, let me point out that MotorTrend seems to get similar mileage when they test crossovers of the same size as the CX-9. Their actual mileage is always less than the new EPA ratings. Compare this to the 2 posts above who say they are getting the highway EPA 20mpg for mixed driving... something just doesn't add up.

[AreYouWithMe]

Are you all calculating you mileage by dividing miles driven by gallons added to top off the tank?

If so, then perhaps you others who get 20mpg have the lighter 2 wheel drive CX-9 which also has less friction than my heavy 4600 lb. AWD model.
Also, I drive mostly around town, from light to light, and I only get past 4th gear on the weekends. Therefore I rarely take advantage of the tall 6th gear overdrive.



Yes I have the FWD model and calculated it total miles driven from fill-up to fill-up divided by total gallons added. My driving is about 30% pure highway, 40 - 50% "back roads" with a few lights and stop lights, and 20 - 30% more "in town" driving with traffic. I am routinely in 5th and 6th gear at 40-50 MPH on the back roads. My tranny upshifts at very low speeds.

I also drive conservatively and don't go Mach 5. I'm going to fill up tonight. I'll let you know what the MPG is.

[astraelraen]

I dunno about people getting 20+ mpg, but if you expect to get much better than 15-18mpg with a 4500lb AWD vehicle you are lying to yourself. It doesn't matter if its got a v6 or a v16, it weighs 4500lbs and has additional drivetrain friction of AWD.

[ceric]

Are some people talking British gallon here? It is bigger than US gallon, you know.
I also don't see how one can get 20mpg in city driving. For highway, one should be able to get 20-22mpg by following traffic and maintaining nearly constant speed.

I have AWD and loaded with accessories (hitches, racks, etc.).
I have been getting 16mpg (+/- 0.5) in SF Bay Area (mixed city/highway/traffic jams)
In city driving, weight is a major factor affecting MPG.
In highway driving, it is the wind resistance (drag coef x cross section area) and tire friction.

CX-9 has drag coef of 0.36 and the OE tires are pretty wide (at 245 vs 225 on Hondas).
0.36 is good but not great. Some CUV has drag coef of 0.32.


(heat loss and power train loss are present is both situations).
Anyway, 13.5mpg is not normal to me.

[SydneyGuy]

I've had my CX-9 for about 6 weeks now. Over that period the car computer tells me I have averaged 14.7 litres/100km. Doing the conversions using US gallons (3.79 litres = 1 US gallon) that equates to 15.47mpg average for the 6 weeks.

That figure is 10% worse than the mileage I used to get with my 5.7 litre V8 SS Commodore.

Note that I never use the air conditioning so that 15.47mpg figure would probably be something like 14-14.5mpg if I did use it.

With petrol hitting A$1.50/litre this week in Sydney (US$5.23/gallon) it is going to cost a lot to run this car for the next 4 years .......

[hss_Rao]

It is around 5 weeks since I bought my CX9 sport FWD. Filled gas 4 times.
1st - 17.5 (87 Oct - 20% highway)
2nd - 16.25(93 Oct - 100% city)
3rd - 17.2(93 Oct - 100% city)
4th - 19.4(87 Oct - 20% highway)

Now I have around 1200 miles, but what I saw was the engine oil is close to the lower hole in the dip stick, probably 8 mm above the lower hole , and as I live in NJ, still using heater and no A/C.

Does anyone have this kind of oil consumption or what are your observations?

[Force-1]

I just filled up about an hour ago, and got 18.2 MPG on this tank, city/highway driving. Loaded AWD GT.

I noted my oil was close to the add mark last week, so I threw in about 3/4 of a quart. The vehicle has about 4100 miles on it, factory oil still in the block.

[hss_Rao]

I just filled up about an hour ago, and got 18.2 MPG on this tank, city/highway driving. Loaded AWD GT.

I noted my oil was close to the add mark last week, so I threw in about 3/4 of a quart. The vehicle has about 4100 miles on it, factory oil still in the block.

BTW I forgot to mention this. I have not driven over 55MPH in the frst 1000 miles, but the oil color is getting dark brown (kind of going towards black), comparing to my 06 Maxima-it retails the golden yellow color even at 3000 miles. What was the color of the oil before you topped it.

[Force-1]

BTW I forgot to mention this. I have not driven over 55MPH in the frst 1000 miles, but the oil color is getting dark brown (kind of going towards black), comparing to my 06 Maxima-it retails the golden yellow color even at 3000 miles. What was the color of the oil before you topped it.

It was dark, but not real dark. That's okay, as the oil is trapping contaminants like it's supposed to. Dark can be good.

[AreYouWithMe]

Update:

I went 295.5 Miles on 15.7 US Gallons (18.8 MPG). FWD CX-9 Touring. It may be lower as I had the HVAC set for "Full Auto" which doesn't seem to turn off the A/C and there was a bad traffic back-up on an otherwise clear road.

Or maybe I "got on it" a little more :-)

Here is a thought: do you have the roof rack? Could that adding mored drag?

[jabba]

That figure is 10% worse than the mileage I used to get with my 5.7 litre V8 SS Commodore

I just want to say this: I adore my 64, my Commodore 64!

OK, feel free to yell at me now.

[Force-1]

That figure is 10% worse than the mileage I used to get with my 5.7 litre V8 SS Commodore.


I don't think that's unusual. My 400HP C6 Corvette gets about 21MPG city, 28MPG highway. That's better than my CX-9 or Cadillac STS.

[CX9 SportOwner]

FWD and AWD are not going to get particularly different mileage under normal driving. If you're not engaging the AWD, there is little difference, since the system is essentially FWD. The estimated 1mpg less is from the extra weight of the rear drive system. Ours is FWD, but I drive the car hard and fast (SO fun) and still get about 20 mixed. If I drove all highway conservatively I could probably get close to 25 mpg. Not sure why others are getting such lousy mileage. Maybe you have a stowaway.

[AreYouWithMe]

i wonder, does the car "learn" how you drive and adjust settings including shift points? With some cars you can pull a fuse to force it to relearn your driving technique.

[chief_wiggum]

Always an interesting conversation when people compare fuel economy. I stumbled across this website;

http://www.fueleconomy.gov

actually pretty interesting for a government facilitated website. If you take the time to register you can add your vehicles to 'your garage' and log your fuel economy. What I find most interesting is they show the EPA standard and then what other registered people are getting. You log your driving style and type of driving you do (city vs. hwy). I've found it useful as I look to possibly get a new vehicle in the future (CX-9 in the running). It looks like there are people providing data on 07s, but none yet on the 08.

[bzebra]

I constantly get between 17 mpg in the city and 22 at best on the highway but usually with a mix of driving 18 mpg

[CX9 SportOwner]

It learns, yes. I wouldnt recommend 'pulling a fuse' just drive it.

[100$ GUY]

20mpg mixed driving? mmmmmmm whats the mix composition?

5 %city and 95% highway.... hahaha.

Thats the way I might believe that mpg number, of course having a FWD.

Taking off fast everytime, passing hard, crazy all day long all days of your life, yeah right you´re gonna get better gas mileage. Yeah right....

[jabba]

My wife is the main driver, and last fillup she got 15.4 mpg, with mostly city driving.

This is consistent with what people are getting with SUVs in this class. Ah well...

[AreYouWithMe]

I just filled up again (commute is 100 miles / day). 19.5 MPG. 20% pure highway, 20% "in-town" and 60% "rural" roads with the occassional stop light or stop sign. On the rural back roads I barely touch the gas and average 40 - 50 MPH.

I now drive the speed limits (well, mostly) to save gas. Instead of doing 80 - 85 on the highweay I'll do 65 - 70.

[CX9 SportOwner]

20mpg mixed driving? mmmmmmm whats the mix composition?

5 %city and 95% highway.... hahaha.

Thats the way I might believe that mpg number, of course having a FWD.

Taking off fast everytime, passing hard, crazy all day long all days of your life, yeah right you´re gonna get better gas mileage. Yeah right....
time wise I'd say close to 50-50.

Latest mileage. 18 gallons used.
A week of my wife stop and going to and from work twice a day, then a winding mountain road/2-way road to Phoenix (100 miles, love the curves), city traffic, then 80mph from 1000ft back up to 5200 ft on the interstate, with a bit more winding highway at the end, and another day of wife to work.
18.44MPG

[caspeed]

I'm coming up on 3,000 miles on a CX-9 front wheel drive. My worst tank was 16mpg and that was all city stop and go. The best tank was 22 on the highway 55-60 because of traffic. I am getting 18ish in normal driving with some highway and some city.

This is 3-5 miles per gallon better than my old SUV.

BTW I tried coasting down a hill and the RPMs are higher in neutral than in 6. Why would this happen?

Mike

[JCS]

After reading through all the comments about MPG on this board and others, it appears that there is a much larger difference in MPG between the AWD and FWD models than the official numbers indicate.

It seems that the FWD model gets 18-21 combined MPG and owners are generally happy. The AWD model gets 13-16 (or less) and owners are not happy.

Just my observation.

[camrycev6]

I was going to say... Isn't the CX-9 a pretty big boy? Seriously? What can you expect at best? 16? 18?

[ux149]

I was going to say... Isn't the CX-9 a pretty big boy? Seriously? What can you expect at best? 16? 18?

My 2002 Escade averaged 18.5 in mixed driving and 22 on the highway. YES!!! I expected better than 16!

[bill42]

I did expect to get better than my now consistent 13.5 mpg, because I trusted the newly revised EPA rating system that rates the AWD at 15 city. Yes, you might say how silly of me to trust the EPA ratings, and my response is that I matched the old EPA ratings on my previous car- a very economical volvo v40 wagon. I also match the EPA ratings of my other car, a 2004 M3- and both of these other cars were rated using the old EPA rating system. As many of you know, the new EPA system of 2008 is more accurate, with lower mileage numbers, than the old system. So if I have always been able to match the more optimistic EPA ratings on my other cars, then yes, I assumed that I would be able to match the EPA rating of my new CX-9.
That being said, I think I know why I am getting only 13.5 mpg...
When I accelerated briskly in my lighter cars, it didn't use that much extra gas. To get my CX-9 to match the acceleration that I am used to in a 3300 lb. vehicle, it must use almost twice as much fuel to accelerate the 4600 pound CX-9. I simply need to learn to be much lighter on the throttle. Some of you claim you are no feather-foot, and you still get somewhere inside the EPA ratings, but you may also have a driving pattern that takes you on some long stretches where you get to use overdrive. The kind of driving I do in the CX-9 is 75% light to light, therefore I rarely get into 5th and 6th gear.

[camrycev6]

I can see that if you are doing a lot of city driving. That just sucks though. Especially with gas prices going up... I don't get much better even in my approx. 3100 lbs car. I average around 22 MPG.

[bill42]

averaging 22 is almost twice as good in your 3100lb car. That can be the difference between 2 grand and 4 grand of fuel per year!

[camrycev6]

True... I just wanted a little bit better...

[mixmasterlove]

I average 13.85.... a MIX 70/30 (street/highway) in NY (AWD GT)

[larryc]

I just filled up on my first tank. (My CX-9 AWD Touring is a week old!) I got 12.5 mpg; this was 100% suburb driving (car pools, etc.) Please tell me the mileage will improve after the engine breaks in (boom06)

[jabba]

This week my wife got 16.4 mpg (the last fillup it was 15.4 mpg). This is a mix of about probably about 60/40 to 70/30 city/hwy, AWD GT, with her and our 2 young kids in the back. She doesn't accelerate hard to floor the thing, so that's probably as good as it'll get (unless mpg improves after a couple thousand miles or so-she's at about 1000 miles on the odo).

[caspeed]

I can see that if you are doing a lot of city driving. That just sucks though. Especially with gas prices going up... I don't get much better even in my approx. 3100 lbs car. I average around 22 MPG.

I have a Speed3 and a CX-9 and I'm quite happy with the gas mileage on both. Do you use premium fuel? The Speed3 gets 27-28 mpg on my daily work run. The previous car was a hatchback Ford Focus that did 30+ on the same run but this car is mucho funo. Now that mileage is mainly driving with fuel economy in mind. When I have fun it is 24 mpg.

The 9 with 4 people and luggage did 22 MPG on a highway trip. Finally fuel is a cheap part of the total cost of owning a car. Depreciation and upkeep are far more expensive. 15,000 miles per year @ 12mpg and $4.00 fuel is $5,000 per year. Wouldn't we all be happy with $5,000 per year depreciation? BTW @ 22mpg fuel cost is only $2727 per year.

Mike

[camrycev6]

Of course I use premium fuel --- the MS3 requires it. I have never seen better than 28 MPG even when driving hundreds of miles (about 300 to be exact) of nothing but freeways. Normally I do about 40% city style driving and 60% highway. I get between 21-23 MPG based on actual fill-ups and miles travelled. This is exactly the same as the other MS3 I owned. I can therefore conclude there is nothing wrong with my car.

Edited: How are you measuring your MPG? I hope you are not using your trip computer... It has always been over the actual value I have noticed...

[caspeed]

I use the fill-up method. I reset the trip odometer and I always fill-up. It is not completely accurate on a tank-to-tank basis but the average overtime is pretty good. I'm quitting my current job so I won't have that consistency any longer.

I am somewhat of a mileage geek in that I work the mileage on known routes. Currently, I don't launch all that well and maybe that is helping with the mileage. I'm very slow out the gate. Minivans smoke me.

Mike

[camrycev6]

That could be it... I normally don't jump out of the hole, but I love acceleration. (Not so big on speed though)

[noah522]

I have a 08' CX-9 and get terrible mileage as well. What is a flash? I only have 2500 miles on since 11/2007. Thanks!

[camrycev6]

A flash is a reprogramming of your car's computer that controls the engine. They are typically done only in rare cases. Usually if there something serious change that requires it, an upgrade of some sort (again...very rare), or in some cases it is reprogrammed with the same image (software version) it had before in the event it is erased or corrupted for some reason.

[caspeed]

That could be it... I normally don't jump out of the hole, but I love acceleration. (Not so big on speed though)

Oh, I like acceleration and speed. It is fun to take jaunts to NV and AZ. Those states have been less finicky about speed. Soon the travel season starts.

Earlier, I asked about premium because I know a number of people who use regular in their premium recommended cars. Erroneously thinking they are saving money when regular lowers mileage as the engine and transmission have to dumb down to operate.

Mike

[mainerunr]

Are these thigns really that bad on gas? I mean, it doesnt look like it to me. 4500#, AWD, decent sized V-6, nice amount of power, you shouldnt be expecting miracles here, changing how YOU drive (yeah yeah, I know, it cant be you) can make a huge difference in mpg's. most 3500lb cars only get 25-28mpg mixed these days.

FWIW, my 4500 lb '05 Frontier 4wd (front end always spinning but disengaged at the xfer case) gets me 16.5-17mpg winter, 19 mpg summer...and that's running 285/75/16's that weigh 53lb for just the tire (btw, how much difference is there in wheel/tire weight between models, that can make a big difference in mpg's as well, more rotational inertia).

it is what it is. if we decide to add one of these to our garage, we will do so expecting the 'poor' mileage of 15 city and 20 highway.

[larryc]

I just filled up on my first tank. (My CX-9 AWD Touring is a week old!) I got 12.5 mpg; this was 100% suburb driving (car pools, etc.) Please tell me the mileage will improve after the engine breaks in (boom06)
Filled up my 2nd tank today. Got 13.4 mpg; also 100% suburb driving. Love the car otherwise, but not very happy with the mpg. For comparison, the 2002 MDX that this CX9 replaced got 17mpg when new and about 15mpg at the time I traded it in.

[jabba]

The 2002 MDX weighed 5690 (gross weight), while the CX-9 weighs 6049 lbs. So the 360 lb difference will account for some of the increase in mpg. Unfortunately, all these new CUVs are porkers, and I didn't find much difference in mpg--for example, the Acadia, which likes to boast "better" mpg, seems to be getting 12-15 in mostly city driving if you read the forums.

So when I picked the CX-9, I knew I'd be sacrificing more of my paycheck on gas, but unless I got the Highlander Hybrid, there's nothing else that's really much better.

[CX9 SportOwner]

Latest Trip 22MPG

Winding Mtn roads from 5200' down to 3000', up to 9000', and back to 5200'. Hard, fun driving, with a 13.5' Kayak on the roof.

Photo is very typical of most of the roads.

[exclusiverental]

You're darn right the gas mileage is horrible. I've been tracking it for 1000's of km's and it hasn't changed since I bought it in August/07. It may not be scientific, but I'm closer than those idiots that print the fuel econ. sticker on my window. I've tried everything just short of pushing the damn thing at a stop light, but the econ. is still garbage. I'm from Canada but will do some conversions for anyone from the U.S.

I have filled up many times from empty to full with an average of 65-70 litres (14.5 gallons) and proceeded to drive between 345-370km before filling up again. I'm therefore averaging 17.7-19.2 L/100km OR 12.3-13.3 MPG with over 95% city driving. I have over 13,000 km's (8,000 miles) on my CX-9 and it's still the same as the 1st day. And to top if off I DON'T even have AWD!! The fuel econ sticker stated 13.1 L/100km or 17.95 MPG city driving, they must have been testing it all downhill. I do have to say that the highway driving is pretty good, but I'm hardly on it..

This is an amazing automobile, BUT I will be returning it at the end of the lease for this very reason. With gas prices as they are now ($1.20/litre equivalent of $5.45/gallon, I wish we had $4/gallon) it feels like I'm hemorrhaging money everytime I go to the station....

[bill42]

so now that so many of you posted that you too get around 13mpg overall, it seems that I am not alone. I tried babying the throttle and I can get the mpg up to the mid 14s, but at that point everyone's grandmother passes me at each stoplight. The people in more rural areas get to use their overdrive more, which is the only thing that makes our heavy car more economical than a heavy SUV from 5 years ago. Still, I am a little angry that the newly adjusted EPA ratings are still so far off from reality on these heavy cars, while the EPA ratings for smaller cars seem to be dead on if you drive carefully. All the similar vehicles in the CX-9 class seem to be getting the same bad milage. It is only a shock for those of us who never owned such a large heavy vehicle. I still get the old EPA rating of my BMW M3, and I matched the EPA ratings of my former Volvo v40 wagon when I owned it. The EPA ratings seem to fall off their accuracy only for these heavy cars.

[jabba]

Another week for us, and 15.9 mpg, with maybe 50/50 city/hwy. We've been in the 16's once.

Summer's almost here, mpg will likely go up a bit. We'll see.

Been checking the boards, looks like Acadia owners still have low mpg like we do in city driving.

[CX9 SportOwner]

I'm baffled how you guys are getting such poor mileage. Ours is great for this size vehicle and the way I aggressively drive it, and seems to keep getting better. Weird.

[jabba]

I'd love to say that the low mpg is due to veryaggressive driving, but I'm not even the one driving the CX-9, my wife drives it, and she actually has never floored it yet, in 2000 miles of driving. It's where she does her driving, lots of small hills in the city area where she drives, so that's not good for mpg.

We have yet to take a long road trip in the CX-9, so I can't say what the hwy mileage might be, but it's bound to be way better than what we're getting now.

[l-miwa]

I've logged every tank of gas that I've put into our 2007 CX-9 GT AWD since it was new with www.truedelta.com.

Over 25,000 miles, I've averaged 18.2mpg for 15% stop and go, 20% city, 10% suburbs, 55% highway at 70mph. The worst I've gotten for a tank is 16.0mph with 20% stop and go and 60% city. The best I've gotten is 21.0mph at a steady 70mph.

With the rise in gas prices, I've dropped my interstate speed to 65mph and my current tank is over 20mpg for mixed driving (30% city / 70% highway).

[fraochdha]

08 GT AWD option here and I fluxuate between 19-21mpg on a regular basis. And I often drive fast and accelerate hard- I've only ever used regular fuel, not SuperUnleaded.... though when I first got the CX-9 the mileage was about 14-15 until I broke it in.

just my $.02

[live2ski]

Just returned from driving my 08 Touring AWD from Denver to Aspen and back. It's was a bit over 450 miles with lots of elevation changes ranging from 5000' to 11000'. I got 21 mpg each way (90% highway) which seems in-line with other AWD models and EPA estimates.

PS - The CX-9 held it's own in Aspen among the sea of Q7s, Range Rovers, and MB GLs ;)

[Thppbt]

I got 17.5 MPG on my 2nd tank of gas in my '08 AWD GT. The miles consisted of a mixture of highway and country road driving. I hope that the MPG will only improve. I just passed 1000 miles.

[bill42]

UPDATE:

ok, I was one of the earlier ones posting in this thread.... I still get terrible city mileage because I drive in a crowded suburb... but I have some good news. I just got back from a trip from NYC to Ottawa Canada. I was driving from 75 to 80 most of the trip, and I averaged 20.4 mpg. (AWD) That is close enough to EPA highway for me. I am once again a satisfied customer. So it IS possible to get 20 or more on the highway with a 4600 pound vehicle. (I was prob at around 5000 pounds with family and gear) I even hit 100 for a second on a long strait-away just to feel what this heavy car feels like at jail-sentencing speeds. The CX-9 was plenty stable at that speed, although I was prob sucking up a gallon a minute.
I am sure I would have been above 21 if I kept closer to the 65mph speed limit.

[ceric]

CX-9 has tall 6th gear and low drag coefficient (0.36), it does well in highway driving.
For local driving, however, the MPG is not impressive compared with competitors.

[hss_Rao]

Update: Now reaching 4000 mile mark in 3 months, my CX9 is averaging around 18.5 mpg with 95% city driving and I took her on a 300 miles trip to Connecticut where I go 22.4 MPG with 70mph. Next week I will be taking it for the first service. Any tips for first service?

[clarko]

CX-9 has tall 6th gear and low drag coefficient (0.36), it does well in highway driving.
For local driving, however, the MPG is not impressive compared with competitors.

I agree 100%, in fact I'm amazed at how tall 6th gear is for such a heavy vehicle, it does well to pull like it does, and although thirsty around town it does always put a smile on my face when I accelerate from the traffic lights.

These engines are going into our Ford Falcons in 2010, and considering they only weigh about 1650kg (compared to CX9 2100kg), they should perform quite well.

[CX9 SportOwner]

what service?

[stl_ls1gto]

I don't think that's unusual. My 400HP C6 Corvette gets about 21MPG city, 28MPG highway. That's better than my CX-9 or Cadillac STS.

well yeah, when at 80mph and the double overdrive you are only turning 2000rpms with the Vette (M6 trans). My cammed/stalled Ls1 Gto gets 24mph highway still and i have the A4 trans. The long tubes and full exhaust with the custom dyno tune really help the mpg figures though.


Also, my wifes vehicle is a 2007 Audi Q7 suv. Very similar in size to the CX-9 - if not a little larger/heavier. It gets 22mpg highway easy at 80mph cruise on trips - we have the 3.6L V6 with 280hp. I am amazed at the mileage that this vehicle gets for as large as it is. Around town, we get 19-20mpg. It does require premium gas though. The CX-9 was the only other vehicle we considered when shopping for her car.

My daily driver is a 2008 G35X, and I struggle to get 22mpg with this car on the highway. I have a 28mile commute each way to work, and probably 25 miles is interstate. I set the cruise at 75 usually, and with the 5 speed auto - I am turning 3100 rpms - really drives the gas mileage down. I cant wait for the 7 speed that is in the new FX50/FX35 to migrate down to all the Infiniti's - a taller OD will really help highway fuel economy. Otherwise, this car is a blast - it is what replaced my Mazdaspeed 6 that I had for 2 years. It is just as fast as the MS6 stock, with none of the problems or quirks that the MS6 had. I do miss the MS6 though - it was a little more tossible as it was lighter than the G35x.

[wannabe]

http://hypermiling.com/

just for the sake of argument, i drive an 06 ms6. before i went to that site the best i ever got was 26mpg on all highway(told by scangauge). on friday i looked at that site at work, on the way home i pulled into the garage at 29.9 mpg on a 18 mile 70/30 highway/city drive home.

its got some good tips on there.

[camrycev6]

I saw the same thing. That guy is nuts. He starts the car and immediately slams in into drive... He doesn't use the brakes when he makes crazy turns. He tailgates... Sorry, it just isn't worth it.

[larryc]

Filled up my 2nd tank today. Got 13.4 mpg; also 100% suburb driving. Love the car otherwise, but not very happy with the mpg. For comparison, the 2002 MDX that this CX9 replaced got 17mpg when new and about 15mpg at the time I traded it in.
Well, here's my report two months later:
I am consistently getting around 13 mpg or less, 100% suburb driving. Not so happy about this; wondering if I should take it to the dealer to see if anything can be done.

Not optimistic anything can be done as I took a road trip last week NY to Boston and got 22 mpg going there, 19 mpg back (but coming back had a little local driving mixed in + a/c going)

[bill42]

Sounds normal. Others are getting higher city mileage but they likely live in more rural suburbs. NY Suburbs are very different than your average suburb.
I get 13 too around Long Island. I just filled my tank today and it cost $81. Not fun. What are our options? Get a raise I guess! I think you'll be seeing a lot less large SUVs on the roads soon. I still love the CX-9, but my next car will prob be an A4 wagon. The new one looks like it may get 31 mpg on the highway.

[fraochdha]

I purchased my 08 GT AWD cx9 in Nov and love it, with the exception of the gas mileage. I've learned to watch my lead foot though. Keeping my shift points at or below 2K on Tach has really made a difference around town.

[not_too_shabby]

Has anybody downgraded from 20" to 18" wheels on their Cx-9 and seen a noticeable mileage difference? Between the price of replacing 20" tires and the higher rotating mass of the 20" wheels it may be a big money saver to downgrade the wheels.

[bill42]

I just got my new 18 inch wheels in the mail a few days ago, with performance winter tires on them. (Pirelli Scorpion Ice&Snows) The tread may alter mileage slightly as well as the possibly lighter wheels.
I will let you know if my mileage changes, but I seriously doubt the small difference in rotating mass is going to effect mileage. Driving style for example is way more of a factor than a few pounds of rotating mass or unsprung weight.

[not_too_shabby]

I have those snow tires on my MB R350. They are great. How much did the winter setup cost you? Did you buy TPMS?

[trthom]

Run in manual mode on long trips. I did this and got 24-26 on my AWD CX9

[bill42]

I have those snow tires on my MB R350. They are great. How much did the winter setup cost you? Did you buy TPMS?


Yes I got the TPMS which are pretty pricey for our cars. The total with shipping came to 1487. The wheels were one of the cheapest ones but they still look pretty cool. The car lost all of its tight steering due too the tall mushy tread, but the ride is nice and even smoother over large bumps. It still corners fine but I automatically adjusted my driving due to the decrease in road feel. I am very glad I didn't get the Blizzacks now as they are rated far worse on dry pavement. (And since it is 50 degrees out today it looks like I have a lot of dry pavement ahead of me)

I can post pictures of the wheels and tires if anyone is interested...

[bill42]

Run in manual mode on long trips. I did this and got 24-26 on my AWD CX9

how did that get you better mileage? In my experience the auto trans shifts way sooner than I do when running in manual mode. Plus, on long trips, your car is in 6th gear the entire time on the highway. Please elaborate if you could...

I still have never gotten better than 20mpg but that is probably because I drive fast on long trips.

[not_too_shabby]

I have been getting 14 MPG on my first couple tanks. Did you guys see an improvement in your mileage after the engine broke in? I'm up to about 800 miles on the car now.

[bill42]

no. I get worse mileage, because when it was new I tried to drive it easy to get better mileage. Now I am back to my old ways, and I am always late to something. I get 250 miles from full to empty now (right at the "E")
That works out to around 13 mpg or so, which is constant with all the other vehicles of this class according to MotorTrend's actual mileage tests.

[not_too_shabby]

I'm going to try synthetic oil after a couple thousand miles and hope that helps. Car and Driver got 17 or 18 on their 700 mile trip when they did their SUV comparison a couple months ago.

[Neuritis]

I just got my 08 GT AWD a couple of weeks ago and noticed that I was getting much better mileage on the first and second tank of gas (over 500 km per fill with about 1/4 tank). Now I have over 1,500 kms on it, I'm finding that I'm only getting around just over 400 km with when I get to 1/4 tank. Does premium gas make a difference?

[wannabe]

the main difference now is the colder temps and the winter mix fuel. there are more additives in the winter, and the car has to run harder longer to warm up. for the last 8 months i have consistently gotten 18-20 mpg, last two tanks were at 16(in the cx-7). winter crap.

[not_too_shabby]

That's true. Colder whether equals more dense air, which equals more fuel needed for combustion.

[Padre Dave]

In my first week of ownership of my GT, I have measured 21 mpg with mostly highway driving. In my first week I have driven ~1,100 miles, which is my normal.

For the level of comfort and performance, not bad. My '05 Dodge Magnum RT (with the Hemi) that I have driven for the past 3 years averaged 19 mpg with the same driving pattern, so I am pleased.

[not_too_shabby]

Just got 17MPG on my last tank with a 100 mile highway trip along with my usual commute stop and go traffic. I guess there is some hope....

[broomco]

Just got 17MPG on my last tank with a 100 mile highway trip along with my usual commute stop and go traffic. I guess there is some hope....

I don't know, I think I've given up hope. Ours is probably 70/30 city/highway, best ever is 16.7. One tank all 55-65 highway returned a whopping 16.2. The gas gauge on this thing drops quickly...

For comparison, our 04 Pilot was always at least 19, usually 20-21 mostly stop and go.

[TTubrag]

5,500km travelled.
Using 98 or 95RON fuel.
Best mileage = 12.06l/100km (19.5mpg)
Worst mileage = 15.6l/100km (16.04mpg)
Average mileage = 13.35l/100km (17.68mpg) I think I got those conversions right.

Not too bad I don't think.... for a 2 tonne AWD SUV!

Cheers,
TTubrag.

[CX9 SportOwner]

still getting great mileage for this size car

never got worse that 19

[o.c.cx9]

still getting great mileage for this size car

never got worse that 19

With all due respect.

Hope you don't mind me calling B.S.

[squidly]

I've been down to 17 MPG two times, otherwise I'm at 19 or 20
all the time in my AWD sport.

[TTubrag]

With all due respect.

Hope you don't mind me calling B.S.

My thoughts initially too. That kind of mileage is clearly the exception, rather than the rule. But... to be fair... it's very achievable if you do the kind of driving that puts the ECU into a closed loop more often than not. ie: 80kph to 110kph on open roads, constant driving. Certainly not stop-start city/ suburban driving in my experience. Mind you... that goes for ANY car really.

[DSherwood]

Squidly,

still getting 19, now that it is winter? I am down to 15, I live in the western burbs in mpls, across the river from you.

I have 8500 miles on mine, hope it gets better.

regards,

[bill42]

Now that I am used to the car after 1 year I drive it the way the transmission is geared to be driven. Meaning I don't try to keep it shifting at 2000 RPM anymore. Gas is half the price that it was for a while, and since we are all using it up quick I might as well enjoy the car for a bit before gas jumps back up for good. We all know these large heavy cars are likely the last of their breed. The CX-9 is something we will turn into a legend for our grandkids. Anyway, I never totally floor it except maybe once or twice a tank, while entering a short on-ramp onto a highway. I drive 75% in suburbia out on Long Island NY and I now get 12mpg just about every tank.
I have accepted that I can only go about 230 miles on a tank, and the car is a lot more fun now to drive when you let it shift near its torque peaks. Only now do I appreciate what ZOOM ZOOM means! Yes, I proved once that O could get 18 to 19 mpg, but it was no fun watching priuses blow me away at each stoplight.

[squidly]

I didn't check it during the last cold-spell, but I imagine it dropped
under 19. I really try to drive like an old man to my MPG up.

[Padre Dave]

I don't know, folks, I have been driving pretty normally and have never gotten below 19.5 and have gotten as much as 23 mpg in mixed urban freeway/rural freeway driving

[CX9 SportOwner]

No BS and I drive this car the way it was intended. Fun

One more time, as I described in another post:

We took a trip from Prescott (AZ) to the White Mountains. From 5200' over a 6000' mountain range, down through Jerome to the Verde Valley. ALL winding mountain road. Then through Sedona, and over to Payson. Again, almost all winding roads, other that a short 80mph stretch on I-17. Then Payson to Show Low at 6400'. And while there. we drove around town for 2 days seeing the sights. Then up to Sunrise Ski resort at 9000' and back. Then back to Show Low, and home the next day taking the same route home.
All the time, we had our 13.5 foot kayak on the roof as you see in the photos.

For the entire trip we averaged 22mpg. Home, to home.

[bill42]

Is yours 2 wheel drive maybe? Or maybe some of you guys have some sort of super gas jet fuel at your gas stations. Or is it because you have God on your side? ;-)

I just completed a 350+ mile highway trip to Canada. I do have a new Thule Cargo box on the roof that surely cuts down on gas mileage at highway speeds. I filled up the tank at the start of the highway driving. I never went over 80 and 90% of the time I was driving my fully loaded CX-9 AWD at 70mph. At the end of the tank I calculated 13.5 mpg, 100% highway driving.
It must be that the cargo box costs me a lot of extra fuel, but could it be causing me to lose 7 miles per gallon? In the past I average 18.5 for all highway driving.

[jabba]

Back from a road trip over Xmas, ended up with 19 mpg with mostly highway driving. Same trip over the summer ended up with 22 mpg.

So winter driving hurts the beast, but I was expecting that. Half and half driving ends up somewhere near 14 mpg, usually about 16 in the summer.

I wouldn't say that this is great mileage, but again, I bought this thing knowing what I was getting myself into. The weight just kills you. I do have to admit that it's a bit worse than I was expecting, we've really been babying the beast...ah well.

[CX9 SportOwner]

as in my signature, 2 wheel drive, but that's only 1 or 2 mpg difference at best. Also, keep in mind the boat we carried. not as aero as your thule box, and probably heavier, too

[bill42]

My post drive conclusion:
I had about 200 pounds of gear in the roof box, plus another 200 in the back, plus 500 pounds of humans. With the extra ~1000 pounds of weight, my CX-9 was about the weight of a Suburban-sized vehicle, and I would guess with not much better an aerodynamic profile. Therefore, it makes sense—nothing in this universe comes for free. If you are the weight of a large Suburban, you are going to get roughly the same mileage as a Suburban.
On my return trip with no snowstorm, I got closer to 15 or 16 mpg, just like a large sized SUV gets on the highway.

[tomiller97]

Seems that our fuel economy is common across the country. I live in Ohio and drive an 08 FWD Sport CX-9 and have averaged 16mpg over the first 4500miles. My wife normally drives it and does a majority of city driving.
I've kept track of every tank so far and the best we've done was 19 (that was with me driving it to work from Toledo to Detroit for a few days 60 miles one way at about 75mph). I haven't seen much fluctuation in economy over the first 3 months we've had the vehicle due to "breaking in" either.

I also haven't made it a point to use 'better' gas, say only going to Sunoco or a Mobil station vs going to the cheapest gas in the area. I normally use gas from Kroger as we get a 20 cent discount per gallon. I've always only used regular 87 Octane to this point as well...