4X4 average fuel economy

[kwhoadley]

Ive averaged 20-21mpg. Mostly stop and go for 10miles back and forth to Ft. Carson and back a few times a day.
Ive had the 4runner about a month now. Put NGK plugs and wires, K&N Air filter, ran seafoam through the gas tank, changed fuel filter.
Just did the coils and struts, inner and outer tie rod ends, and sway bar inlinks this weekend.
However, on the drive home from Denver(where I bought it) to Fountain, I averaged 24mpg on the highway doing 75mph the entire time.
Tires are 265/70R16's. Not sure if that is the stock size.
Its a V6, 4X4, 5speed.

 

[IBallEngineer]

The ac myth has been debunked a few times it does not change gas mileage nore can you get better mpg with the windows down.

The debunking of the A/C myth is a bigger myth. Running the A/C on my 4cylinder already underpowered 3rd gen makes a HUGE difference in my fuel economy. We're talking 15 to 20%. I've never run an entire tankful with the A/C running, but since I drive 100 miles a day a few hot days drops me from 20+ to mid 18's. No myth!

 

[vanion2]

Well I have only been through 1 fill up on my 4R and 70% city 30% highway got me just over 18 mpg with A/C on when the family was in the truck and windows down and A/C off when it was just me.

As for why you get worse gas mileage in the winter? That's easy. Colder air is denser. The more dense the air the more fuel is required to retard detonation as calculated by the ECU (otherwise known as stoichiometric air to fuel ratio). All gas being equal this will always occur. Throw in federal emissions adding higher ethanol contents in a ridiculous attempt to lower emissions and you get even worse gas mileage as a result.

Somehow I seriously doubt there is no change in fuel mileage when running the A/C versus not. You are loading the engine and the alternator when running the A/C and there is no such thing as free energy so it will impact your mileage negatively in some way. YMMV depending on how you drive but there is always a cost. Heck, even running a high wattage stereo system or off road lights will decrease your gas mileage (weight and alternator loading).

Sorry, can you tell I am an engineer yet? To get better gas mileage get an OBD2 scanner of your choice and have it display your instant gas mileage and average gas mileage calculations. Using these as a guide (key word guide) learn where you are getting your highest instant mpg calculations and learn how to drive where the numbers are highest. In the end it may only result in a real world gain of 1-2 mpg but if that is city driving then that is a significant increase. Of course it may not suit your driving style so it is up to you to decide whether it is worth the cost.

Doing an annual fuel system cleaning, regular oil changes, and maintaining tire air pressures will help keep you on the higher side as well but then you already knew that.

 

[joshespdx]

I'm averaging 19.2 mpg after starting my tracker 2 weeks ago. My current commute is in-town, never getting over 50mph. From Fort Collins, in the past two weeks, I've also taken three trips to the mountains: two have been over Vail Pass and the other was a loop through Golden Gate Canyon and Estes. Each of those trips included 25+ miles of trails. My 2000 T4R Limited is bone-stock with Cooper Discover HTR tires. I have to say that I'm pretty happy with it!

 

[jeremyc74]

Between 22-24mpg consistently, Winter is is 19-22mpg, i do a fuel filter every oil change, and spark plugs once a year. I have a 33 mile commute each way doing between 45-70mph, I run 245/75/R16's, with a 99 V6 5 speed and 4x4. Technically my hubs are always locked so i have an additional drag compared to the rest of the 4x4'ers here (i have it wired this way, dont ask). My 97 4x4 5 speed did 19-22mpg year round on the exact same commute with the same tires, so it must vary from vehicle to vehicle.

Fuel filter won't make any difference at all unless it's REALLY bad. There's no way you're able to feel a difference after 5k miles. The fuel pressure is regulated downstream of the filter and is constant until the filter is very very clogged up. Fuel filters will easily last 50k miles without any measurable difference in fuel pressure at the injector rail.

 

[ryandc]

My rig is a 1999 SR5 4x4 with 5-speed. It's got 235,000 miles on it.

I keep a detailed maintenance and gas log.

My around-town driving, which primarily consists of a 10-mile commute, I get 22-24 MPG (usually right around 23, goes down in the winter when on snow tires). This commute averages 45-55MPH with only a few stops.

As soon as I get on the freeway and get past 80, my mileage goes down to about 19MPG.

A few pieces of data about the car:
-- I run NGK Iridium plugs. They don't help the mileage all that much, but my suspicion is that a lot of people run their plugs longer than they should due to the waste-spark system (ie, if a plug is rated for 50,000 miles, you'll only get 25,000 out of it on the 4runner as it fires 2 sparks for every cycle)
-- I run 5W-30 Mobil 1. One oil change I ran Rotella T 5W-40 (had it around, my other car is European). All full synthetic. Changed annually, about every 8-10,000 miles
-- Tires are S/T in the summer and snow-rated in the winter. I'm planning on switching to all-terrains when the current set needs replacement. I keep them at 35-40PSI and monitor this closely.

Probably key to getting decent mileage is the 5 speed. It makes coasting very, very, easy, just pop the stick into neutral when up to speed and then re-engage when you need the power again. It's not hyper-miling, but conscientious awareness of whether or not you actually need the power at hand.

 

[96LTDrus]

I consistently am getting 20 mpg right on the nose in my 1996 Limited (V6, auto). It's mostly highway driving, I stick to around 65 mph on my commute, if I'm in a 70mph zone I go 70 and stick to the right lane. I'm running General Grabber HTS tires at 35psi. Decent amount of A/C use. When I'm on surface streets I'm a very smooth and steady driver and try to maximize coasting and momentum.

 

[Scramble]

I should have added, ..."other things being equal".....sheesh....

The point is, windows closed and heat is more efficient than both windows down or windows up with A/C.

I agree, I always get better MPG in the winter. Windows down causes drag & AC uses power.

I average 18.5 with my 3RZ

My DD Accord Coupe 4cyl gets 24 in the summer & 28 in the winter.

 

[Ed_C]

I agree, I always get better MPG in the winter. Windows down causes drag & AC uses power.

Mine drops at least 2 MPG in winter, I blame it mostly on the crappy winter blend gas stations have to use here in NJ. Come spring my mileage is back to normal. Trying to squeeze a little more MPG by running lighter,lower resistance tires

 

[PoshSnoop]

17.8 average

high 23, really. hyper-miling (windows up, ac off, coasting or jake-brake downhills, speed moderation, etc., optimum temps, over-inflated tires, the usual).

low - drive it like you stole it, go wheelin' (kinda), etc.

 

[infamousRNR]

scangauge II reports and average of 16-17 and on the freeway it gets up to 20...

285's with heavy front ARB bumper and heavy skid plates on undercarriage.

 

[nail bender]

I bought my 3rd gen about 10 weeks ago. as far as I know it is all stock. I know the air intake and exhaust are stock, and that seems to be what people change first. I have been getting between 21.2 and 22.9 mpg. it is a 21 mile drive from home to work about 3/4 of it on a 2 lane highway. I drive between 70-73, I live in a small town less than 900 people so I don't really do much town driveing

 

[jhfleet]

scangauge II reports and average of 16-17 and on the freeway it gets up to 20...

285's with heavy front ARB bumper and heavy skid plates on undercarriage.

Scanguage MPG is only as good as the user's calibration. I haven't got mine to indicate even close to the actual MPG so far. The calibration accuracy depends on filling the tank to the exact same level each time during calibration. Even using the same pump every time is no guarantee that this is going to happen. Flow rates change which affects automatic pump shutoff, pump filters get changed, other people pumping changes flow rates, and on and on and on.

 

[RoofRack]

18.3

18.3

I use Gas Cubby iOS app. Tracks fill ups with lots of data like octane, brand etc. Also logs service and maintenance.

It has cloud backup for the premium. Manages multiple vehicles.

-M

 

[USMC0351]

I usually see 17.8-18.2, most of my driving is a 30 mile trip to and from work, city driving. Highest I've ever gotten was 21-22 when I went up to CO, I had it set on 70 or 75 cruise control a lot of the way.

 

[infamousRNR]

Scanguage MPG is only as good as the user's calibration. I haven't got mine to indicate even close to the actual MPG so far. The calibration accuracy depends on filling the tank to the exact same level each time during calibration. Even using the same pump every time is no guarantee that this is going to happen. Flow rates change which affects automatic pump shutoff, pump filters get changed, other people pumping changes flow rates, and on and on and on.

this is good to know....

is it even worth it to calibrate it then because of so many factors?...

what IS the scrangauge II good for then? is anything measured accurately? or since it doesn't actually measure, it just reads the ECU, is there any usefulness for this item? IYO?



..>

 

[jeremyc74]

this is good to know....

is it even worth it to calibrate it then because of so many factors?...

what IS the scrangauge II good for then? is anything measured accurately? or since it doesn't actually measure, it just reads the ECU, is there any usefulness for this item? IYO?



..>

Scangauge is good for all kinds of things. It's telling you what the ECU is seeing, which is what is important. It's giving you water temps, IAT, transmission temps, ignition, and lots of other things if you want to see them. It also give you the ability to instantly read any code that causes a CEL, and reset it if you want. If I'm on a road trip and a code gets set I want to know what it is so I know whether I can put it off until I get home, or need to start looking for a parts store.

As far as the fuel economy reading goes, it's useful because once you have it calibrated you at least get a relative indication of your current economy and you can tell if it's not normal. If the SGII is reporting 17.5 for weeks and then you start seeing 16 you know something has changed.

 

[JayRolla]

I only used "dataloggers" when I had ways to adjust things, say EMS with fuel, timing, maf, injector compensation. Its nice to know numbers but the gauges on dash work just fine for that. Then an obd2 scanner on the phone for $5 works great for CEL's.

 

[AZBub]

We get anywhere from 15mpg to 22mpg. The best we ever saw was 23.1, flat road Shell unleaded and a light tail wind. 15mpg was off road mostly 4hi QuickTrip gas.

We have found out that QuickTrip gas is the most consistent gas and our average is 21.4mpg running that gas. I don't waste my time (or money) running Premium.

I really want to know who says they are getting 25mpg according to the poll LOL:lmao:

 

[mike85]

Loaded up with camping gear and sleeping platform, got an average of 22.3 when on flat ground from Charlotte NC to Kalispell MT. When driving through the mountain passes it went down to about 18.5. Normal city driving is anywhere from 17-19. This is with 4x4 v6 265/70R16 and 4.10 gears