Megasquirt it or something else to tune the engine. I bet you could knock the mpg up quite a bit with a retune.

I know for a fact that it would change mpg's drastically if I could change the shift points in the trans. Also, I think that turbo spools wayyy too fast. I'm certain it would be better mpg with a larger turbo, but I'm not touching that. I'm keeping it as simple as I can.

Wait for the CX-5 diesel.

I don't know if there's a re-flash available for the CX-7, or some other tuning method but I know on the older MS3s and MS6s they are tuned so stupid rich from the factory that you should be able to get better MPGs if you just tune to 12:1 or 11.5:1 instead of 10:1...

My buddies stock MS6 would dump black clouds of unburnt fuel out of the exhaust anytime he went WOT.

My wife has always liked the CX7 but I'm scared of the 93 octane + barely 20MPG, that's what I have a forester XT for...

I'd be overjoyed if this thing got 24mpg, but it doesn't. In gonna do some research on tuning stuff/ factory AFR's and I'll probably start with an intake, maybe also remove the secondary cat.

GF and I are in the same boat. We got sold on the great mileage of the 2.0, didn't even really pay attention to the fact that all hatches were the 2.5 engines. Or at least in the trim level we were looking at. She gets the same 24-25mpg.

Sounds like we both bought ~2 year too early. Damn skyactiv and cx-5.

The skyactiv CX5 is slow as molasses.

Id strongly recommend to consider the new 2013 Escape if not that then a Rav4 with the 3.5.

But if you want something as big as a CX7 then you need to consider an MDX.

Low rolling resistance tires, Im sure the Bridgestone 422 Ecopias are available in that size.

Alignment

Tune and intake mods.

Make sure brakes arent dragging, Ive seen big gains in ET by modifying brakes. LT1 fbody brakes are notorious for dragging causing the wheel to not spin freely, and have seen people pick up over 2 tenths by making sure the caliper piston is fully retracting and moving the pad completely off the rotor instead of resting on it, which they do straight from the factory.

Fabricate a belly pan.

some people say synthetic fluids in the drivetrain can help fuel economy a small amount, I have never run conventional fluids in any engine,trans or diff Ive ever owned so I cant comment too much on it.

I have always wanted to buy a Camaro and modify it as an experiment to see how much mileage I could get out of it.