Poor Gas mileage

according to mad Mike the boost we got is power, not mpg.

he didn't actually say that. kinda seems like it tho.

since many see that running a little higher up in the range gets slightly better mpg numbers, i am now back to wanting a SC and a mad tune so i can run it higher and not feel so freaking weird about it. slowly passing a 4dr sedan yesterday in the highway at 4k rpm. "slowly" being the key word.

still love driving her either way.

 

One day when I had nothing to do I looked up the MT in the 2nd and 3rd Gens for the Ratios and figured the 3.73 vs 4.30 rear gears along with Tire diameter. The 3rd Gen has Higher Revs in Reverse, 1st, 2nd, & 3rd, but had lower Revs in 4th, 5th, & 6th, I don't think Seatbelt Mike knows what is going on.

 

Lets do some math:

The average price of gas in the US is $2 (it was $1.91 as of Jan 22 but I think it went up and $2.00 is nice and round).

The 3rd gen taco has a 21.1 gal fuel capacity. For our purposes we will say you fill up with some left in the tank so you always put in 20.

Break down
MPG | Range (on 20 gal) | Tanks per year (10K)|Cost per year
15 | 300 | 33.33 | $1,333.33
16 | 320 | 31.25 |$1,250.00
17 | 340 | 29.41 |$1,176.47
18 | 360 | 27.78 |$1,111.11
19 | 380 | 26.32 |$1,052.63
20 | 400 | 25.00 |$1,000.00
21 | 420 | 23.81 |$952.38
22 | 440 | 22.73 |$909.09
23 | 460 | 21.74 |$869.57
24 | 480 | 20.83 |$833.33

I know it adds up, but with the 1-2mpg you guys are complaining about--its literally an extra $100 or less a year.

With that said, its absolutely retarded that behemoth full-sized pickups get better gas mileage than this mid-sized Toyota truck. This truck needs to drive a constant 40-45 mph in order to get the high-end of its MPG rating. Any more speed and your MPG drops. Any stop/go and it drops.

If you bought or are thinking about getting a Tacoma for gas mileage, do yourself a favor and get a Diesel Colorado (if you need a midsize) or grab a Ford Eco-boosted F-150.

 

I get 19-20 average. If I put my cruise control to 40mph I get around 28.

 

Tried that hypermileing crap on my drive home. Got 21.5MPG which is about what I get just driving it and not pissing others off.

I didn't buy it for good mileage.

 

18-19 mostly hwy. Lift with 275/70/17 E tires. V-6 Auto

 

"for the record", if i can say some shit like that here on TW, I'm not actually complaining about the mileage. but I'm kinda complaining a little... in this case about paying for high gas use with too little to show for it in my opinion. I'm paying to play, and my Pedal Commander help tremendously but I'm not totally feeling like I'm playing yet... hence the SC/ tune comment. anyway like i said still love the truck, just seeing lots of room for improvements on the daily drive.

 

100 bucks a year in my pocket is good in my book. As far as the Diesel, how much more a year do you think it would cost to maintain? I do agree it's bull that the full sizes are getting better mpg.

 

19.5-21.0 on average. 50% Highway 50% rural roads with some stop lights. I have found that if you just drive it and do not baby
it your mpg will be better.

 

I get on average 18-19 in a MT, mix of freeway/city (more freeway probably). In the colder months, 28 degrees or lower it starts to dip into 17mpg. Long road trips I've been able to get 20+ out of it with only using 87 oct.

 

What gets me is that on a thirsty V6 pushing a heavy dodge challenger, I can get 28 - 30 mpg highway at 75 mph+. I understand the differences in aero drag between a truck shaped brick, but the challenger isnt exactly a streamlined bullet. Toyota used to be the epitome of MPGs and quality, but the new crop of american V6, turbo v6s, and the like really puts the tacoma v6 to shame. For an all new truck with 10+ years of development, you would think mid 20 mpg would be at least possible by now.

 

it is possible, as a few of us have shown...

...or just keep complaining for the sake of complaining.

 

I read somewhere to "depress the pedal like there's an egg behind it". That's how I've been driving it lately, now I average around 20hwy/18city. But sometimes I feel like a bafoon driving like a granny, especially when I get passed by a prius.

I often wonder, if its more economical to accelerate to speed slowly from a complete stop or to accelerate hard till you get to speed and then let off.

 

I continue to have the same question, but it's way more exciting to crank it up to speed then settle in.

 

that's not the part that kills gas mileage. It's when you are cruising and slowing and speeding up with traffic--how smooth you are.

I have yet to get under 22.5, usually above 25.

 

25 mpg, what is someone pushing you. WOW thats awesome.

 

I 100% agree.
I bought my first "new" car in 1980 (Toyota Celica 20R 5-speed) and many others thereafter (300ZX Turbo, Supra, Camry, B2000, Trans Sport, Cherokee, Elantra, Sonata, Santa Fe, Spectra, Dakota, C230, Cooper S, etc.), and I've NEVER seen any noticeable MPG improvement on any of them after break-in period or a year or two later. Most of them stayed about the same as the day-1 as I drove off the dealer lot, and actually a few got slightly worse as they aged (became less efficient).

In my experiences over the years only 2 things made noticeable improvements:
> The way you drive.
> Mods (exhaust, chips/reflash, wheels, etc.). CAI didn't do any on my cars other than louder intake sound.

Currently my bone-stock Taco is getting 20-21 MPG in mixed fwy/city driving.

 

So he says

 

Maybe my truck is a unicorn. I let the wife drive it all day--and she isn't exactly the greatest driver--and her trips were 25.2mpg, 24.6mpg, 25.5mpg, 24.2mpg. Pretty consistent about 1-2 below what I am getting. Are you guys using your gas pedal as a drum pedal or something? I even drove it around town with a few heavy accelerations from stop lights n stuff and still got 22.5mpg. Have filled up a couple times and confirmed the math at the pump with the computer.

 

Its a unicorn or you drive like a 98 year old woman.