MPG & Tire Size

I am looking at getting slightly larger tires on my TRD OR. I am curious to know from others how much a larger tire (taller sidewall and wider width) impacts your fuel economy.

I regularly am getting 23+ to 27+ miles to the gallon on average per tank mostly commuting from suburb to downtown. With larger tires is it realistic to expect a 2-3 mpg drop?

 

How are you getting 27mpg+ from McKinney to downtown? I assume you take 75 and if so, do you drive at 3am going 35mph? lol

 

Depends on.....
How you drive
The size of the tire
The width of the tire
The weight of the tire
The style of tread MT or AT or street
The PSI you prefer to run at
And probably a dozen other factors I can't think of off the top of my head.

Only thing that can be said with 100% accuracy is that it will drop.

 

Tire calculator will help. Whatever the % increase in size is is a fair guess at the % reduction you'll see. Other variables play too, but its a start.

Also, if your current numbers are screen based, recommend doing actual calculations on whole tanks. It might not be as optimistic.

 

23-27? Lol honestly I don't believe that for a second but whatever. You using imperial gallons?

Fwiw, I switched to C load 265/70/17 BFG KO2s and didn't lose any MPG. In fact I'm averaging better than I did before I got them but that could be from break in... I dunno. Got them at 5k miles and was averaging 17mpg. I'm averaging 17.3mpg these days and I'm at 10k miles. Driving the same stretch every day.

 

i went from 18mpg with 265/70-16 goodyear wrangler to 16mpg with 265/75-16 ko2's in my pro.

 

Woof. How were you getting 17mpg before in Alabama? I'm getting +19.5 in the mountains.

Even if you lose 2mpg it only ends up being an extra $315 a year at 1 fill up a week or $470 for a tank and a half a week. So party on with your bad self and some bigger tires.

 

Haha I dunno. I don't care about MPG but I drive pretty lethargically. I have gotten 23+ on a trip to Atlanta where I was going 55-60 most of the way on flat roads but that's the only time I've averaged any where close to 20. My commute is 14 miles and I hit about 6 or 7 red lights. 5 miles of it is 50-60 on a 4 lane highway another 5 miles is 75+ on a 8 wide interstate and the other 4 miles is sub 40 on city streets. It's hovered between 17 and 18 since the day I got it.

It may also be worth noting that I get fast food a lot...lol. Sitting in drive thru's probably doesn't help my mpg.

 

I was averaging 17 miles to the gallon stock. After my lift and tires 265/75/16 I'm averaging 19.7 MPG. When I first got the truck I had a lead foot coming from a sports car and I have adjusted my driving to a truck. I'd imagine I would of gotten better MPG's stock with my current driving habits.

 

Granted not a Tacoma, but a buddy has a Tundra... wanted some big sweet wheels and tires, you know, because they look good. He lost 2-3 miles per gallon (which is already low on the Tundra)...so now he is back to rollin the stock wheels and tires.
I am on engineer, but I figure Toyota put some thought into their wheel and tire choices...who am I to think I know better.

By the way, I get 21-22 mpg per tank (onboard computer and paper calculation) in my '17 off road long bed.

 

Wanted to see some good mpg's before switching to cooper atc 10 ply tires. 450 miles on last tank with 25 mpg's.....won't see that again with the heavier meats.

 

God I'm lucky to get 19. Always in the 17-18 range for me. My truck as less than 400 miles though.

 

OP must live somewhere flat lol I get 20-22mpg here in Washington State

 

With the stock 265/70/16 I was getting 17-18. Then I upsized my wheels. Initially I got 15-16.5. Currently I'm now getting 16/17.5 consistently with 17" wheels and 265/70, c load KO2s. Break in defiinately played a role in it.
I want 285s someday but I can't image what kind of mileage hit I'd take there.

 

I get 16-17 on 285/70/17's. E load KBROS, Stock gearing. Going up to 315's and I'm scared to look at my fuel gauge now..

 

Damn! I get 19mpg in mixed driving with C load KO2s. That's actually up about 2mpg more than when I put them on a little over 10k miles ago. I should add I also have C4Fab sliders, around 165lbs for the pair, and I carry about 125lbs of stuff in the bed all the time.

 

How you drive greatly impacts this truck as far as mpg goes.

 

Doggman, it is all how you drive it. As Woodrow said... Keep it at 1,500 RPM and it will cruise at 25+/- on a flat drive. Kick in a few rolling hills and keep it easy on the accelerator and you can do the same. My drive in is relatively flat minus small rolling hills and bridges. Couple that with not accelerating into stops and its not a problem getting 23+-27+.

I liked my 4.0 set up better for towing, though this engine and transmission is light years ahead from a fuel efficiency perspective. Not that it matters, but if you'd like for me to post up multiple photos of tanks in that range I can. My best MPG on one trip is actually well over 30... In a 4x4 vehicle that is incredible! The numbers are based on my computer, I assume it is accurate.


I suspect I averaged 40+ mph in traffic and coasted to stops and probably hit the two stoplights green.

Thanks for the feedback guys. Sounds like 2-3 mpg is probably a realistic decrease. Understanding there are a lot of variables. Just curious what people have seen.

 

Well yeah if you are constantly playing the mpg game which sounds like you're all about that and live in Texas I might buy it. Still wonder if you got imperial gallons set though.

Under normal operation the taco is no upper mid 20 mpg vehicle. You can get any car to post up really good mpg if you try hard enough.

 

I get around 20mpg +/- 1, but them again my commute is 38 miles of all highway averaging 70-75mph as long as traffic is flowing.

I'm trying to decide on 265/75/16 or step up to 285/75/16's.

With the 265/75's I expect around a 1-2 mpg drop. Not sure about the 285/75's? Can anyone chime in on the mpg drop with 33's?