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

I'm averaging 18.9mpg in a '10 Frontier Pro-4x 6spd manual with 265/75R16 LRE KO2s. It consistently does just shy of 23mpg on long trips (10% city, 90% highway). I'll often drive all day in 4hi on rough gravel roads (<40mph) with a bit of 4lo action here and there and see 20mpg. Short, frequent city trips? 15-16mpg, especially in winter.

 

Probably so. Considering you live in CO.

 

I got 20-21 occasionally depending on where I drove but over 9 full tanks I think I averaged about 19.7. Biggest mpg killer is speed and tires. I noticed mpg drops at speeds over 65 especially around 80-85

 

Exactly and thank you.

When someone posts "running XX inch tires" in a MPG thread without specifying the size and weight it really doesn't help since tires can vary drastically.

We see it day-in-day-out here on TW when new Taco owners immediately switch out their stock 31 lb oem balloon tires for 70 lb E-rated heavy MFers and then proceed to biatch about mileage.

 

It's been my observation that they love flat ground and low elevation too. I have a 21 OR MT lifted 2 1/2" with 285/70/77 nitto Terra grapplers that weigh 44.53#. Adjusted 1.34mpg for tire size. This is my last 5 tanks doing the hard math,,,
20.8
21.3
21.3
21.5
20.6
250 to 300mi between fills.
This is flat ass central Michigan, 55-65mph roads with few stops. Around 10% city, and I time the lights. Light pedal, shifting between 1800 to 2000rpm. If I run these 75-85mph freeways around here, 18-18.5 if I'm lucky.
That's the best hard data I have.

 

Those are respectable MPG numbers for having a manual transmission and ~45lb 285s (stock wheels?)

I agree with the flat ground and low elevation for reproducible 20+ MPG tank averages (w/"normal" driving) and believe it'd due to our low torque #s in the hyper-mile sweet spot of 1650-1700 rpm (at least that's the sweet spot for my AT SR 4x4 v6 w/265s at 40lbs.)

As much as we biatch about the truck.. I enjoy that I can stretch the MPG when wanted by driving like a grandpa and still get 15 mpg when driving like a hooligan (I'm a flat-lander most of the time.)

 

LOL, you're right about that. I've always been able to beat mpg estimates in the city and 55-60 mph roads, but these 75mph freeways are a mph killer for the MT. At 75-80 I'm running 2600-2700rpm. Can't fix that.

 

Do these trucks tend to break in and get better MPG as they settle in and get a little wear on them? My first tacoma, currently getting at best 21 on the highway, all stock.

 

Yes, the Tacoma has a transfer box for the 4WD that allows 2High - 4High - 4Low selections.
Gas mileage is less due to 600lbs of weight (4WD equipment) and usually larger tires.
Some have lower gearing as well, I have the 6 speed manual and it has 4:30 gears.
Automatics have 3:909 gears stock.

Here is the options and reasons;
https://youtu.be/9DA2M3G7pqs

 

I think most agree that after around the 10K-15K miles. The mileage does improve some.

 

I think so. Mine seemed to. Really hard to tell for me though, I took delivery of mine the end of October 21. Right into cold temps and winter gas so my experience might not be accurate. My truck really didn't like the cold weather for MPG's. 17-18mpg stock. No noticable change when I lifted and went to the bigger tires either. Big change when it got warmer.

 

Ill have to keep an eye on it and see if it improves after putting some miles on it. Only have about 1k on it now

 

4x4 long bed, 15mpg ish...

 

Normally ~19/19.5 per tank. OP is correct, my foot's kind of heavy.

 

Are you rolling on 35 inch 73 lb tires and talking MPGs?

 

Those numbers were stock tires and stock gearing at the time. I have an MPG chart in my 5.39 thread as I tracked mpgs on stock tires with stock gears, stock tires and 5.29 and then with 35s.

 

I feel like gas changed at some point this year when the prices went up, I used to get ~19 and now I average around 16 on a stock trdor

 

Probably like everything else. Shrinkflation. You're not getting a full gallon of gas.

 

I run bone stock, tires and everything. I can reset the overall mileage while I'm rolling, and if I keep the cruise at 65, I can coax 23 mpg out of my 2021 TRDOR. Go to 70 and it will still barely stay over 20 mpg. But any passing revs, or stops and starts on the trip, and the mpg drops under 20.

I didn't buy it for mileage, and considering what it is, the mileage is quite acceptable.