Tacoma Fuel Economy

Well I saw this and just had to chime in - this is the one thing I really dont like about my Tacoma - 2010 dual cab 4 wheel drive, long bed - 15 mpg - because of this it has made me think I should have bought a Tundra - if Im going to get bad mpg's I might as well have more power.

 

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I have the V-6 and I answered 16-20 MPG ... however ... I can get about 19 combined Atlanta city & interstate driving.

And I can easily get 22.5 MPG on flat interstate doing 65 MPH going to NC.

IF I was driving in south GA, at night on a flat back road, doing 55-60 (with low RPMs & in O/D), I am sure I could get 25 MPH. That is somewhat feathering the gas too.


PS ... I try to use high quality synthetic lubricants if possible.

PPS ... With any kind of engine load ... the V6 should beat the 4 cyl. in mileage.

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Do you see the poll at the top of the page? You are in the minority getting less than 16 mpg with the V-6... Now, I am not a whole lot better... As you can see at the bottom of my posts, I am registered with Fuelly to follow my mileage average. I have a 2010 4WD double cab as well, but the standard bed vs. your long bed.

My best mileage was 19.2 on Mexican gas driving the Baja highway... the worst is around 15.5 if pure city (stop and go) driving. Usually 16.5 to 17.5 mpg, with 50% highway or more mixed in.

Power??? You don't have enough power with our 4.0 236 HP engine? Wow, I have always found my Tacomas with more power than I ever needed on or off road... Including my 2001 with the 3.4 V-6.

Try checking your air pressure with a good gauge... keep it on the high side (32 psi min.). My mileage dropped after my last oil change and discovered that the dealer let 4 psi out of all my tires (they were at 29 front and 32 back per factory sticker... dropped to 25 front and 28 rear). Either they didn't account for heat buildup and checked them hot or their gauge is not accurate.

The other thing is to avoid fast starts... that's hard to avoid with our powerful engine)... but that is why city driving mileage is so much lower than highway... with no stop and goes.

The Tundra motor really 'sucks' gas... rarely better than 15 from a friend who has one.

 

I have a 2000 Tacoma Pre-runner (3.4 v-6 dual overhead cam) with 160,000 miles that gives me 19.6 mph.
Tuned it up (plugs, wires and air filter) and waiting for the next trip to see how it does.

 

My truck gets at steady 17 mpg at 70 mpg. In stop and go city driving, I easily achieve 20 mpgs. My experience is that city driving achieves better mileage. Sounds goofy, but my scangauge has borne this out since new. At a steady 40 mph, I get high 28ish mpg, and when coasting, it goes up to infinfite, there is no fighting wind resistance at these speed. The big mileage dropoff occurs between around 55 mph (24mpg), by 80 mph, I`m getting 15 mpg. Very speed / mileage sensitive.
If you want good mileage, keep the cruising speed down.
If you want good city mileage keep off the brakes and coast.
FWIW - I don`t find fast starts affect the average, only braking. The exception is at higher speed, when the truck kicks down.

 

A small trick with an auto when accelerating if you have scangauge II:

First, get the ''LOD'' gauge on your main screen.

When you are in fifth gear and torque converter locked (at 40MPH or more), you can go up to 90% load before your torque converter unlocks (more efficient!). Often when I accelerate I keep the load under 90 so it does not unlock, and really has an effect on MPG.

You can keep from downshifting, also, by not going to 100% load.

This saves gas on uneven speed traffic and uphill driving.

 

A good friend of mine has a loaded double cab Tundra with the 5.7 iForce engine.

He rarely gets better than 13!!

 

6 PEOPLE GET OVER 25 MPG WITH THEIR V6. I want what the drugs they are smoking.

 

Prerunners using suburban roads.

 

I second that........

 

x2 never in a million years!

 

Maybe they are Canadian. Our gallons are bigger.

 

Know your mileage ('kilometerage') while driving using only your trip odometer and fuel gauge!

21.1 gallon (80 liter) tank.

Reset odometer at fill up.

When gauge needle is firmly over the 3/4 tank line, you have consumed 5 gallons (19 liters).

If your trip odometer is reading 75 miles (120 kms.) = 15 mpg (6.3 km/l)
If reading 80 miles (128 kms.) = 16 mpg (6.7 km/l)
If reading 85 miles (136 kms.) = 17 mpg (7.1 km/l)
If reading 90 miles (144 kms.) = 18 mpg (7.6 km/l)
If reading 95 miles (152 kms.) = 19 mpg (8.0 km/l)
If reading 100 miles (160 kms.)= 20 mpg (8.4 km/l)
If reading 105 miles (168 kms.)= 21 mpg (8.8 km/l)
If reading 110 miles (176 kms.)= 22 mpg (9.2 km/l)
If reading 115 miles (184 kms.)= 23 mpg (9.7 km/l)

When gauge is over the 1/2 tank line, you have consumed 9 gallons (34 liters) as our gauge reads less than what really is in the tank (allows room for a 'reserve' amount of fuel when on E... 2.5 gallons (9.5 liters).

At 135 miles (216 km) = 15 mpg (6.3 k/l)
at 144 miles (230 km) = 16 mpg (6.7 k/l)
at 153 miles (245 km) = 17 mpg (7.1 k/l)
at 162 miles (259 km) = 18 mpg (7.6 k/l)
at 171 miles (274 km) = 19 mpg (8.0 k/l)
at 180 miles (288 km) = 20 mpg (8.4 k/l)
at 189 miles (302 km) = 21 mpg (8.9 k/l)
at 198 miles (317 km) = 22 mpg (9.3 k/l)
at 207 miles (331 km) = 23 mpg (9.7 k/l)

 

In Canada we usually go by L/100km

 

I am at half a tank and have 208 on my Trip "A" reading.

 

Thanks eh... so can you use my numbers anyway by mentally moving the decimal point or shall I edit them... all in the spirit of cross border friendship!

EDIT: I re-read your reply and see that you guys do it the opposite, number of liters you use instead of how many kilometers you can get... so moving the decomal won't work! LOL

 

Well, that is off my charts (are you a 4 cyl. or just 2WD?)... looks like you are getting close to 22 mpg.

EDIT: 23 MPG! I added figures up to 23 in my list, above.

 

That's about normal... mostly stock Prerunner for me.

 

edited in red

 

Every time I start worrying about my fuel economy I just look over at the poor shmuck in the passing lane with the big V8 and loud exhaust. I instantly feel better about my truck.