Not Getting Over 25 MPG With A Mostly Stock V6 4X4 Tacoma? It's Your Damn Fault. Friday Edition.

I average around 18.5 but I like to drive 75-80 most of the time on the SoCal freeways when possible. My time is worth something so losing 40 miles per tank (maybe) isn’t a deal breaker. Plus, my company fills my tank every week!

 

So a quick update of the mostly highway weekday driving mpg's. Without the weekend all city driving.
As shown on pages 4 and 6. The dash calculator is almost spot on.

So weekday average is 22mpg with.

• 5 trips to work and back.
• 10 starts and stops. 2 per day.
• 30 stoplights. 6 per day.
• 10 Stop signs 2 per day.
• Approx. 3 miles 45 mph zone. 17.5 miles of 65 mph per day.

102.7 tire corrected miles.

 

So 85-90% highway. Congratulations, you've calculated and demonstrated that the highway mileage for a V6 Tacoma is just over 20mpg.
What are you gonna do for city mpg?
And what percent highway/city will you use to calculate a combined mpg?

Guarantee you the combined number will be under 20. Why don't you go ahead and modify your title to reflect your findings?

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

 

Evidently you didn't read pages 4&6. Real world combination highway and city over 3 weeks. 2 basically Identical trials. 60% highway and 40% city.
Both averaging approximately 21 mpg considering the state inspection.
And as far as my title goes.
It's totally accurate.
If you're not getting over 20 mpg with a mostly stock V6 Tacoma. It's your own damn fault! Period!

 

Doubters gotta doubt my dude.

 

My Tacoma is pretty much optimal for fuel economy, the only configuration I'm aware of that has a curb weight under <4000 lbs. The only thing not stock is the (wider, but same diameter) 265/70/16 goodyear wranglers (stock size on TRD Offroad, 245/75/16 for SR). On the rare occasion I do go 70-75 mph, I get 23-24 real world calculated by tank miles/tank gallons at the pump, plus I have a scangauge calibrated to my Tacoma, so I can see accurate data about individual trips too. (onboard computer reads 4-5% high on fuel economy estimates, both the averages and the thermometer-style instant mpg gauge, considerably higher for the first 50 or so miles after a fillup)

I say all that to say that getting over 20 MPG in a 4WD V6 Double Cab with AC on going 70 would certainly be acheivable/believable, but only in the best of conditions.

If I did have a more popular version of the Tacoma, I would be happy with 19-20 mpg for a typical tank. I suspect that most people who do get sub 19 have a reasonable explanation for it; either mods, short trips, very fast speeds, B2B traffic, or super aggressive driving style.

I'm stating the obvious here, but the Tacoma is not a fuel-conscious package and I would hope most people agree. It's heavy, it has a lot of drag (not good for fuel economy regardless of how you word it), and despite what so many people think, similar vehicles are not appreciably better when fair apples-apples comparisons are made. I do think there are some engineering choices that make it frustrating for some drivers, and frustrated drivers are not fuel-conscious drivers. I strongly believe that the reason folks with tunes get better mileage is not that the tune fixes some mistake by Toyota, but it just makes the driver less frustrated. I believe that both the 4 cylinder and 6 cylinder Tacomas can deliver seriously impressive mpg numbers if the variable behind the wheel was dedicated to learning how the truck wants to be driven and drove it smarter. There's just not a whole lot you can do when you're driving 70+ though. I have multiple tanks approaching 30 MPG 50/50 city/hwy tanks to warm weather and my scangauge teaching me the best ways to drive. Cruising speed and braking habits are the big tickets for mpg behind weight and drag, not so much acceleration.

The majority of the driving I do could be done with a Prius ... and my near 30mpg tanks would be near 80 mpg in a Prius. I think it's the folks doing things with their Tacoma that you couldn't do with a Prius that are really getting the most out of them, and they aren't the ones getting over 20 mpg, but I still think it's efficient in the way that they're making the most of what they have.

 

I'm at 19... But live at 4500 feet

 

This thread is hilarious…, for those who care… From California to Arizona… 18-19mpg… coming back the same…too many factors, weather roads setups…
Honestly, who gives a crap…, if you are so worried about MPG sell your truck and get one of them there Priusessesssss…

Gas it up… make sure there’s oil in the block and GO! Get out there and live… drive… repeat!

 

I literally quoted your mileage from pages 4&6:
Your work commute is a total of 4 city, 40 highway a day for three weeks. 660 miles. That's 60 city, 600 highway.
Then you claim 70 miles over the course of the three weeks all city. Total of 130 city.
130/730= 17.8% city my dude.

Wanna explain where you're getting 40% city from? Or do you wanna stop acting like "barely over 20 mpg" is something worth bragging about?

Not doubting that it's possible. I've taken road trips where I average 23 for the entire tank.

Look, we all have a different commute to work. It's just a braindead claim to say that *everyone* should be getting ___ without acknowledging that your singular experience is nowhere close to the average.

Happy Friday, motherfuckers.

 

I drive a combination of some city, but mostly highway back roads from 45-55 mph average. Granted summertime is best when temps are over 80 degrees. I think the worst i'll see with no load is around 22 mpg. Usually its more like 23 plus change.

 

Key is 60mph with these motors . Which I can say 3/4 of Tacoma owners will never do that .

 

Ya can't rely on the TAFE display, your real mpg is only obtained when you math it: miles driven divided by gallons used and adjustments made for non-stock tires etc. My truck is stock 3.5L with stock tires. TAFE after nearly a full tank driven (I try to fill up at ~380-390 miles) displays an average of .9-1.1 mpg over real, mathed mpg. I average around 22-22.5 real, mathed mpg in semi-rural "daily driving" conditions after nearly a full tank driven. When I add one or more trips to the boat on a tank, 100 miles r/t along a hilly country highway, the real, mathed tank mpg goes up by .5+.

 

My wife and I made a 35 mile return trip yesterday, bringing home a queen size mattress, box spring, mower, and other odds and ends. I had to lay the mattress/box spring on top of the bed rail, so I drove back home at just over 50 mph...staying in 5th gear. My dash trip average said 31.6 mpg for that ride home. The ride going over there without a load, traveling at around 60 to 65 mph (and some places the speed limit is 45) said the trip average was 26.8 mph. I have the 2.7L.

 

Why is that key?

 

My truck got 18-20 on stock tires, 16 with 255/85 km3s. If I don't use cruise control, I can gain a couple mpgs. It's crazy how I can have cruise set at 73mph and it stays in 5th gear. As soon as I turn cruise off, it immediately shifts to 6th and holds.

 

If you can maintain a steady 60 MPH you can get 20+ MPG I just did a 250 mile roundtrip on roads with little traffic with a load of cut, split, dry fire wood level with the bed rail yes I did get 21 mpg but get this it can out just about the same coming back this is a 2011 6 speed.

 

The cruise control on these trucks is much worse than the 6 speed automatic transmission that everyone likes to complain about. The cruise is pretty much worthless on my truck.

 

I do find this mpg hard to believe, especially with using cruise control. I have completely abandoned using my CC. The truck is constantly downshifting on the slightest inclines with the CC. I can control the transmission better without the CC.
I’m not refuting the op’s mileage but my truck doesn’t get that mileage no matter how I drive, my truck is stock.

 

Get a KDMAX Pro+ XT Tune and your mpg will improve, shift points corrected and have more power and torque

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/kdmax-pro-xt-tune-by-paparee-and-twtaco.713699/