My work vehicle is a 2014 cx 5 with 115,850 miles on it. It gets routine synthetic oil changes at the dealership every 5k. It’s approaching the next change in about 600 miles and I noticed it was about 3/4 qt low yesterday. Is this normal for the amount of miles?

 

Oil level should always be checked immediately after having the oil change done, but I suspect that very few owners actually do that. So unless you're one of the very few who check the level soon after the oil change, there's no way to determine how much oil was actually used in those 4.4K miles, because it might very well have been low by up to 3/4 qt when they 'filled' it. And if you believe that the people doing oil changes always do this job correctly, including filling right up to max, then I have a bridge for sale in Brooklyn that I'll give you a discount on.

 

+1 on the check after an oil change. Some dealers will add a bit more than you need if they are using loose
quarts. Mine does so I do my own oil changes. Doesn;'t hurt to get a quart for home and you can add if it is low.
Mazda engines aren't known for burning oil, at least not above normal for age and miles.
That loose quart you buy could be 5W-30. That is what Mazda calls for for turbo engines and most other engines in
other parts of the world.


My 2¢

 

”Normal”? What is that? Normal according to Jeep, Toyota and Honda can be 1 quart in 1000/1200 miles. GM says 1 quart in 2000 miles is normal. FWIW, my 2021 CE Turbo’s oil level dropped about 5 mm on the dipstick in its first 4700 miles.

 

Those figures, "normal is a quart in 1000 miles, is to avoid warrantee claims.
Many engines will go a lot longer and not use any oil, or very little.
If Gm says 2000 miles, I'll laugh in their face. GM can't make a four cylinder engine that is worth a dam.
kapk22 loses, maybe a quart in 5000 miles, not bad but not great. He clearly needs to check oil level more often.
Aggressive driving could increase oil use.
Oddly, just changing brands of oil could slow oil use. Some oils are "thinner" than others.


My 2¢

 

Good to know Mazda engines are not prone to using oil. One of the reasons I'll not likely consider a used Subaru for my next used vehicle purchase is the FB25 engine introduced in 2011 was very prone to using oil, and maybe per specs a quart per 1,000 miles.

 

That's a shame to hear. My last Subaru was a 2001 Outback VDC with the six cylinder engine. It made it to 200,000+ miles before the frame rusted out and the engine ran as good as when it was new and didn't use any oil. The Toyotas I have had on the other hand started sucking it down at about 75,000. My Mazdas have never used a drop, not even the old NA which I drove very hard.

 

That's why I was looking for a 2009-10 Forester with the EJ25 engine which isn't prone to using oil, but has a timing belt instead of chain and is prone to head gaskets going bad, I heard the 3.0 and 3.6 flat 6s were two of the best Subaru engines made, along with the 2.2 4 cylinder. There's a dealership in my state that sells used Subarus with new timing belts (when applicable) and new head gaskets along with a warranty, The other concern, although I don't think very common is a thrown rod in a Subaru engine.

That's why one of my choices is the CX-5 - timing chain and from what I've seen good reliability for an 8 or so year old SUV. IMO an inline 4 just makes more sense than a flat 4. A flat 4 is in fact more complicated, and I assume would be tough to change the spark plugs. I've never owned a Mazda but reviews of the CX-5 seem very positive by owners for the most part. I have heard of transmission troubles, hopefully that's rare. I fine with the operation of a CVT and they are very efficient, but a belt, metal or not I'd think would likely need to be replaced at some interval. Another plus for Mazda using a conventional transmission, 6 speeds for efficiency,

I test drove a 2014 CX-5 yesterday and was very impressed with the ride, I was expecting a 'firm' and 'busy' ride on the highway according to some expert reviews. I guess I'm used to firm and busy - it was smooth to me. Another thing I liked is at 65 mph I think the engine was only around 2300 or so rpms. Too bad the dealership listed the wholesale price online, the out the door was about $2500 higher not counting taxes.