Gas Mileage Test

I drive to Ormond Beach and back everyday. 20 miles of the trip is on I-95, and 6 miles on US1 and Nova Rd.

I usually drive kinda fast on I-95 between 80 to 90 MPH.

I normally fill up around half a tank. Last week I decided to drive terribly slow on 95...between 70 to 77 MPH. I filled up at 230.8 miles, and it held 11.4 gallons...20.2 MPG.

This week I drove between 78 to 90 MPH. When I got gas tonight at 226.3 miles, my truck held 11.3 gallons...20 MPG.

This is most confusing. It's only logical I should get better gas mileage driving slower. Maybe my truck has a need for speed.

 

78 is effectively 80. Try 60-70 for a week and report back.

 

Geezus, I think I've had my truck above 70 mph about 5 times in 5 years. I can't comprehend driving that speed regularly. Try 55-60mph (different route) and report back. As for mileage, environmental factors will factor in and alter mileage greatly(wind, temp, etc.).

 

You need a lot more data to be relevant. Road and weather conditions vary. I've gotten 16 mpg and 22 mpg on the same day with 2 different tanks of fuel. The difference between 20 and 20.2 is nothing.

IME 70 mph is like hitting a wall with any truck. Keep it 55-65 and you'll be rewarded with good fuel mileage. Anything over 70 and you lose 3-4 mpg.

 

Depending on how your truck is sitting, compared to level, you could put enough more/less gas in to throw those numbers off.

 

Both numbers are good, much better than most, so skinny pedal down and don’t sweat the small stuff.

 

Do you have to sign in blood swearing to drive like an old fart when you buy a Tacoma?

 

I amassed an impressive collection of speeding tickets in my teens and early 20's. Then I realized driving the speed limit and leaving lots of space made driving a relaxing and pleasurable activity, so yeah, I guess I'm an old man in a middle aged body!

 

where is all this going?
is this gathering data for a govt study?

 

For y'all that suggested driving 55 to 60 MPH obviously haven't drove in Florida on I-95 or I-4.

Semi's would run your asses over!

 

Is that how you read it?

This isn't Friday.

 

just crank up the tunes and drive........its a truck not a 401k

 

Then accept the cost of pushing too much speed.

When driving across west Texas on I-20 ... open country, 20 miles between exist, etc ... the speed limit is 80. My Corolla dropped 5 MPG when I tried to keep that. When driving my Tacoma at 75 MPG hovered around 19 on roads with rises ... raised to 22 when I relaxed into 65.

You decide if MPG or "lead foot" is more important.

 

Wind speed and direction will have much larger impact on mileage than speed alone. Anecdotal mileage accounts without this data are worthless. Download the Windy app if you want to see what is really going on.

 

True ... the wind was a bitch in the west Texas flatlands. A couple of weeks later when driving the U-haul it felt quite ... um ... "unstable" through that same section.

 

90 MPH in a 4WD Taco? JC! Maybe I am losing some onions in old age but sorry, not me. Now my ‘96 Impala SS that’s a different story. That big boy doesn’t feel right UNTIL you’re going 70. Or a Hayabusa, no problem and to hell with the MPGs.

 

There are many here who will tell you to move! How dare you buy a Taco truck knowing that you will drive it outside the mandatory (by some here) range of 55-60 MPH!

 

Mine doesn't handle any different at 95 than it does at 70 on the expressway.

 

Crashes occur when your slim-lifeline of control suddenly gives out. Vehicles that race have race-designed tires, not AT or AS. Brakes also must be optimized for the speed. I know someone who raced his M3 on weekends and had to change brake pads from "street" to "track" because the "street" brakes burned and melted at speed.

"Nothing bad happened yet" just means your obituary is waiting for you just around the corner.