Gas mileage just keeps getting worse

I average 21.5. Bone stock DCLB OR. 7k Miles.

 

I get about 18 in the winter and maybe 19 or 20 in the summer months with the same tires on FN FX wheels. This is per tank, sometimes I go up to 23 on trips under 40 miles. When I do all highway I get around 21. So I'm all over the place on MPG.
Remember the 265/70/R17 are one size bigger then stock so you're MPG may be off a little.

All in all I can't complain because my '16 gets about the same as my '03 and and the 3rd gen is a way better ride. The '03 is still fun to drive though but getting a little old in the tooth compared to the '16.

 

This was yesterday.

Better than usual but I average 21-22 mpgs on a lifted Tacoma with sliders and 265/70/17 Nitto G2s that I keep between 60-65 mph.

 

Only 3,500 miles on the clock, average is 21 mpg combined driving. Relatively pleased with that compared to my previous 2001 Taco TRD OR of 17 years. However only a meager 2-3 mpg improvement in 17 years seems paltry.

 

Look how much bigger they got in those 17 years.

 

Yup, had a 1979 4x4 and it was smaller than the 2001. When friends with full size trucks report mid 20 mpg my mind wonders why Toyota doesn't do better? Maybe not a top priority for their Taco market?

 

Check mass airflow Sensor

 

I have 17 trucks for my business and none are older then 7 years. Aluminum headache racks and rails, dryboxes and plywood box liners...roughly 600 lbs extra weight and aggressive all terrain tires on all. Most Chevrolet or GMC with 6.0 L's, several 5.0 L Ford's, a few Dodge 5.7 L's and one Toyota Tundra 5.7 L and some Tacoma's. They all average between 14 and 16 mpg according the trackoplis gps fleet racking software, except the gen 3 Tacoma's and the Colorado.
The gen 3 Toyota Tacoma's and the Colorado average around 18 to 20 mpg consistently. Only one Gen 3 Tacoma is heavily modified with ARB bumpers, suspension, 33's and 4:88 gears and still seems to pull with in the non lifted stock geared unit fuel economy. Difference being the town driving. My point is full size drivers are full of shit! Saying there full sized get the same fuel economy of a midsized. Midsized trucks get better fuel economy!....not enough in my opinion though to make them worth the reduced utility from a business aspect. However the employees that have the Tacoma and Colorado feel the ease of driving, parking and overall performance make up for the loss of ultiliy. Again I disagree...Only advantage is off road.

 

How quick you looking for, it gets up,and goes above 3k. It will reach its we are not letting you go any faster point. I just down shift and get on the skinny. I do feel my 09 4 cylinder would use the lower revs better.

 

i agree, as is it's not very quick.

I haven't had any issues passing anything I wanted at this point. And like I said it will reach the you can't go any faster point.

 

The point where Toyota limits it from going faster. About 112 if I remember right.

And it's a truck, not a sports car. It's also a "mid" size, not a big v8.

 

I don't ever remember a Toyota truck / Tacoma having much of a top end for passing, my 91 V6 had a measly 150hp, my 04 V6 has 190hp.

The 3rd gen feels like a rocket compared to my 4 previous trucks.

 

Here is a clip comparing all 3 generations of Tacos. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbmOYTMirrw

 

So what, here's two of the three in my driveway.


I think I know how they compare.

 

I couldn't get above 18.5 or so average during my first couple of months after purchasing in December, but now easily average 21.0 mixed driving around town. It really jumped in late April when I ditched the Goodyears and got my Michelins, probably almost 2 mpg. Highway at 80 mph can still hold 22 mpg if there's not a headwind.

 

I’ve been getting 19 lately

 

Some additional information for those that might pull their hair out on why there are such big differences between different mileage reports. Last weekend I took a road trip that involved a 3.5 hour drive one way, pretty much all interstate. I set the cruise control for 74mph the whole way there and back. The cold inflation pressure in my tires was 35 psi. Half of the drive was in the Missouri flood plain (i.e. relatively flat) and half the drive was in rolling hills north and within Kansas City.

On the way down, I had an sustained tail wind of approx. 15 mph pretty much the whole way. While the grade stayed flat, and I had the air conditioner off, it appeared from my Eco app that I was getting about 25-26 mpg. Once I turned on the air conditioning, my mileage dropped to about 22-23 mpg, (a 3 mpg loss). Once I hit the hills, with the air conditioner still on, my mileage dropped to about 20-21 mpg (another 2 mpg loss), it is possible the tail wind also cut out a bit at this point given the uneven terrain.

On the way back, I had a sustained head wind of approx. 15 mph pretty much the whole way. In the hills with air conditioning, I was getting 18-19 mpg. On the flats with air conditioning, I was getting 17-18 mpg. I think the reason my mileage was a bit better in the hills was probably due to the head wind not being quite as consistent.

So to sum up, a 15 mph wind can make a 5 mpg difference depending on which direction you are going, all things being equal. Air conditioning appears to be a 3 mpg hit. Hills will hurt you as well, but not quite as bad as a head wind will.

One other interesting item of note, with cruise control on and in drive, while driving into the stiff headwind, my truck would not shift into 6th while in Drive, even while going down hill. I had to go to "S" and shift to 6th to get it to go to 6th, but it would only go into and stay in 6th gear while going downhill or being perfectly level. Any slight incline and it would shift down to 5th. Near the end, I decided to turn off cruise and see if I could maintain 74 mph while staying in 6th. I noticed that it was easier to stay in 6th without cruise, and it appeared that my mileage might have increased 1-2 mpg by doing this, but it was near the end of the "test section" of interstate, so I didn't really have a enough miles to see a trend.