Toyota Tacoma "Real World" Gas Mileage

Just checked my mileage for the first time on my 2013 DCSB 4X4 with 3" lift. 19.49 mpg, I've made a few short trips but no interstate driving, mostly around town. I'm very happy with that!

 

My 06 started out 19-20. After 1st tuneup at dealership mpg went down. Bought diff type tires & mpg stayed the same. Next tuneup came & milage went down again. Even with the change in gas formulations down here mileage goes down. Now I'm getting 16-17s with a 18 once in a while. Just had frame replaced so I'm on 1st tank. At 1/2 a tank I've gotten 150 miles so far. I can remember getting 200 the first few years.

 

I'm getting confusing readings from my '15. On mixed highway/local driving I average high 18's to high 19's, aggressive driving doesn't change it too much. On strictly highway driving, I get the following:
Hovering around 80MPH I get 15MPG
75MPH I get 16MPG
70MPH I get 17-18MPG

I don't understand how I'm getting worse mileage on strictly highway driving than mixed. I've brought it up to the dealer tech's and they have no idea what could be causing it.

I'm getting my MPG readings by clocking miles driven then dividing by gallons filled. I break some rules of this method by going to 2 different gas stations (costco and arco) but my MPG readings have been consistent over the 50k miles I've driven so far. I've taken 4 trips from norcal to socal, then back so I've been using each trip to test what MPG I get for each speed.

What's even more confusing is when I hook up my OBD reader, at the higher speeds 70-80MPH I get inst MPG readings of 20-23 MPG. It's a cheap bluetooth OBD reader hooked up to torque on my phone.

Does anyone have any clues as to what might be happening? My next step was to follow generic steps for bad mileage, clean MAF sensors, check cats/o2 sensors, discon battery, replace plugs.

 

With 230K -ish miles on my 06 I'm getting anywhere from 18-20 mpg. But I'm also doing mostly freeway driving back and forth to work lately.

I'm sure the number will go down when I re-attach my bed rack and Tepui tent.

 

Have either of you guys found out more about this issue? I'm having a similar issue (see post above).

 

I should have added I put the cruise control at 65 and coast on the freeway. When I get up to 70 75 it becomes a gas sucker and my mikeage goes to crap.

 

the Tacoma's happy place on the highway is 60-65, over that and fuel economy decreases

 

I think what you are experiencing is aerodynamics at play. I get best gas mileage in rural stop and go situations where the speed limit is 45-50 and i stop every mile or so at an intersection. I run out towards the Oregon border when the speed limit is legally 80 and it drops...

There is a multiplier effect with aerodynamics- for example the resistance at doing 40mph is not double going 80 mph. You may have double speed but you have tripled resistance.(Not actual numbers just illustrating the multiply/exponential effect of speed versus wind resistance) i put a relatively light 3600 pound trailer on and with a 8' wide frontal area and going highway speeds I can cut mpg in half from pulling the same trailer at 40 mph.
Hopefully that makes since but I think that explains what you are seeing. According to my scan gauge anything over 65 and I am getting equal or worse than in town MPG.

 

I get pretty much exactly what they say I should be getting if not better. 16+ city, 20-21 highway.

Unless I'm pulling the trailer. Those numbers are depressing. 14 hwy

 

I started using COSTCO gas recently and noticed that my MPG went down 1 mpg and the second tank down 1.5 mpg the gas was about 10 cent a gallon cheaper than my normal stuff. since I have went back to the old brand im back to 22 mpg

 

15-16 city
17-18 Highway ( 70-80mph on highway)

I have a heavy foot and drive like a man that owns a truck and not a prius.

Its a truck and gas is cheap !

 

mine has done this since new so i'm not sure if anything can be done. can pull 21 around town but 18 on the highway at 70mph, drop it to 60mph and i can get 21.

agreed

thats not the point. never expected prius mileage, just what was on the window for highway mileage without getting run over at 60 mph, my roads are 70mph
i probably baby my truck when im around town and not towing. more for longevity purpose though, being easier on trans and engine while im not working in hopes it will last me longer

 

I did not know that. Thank you! You see?.. This is why I like this forum-- you learn stuff.

 

Over the course of 40,000 km I averaged a little over 17 mpg on my 13 DCSB 4x4 MT.

 

Driving 65 on highway. I'm around 21 in town 18-19.

 

16 mpg on a stock TRD sport 4x4 with only 16" SCS wheels and 265/75/16 cooper AT3. No matter what I can't break the 18mph mark lol. Fuck me right

 

I just did 13ish mpg before my last fill up. I don't even have a lead foot. I'm thinking it's gonna get worse after I add my steel bumpers and bigger wheels. Sigh...

 

Tracked mine for 45,796 miles (over 16 months!) and I'm averaging 20.0 mpg. 2011 DCSB 4.0 Prerunner.

 

I get like 14.5 miles to a gallon at best. I do enjoy my truck through.

 

It seems as thou the faster I go on the highway the more gas it sucks , I mean I know I'm using more gas to go faster lol . It also seems as thou I get better mpg around town then highway . I tried not goin above 70 for 1 tank , then above 65 for 1 tank , then at 60 and the slower I go the better the mpg gets but highway driving hurts my overall mpg . I would think it should increase it, if
I turn the AC on I'm screwed lol