2001 Mazda Tribute Owner's Manual - Page 197

Maintenance and care • Combine errands and minimize stop-and-go driving. Maintenance • Keep tires properly inflated and use only recommended size. • Operating a vehicle with the wheels out of alignment will reduce fuel economy. • Perform all regularly scheduled maintenance items. Follow the recommended maintenance schedule and owner maintenance checks found in your vehicle service maintenance section. Conditions • Heavily loading a vehicle or towing a trailer may reduce fuel economy at any speed. • Carrying unnecessary weight may reduce fuel economy (approximately 0.4 km/L [1 mpg] is lost for every 180 kg [400 lb] of weight carried). • Adding certain accessories to your vehicle (for example bug deflectors, rollbars/light bars, running boards, ski/luggage racks) may reduce fuel economy. • Using fuel blended with alcohol may lower fuel economy. • Fuel economy may decrease with lower temperatures during the first 12-16 km (8-10 miles) of driving. • Driving on flat terrain offers improved fuel economy as compared to driving on hilly terrain. • Transmissions give their best fuel economy when operated in the top cruise gear and with steady pressure on the gas pedal. • Close windows for high speed driving. EPA window sticker Every new vehicle should have the EPA window sticker. Contact your dealer if the window sticker is not supplied with your vehicle. The EPA window sticker should be your guide for the fuel economy comparisons with other vehicles. It is important to note the box in the lower left corner of the window sticker. These numbers represent the Range of L/100 km (MPG) expected on the vehicle under optimum conditions. Your fuel economy may vary depending upon the method of operation and conditions. 197