With no obvious signs, what raised your MPG?

This sounds like a huge leap of faith.

I'm sure if I stopped hitting the snooze button 3-4 times and trying to beat the first waves of rush hours traffic, I could probably add 10 years to my life and drop 10lbs.

 

Try it for five days your way with a timer, then try it for five days mine. Take the average difference.

That's what sealed it for me. How much time was I saving by driving like a maniac? Between 20-35 seconds. That was 60mph vs 80. And the only difference was that statistically the 80mph runs let me catch the green light at the offramp an average of one extra time per week.

That 30 seconds of time lost came at the expense of 2 gallons per week bonus (15 vs 20 mpg), which at today's prices comes to 2 dollars per minute or $120 per hour. That's an expensive cost of operation. Incidents where someone wanted to engage in a bit of road rage dropped from 2 per week to 0, because no one thinks you're cutting them off if you stop weaving and go with the flow.

Work improved because I somehow was more engaged during the Monday morning meeting (still can't figure that one out). Home life improved because the "I'm home, how was your day" conversation became way less of a bitch session and more of us actually talking about our days. It's an extreme case, but i truly wasn't aware that driving put me in a bad mood until I stopped being in a bad mood.

I know it sounds like hoaky bullshittery, but try it. It's weird as hell that I actually look forward to the Monday morning drive, because that's my most relaxing time of week now.

 

I'm almost 60. Still waiting for this enlightenment to strike.

 

You're 100% correct. There's nothing quite like that feeling of sitting on the off ramp waiting for the light to change when you notice the slow bastard you had worked around 20 miles ago passes on the right side. How could this have possibly happened?

 

Glad you prefaced this reply with, "In case you're serious."

Everything you mention sounds like "maturing" to me. "Experience is the best teacher" with a caveat stating, "Learn from your mistakes".

We have to want to make changes...determining on our own, if it's something that makes sense to us.

Thanks for the clarification/testimony. I appreciate your reply.

 

You did the math…. Well done. Seriously appreciate the insights.

 

For me it was old age. I'm not talking about my truck, I'm talking about me. I guess with time comes maturity, and with that comes a realization that I'm not in a hurry to get to my job. I noticed I drive the speed limit everywhere now, and I'm good with it.

 

Good analysis...ugh, perspective...lol!

Funny enough, yesterday...I was merging onto two-lane traffic that had just turned green. A semi-truck was in the lane closest to my merge so I knew I could get in front of him without going too fast.

Now on the outside lane was this Black Dodge Ram (BAT*). I made eye contact with the darkened front windows and as soon as I did, he decided to rev it up and speed down the lane next to me.

I was like...was that on account I'm driving a smaller truck and he wanted to be "badass" and race down to the next traffic signal?

Seriously, I had to have a good laugh about that because it's silly to me showing off like that.

*BAT= "Big Ass Truck"

 

First post here. 21 4x4 OR Tacoma. Love it. Look forward to my commute every day.
I have an answer and a question:
Answer: I sort of hyper-milage it. I enjoy playing that game to keep things interesting while driving. I keep RPMs below 2000. I drive extra conservatively while engine is still warming up. And I get 22 miles per gallon CITY. And I go through 14 traffic lights on my 15-20 minute commute. Half to most of them are typically green. Dallas, TX by the way.
**But here is my question and why I'm here: I get 20-21 miles per gallon on the HIGHWAY while driving 65 mph. No mods btw. Something has got to be wrong if I'm getting worse on highway than city. I think it's happiest at either 40 mph or 50 mph.
Thoughts?

 

Probably a question better suited for the 3rd gen forum, us lowly 1st genners have none of the fancy bells and whistles with the engine that you do

 

45-50mph is usually ideal for a truck. Highway is usually better due to the no stops, but if you're driving city no (or few) stops it makes sense.

 

Is that a typo??

 

lol yes oops
infinite mpgs are best for trucks

 

That makes me feel better, I've heard of hypermiling trucks, but never that effectivly

 

This so much. I've been trying to change my driving habits, 5-10 under on the highway, at the limit on single-lane, and its made marginal gains to my MPG but I feel way less stressed getting to work and getting home I'm far less tired. Good shit, not driving like a maniac.

 

It might have added 1/2 a mile to the gallon on my wife's 2019. I have noticed when the temperature goes up, I get better mileage. In the winter time I get around 21 MPG out of the 2021, since it has warmed up I'm get 23+ MPG.

I drive 75 miles one way to work, so most of my driving is on the highway. When my wife was working, she got around 18-19. Most of her driving was in town.

 

Slow is smooth and smooth is fast. The ups motto

 

Hot dry weather gives me better gas mileage. The molecules expand in the heat and I notice the gauge reads full for just a bit longer after a fill up. Fill up early in the morning when it’s cooler and you will get the most bang for your Buck out of your fuel in the summertime.

 

Driving a Toyota has changed my habits, and gave me some of that “maturity” to not drive so aggressively. I grew up driving v8 trucks and diesels that had no problem shooting gaps and getting up to speed. Then I got a 4cyl 4x4 tacoma for a daily and learned real fast that those aren’t options anymore. It’s taught me to have much more patience when driving, and that has even crossed over to when I’m driving my duramax these days.