Finally Hit 40!
 

Hello all from western NY! After roaming your boards for a few months now i thought i would say hello. I'm definitely not a seasoned hypermiler yet, but my Mazda 3 finally averaged 40.1mpg over 275 miles on this tank of gas. I finally reached my 40mpg goal! The only issue is this is according to my car's average mpg display which is always about .5mpg over my own gallons/miles traveled calculations at the pump. Which would you say is more accurate, the computer or my own "fill-up" calculation? As of now there are no mods to the car, this is simply driving technique. Maybe a goal of 45mpg should be next... Slainte!

That may depend on how accurately you do your fill-up calculation. Are you using the same pump, facing the same direction, one click?

Well the only calculations I'll take seriously are the fill-ups where I use the same pump, one click, but I still find it's not exactly matching the computer. When I got the car a year ago I was averaging about 32mpg so to bring it up to 40 has me satisfied for the moment. Mostly just wondering if I should expect a slight variation (~1-2%) with the different calculations or if most people are spot on when comparing their scan gauge or car computer to their fill-ups.

I think your calculations at the pump are probably more accurate.

GREAT JOB for a Mazda 3!!! I use the Scangauge as just that, a gauge to help acheive a great mileage. I ALWAYS manually calculate at the pump too. A perk of being a geek that wears a calculator watch. :)

Cell phone= calculator. I figure at the pump and write the miles and mileage on the receipt.

friz, I do it exactly the same way. I also write trip odometer and odometer readings on the receipt. Then I come home and add it to my gaslog and a spreadsheet, and put the receipt with the rest of them...

Manual calculation based on fill up amount and miles travelled will always be more accurate. I have yet to break 38 in my Saturn Ion. Closed to 40 is 37.8 and 37.2. And I've got a 5 speed that I shift pretty low with. And have my tires at 40 psi (max on the sidewall is 44 and the door sticker says 32)

BTW, to the OP, I'm in Herkimer, near Utica. Glad to see a fellow Upstate NY'er on here. And the Mazda 3 is a very nice car. If I could have afforded one and found the one I wanted that is what I'd probably have.

Well I'm glad to join you guys... I can honestly say that besides saving a significant amount of $$ on gas and being a little greener, driving for efficiency sure does make a monotonous 40 mile daily commute more interesting... it's like a little contest every time I get in the car to try for better numbers!