How are you guys getting 20+ MPG V6 4x4s

For the people that don't believe that you can get 20+ mpg in a 4.0lt Taco, you need to tame yourself and your driving for a tank or two and report back.

I average 20-21mpg in my 2010 DC LB TRD Sport, on road trips I've gotten 22-22.5mpg. It seems to improve more and more as the engine gets broken in. For the first 10k miles, I was getting 18-19mpg.

I also drive a 2007 DC SB SR5 for work (lighter than my DC LB TRD). That thing has 105k on it and I don't drive that thing as gently as my personal truck (company gas card), but my driving in that thing is 80% highway. That thing will do 22mpg any day, any time. If I drive that thing gentle, I've gotten 24mpg.

 

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I get 20mpg driving to work, about 26 freeway miles one way, and I cruise at 70 mph. I just put on some h/t 265/70/17's though so we will see if the inch in diameter changes my mpg much. my guess is it will but at least the tires are not not super aggressive which should help a little.

 

I usually take the scangauge numbers with a grain of salt for the reasons you state above. Plus, few people actually calibrate their scangauges according to the manual. I had one user tell me that the scangauge was more accurate than calculating it myself. I pointed out that the scangauge manual requires that users enter their fillup numbers at each fillup so the scangauge can correct itself. If the user isn't doing that it can't be guaranteed that it's accurate.

It is possible to get better than the sticker. If you drove everywhere at 55 mph max, you'd beat the sticker numbers (e.g. if you do your driving in Hawaii where the max speed limit is 55 and the average is 45).

They changed the method in 2008 for calculating mileage which made the numbers more realistic. The old method was based on the 55mph speed limit and the mpg sticker was higher for the pre-2008 models.

I do the same and send Fuelly a text. It updates automatically.

 

For folks saying BS to 20+ mpg, well, the proof is in the pudding. I've tracked my truck's mpg with Fuelly since I bought it new. Feel free to click on my Fuelly link in my signature and look back through all my fill ups.

 

Ditto.

One thing I notice browsing Fuelly to look at Tacomas with 20+ miles per gallon .... lots and lots of mostly stock looking rigs. Especially ride height and tire size..

 

Pssh. Stock on-road driving. That's what I have a Corolla for


The bullshit-aside answer is that everyone's mileage is not in their direct control. Yes, you can do some things - driving efficiently, airing up your tires, keeping up on maintenance, etc. - but other things may screw you over (headwind, poorly maintained roads, how hot/cold it is, living in an area with a lot of hills, etc.).

The bottom line is that the small small minority of people getting 20+ mpg in these 4.0L 4x4s have some luck and circumstance helping them.

Frankly, I find the easiest method to be to ignore fuel economy all together.

 

12000miles on my truck. Got it in December and the milage got better over time. My best is 19.4mpg with normal sideroad (55-65mph) driving.

 

If you look back through all my fuel ups, temperature (and to a lesser extent whether there was snow on the ground) really affects MPG. I actually live in a fairly hilly area. It doesn't compare to the Rockies, but it isn't flat. Fact of the matter is that I've always gotten better than EPA MPG estimates because I know how to drive efficiently! There's no random chance in that.

Now if I bought the truck to beat the hell out of off road and not as a DD and for regular light duty truck use, my average MPG would probably be in the 18 range. If I started modding with a lift, 285s, etc it would probably be a bit lower still. It is all in the expected performance compared to usage.

 

Filled her up for the 2nd time yesterday & ended up with a 20.3 mpg average.....been driving it like a little old lady too. This week I'm gonna drive normal & see what I get.

 

Not much better than 20.....easy on the gas and highway will get you there....

 

I'm adding this button to my console....maybe it should help with MPG

 

I try keeping my RPMs under 2K and usually do 65-70 on the freeway, ofter with cruise on. I commute in the mornings so I do deal with some traffic, but I'm usually free and clear within 20 minutes.

 

On a 350mi highway trip last weekend, I got about 20. Just a long and flat 70mph drive. My truck has about 2000 miles on it and is stock.

 

My truck is stock with 12k miles on it, I have been getting an average of 17.5mph. Mostly city and some freeway driving... if you can call stop and go traffic "freeway driving"

On long trips I have been getting 20-22 mph.

 

I have a DC short bed. Before any mods I was getting consistently 21 to 22 mpg. I do all the regular maintenance and check the air in the tires every week. Now I have lifted about 2" and have 32" tires and get 19 mpg. I drive a combo of freeway and city mostly. I get even less mpg when I have my Softopper covering my bed.

 

What if I add all these???? will it increase my MPG???

 

Most of these guys getting 20+ live east of continental divide where they don't have to drive on constant grades.

 

21.8 mpg 2011 OR DC 4x4. according to my GPS, I averaged 57 MPH the whole tank.

 

20.6 driving like Grandma & 20.1 driving normal.......

 

the trick for me is really to go 105 KM/H (65 MPH) on highways. Doing so I get a constant 20+ mpg.