1500 mile road trip avg 17.3mpg!

• 2018 V6 4wd DC Off Road (all stock) with 14K
• Round trip from Fla to DC
• Average speed 80mph
• TSB-0058-18 applied 3 months ago
• Average 20mpg with local driving

I am now in the camp of despising this drivetrain configuration. While I wasn't expecting drastically improved mileage on an all highway trip, I wasn't expecting a drop even with my relatively heavy foot. It seems that it got worse once I left the flat of Florida and started hitting the hills in SC. What I noticed was that it didn't seem to not want to stay in 6th and any incline or slightest acceleration would drop it back to 5th and the RPMs jumped. When it did, it stayed in 5th until I feathered the pedal to get it back to 6th. My mileage was actually worse in the beginning of the trip because I was more focused on my trip and not the tach. I was also running cruise control which is the biggest pile of garbage. I was nearly sent through the wind shield several times as TSS kicked in without warning. Once I noticed the mileage drop, I spent the next 15 hours of driving babying the pedal to keep it from jumping back to 5th. I really don't see how anyone who lives outside of Fla or Texas can drive one of these on the highway.

 

Back your speed down to 70-75 and you will likely be in the 18-19mpg range. 65-70 you will be in the 19-20 range.

Hills suck especially if you are going quick.

5th is normal on hills. Remember, 5th gear is equal to 5th gear in a 2nd gen taco. so 6th is a double overdrive.

 

These trucks fall on their face MPG wise when you're going that fast. The 2G was no different.

 

Hills are killers. When Im on a highway with hills, I get about 18 mpg. When I’ve had more flat terrain, I average as high as 22 mpg. 2018 Off road double cab.

 

I literally just had this reply to another thread about using ect and “sport” mode all the time. It’s exacrly what you are now noticing.

Run ect most all of the time. If I’m doing mountain driving or freeway driving I’ll lock out certain gears. If under 72 I’ll lock out 6th and 5th will be right near 2000 rpm. I’ve yet to see a good use of 6th. It can’t hold it worth a shit. That would be my biggest complaint with the transmission. Owned the truck since October and have 3500 miles and was finally able to get the truck to hold 6th for a couple miles. Huge flat stretch in a valley that I was going 70 and it actually held. Zero hills or terrain change, the slightest hill or wind gust will make it downshift out of 6th.

 

Truck + Speed + Hills = Mileage Killer

 

read the owners manual, you don't know how to drive a 6 speed auto https://i.gifer.com/W1Hx.gif

 

What kind of horse shit is this?!? Auto means you should be able to get in and drive! It is 2019, there is no valid reason for a poor performing automatic transmission. My JK in 35’s with stock gears shifted better than my Tacoma and got the same gas mileage! Toyota is busy sucking dicks instead of developing a transmission that works in the real world.

 

https://i.imgur.com/iwvfxIn.gif?noredirect

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/enough-already-your-trucks-t-hp-and-rpm-explained.574429/

 

Manufacturers seem to develop transmission gearing that works for the MPG testing. Not the real world. It may get them a better MPG rating, but it sure seems to affect real world driving.

 

Thanks bro!!!! I like snow flakes!!!!!!!! Wooooo

 

Mine gets stuck in 4th all
The time. Being in snowflake land/Canada my local dealer is of no help for the tsb.

At 70mph gas mileage sucks, at 60 it is Comparable to how my 2014 5.0 F150 was.

 

dude, you are driving at 80 and you want to know why your mpg sucks?? Hint...its not your truck.

 

my new Tacoma is not to bad on gas on long trips ,but never checked MPG . my old truck 5.7 hemi passed everything on the road but a gas station

 

All vehicles do some things well and suck at other stuff. I like my Tacoma but would rather binge watch ten hours of "The View" than drive it 1,500 miles on the interstate.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDAMs-5IZ_4

 

Yes, it is Friday and I found the thread

 

As other said, at 80+mph MPG takes a big hit. I've noticed on mine that 60-65 mph is the sweet spot for MPG.