This week I think CR ranked it honda, subbie, toyota? Or mehbe it was mazda and not subbie? I forget.

jeffreymccoy -

Congratulations! It looks like you can top 40+ MPG with your Mazda 3 :

Papa's Evil Dream
https://www.gassavers.org/garage/view/720

This dude is a monster Hypermiler, but you've got the "potential in the drivetrain", so to speak.

CarloSW2

Thats what Im shooting for. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction carlos. SGII goes on today and the quest for high mileage resumes.

Myth. :rolleyes: A big reason I didn't go with a Civic this time around was because of real owners(not paid-off 'expert' reviewers) on 8thgencivic.com with horror stories of coupe windshields falling out, grinding noises from the engine, bent frames, etc. My brother's 01 Civic's 5spd tranny just got replaced and I can assure you, he's a light driver. Clutch didn't go, the 2nd gear did. $1000+ out of pocket. And this was a common TSB issue for that gen, which Honda didn't cover for my bro cause his car was out of the VIN range, bastards. Reputation alone doesn't always hold water, JMHO.

K, I'm a biased Mazda owner, I know, but what I explained above is truth. My fav two Jap makes are Toyota and Subaru, can't go wrong with either one of those. The 5 was just a perfect fit for my needs so I went Mazda.

my civic runs just as strong or stronger than any other 99 mazda. the same was true with my 94 civic. i would only consider a miata as reliable as either of the civics i have owned. there are not many cars that can take the heated driving that i give them over the years.

do you have any more details of how 2nd gear went out? bad synchros? plenty of mis-shifts? fault from the factory? poor design?

bent frames are from accidents and i have never heard of windshields falling out.

also subaru is definitely more reliable than mazda, but they guzzle gas like faster than you can pour it on the street from a milk jug.

i dont mean to throw around brand names even more, but mazda attached at the hip with ford.

Come on now. Stepping on the gas in my 68 GTO was like flushing a toilet and my Scooby [89 Outback] is nothing like that. I can get 26-28 hwy daily by watching tire pressure and keeping my speed under 65. Once you get above 70mph mileage really drops. I'll tell you what though, it's a comfy ride that'll do 85 without you noticing that you are going that fast. That's what CC is for.

If you're still considering the Fit, I will be selling my 07 soon. Under 14k miles.

Stay tuned for more info.

nope sorry - purchased an 06 mazda3 sedan. Thanks.

i am not knocking subaru nor am i comparing it to american makes. its just sub par for fuel economy in the asia car market.

Good choice on the Mazda! I rented a Mazda 5 last weekend and it's honestly brilliant. It's essentially the tall, stretched 3. It handled great, hauled all kinds of cargo and 4 adults. The best part: 27 mpg max avg out of 1100 miles. (24 mpg fully loaded down).

The idea of a 4-cylinder MPV is refreshing. Handling was amazing (same for the 3 and 6 as well). Enjoy the new ride -- and congrats on downsizing! You're a role model for us all.

RH77