Fuel economy

I'm told that once the automatic transmission " learns my driving style " 1,000 to 2,000 miles for that process and anytime the vehicle battery is disconnected for long periods of time it has to re learn..it should get low to mid 20s mpg in the city during warmer months..outside temp and winter / summer fuel blends are factors too..I'm guessing if you choose to pay more and get 100% gasoline vs the unfortunately now standard 90% gasoline the fuel economy will jump up even more as the 10% ethanol really hurts mpg being it takes 1.5 gallons of ethanol to equal 1 gal of gasoline, besides the ethanol destroying fuel systems which is just unbelievable so many people are okay with and the side effect of taking surplus corn away from feed animals causing meat prices to raise in cost as well..

 

This is true re the learning process though I forget the exact time/distance the system needs. And also correct, it could need to relearn when power is lost or unhooked, I think mine did that when my battery was replaced.

 

That's very good, especially those highway figures. My 4WD does reduce fuel economy a bit. I wonder how you do in snow as I see you're in New England like me.

 

So far I've owned it almost 10 years, I don't even load weight in the bed..and until 2 years ago had a 30 minute drive to work each way, including the awful winter we had a few years ago.

WHere in NE?

 

Wow - I thought you'd have to put a good amount of weight in the back. I had a RWD '98 Dodge Dakota years ago and I'd spin on the grass on my level yard if I wasn't careful with the clutch! Your Tacoma must have good tires.

I'm in Conn.

 

We had deep snow for the southern US this winter. My 4WD Tundra with BFG KO2 had zero issues even in 2WD. Trying to teach my 15 yr old son how to handle inclement weather sliding / drifting in large “safe” snow covered parking lots was a challenge to make the heavy Tundra loose traction even in 2WD with the grippy BFG tires. However my son’s much lighter 2WD Taco with factory Nitto Terra Grapplers was indeed a challenge to keep in a straight line - MUCH / Massive less traction.

 

Interesting the Tundra did well in 2WD. The one snowstorm I drove my Silverado in several years ago required 4WD, or at least it stopped the fishtailing when starting from every stop. Will be interesting to see how the Tacoma does this winter. There's several hills to work, one relatively steep one up to the parking lot. But - I always thought going up hill in snow gave RWD a slight advantage over FWD, at least with some weight in back. When I had a company GMC 2500 van I'd back into my slightly downhill driveway whenever there was a pending snowstorm. I had 2 good sized firewood rounds in the back and the van did pretty good.

 

I think the heavy load E BFG tires had a lot to do with the Tundra’s 2WD snow performance.

 

I had actually bought 150 pounds of sandbags in October after buying the truck (since I needed it in spring anyways for my pool) and strapped it over the axle the first couple of times. One day I was running late and didn't have time to so I just went with it...zero issues. Never loaded the sand again. Prior to this I had a 2006 Chevy Colorado, so similar size and even with 4x4 that sucked to drive. I got mine with the factory tires and while I do make sure to keep good rubber on the truck I've never had issues..still using stock size and not even a more aggressive tread pattern.

I'm about 90 minutes from the border/Foxywoods.

 

My original calculation of 24.79 must have been off - maybe I didn't completely fill the tank. Several fill ups after that have changed the overall average to about 23.4 or so. Today was 23.475. Still, very satisfied with that for a mid sized 4WD truck. That's almost the same as the Subaru Forester I had several years ago.

 

I've been getting the same as you. Very surprised myself.

 

You guys must be real easy riders. I never see those numbers unless the whole tank is expended on flat, low elevation highway travel.

 

I guess I am easy. Don't usually go above 70mph on the highway. My commute is about 50% (not flat) highway and 50% hilly backroads. I coast when I can. A few weekly trips on local streets.

Your vehicle shows - 2016 5 speed. Automatic or manual? Not sure what year the automatics went to 6 speeds. If it is manual then I know you have the 4 cylinder. I think you're fortunate to have (I believe) the newest year that you can get that drivetrain.

 

Yes, it's a manual, second to last year of 4cyl 5MT. Maybe someone on this forum has the very last 5MT ever built, which would have been maybe August or September 2017?

 

I live out in the flats so that probably helps. Most of my driving is 70mph and I start off fast at red lights.

 

Wished toyota was putting manuals in the current 4cyl trucks.

 

Then if I won the lottery I'd probably look for a 2017 2.7L with the 5 speed manual. I was surprised to see though - looking at the EPA's data for the 2017 Tacoma, the 4WD 3.5 V6 automatic actually gets a bit better miles per gallon on the highway than the 4WD 2.7L with the 5 speed manual. Probably due to a high (numerical) final drive ratio with the automatic.

I know I'd like the V6 with the 6 speed manual too. But I think with later models it was restricted to the Double Cab. Being a Tacoma, I'd also like the automatic.

 

I imagine Toyota's decision to cancel the 2.7 5MT was driven by the assumption that at this point a manual transmission is only preferred by enthusiasts, and therefore Toyota can charge a premium for it by packaging it exclusively with the more expensive trims. The V6 auto shows better MPG on the highway because, yes, it has that extra top gear and it's programmed to operate in a low-rpm efficiency cycle.

A manual transmission makes more sense with the small, gonzo 2.7 than with the 3.5 and its simulated Atkinson cycle. That said, I wonder if I would enjoy, or find more use in, a 6MT truck. The 2.7 is disadvantaged on the highway and at altitude.

P.S. you can get a 6MT in an access cab on the sport trim, as well as with the OR trim in Canada.

 

2011 regular cab, auto trans, stock suspension, 265 tires. Ive averaged around 21mpg for the life of the truck. Currently at around 150k. I do about 70/30 highway/city driving.

 

Ironically, now a manual transmission is almost considered an option, or upgrade. Years ago it was a given the most basic truck would be a manual. When I was a kid, except for some premium brands, base model cars had a '3 on the tree'. Even full size cars, I remember a friend's mom had a Pontiac Catalina with the 389 V8 and 3 speed manual.

I think 20+ mpg for a midsized truck, especially 4WD is respectable.