Tips for achieving high MPG in 3rd Gen OR?

Would love to hear What has worked for others.

 

Trade it in on a Prius? I found a tune to help a bit but I'm still sub 14 after 10,000 miles.

 

Leave it parked

 

Lighter wheels, smaller tires, lowered suspension, and a nice x-runner style body kit

 

Tune it, lower it, golf cart wheels and tires, replace all seats with milk crates, remove bed.

 

It’s a little known fact that you can put your radio on a good classic rock station and see a vast improvement in your fuel efficiency. I’m talking an extra 6-8 MPG!

Wishful thinking on my part.

 

Realistically, changing your driving habits will make the most difference. Roll slow to a stop, accelerate gently and don't go above-55-60 mph. This will noticeably improve your mpg.

The posts from others above will work but require you to lose a lot of weight from your truck, run lighter wheels and tires will help too.
Pump up your tires to max as stated on the sidewall will help too.

 

with what has been said above add removing extra weight off your truck.

 

Tires make a huge difference. If you arent getting off the pavement, stick to street tires. Even AT tires will ding you mpg.

 

The truck is what it is, the market will soon shift to more fuel efficient vehicles. Fuel goes up fast, but never drops fast.
If fuel mileage is an issue, I’d trade it before the values drop in a big way over the next year. There will be a lot of trades in trucks over the next 6 months as people who don’t need them, won’t want the gas bill anymore.

 

Amen to that. People forget that the Tacoma is a huge brick being pushed down the road. Huge bricks will always get shitty mpg's, no matter what you do. There are a few things the OP can do, but you'll never get above the low 20MPG range.

Hopefully he gets that and he isn't like those 2nd genner's who MAYBE achieve 15/16MPG.

 

Second the driving habits.

Three things kill MPG on these trucks (in order of my opinionated importance): acceleration, excessive idling, and excessive speed.

1) acceleration - start paying attention to how often you tap the brake pedal. Every time you transition from accelerator to brake to accelerator, you just wasted gasoline. Learn to coast if you know you'll be at that red light 1/4 mile away.

Learn to put enough distance in front of you that you can maintain constant speed even in stop and go traffic. Yes it is possible, I know the arguments about how everyone will jump in front of you, so what, let them. It is possible. Learn how to stay off the brake pedal and keep a constant speed as much as humanly possible, and you will see your mileage jump more than any other mod or method you can try. It works.

2) Idling - Next time you make a taco bell run, avoid the drive through. Get off your fat butt, park it and order inside. Sounds weird, but idling burns more gas than you think.

3) Speed - Keep it below 70, chief. Shoot for 65 max if you're in city limits. This one isnt rocket science.

 

None of these people know what they are talking about. You want better mileage, the horse mod is the only way to go -

 

I have a manual with vftune and regularly get 16-18MPG. Turn your dash gauge to show the MPG slider and it *will* affect how you drive as you watch that little bar go down every time you press the accelerator...

 

This, by far is the simplest way to go...plus self-discipline is a prerequisite. lol

Work is 4 miles (one-way) for me so I'm doing tops; 10 miles per day M-F if I don't veer off to the grocery store, beer run or DQs...lol!

Plus, my previous vehicles had 3.5/V6 (Pilot) and Mazda CX-9, 3.7/V6 engines so for the most part, I was already driving as stated above.

OP, evaluate your driving habits and adjust as needed.

 

I can get significantly better fuel mileage on the highway if I DONT use cruise control. Interesting because I formally believed the opposite to be true.

 

I watch the screen that shows the average mileage and the bar. Keep the bar as high as possible all the time. I got 21.1 with the first tank of fuel and now with the second I am averaging 22.3 right now. TRD off-road V6 long bed auto stock tires no lift bed cover.

 

Park it, don't drive it.

 

Driving Habits

 

2017 sport was getting 19mpg on factory tires and am now getting 18 on Michelin defenders, was only getting 16 on defenders at first but up to 18 with warmer weather ? not sure