I call B.S.

My truck got pretty good mileage. Granted that photo was one of the highest (it got higher but the pic didn't come out) it regularly stayed above 20 for sure. I think it's because I drove it like the old lady that I am and pretty much stayed in the six cyls.

 

if you go on fueleconomy.gov it says the 1996 acura integra ls only gets 29 mpg hwy. I consistently pulled 32 mpg hwy doing 80 mph with the a/c on full blast. Im not saying anybody is gonna get 25 all the time with a 1500, but im willing to bet the newest one could probably pull 20 or better most of the time

 

I measure each tank, and have a ScanGauge. Replaced oem Dunlops with Michelin Ltx MS2's. Mileage dropped about 1.5mpg, same size (P245/75-16), but MS2's are about .4 wider tread. Recalibrated ScanGauge for distance (ran 50 interstate miles by mile marker) and had to put in a 2% adjustment (truck odometer is recording 2% high), most likely due to full tread depth (12/32") of new Michelins, old tires were about 1% off. My plan for the future is to do the distance calibration every 10,000 miles to adjust for wear. Also recalibrated ScanGauge for accuracy of gallons used (what it recorded used versus what the pump showed on fillup). Once adjusted, it appears very accurate, with 1-2% error if I do a full tank highway compared to my usual 50% city/50% highway.

Unless you know the miles from either your odometer or computer is dead-on, you aren't going to be able to calculate accurate mpg. Same data variance on fillup - I fill it completely full (and immediately drive 20-30 miles to avoid carbon canister problems- it will take 2.5 gallons after auto-shutoff).

The fillup is the biggest variable if you don't fill it full. Some pumps have higher fill rates, some have more sensitive shutoffs, where you're parked may not be really level - all influence how much you fuel you put in the tank. Best bet is to average several tanks. Best consistency I've had is a long road trip, especially without mountains/hills.

 

My 7.3 f350 longbed dually crewcab gave me 15mpg empty on the hwy.. seriously.

Now on the plus side it didn't go down much when fully loaded..

 

A truck has the areodynamics of a brick. Until trucks look like a Prius, or have a propulsion system that uses some other type of fuel, gas mileage gains will be minimal.

 

I sold my quad cab ram1500 for my Tacoma. The mpg gaug read some interesting values..especial going down hill with the wind at your back....at highway speed going down hill and taking my foot off the gas I got it to read 196 mpg!

 

I had a 2011 hemi ram with an 8in lift and 37s. Got about 17mpg average. I bought the truck expecting 10 mpgs-- so I was pleasantly surprised.

 

That's fine, keep your head in the sand... Anything besides an almighty Toyota couldn't possibly get over 20 MPG

 

I have a '94 Ranger 4 banger. I average between 29 and 31 mpg. Been doing this for over 12 years. I just bought an '08 Tacoma 4 banger and with 4 fills I have averaged 25.4 mpg. Of course I am old and drive like an old man. I am sure that if I drove like most the mpg's would be around 21 or less.

 

I bought a 2011 Nissan Titan Pro4X. Fast or slow , never got more than 13.9 MPG. Only kept for 3 mo , traded in for my 2011 Tacoma 2x cab !

 

Take the mpg with a grain of salt and this in mind if I say 24mpg ... I'm saying highway. Just ask them city or highway. I get 18/19 in town on my Tacoma with a manual/2.7. You said 16 with 90% in town, with a DC, auto and v6, since you have to brake a lot, that's lost energy you never get back. 16 might be good overall in town for that setup.

Enter the newer generation trucks, ours are gen2 05-13 obviously, THEIR new generation has added new technologies we don't have in ours (yet) radiator shudders for more streamlined trucks, 8 speeds, higher tech engine components. Also I'm sure there is a little 1-2 mpg bs-ing just to one up.

Oil is going to slow down on production maybe level out within 10 yrs, new cars will need to get 54 mpg by 2024 or so, I don't know all the exact details, but for now it looks like the next 6 years in truck is going to be quite rapid in new changes.

 

I'm w/ you on this one...Hell we got over 200 in the minivan coasting down a mountain in neutral. Well, that's what the computer said.

Real world: Match to the highway markers, calculate to fill-ups on a road trip.
My '91 Burbon 4x4 got an honest 18 mpg on the highway pulling a boat trailer from Texas to Montana. I was tickled shitless.

 

A full size truck with a V8 engine, a 6spd or better transmission and the right final drive ratio can get 20mpg on the highway all day long. They have been doing it for a few years now. Now that Chrysler has the 8spd tranny and ford has the ecoboost there are fullsize trucks making the puny v6 Tacoma look like a joke. A v8 engine doesn't have to work as hard to get a vehicle moving and with the right gear ratios revs can be kept down in the sweet spot as often as possible. Remember the 4.0L Tacoma only has a 5spd tranny, 3.73 gears and takes effort to get rolling. If the Tacoma had the 4.6L v8 and 6spd tranny it would get either the exact same or better mileage.

 

jees, I finally found the 6 vs. 8 speed transmission. That 8 speed only shows on the 3.6L. Is it available on any other engine like the 5.7L?

 

It's standard on all of them for 2013.

 

(8 speed option)

I think its shown to look like that, misleading. I went to the site to build it with an 8 speed. it always kicked the engine down to the 3.6. every other engine got a 6 speed.

 

Technology=complexity.
Complexity compromises reliability.
I'll take 16MPG in city driving in a vehicle that I know will start and run all day every day for years and years to come over a high tech eco-machine that has no track record of reliability.

I'm very happy with the reliability and the record of reliability that the Tacoma has. The track record of the Tacoma contributes to the truck holding its value. Pretty sure my 2012 Tacoma will be worth a lot more than any 2012 gasoline Dodge truck in five years.

I agree that the Toyota MPG is a weak spot, but there is much more to vehicle ownership than MPG. Customer satisfaction and value are two strong points for the Tacoma. The value calculation includes MPG but also includes maintenance costs, repairs, up-front costs, and depreciation.

Chris

 

You started this debate stating V8's can't get over 20 MPG and now are shifting gears and going to reliability... sounds like backpedaling to me

 

Idk about anyone else but I think there is enough MPG threads..

 

We need a mega MPG thread like they did with the plasti-dip explosion.