I'm in the hunt for a mileage machine for cummuting and just thought I'd share what I've learned in the past couple of weeks regarding gas mileage numbers from Transport Canada and US EPA. It explains why all the numbers advertised are so far out of the real world numbers we get, especially highway mileage. The Canadian 4Runner is advertised as getting 30 mpg (imperial) highway.

2 Cycle testing is how Canada gets the numbers. Note the average and top speeds.

The city test simulates a 12-km, stop-and-go trip with an average speed of 32 km/h (20 mph) and a top speed of 91 km/h (57 mph). The test runs for approximately 23 minutes and includes 18 stops. About four minutes of test time are spent idling, to represent waiting at traffic lights.

The city test can be summarized as follows:

Test Cell Temperature 20°-30°C (68°-86°F)
Time 1,369 seconds (22 minutes, 49 seconds)
Length 12 km (7.5 miles)
Top speed 91 km/h (57 mph)
Average speed 32 km/h (20 mph)
Number of stops 18
Total time at 0 speed 220 seconds (3 minutes, 40 seconds) or 16% of total time

The highway test simulates a 16-km trip with an average speed of 77 km/h (48 mph) and a top speed of 97 km/h (60 mph). The test runs for about 13 minutes and does not include any stops. However, the speed varies to simulate conditions on the highway and on rural roads. The test begins from a hot engine start.

The highway test can be summarized as follows:

Test Cell Temperature 20°-30°C (68°-86°F)
Time 765 seconds (12 minutes, 45 seconds)
Length 16 km (10 miles)
Top Speed 97 km/h (60 mph)
Average Speed 77 km/h (48 mph)

The US uses a 5 cycle test which uses the two city/highway tests, plus
•Faster speeds and acceleration
•Air conditioner use
•Colder outside temperatures

Anyway, if you want to look at it:

2-cycle testing - Transport Canada

Detailed Test Information

Many threads already on the subject. Here is one with the same link you posted 2013 4Runner EPA mpg rating lower than 2010-2012 4Runner?

I got so sick and tired of obsessing over MPG I did something that was long overdue:

Put a piece of electrical tape over the readout that told me how many miles were left in the tank/fuel economy and commited not to press the control stalk on my gauge pod or look up the economy in my menus on the nav system.

Now I fill my car when its empty like I have done with other cars I have owned in my life. I was getting too obsessed over fuel economy and hating my car as a direct result. Now, I am happy as a clam.

For what it's worth on the MPG topic... I put a K&N filter in and instantly got an extra 2 mpg. Was getting 17.5 around town, now getting 19.5. Everything else the same.

heh - my 2012 sr5 is only a week old and i'm already obsessed with the gas mileage readout and "eco" mode.

currently i'm averaging 19.7, but every time i'm stuck at a traffic light i want to cut off the engine ;-)

Hah, I love the Eco light. Any time the wife starts griping about me speeding I say "but look honey, the Eco light is still on"... lol

Pretty good info there 934X4. It also explains pretty well why there is such a difference between the Canada and USA mpg figures (go to TOYOTA CANADA and see for yourself)

Why does every one buy 4runners then worry about gas mileage. If you want good mileage you bought the wrong vehicle. It should not matter to you that you get 17 instead of 19 like some say they get because everyones driving conditions are different. just drive and enjoy it and fill the tank when it is empty. By the way the guy that said he got 2mpg by adding a kn filter is dreaming.

Hmm.. I was getting 18.6 and put in a K&N and now I get 18.3.

I would be very interested to hear other driver's real world environments. Here are mine:

Temp range 2-sigma: -10F to 90F
City driving: top speed 40mph, 8 minutes idling per 2 minutes driving
Highway driving: 80mph with hills. Slow to 10mph for 100 yards, then immediately back to 80mph (I've stopped asking why all lanes of packed traffic do this)

anyone else?

Honestly, for a rig that weighs what the T4r does, 4wd/AWD, etc. I have zero complaints about the fuel economy.
I used to get about 16mpg in my Rubicon and about 19-20 in my FjCruiser (made the T4R look like a F1 in the wind tunnel)
Is what it is......Corollas and Priuses get nice MPG's if that is the goal.

As for K&N's etc. making a difference - I'm sure they'd like as many as possible to believe that. It's B.S.

Life is short. Enjoy!

Well I got my 2012 4Runner Limited (5 miles on odo) a month ago and since I drive to cali from AZ almost every other week, I did a small test to see how bad it would be. This test was done on brand new engine while it had 50 to 1500 miles on it.

Temperature: 100-105 range
Road: flat (no hills)
Distance: ~80 miles each run (from Blythe to hills before Coachella/Indio)
Intervals: 5 miles
AC: set to 78

Each run the highway is very flat and the speed was set on cruise control. The gas milage counter was reset before each test.

MPGs
-----------
60 mph - ~26 mpg (doing this sucked, cuz of all the semis passing you)
65 mph - ~25 mpg
70 mph - ~21 mpg
75 mph - ~19 mpg
80 mph - ~17 mpg
85 mph - ~16 mpg

City driving: ~17 mpg

In my build thread I have a very detailed pdf of my mpg log. I've kept it since first fill up @ 11 miles. I can say the trend so far over 10k is upwards by about 1 mpg. My life time mpg average is 19.07 to 12k so far.

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-ge...ld-thread.html

my last road trip of approx 1000 miles gave me 21.6 MPG average 95% highway, and I've been going 65mph most of the time. Vehicle had between 1000 and 2000 miles. Guess the higher temps in your area helps a lot.

First, if you don't like that kind of thread, just don't click it, thank you very much.

Second, being curious about one thing does not equal ''worriyng''. I don't think anyone tracking MPG is nervous about it, because if so, he would sell the vehicle and buy a corolla. I was tracking mileage all the time on my previous vehicles, and I didn't bother idling for hours with friends in winter. Also, tracking MPG can help you tell your vehicle has a problem, as a abnormal drop is a pretty good way to find something is wrong

Third, not everyone can buy priuses and civics, some of use need to haul and tow. I also have a second vehicle that gets 35MPG that I could take everyday if I was so ''worried''

- I find it funny when someone enters a thread they DON'T LIKE, and try to make others feel bad about what they are chatting on. Same thing hapenned all the time on TacomaWorld. What about minding your own business and letting others say wathever they want if it's not agains any code? That message is not directed at you 03_4runner4x4, but at everyone doing this.

I started this because when I did the investigating, I was thinking the only way my 4Runner would make the Transport Canada 30 mpg would be if the conditions were absolutely perfect. And that's exactly what Transport Canada does; a nice even slow cruise with an average speed of 48 mph and no headwind for 10 miles.

Plus, I didn't understand why the direct comparison between the Canadian mileage (30 mpg imperial) and the US mileage (26 mpg imperial) was different.

And now I do.