MPGs with 3rd Gen Tacomas (4WD)

I’m using the Fuelly app

 

Road Trip on iOS is pretty great

 

I had a 2016 OR. Mods were RCI Aluminum ski plate, OVRLND camper shell which includes a cab-over bed and weighs around 300 lbs, and LT245/75R-16 E-tires. I did a trip from to Colorado to the Arctic Ocean in Canada and Alaska last year. My guess is I had around 500 lbs in the bed, including the camper. One driver and no passengers. Over 11,000 miles I averaged 19.9 mpg. MPG was computed by an Excel spreadsheet. At the start of the trip I started an odometer calibration using a Garmin Nuvi GPS over 11,000 miles to Alaska and back home. GPS and odo distances were within 1.5% so my odo and mpg values were OK.
Now I have a 2023 OR with the camper and a TRD skidplate. Only just over 3,000 miles on the truck and the average mpg is 18.7. But I ran a GPS/Odometer calibration over a 915 mile trip and found the odometer running 2.1% low. At a calculated 18.7 mpg, the 2.1% odo correction comes out to +0.4 mpg. So the current average mpg for the '23 is around 19.1. The 915 mile trip included towing a raft trailer with a 16 ft frame raft for about 400 miles. Given the truck is still new and breaking in, I hope the mpgs will bump up over time.
So I don't carry a lot of weight in the truck but the camper is a really big brick and that's where the mpg hit is the worst. So when you start adding racks and a RTT and other heavy accoutrements, the mpgs start to dive.
Another big factor is how you use the skinny pedal. Even when I drive on I-70 in Utah (80 mph speed limit) my speed is usually around 65. 95% of my driving is non-city areas like Denver or SLC, so I can toodle along and not be forced to do 70-80 to stay with the traffic. When I do visit SLC the mpgs drop around 2-4 due to going up the Cottonwood and Parleys canyons to go skiing and running around 70 on I-15. So your driving environment also has a big effect on fuel economy.
I heard some sage advice: Before you start adding mods, go use your stock truck in the great outdoors and determine what mods you really need. More mods --> more gas --> lower tank range --> adding jerry cans to increase range --> more weight. Rinse and repeat..

 

Antigravity machine mod.

 

Also, I wonder if folks who upsize their tires realize the odometer calibration is no longer valid. And therefore the distance used to calculate mpg, by either computer or by hand, is as they say doodoo.

 

Lifted, Tires 265x75 R16, Prinsu Rack, 4.88 gears , KDmax tune

Highway miles at 65-75mph shown below, In town i dont try to get good mileage my drive to work is 7 miles and 6-7 lights and a 4 way stop.

 

my stock 245 tires were less accurate than my upgraded 265 checked via gps so i feel pretty confident in the dash readout.

 

My old 2013 Outback 3.6 3,650 curb wt: 23-25 mpg hwy
Wife’s 2019 Wrangler 3.6 3,950 curb wt: 22-25 mpg hwy
My new 2023 Tacoma 3.5 4,315 curb wt: 19-20 mpg hwy
(+ tonneau cover, - larger tires )

Yeah, the Outback is a car, but it does have full-time AWD. The Jeep is about as aerodynamic as a brick, and yet it can get nearly as good mileage IF you keep the speed down. It drops fast, the faster you go.

And then there’s the Tacoma. I still don’t understand how the Jeep gets better mileage, but the Taco rides way smoother, and it can tow and haul more. I wish it got better mileage, but… it’s a truck.

 

stock trd sport AC 6MT with canopy. summer on stock tires, average 22ish MPG. Winter on AT tires, average 20ish MPG. besides me and the canopy, i almost always have another 100-150 pounds of gear and tools in the bed and cab. most of my driving is two lane 40-60 MPH with up and down hills.

 

Stock 2020 OR, always around 18 mpg but get a bit better if I drive it harder rather than baby it.

 

very true i went on a trip to idaho miles to empty said 5 hit the fuel station truck only took 18.5 gallons.

 

Stock ('18 TRD Sport 4x4 MT) I was getting a solid 20mpg on 2-lane roads.
Topper w/ Prinsu, removed airdam, one size up tires (on lighter rims), I'm now getting 18.

 

Op, forgot to mention, as I hadn't tested it for awhile, speed kills. If I keep my RPMs down to 2000 (MT) I can get 21-22mpg on my commute. This means running 60mph on the hwy. I was solo on my drive in and tried it again ... 21.3 mpg on the way in.

 

That is absolutely great input - thank you!!

 

Thank you for all the details here. I just took my 2 week old OR from Sedona to Durango and back, with some off road playing. On the way back while driving mostly around 65, and 75 on I40 for about 20 miles I averaged 21 MPG, but there were very significant winds affecting the drive. The truck is still bone stock and there was no extra weight. And your advise about seeing what I need is right on the money. I've had a bunch of GMC and Ford 4WD vehicles in past years, and I am absolutely blown away by how capable the Taco is right out of the box - even those darn factory tires that look like highway tread seem to be doing pretty well. But it's also reassuring to know that adding weight where it makes sense is not the end of MPGs - just a ding. Thanks again!

 

been delivering pizzas part-time the past few weeks and been average 22.1 MPG with 89 octane. i think that's pretty good for non-highway driving. get about 24-24.5 mpg if i splurge for the ethanol-free 89. drives a lot better without the ethanol.

 

Yea that seems really good for non-highway - cool!

 

Seems to vary per truck... Both trucks stock.

My 2021 TRD OR with the automatic would get 22-23 during the warmer months. 19-20 in colder weather.

My 2022 TRD OR with the manual is struggling to get 21 on a good day in warmer months. It was 18 on a tank when we had a couple week cold snap.

Roads traveled are normally state roads of 45-55mph speed limits, and backroads of 35-40mph speed limits. Rarely a highway in the mix. So, that might factor into things. My work commute is only 17.5 miles one way.

It's a truck, so it is what it is. If I want to get good fuel mileage I'll take the Subaru.

 

Everyone has probably already said everything you need to hear, but modifying your Tacoma kills its MPG's.

Entirely offroad, aired down (The Maze, Lockhart Basin, Moab, etc.) Friends and I anticipate 8 MPG for our multi-day trips.

The lowest I have ever seen on paved roads is an entire tank of gas at 9.8 MPG along the I-40.

Don't upgrade your truck at all if you don't want to immediately dive into the 15-17 mpg range.

 

Thanks for the feedback. I did check my MPG when I was playing off road going up to Cinnamon Pass in Colorado this last weekend. Round trip from maybe 8000 feet up to 12,600 and back down and nearly all 4WD low i got about 13 MPG. I'm not at all concerned about optimizing off-road mileage so long as I can reasonably estimate range. So I figure off-road stuff I'll estimate at 10 MPG for range calcs...