Only getting 16MPG on my new 2017 Tacoma TRD sport

I test drove a Tundra....that motor...oh that motor. But the interior felt dated. At this point I think I'm going to just hold out with my Tacoma till the new Tundra shows up in 2019 hopefully....fingers crossed.

 

I drove slow till it hurt.....25 miles with 285s and managed 17.9 MPG with ECT on.

Wow but it hurt to drive like that.

Stop and go back roads...may do better on the highway?

 

Maybe it's a Colorado thing. With 25K miles I've averaged 22.7 MPG. At 22K miles I switched from the stock GYs over to Conti Terrain Contacts and I think I lost around 1-1.5 MPG but we'll see come summer when I usually run 23-24 MPG. The last few tanks have been 21.5 MPG. Lots of snow and cold temps up here (7,500 ft elevation) and I use 4WD frequently. I drive around 90% on secondary roads at 30-60 MPH and drive like a wine glass is on the dash. Some folks have noticed the MPG takes a real dive at speeds over 65. I do think the driver's habits have a major effect on MPG.

 

I went over to Phoenix and back today about 140 miles each way. I was averaging about 78mph and I got about 17 over and 19 back. It was windy on the way over. For a 4 door 4x4 I am not complaining.

 

I have a ‘17 OR and since the day I picked it up I haven’t ever seen 20ish mpg ever I usually get 15-16 and with lift and tires now about 13

 

'17 TRD OR DCSB. vinyl tonneau, and aluminum bed rack. Got around 18-19mpg till i put on my cooper stt pro's. They only measure 1.5" larger than stock but my fuel dropped to 14.9mpg . I have a short commute with hills. Also coincided with winter fuel season. tomorrow i fill my first tank with the OVtune, hopefully it gets better.

 

This is what I usually get on my 2.7 4cylinder driving to work everyday

 

This was another shot i took of my 4Cyl

 

I had the same problem when I first got my 2017 I tried to be conservative and get good mpgs but it didn’t work. Once I gave up and drove it like I normally would (kinda quick acceleration from stops till cruising speed then maintain speed) my mpgs improved to 18-20. Then I lifted it and put bigger tires and I’m back at 16-17 lol.

My logic behind the quicker acceleration is that although you are accerating quicker (which causes worse mpgs) you stay In lower gears longer allowing you to get up to speed quicker.

When you accelerate slower your truck starts off in hirer gears causing you to take longer to get to up to speed thus using more gas over a longer period of time.

I probably didn’t explain this very well but it makes sense. If your truck has the live mpg monitor like mine does you can check it out for your self and it will be verified on your average trip mpgs.

 

What does the ECT power do?

 

i'm very disappointed in the MPG i am getting from out 2017 OR. if i knew it was going to be this bad i'd have just gotten a full size truck with a V8. plus with only a 21 gallon tank you have to stop way too often to fill up when towing. only get 8 mpg when towing our travel trailer...

i leased it for just this reason though. if i didn't like it i wouldn't be stuck with it. as soon as the lease is up this thing is gone and a V8 is in my future.

i had a 2001 toyota echo for 10 or so years.. that thing in the summer would get 40-42 mpg no matter how you drove it.. 80 mph, stop and go, windows up, windows down, a/c on, a/c off.. that winter blend gas would drop it to 37-39 mpg

 

The following was pilfered from http://www.rohrmantoyota.com/blog/what-does-the-toyota-ect-button-do/

"...will refine the transmission shift points and allow you to reach higher RPM levels before switching gears.
When activated, the ECT PWR button delivers a short burst of power in specific driving situations.

The Tacoma owner’s manual suggests using the ECT PWR button when high levels of response and feeling are desirable.
An example of this situation would be when driving through mountainous regions or when pulling a trailer.
To active this feature, all you have to do is press the ECT PWR button. The ECT PWR indicator will then come on and you
can press it again to cancel it. It is a simple feature that will help your Tacoma adapt to different driving situations."

Many folks prefer to drive with ECT activated and there is a mod that will activate ECT at startup. The mod changes
nothing else, it still allows you to turn ECT on and off via the button it just defaults to ON at startup. This is a mod I
plan to implement in the near future.

 

AWESOME car in your profile pick!

I certainly hope you weren't planning on achieving anything near ECHO MPG in your Tacoma.

You're right, V6's and V8's do have similar mileage ratings in most trucks (there are a few exceptions). If the Tacoma came with a V8 (it would certainly fit it the truck) me and I 'm sure quite a few others would have taken that option. A diesel option would be really nice as well.

At 6300+ miles I've averaged just slightly over 17 mpg with my best tank around 19 mpg (warmest weather). Hopefully Spring, Summer, and Fall weather will show an increase in average mpg - as long as I don't feel the urge to listen to my aftermarket exhaust and air intake.

Enjoy your Tacoma and the CULT surrounding it.

 

16 trd sport dcsb. Can confirm only getting 14-16mpg with stock sized wranglers in winter temps. I also knew I'd get same mileage as full size. It does sting a bit when its worse than my buddy's f150 with v8.

This is really the only major disapointing point of the truck. But it ruins it for me. Feel guilty driving the damn thing - kinda kills the fun.

 

no i wasn't expecting 40mpg.. i'm not an idiot. lol. was expecting better then 16mpg though. my trailer loaded comes in at just over 4000 pounds so a diesel is not necessary.. be nice though..lol

i have firends with a V8 GMC and a V8 dodge both regularly getting 20 mpg in combined driving situations. i don't think that is too much to ask from a V6 toyota. my tacoma has plenty of power to get the job done but its disappointing in the not towing MPG dept and the towing mpg dept. i had hoped to get 10mpg when towing.. i could probably live witht he 8mpg when towing if it had a larger tank.. the 21 gal tank is just too small in my opinion.. thats one thing i overlooked when buying a tacoma for a tow vehicle..


profile pic is our 70 dart.. fun toy that i expect to only get 10 mpg...lol

 

I really like the 1970 Mopars. I had a '70 340 Demon for a short while but I didn't come with the title when I bought it (bill of sale though) and someone stole the motor I had pulled to freshen up.
I was very short on funding back then so I just got rid of the car. That was a terrible mistake because the body was straight and solid and the interior only needed cleaning and minor repairs. Live and learn I guess.

I traded an '06 Hemi Durango Limited with only 120ish k miles in for my Tacoma. I was averaging 15.8 mpg but it would easily do 22 - 24 while cruising on the highway.


Have fun with the Dart!

 

i love the demons.. i had a 72 demon that i dropped a 440 in the mid 90's. just bought a house, young son and my lil red express was my daily driver so i sold the demon.. had a hard time getting $4500 for it back then.. could easily get trippl that today..lol..

the tacoma is a real nice truck.. just don't like the MPG.. don't like the plastic ruffling sound the drivers seat makes either. makes it feel/sound cheap..

 

2017 TRDOR, 1600 miles, automatic, stock everything. I do have a tonneau. Normal driving mostly in town=16.2 Checked it at fill up (calculator) =16.3 Have done this several times so the "tank average" shown on the center screen is very accurate. Highway at 70-85mph = 16.8-17.2. Highway at 65-70mph = about 18. Test drove about 30 miles, 55-60mph, one stop, drove like I was hauling a load of nitro, and maxed at 26.5. (Driving like that will probably never happen again). Last fill up I added 1/2 tank of 89 octane. Looks like there's not enough mileage difference to warrant the added expense of the 89.

 

My Corvette under "My" normal driving gets consistently over 20mpg. Highway 60-70 = 25-26mpg and in town and around = 20-21mpg. Would like to have a small Toyota V-8 in my Tacoma.

 

Do you mind sharing how to get to the trip summary page?