How fast do you travel on the highway?

Hey everybody,

I have a 2002 2.4L extended cab tacoma, and was wondering what everybody's cruising speed on the interstate is? I usually hang out around 65mph (in the right lane of course), with the rest of traffic moving significantly faster (with speed limits of 55-65 in most areas), at speeds of 80+

I've been called unreasonable for going so slow, but with an almost 17 year old 4-cyl pickup, I don't really want to push my luck. Am I being unreasonable? How fast does everybody here travel?

55mph puts me at about 2000rpm, 60 = 2200, 65 = 2350, 70 = 2600, 80 = 3100

I'm a pretty big stickler about mpg, and I usually get around 24 in the city. How is your gas mileage affected as speed increases? Do you notice a drop after a certain speed? I hang out at 65 in order to make it up the small, florida "hills" (bridges) but never really need to push the gas very hard beyond that.

Tell me what you think.

 

Let me preface this saying everyone in California drives about 10-15 over the speed limit and that's normal for most people traveling on a highway or interstate.

That being said I'm usually always in the fast lane going an average of 80 MPH - which is the flow of traffic in a 65 MPH zone. Any slower and people would overtake and/or tail me. I have a 2.7l I4 which is very similar to the 2.4l.

Gas mileage is terrible. Especially now that I made the truck 4WD - added weight of the transfer case and differential did numbers on the fuel economy. Plus you always have the floor the 4 Cyl trucks to get anywhere.

 

What was your before/after mpg?

 

I've never kept track actually, I just have found myself filling up more often that I usually do. According to the 1998 brochure the 4WD model is a couple MPG less than the PreRunner

 

Just go the speed limit, speeding in heavy traffic wont get you anywhere fast. Alot of the time I see people weaving in and out of traffic and hauling ass and I will still meet them at a stop light a few miles down the road.

 

I'm usually around 70, though if I'm driving by myself late at night, I might drop down to 65. Traffic is stupid fast around here, plus even minivans have 300hp now and tailgate me on the onramp, even if it's a tight cloverleaf. I'm not about to let some shitbird in a f*ckin 300hp minivan dictate how fast I have to drive and how much gas I have to burn. That said, slow drivers who hang out in the left lane and don't use their cruise control are just as bad, and we have plenty of them in the upper Midwest.

 

Work truck 60, unless towing then 55ish. Personal 65-70. But with bay area traffic 20..most days on freeway.

 

3.4l v6 I travel everywhere around 70 till i hit bay area traffic then its like 5-20mph. But ive hit 110 before. But did that once and never went past 80 ever again

 

I’m in the same CA boat. I do the speed of traffic...70-80...or 10-15.
I have a 2003 3.4L 4wd with a gazillion pounds of armor and beer cooling equipment.
Truck gets like 14-17mpg. My daily gets 46mpg. Between the 2 I average 35mpg.

 

I avoid Interstate Highways unless impossible.

I don`t care to drive 85mph to just drive with traffic

 

Most of the highways around here are 55 with a few sections that are 65. I like to keep it at the speed limits I don’t like pushing it beyond that. Most people pass me like I’m sitting still but I don’t really care it’s their gas. I notice that most are women too lol no offense to any women on here

 

I drive a 23 year old, lifted, and armored 4cyl with larger than stock tires and can still comfortably reach 90 without the engine feeling like it's working all that hard. You can probably at the very least keep up with highway traffic haha. I average about 21mpg on the highway and I typically travel around 75-80mph on the highways around here and that's without passing people, if i want to pass I have to go faster, that's just AZ for ya. But you don't have to worry about babying your 2RZ engine, they fuckin love to rip and can sit at high rpm all day and not complain. I've run my little 4cyl up at 3500-4500 for hours on the highway pulling grades and bounced it off the rev limiter like a kid on his first test drive on the trail plenty of times. Don't be the reason I have to lose momentum on the highway.

 

My 96 4 cylinder says I'm doing 65 but I pass cars like I'm doing 75. I know the speedo drops a bit on older vehicles n when you change to bigger tires as well.

 

I don't exceed more than 10 percent above the speed limit any road. The limit numbers are there for a reason. I guess Im not in that big of a hurry as others. Others mjst be trying to save the world.

 

im usually around 75mph, and i still get passed all the time. i just move over and let them go. i seem to get the best gas mileage around 70-75mph also. most highways around me are 65mph. but i dont drive much highway, my fuelly proves that, lol.

 

Ive got a 3.4 v6 with 30"s and the stock 3.15 diff. I'm usually 75-80 here in AZ. On the freeway i average about 21 MPG. City driving i can get anywhere between 40 to 15 MPG it all depends on how many lights i hit. When i do my regear to 3.91 im sure both numbers will go up. Im hitting 2400-2600 RPM highway and 1500-1800 RPM City

 

10 over, no matter which road, or weather conditions...

 

70 mph tops..sometimes 65 - right lane. Best thing about driving the speed limit or 5 under isnt only gas mileage but you never need to change lanes to pass anyone.

 

With my SC 4cyl 02 DC Pre Runner I'm usually 70 -75mph here in the I.E of Socal . The only time I'm slower is heading up the Cajon Pass

 

This place is full of LEOs and robots from everywhere.

Therefore, my response is 'the posted limit, or under if conditions require it'.

Which for all intents and purposes is true.

And yes, mpg drops with speed. If you use a simple vacuum gauge you can easily find the cruising sweet spot, likely in the area of 2k.

And no, running at 3k won't hurt anything with the motor, assuming it's still healthy.