auto vs. manual mpg

what are the mpg comparisons for you owners of dc 4x4 v6? I read that autos will get about 2mpgs better at higher speeds. is that correct?

 

Sticker says 19mpg highway on the '09 manuals, and that a range of 16-22mpg could be expected. Highway is 20mpg on an automatic. It all depends on how you drive... high speeds, fast acceleration, etc.

 

Just filled up this morning and with all city driving and a healthy dose of a/c i got 17.8. Not too bad!!!

 

got a 08 reg cab 4x4, usually get about 24mpg. hardly ever use the ac, and mostly highway driving. i think the automatic would help on the highway, but i really dont have any idea??

 

thanks for input. i realize mpg performance has many factors and variables but i have never heard of an auto outperforming a standard. for the most part i figured manuals get better mpg due to control of gearing and what not. i just read where someone was saying this general rule of thumb doesn't apply to Tacos at highway speeds and was confused.

 

Comes down to efficiency. The auto tranny in the Taco (and many newer vehicles) is very efficient at torque sensing and keeping you in the right gear without any excessive high rpm shifts, except when you need it of course.

 

yeah glad i have a I4.

 

I have a 08 dc lb 4x4 auto and I usually get around 18-19 city. I mostly drive it to work and thats about it. I dont' really drive it that hard though so I think that kinda helps.

 

The auto's over drive is taller then the man.

 

I'm getting high 22 - low 23 mixed hwy/city in mine.

 

Just got back from a 1200+ mile road trip. Not loaded very heavy and mostly highway and hills in the Ozarks of MO.

Averaged 19.6 mpg for the whole trip with 20.9 being the best tank while driving 70-75 on the highway with the AC turned on and hills and stop and go in Branson.

 

It's not an efficiency issue. The manual is geared different than the auto (much taller). If I cruise at 2000 rpm, I'm only going about 55-60 mph whereas an auto will be doing close to 65-70.

Manual
First Gear Ratio 1) 4.17
Second Gear Ratio 1) 2.19
Third Gear Ratio 1) 1.49
Fourth Gear Rato 1) 1.19
Fifth Gear Ratio 1) 1.00
Sixth Gear Ratio 1) 0.85

Automatic
First Gear Ratio 1) 3.52
Second Gear Ratio 1) 2.04
Third Gear Ratio 1) 1.40
Fourth Gear Rato 1) 1.00
Fifth Gear Ratio 1) 0.72

 

Can you explain this a little better? If I'm cruising at 2500 RPM's in 6th gear with my manual, I'm at about 75mph. My old '98 4Runner would be at about 3000 RPM's in 5th gear @ 75 mph, so I would think the Taco is more efficient? I get about 20 mpg on the 4Runner, but haven't burned through a full tank on the Taco yet.

 

The old 4Runner is a smaller vehicle and it's a different engine so you can't really compare the two. When comparing the two Tacomas everything in the truck is the same (about the same weight, same aerodynamics, same engine, etc). The only difference is the gearing. Optimal gas mileage is acheived on our trucks when the RPMs are below 2000. Once you go over 2000 rpm, gas mileage starts to suffer. So, because of the gearing, the engine on the manual has to turn faster than it would on the automatic to achieve the same speed. As a result, it's gas mileage is going to be lower than the automatic. It will also have a lower top speed than the automatic. The upside is the manual will have better torque at low speeds and the automatic's engine would lug a little more (if you had two Tacomas running at 70 mph, I would expect the manual would be able to accelerate to 80 slightly faster, but it would also top out sooner).

Think about it like a 10-speed bike. If you have two bikes that are identical and one person runs in 5th gear (smaller gearing up front), whereas the other runs in 10th (larger gearing up front), the rider using 10th gear will be turning the pedals slower at any given speed. As such he can go faster with equal effort.