4.0L RMP vs MPG

Tacoma's compared to cars designed to get good gas mileage. Brilliant.

Tacoma A compared to Tacoma B. One gets 16 and one gets 20. Why should people not try to get a little better mileage out of their vehicle if they so desire?

 

Who's getting 20mpgs constantly on average? 16-18 are real world number and if op wants bigger tires that's only going to go down. Obviously his driving habits are part of the reason for his lower mileage. There's nothing wrong with bettering gas mileage never said there was but if you bought the truck for its good gas mileage then you need to get rid of it or live with it. Because reality is its horrible on gas especially when full size trucks are now getting mid to high 20s.

 

Lots of people, myself included. (Around 20% of the users on Fuelly in a "Tacoma" are getting 20mpg avg or better. Change it to only 4.0 liters and it's still 20%.

https://www.fuelly.com/car/toyota/tacoma

Here's mine:

I've dipped lately because A, winter gas and B Ive gone from 90% hwy miles to 10% hwy miles as my wifes drives my truck M-F now. For years I averaged 19.5 with tons of tanks above 20MPG.

https://www.fuelly.com/car/toyota/tacoma/2009/Fightnfire/77958

I've also added heavier LT tires which hurts.

However, there are FAR more people with bone stock Tacomas then there are people with modded Tacomas.

 

Eluded = escaped from, evaded, dodged...

Alluded = called attention to, mentioned, implied...

Grammar police, no. Just taking advantage of a training opportunity.

 

way too much time on your hands.

BTW, sprung or unsprung, added weight will decrease efficiency.

 

Of course, but unsprung weight does so exponentially; especially wheels and tires, being further out.

 

1900 to 2000 is ideal RPM for MPG. I have a 6 speed standard and can get over 24 HWY.

 

A larger diameter tire will decrease your rpm, but lower the the power output to the ground, which will decrease fuel mileage. The engine will have to work harder to move the truck. Tires aren't what you want to change to increase fuel mileage, unless you went with a smaller diameter and narrower tire. That will increase rpm, but also increase the power output to the ground. In turn increasing fuel efficiency. To a point of course. If you go too small then it will work against you. It's a small window.

Regearing is what you'll want to look into if that's what you're really worried about.

Almost all manual vehicles nowadays get worse mpgs than autos. This is why a lot of manufacturers are getting away from manual. It use to be the other way around. Auto trannies are shifting at the most optimal point for efficiency when cruising.

 

I agree with this RPM observation. I've been watching the RPM shift points on my automatic and if I'm going easy on the gas pedal, it always shifts between 1,500 and 2,000 RPM. If I punch it, the RPM shift points go up and the MPG goes down. I'm consistently getting around 20 MPG +/- 1 MPG with my automatic. Seems like the poor MPG on the manuals is related to the RPM's shift points.

 

This might help you...

http://www.onlineconversion.com/bigger_tires.htm

You'll probably want to research what gears you have now.....

 

The taller the tire will effect the overall rpm at giving speeds but for what you want to achieve you would have to get a lt tire due to size and the mpg will suffer due to weight. I'm running 265/70-17 p series tire and it did drop the rpms a grand or so when running hwy speeds. I have seen no difference in mpg but I work out of my vehicle, so there is a lot of stop, idle, n go. I would assume that if I did mostly hwy, I may see a slight increase.

 

those rpms seem high. at 80mph im at 2400-2500....

 

I get around 25 mpg on my daily commute. If I am taking a trip and stay at 60 mph on interstate I can get around 30mpg. I thought I would be funny and coast down the 3 mile mountain leading my cabin just do I could take a picture.

 

The other thing is simple wind resistance. That faster you go, the more resistance the truck is fighting. Regardless of your rpm's there is a point at which your mpgs are going to significantly decrease with increased speed.

With these trucks the limit is around 65-70. Regardless of the motors rpm the mpgs are going to drop.

 

exactly what I was looking for. Thank you

 

I've been getting over 18.5 consistently in city driving in the last month since I bought the truck. Shocked the hell our of me when I figured the mileage for it's first road trip this past week, 17.4! Second wasn't much better at ~17.6. Those are running the 70-75mph limits. Disappointing that the mileage drops on the highway but it's still better than my old 2WD Dodge ram at 13.8 city and 15.5 highway.
Scared to think about what a 1.75 5100 lift and new tires are going to do to the mileage.

 

Get an ultragauge to tell you the answer. They are $50-$70 and will pay off quickly if you assess your driving habits correctly. That will tell you where your sweet spot is. Driving 60 with no wind and a flat road I can make the UG read 28 MPG consistently because I have LRR and lightweight 31.6" tires. That, of course, is not my average MPG. You need to accelerate at such a rate that you shift around 1500-1800 RPMS (Other zones may be optimal, but that is a safe one to try) and try to let off the gas and coast to your stop. Every time you use the brakes, you have burned gas you did not need. That does not mean drive dangerously and never use your brakes, either. Find a happy medium.

I would drive between 60 and 65 and anything above that, you can forget about mileage. Start your trips sooner so you can drive slower.

As for those saying to buy a different vehicle, I hate to break it to you but those who drive trucks do so because they either like to drive trucks or need to drive trucks at some point. It would be foolish to trade in your truck for a car both monetarily and functionally. All OP is trying to do is drive his truck in a more efficient way and if for some reason that bothers you, stop going into these threads acting like you're shedding some wisdom on us by saying trucks aren't efficient. We know they won't get as good mileage as cars.

Would you refuse a raise at your job because somebody makes more than you? If not, then you shouldn't have a problem driving the truck more efficiently just because a car can get better gas mileage. Grow up.

 

It's only due to the choice of gears not great advances in automatics. If the 6 speed had the same overdrive gearing as the automatic it could easily beat the automatic in mpg.

The 2.7L stick beats the automatic even with worse gears, no reason the 4L stick shouldn't at least have better OD gearing than the 2.7L stick.

Europeans continue to buy mostly manual transmissions that are geared for mpg, it's only in the US (maybe Canada too) that manufacturers have found a majority automatic market.

In the US it's difficult finding a rental car with a manual, yet when renting in Germany you have to request an automatic or you get a manual for most vehicles.

 

Actually the autos are much more advanced than they use to be. They have optimal shifting points and more gears.

There's plenty to read about it if you google it.

 

Not the 5-speed automatic we are talking about.

Maybe an 8 speed on a new diesel Ram.

If the 5-speed automatic shifted optimally like I can with my 5-speed stick you'd all be bitching it doesn't accelerate fast enough because no way will you be happy with an automatic shifting at 1800-2000 like I can.

I'm happy with 30+ mpg with my stick. 6-speed could do way better with better OD, simple as that.