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"   LAS VEGAS\u2014We&amp;#039;ve already enjoyed some time behind the wheel of the 2009 Mazda 6, and we dig the new RX-8-inspired design on the 2009 Mazda 3, too. But we like to see how cars handle on the longer hauls, so we decided to test the real-world fuel efficiency of the Mazda6i four cylinder. If Mazda is going to compete more closely with giants Toyota and Honda to produce strong, high-mileage cars, it&amp;#039;ll do it with refined four-cylinder engines.   Our 2009 Mazda6i was equipped with the new 170-hp 2.5-liter four-cylinder paired to a six-speed manual transmission. It came dressed in Grand Touring trim, and with the extras (including navi, leather trim and moon roof), it cost just under $30,000. We put almost 1000 miles on the new midsize, tracking our instant and average fuel economy in a variety of conditions, as well as on a long-haul desert drive to Las Vegas over a holiday weekend. The EPA ratings for the four-cylinder manual are 20 mpg city 29 mpg highway, with a combined estimate of 23 mpg. But those numbers won&amp;#039;t tell us what happens when we mash the throttle on uphill grades or how efficient we can be when babying the car with cruise control on the flat. So with a full tank of gas, Las Vegas on our route map, and tires set to the recommended 32 psi, we left L.A. How far can could we go on one tank? Read on. \u2014Mark Williams  The Drive  The closely spaced gears of the six-speed manual made short work of the climb out of the Los Angeles basin and into the high desert. Once over the Cajon Pass and on the flatter of the I-15, we slotted into sixth, allowing the engine to sit comfortably at 2500 rpm at 65 mph. Our instantaneous trip fuel-economy calculator hovered around 34 mpg as we headed into Barstow. We noted the engine running at 3100 rpm at 70 mph and 3500 rpm at 80 mph. With each bump in 10 mph, we saw a corresponding drop in fuel economy of 2 mpg from our onboard computer. It&amp;#039;s worth noting that the four-cylinder Mazda6i with the six-speed transmission uses a 4.39:1 differential gear with a 0.72:1 sixth gear, making for a rather tall (and good for mpg) 3.16:1 cruising ratio. Most of our driving was done with the AC off and cruise control on, running an average of 68 mph.   Our biggest natural obstacle to good fuel economy came outside of Baker, California (which, as a side note, claims to have the tallest thermometer in the world). In Baker, the grade climbs almost 2500 feet in less than eight miles. Although that doesn&amp;#039;t sound like much, this is a famous section of road used by many automotive engineers who torture-test future products in the California desert. Of course, most of the engineers come in the middle of July, when it&amp;#039;s closer to 110 degrees (it was 74 when we drove by that giant thermometer). We soon headed down the long grade that leaves California in our rearview mirror and into Primm, Nevada, dropping from the pass summit at 4700 feet down to the valley floor at 2600 feet. An hour more of easy freeway driving had us pulling into Vegas. Our fuel gauge registered nearly 3\u00DA8 full, with our trip odometer reading 330 miles. The trip computer told us we&amp;#039;d averaged 32.8 mpg so far. The Mazda6i four-cylinder and six-speed combination is plenty strong enough to feel zippy and energetic in city driving. Our only quibble was at speed when the pavement gets choppy\u2014there&amp;#039;s a tad more road-noise intrusion than we&amp;#039;d like. The next morning we hit some rush-hour traffic as we entered I-15 South back to Los Angeles.  The Bottom Line  We eventually decided to fill up as we passed back through Barstow, with our trip odometer reading 479.1 miles and our fuel warning light just glowing. The computer told us we&amp;#039;d averaged 72 mph since we left Las Vegas. At our fuel stop we put 16.315 gallons in the vehicle, which meant we still had over two gallons in the tank\u2014probably enough to make it back into the L.A. basin. But we&amp;#039;ll take that risk some other time. Out trip calculated to an overall average of 29.4 mpg. At a time when many are looking for the best fuel economy options available and are willing to pay to get it (Jetta diesels are going for a premium), the Mazda6i is a solid, fun-to-drive option. And there&amp;#039;s value to be had in a good-size four-cylinder sedan that can get you from L.A. to Las Vegas and back again on one tank of gas. Almost.   RELATED STORIES \u2022 PLUS: 2009 Mazda6 Is a Zoom-Zoomin&amp;#039; Mid-Size Market Shaker  \u2022 TEST DRIVE: 2010 Mazda 3 Is an Entertaining Drive  \u2022 JAY LENO: Mazda Cosmo Sport Is an Underappreciated Classic   2009 Mazda6i 2009 Mazda6i 2009 Mazda6i "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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