MPG... WHY DO YOU CARE SO MUCH???

So, does your truck look like your Avatar, or is that just a pic you found??

 

just a pic. wish it looked like that. could you imagine the MPG i would get out of that sucker! 30-32.5 MPG easy

 

because 13mpg sucks lol but than again some new cars get that...

 

A lot of Taco owners are newbs, like me. In my case, this is my first truck, and I am coming out of four years of riding only motorcycles and 11yrs of riding 95% or more of the time. One gets just shy of 40mpg riding it fast and fun, and the other was shy of 30mpg. That was my winter sidecar bike and general truck / hauler. Folks used to laugh at all dumb stuff that I used to carry in it.

I knew what I was getting into with the Taco since I wanted something reliable that was otherwise as similar to the sidecar as possible.

Myself, I'm happy with my MPGs. And, the truck gets better mileage in the slow traffic that we have around here and is fun to drive.

 

Just quoting your original post of 125000 miles !

 

Didn't Tacomas USED to get really good mileage??? 1st and maybe 2nd gens?? Like 30mpg or so??

 

Who cares... why do some people decide to put Steel vs Aluminum bumpers... why do some put larger tires on vs stock... why do some people go with only Toyota OEM Parts vs off the shelf? because THAT matters to THAT person. I watch my MPG's but they don't dictate my fun in my truck, just an interesting number to watch and see how efficient a driver I can be (while still doing what I want).

also, paying attention to your MPG can give you an early indication that there is something wrong with your truck

 

So, I barely make it to 10k a year, and the difference between 17mpg and 20mpg is $290 a year. Thats not chump change. and FWIW, I have never complained about my MPG with my 3rd gen (I don't have a thousand miles on it yet) but, I complained like a toddler with sand in their cheeks about my 2nd gen 4cyl getting 12mpg driving to Montana.

 

damn right they did... first gens.

 

thanks. fixed

 

i know this seems like a lash out. it is a bit of one. but also was genuinely interested what is going on in the ticker of someone who really cares so much about their MPG on these trucks. thanks for your input.

 

Agree it's a truck, we have 2 of them, when buying mpg was at the very bottom of my list, may be moving 60 miles away from work so now I'm looking at a prius or camry, what boggles my mind is the people with long commutes who buy a truck and then complain when it gets sub 20mpg. Im not making money hand over fist, but there are a lot of other ways that people can save money other than stressing out over low mpg.

 

This could get good. I’ll be back

 

well said!!!!!!

 

yeah no worries, my reply wasn't meant to sound aggressive. just pointing out my opinion on it. FWIW I had a 1st gen before my 17, and I could get 20mpg with steel bumpers, sliders, rack, tent, heavy ass 33' Toyo MT's and fully loaded for camping. I realized that the better I drove, the more $ I had in my pocket for adventures/mods and the better care I took of my truck, because I was chasing efficiency.

 

You already answered that, its $150. Someone else already answered that maybe some people care more about $150 than you do. Also the fact you can detect issues with change of MPG. You may not be one of those people but is it that hard to realize not everyone is like you?

 

I don't complain about MPG as much as I do about the cost of gas, which is related.
And this is my issue:
If I go to a restaurant and get a burger and a few beers (mike's hard lemonade, bro!), I pay $30-$40. What did I get? A burger and a few beers.
If I go buy a shirt (ed hardy, bro!), I pay $50. What did I get? A shirt.
Now let's say I go fill my tank for $60. What did I just buy? heck if I know. Did I see the gasoline? no. Can I post an instagram of my recent purchase? no.
bruh...

 

Lol let me answer your question:
If something is advertised to have "X" performance and it does not perform, people get upset. In many of these posts, this is what happens. So, they post. They think it's Toyota being untruthful, or they think they have a problem with their truck.
In almost EVERY SINGLE CASE, the reason they are not getting the advertised mpg, is one of two things:
1. Mods. I put heavier tires and wheels and a RTT and I only get X mpg!
2. Driver error and ignorance.

The second reason up there is the vast majority of the mpg posts. The driver thinks he should get X mpg and gets pissed when he doesn't. They also are using the instant mpg feature and only traveling 100 miles or so. They don't know the reasons are:
Winter gas
Idling in the winter
Short trips
Low tire pressure
Aggressive driving
Driving fast
Mods
...are the reason 99% of them are not getting the advertised mpg. My favorite one is "I only get X mpg on the interstate." How fast are you going? "I'm driving at my usual speed, 75 mph or so."
Well, there's your problem. The tests are conducted at 55 mph and the values are posted at that speed. Going 75 mph is gonna use about 10-20% more fuel.

So, THAT'S why people post about mpg. They just don't know.

You could start an educational series of threads that would inform them of these reasons if you want...

 

I wish gasoline was .99 cents a gallon again, but no complaints on what my mpg are.

 

How did you ride just a motorcycle???? That would be horrible.. I used to ride my supermoto to work and stopped after 6 months and too many close calls to count... Maybe it's the area I'm in. Dirt only for me.