I bet you wish you had that now, what with the price of an Escort now (Ford Escort, not the er, other type).
I use to mess about at weekends in a friends dads garage and we got paid for working on family and friends cars. The friends dad wanted a diesel car and this was in the 1970’s, so he got a very early Mk1 Granada/Consul GT with the 2.5 Essex V6 in, we took it out and fitted a 4 cylinder Perkins lump into it, the guy across the road had a 1600e and we fitted the V6 into that, then the 1600e engine went into my mates Escort Mk1 1.1, we fitted Capri struts to it because this Escort had drum brakes all round I then welded 2 brackets on the front of the chassis and we fitted a roll bar off something else Ford, this Escort flew up to about 85mph and then run out of gearing, it was great fun and interesting. Happy memories, shame we didn’t realise how mush these cars would be worth now.
Still have the Escort in the family, I built it but my son and I financed it between us. He’s fitted group 2 arches but as its worth a few quid he’s stripping it down for a proper bare shell restoration. Made a bit easier as I fitted everything with new fasteners etc only 9 or 10 years ago and its been stored in his workshop so very little in the way of corrosion.
It was great fun on track days and so easy to get the back end moving, really flattered your driving,.
It has Bilstein rally suspension all round, adjustable bottom front suspension arms so plenty of negative camber and castor. 4 pot callipers and RS2000 rear drums etc.
I don’t actually know what my NC2.0 does, I filled it up with premium fuel and have done about 80 miles and it’s used about half of what I put into it, so will find out when the fuel light comes on.
I do wonder without of all the emissions restrictions, what the more modern cars could actually achieve MPGwise.
I used to have a 690 Duke, KTM motorcycle, single cylinder but they stopped making them due to the emissions, standard trim with all the cat in place and the lean map it would still do 45mpg but after a decat and a remap it was more like 55mpg.
Just used my first full tank of fuel (Shell V Power) and got 28.3 mpg. Just around the local area and no motorway work at all. 2.0 Sport PHRT 2006.
My NC 2.0 Sport (PFHT) averaged 36mpg over 200 miles, mostly city driving with 95 ron. I don’t go crazy in it, but I do like to get up to the speed limit swiftly and often don’t use 5th or 6th gear.
Lugging the engine in a high gears seems to be worse than flooring it in the right gear.
My turbo NB used to do 30mpg on the road and 5mpg on the track.
The present NC BBR200 does 35 on the motorway, 25 off the motorway, and 14 on the track.
The newly acquired NA 1.6 auto does about 30 I think. That’ll improve when it gets a new thermostat.
I must drive very quickly compared to some of the other consumptions mentioned here.
Last time I looked at my NC2 it was 34 something , I don’t usually bother to check it just put petrol in when it’s gone put some more in.
I don’t get much above 28mpg in my nc3.75. It’s an auto with retractable hard top and I commute daily in it.
I think I have a brake pad that’s dragging or a slight warped disk which could be a factor?
Not just me then. I had a 1965 1200 Cortina, purchased from my father. Luckily it came from the factory with front disc brakes as it ended up with a modified 1500GT pre-crossflow, 3.77 diff and the obligatory 5 1/2 inch wheels with 165 tyres and uprated dampers. Apart from the wheels and the sound of the straight through exhaust it looked pretty standard, which was sometimes quite entertaining.
JS
This looks like a thread revival I should add to!
My fuel consumption has carried on improving since I got my 1.8 MK3.75 prht. Maybe because I drive on familiar roads and never in heavy traffic, it is currently 40.5 mpg, measured, over an equal split between motorway, town, and A roads, mostly with the roof down.
And all those who know me say I drive too fast.
I used to get the above but in the last few months I have been averaging 40+mpg yet can’t work out what has changed!
I guess it depends on Mazdas autobox, how efficient they are.
A lot of automatic cars are listed with better mpg and co2 figures vs their manual counterparts so seems like automatics can be better in regards to mpg.
I do a lot of stop start driving with a 2.0 mk3, its the 6 speed manual and it returns about 37mpg with high octane fuel.
Warmer days, most probably.
Depends on my mood and what I’m up to.
Anywhere between 14-ish mpg to 28-ish mpg, and I’m OK with it.
Principally since I do not really care a lot.
I know it’s not very PC… 
42mpg in my low mileage 10AE on a long 90% motorway journey recently. The same as I used to get out of a 1980 Mini Clubman.
Previous turbo NB used to average 30mpg on the road and 4mpg on the track.
I’ve recently changed job, so no more 40 minute 8 mile commute and no more bl**dy cruise ships thank god, anyway, current lifetime average fuel consumption (since I bought the 30AE in March) is 47.8!!!
I now have a 15 mile mainly motorway commute, most of which is a temporary 50mph limit.
It’s still an amazing figure.
Only had my 1.8 2005 NB for 2 months so mpg has not entered my head. Still running on gpm (grins per mile) 
These high numbers have never been reached by me in any of the 5s I have had (mk1 1.6, mk2 1.8 and now mk3.75 1.8.
I think I nearly got to 40 mpg in the mk2 but any hope of getting close has to be done with the roof up which is a very rare condition with my cars. My normal mpg shown by the cars’ gauge is 34 ish.
Back in 2000 , we had a fuel strike - and I had tickets for the Goodwood Revival. Trouble was , Goodwood is 300miles from home.
Most local gas stations had a limit on how much you cold buy , but by nefarious means (dawn raids on a series of empty stations) I filled my Mk 4 Golf TDI. Mid 40s was typical mpg , but by cruising at 50 mph , lots of freewheeling and next to no braking I made it on less than half a tank . 66mpg ! And it was a curiously satisfying drive too. No shortage of race fuel , thankfully - a Cobra on an economy drive just wouldn’t have been right !
I was getting about 45mpg in my new 2.0 ND. However I changed the readout so I couldn’t see what mpg I am getting. I found I was driving it like an old lady (no offence meant - they are very careful drivers) rather than “spirited” like an MX5 should be driven. Last time I looked it was about 37, but I bought it to drive, not for its MPG, which is a bonus if it is efficient…and am having a great amount of fun driving it.
Also, since I bought it in March, 3,500 miles ago, I have driven it 6 times (reluctantly) with the hood up!