5th Generation Poor Fuel Efficiency Causes?

[BibTireguy]

Soooo.... Toyota will now look at this after I have filled up the runner 5 times and keep the receipts and a record of the milage.

I did get some inside info from a tech and will share this with the board after I get things rolling and find out if it works.

Thanks to the board for all the help.

And just to clear some questions...

-no roof top box
-almost never use ebrake unless on hill.
-Tire pressure 32psi all around
-Did take it up to speed and did a reset.. got excited for about 10 miles with a great readout... then it slowly changed back to close to where I started. (15MPG in this case.)
-did not do the jack/ wheel test... YET...
-No smoke, no other issues... but today noticed a vibration in the front at speed. I think the balance of the new tires may have gone out for the front tires.... but the vibration was intermittent while at a constant speed of 70mph... so it could be a hesitation or a misfire in one cylinder.
-Toyota insists that if it was an O2 sensor, plugs, cat converter, ecu, transmission or anything of that nature there would be a warning light on the dash. No light. They say No light... no service inspection under warranty.
-I do know that they can hook the truck up to the "Techstream" which has a fuel consumption tool that is accurate to +-5% margin of error. It will show average, max and current. This is what I have demanded... and the 5 fill up is the compromise in the situation. Once I see that this works and helps me... I will post the Toyota Tech Tip # for others that may be in the same situation.

For whatever reason I do believe that there is an issue with the A/F mixture and that Toyota has a real PR problem with fuel efficiency. The otherwise friendly staff in service literally run away when you bring up a possible problem with MPG. Then you have to get a lecture from the service manager on how everybody drives differently... etc... Nobody wants to take ownership of this issue.

 

[Viper45]

For best results and greater accuracy on your 5 fill ups; I recommend that you stop when the nozzle automatically kicks off for all tanks and don't add more fuel even if rounding to the nearest dollar or gal. If it were me I would even try and fill up at the same station, using the same nozzle (thus reducing more variables) every time too. GL.

 

[sandcrawler]

lots of good ideas here... i'll just add that you might consider getting a ScanGauge for pulling codes, monitoring performance, and tracking fuel consumption. Advance Auto runs coupons and you can get one delivered for ~$50 off retail. good luck.

 

[Quentin]

For whatever reason I do believe that there is an issue with the A/F mixture and that Toyota has a real PR problem with fuel efficiency. The otherwise friendly staff in service literally run away when you bring up a possible problem with MPG. Then you have to get a lecture from the service manager on how everybody drives differently... etc... Nobody wants to take ownership of this issue.

There are so many variables to fuel economy that they simply can't investigate everyone that complains; they have to do some filtering to ensure that only legitimate cases get back to the service bay. I recall when the 5th gens came out, there were a few people complaining about their winter mileage not meeting the highway rating... turns out, they were letting the car idle for ~10 minutes to get the cabin up to temp before moving an inch. Yes, they were driving highway conditions after warming up, but that idling put them in a huge hole from the onset. Now, I'm not saying you are doing that, but there are definitely people out there that don't connect those cause and effect dots and the dealers do have the deal with those people as well.

Additionally, selling high mileage vehicles like the Prius means that you have a large number of customers that buy a vehicle for the fuel economy and when that magic 50mpg isn't met on the display, they freak out and head to the dealer. For example, say your driving conditions put you 10% below the combined rating. On a 4Runner, that turns out to be 17.1mpg instead of 19mpg. On a Prius, that is 45mpg instead of 50mpg. Despite being the same percentage off, numerically, it looks like the Prius is missing the target far more than the 4Runner is. I see people on the Prius boards annoyed that their Prius v is getting 42mpg instead of the 44mpg city rating even though that difference amounts to ~15 gallons of gas over a whole year. Nevermind the fact that the EPA test is very imperfect... (especially for hybrid city ratings... physics dictates that stop and go driving is very inefficient... it is just slightly less efficient in a hybrid).

 

[BibTireguy]

Update

Someone did a very nice thing for me and got me out of this problem and into a 2014 limited 4runner 7 passenger 4x4 with nav in pearl blizzard. I LOVE the handling of the new truck! Day and night.... Much less dive and flatter in the corners.

Permanent 4wd in a heavier vehicle and 5mpg better with no break in yet. Something terribly wrong with the 2013 sr5. Once I warm up to a vehicle in a color that I won't even buy a fridge in I will be totally happy. I did love the grey even though mine had very brittle paint.

Cost? $2000 plus the loss of my ecp. But one year newer truck, ltd vs. sr5, and the savings on gas will more than pay for the difference in a couple of years. It is like free 20 inch wheels, xreas, and jbl for free.... Not to mention the nicer interior and lights. :reddance::reddance:

 

[Loseit]

I am seriously considering a T4R. I was looking at trading in my current vehicle for a used 2011 or 2012 but if ther is that much of a difference between the to, I would definitely consider a 2014.
If I could ask a couple of questions.
1) how much nicer is the interior (i believe the limited interior on the 2013's etc was nicer than an sr5)
2) you mentioned the ride is nicer....can you elaborate a little
3) what kind of mileage are you seeing now? The reason is a commute @60 miles a day.

Thank you and congrats!! I have been looking at vehicles for so long, but i keep coming back to the 4 runner!

 

[934x4]

Someone did a very nice thing for me and got me out of this problem and into a 2014 limited 4runner 7 passenger 4x4 with nav in pearl blizzard. I LOVE the handling of the new truck! Day and night.... Much less dive and flatter in the corners.

Permanent 4wd in a heavier vehicle and 5mpg better with no break in yet. Something terribly wrong with the 2013 sr5. Once I warm up to a vehicle in a color that I won't even buy a fridge in I will be totally happy. I did love the grey even though mine had very brittle paint.

Cost? $2000 plus the loss of my ecp. But one year newer truck, ltd vs. sr5, and the savings on gas will more than pay for the difference in a couple of years. It is like free 20 inch wheels, xreas, and jbl for free.... Not to mention the nicer interior and lights. :reddance::reddance:

I wouldn't be jumping up and down just yet. Didn't you say the SR5 was also getting good mileage when you first got it? I guess now you can see if it's something you do, the gas you use or if it was the SR5. That 14 mpg was terrible. I got the same mileage in mine at 65 mph pulling a haulmark trailer - normal mileage is 23-25 mpg.

 

[BibTireguy]

Mr Al Bundy, I am jumping up and down for good reason. The dealer really worked hard to get me out of this situation. (I note that the truck that I traded in in on his lot for only $1000 over what I was given for trade in... when you figure in that I got the new truck for a hair over invoice and that anyone is going to want a discount on the used truck the dealer will be lucky to break even in this deal.... not to mention the cost of certifying it for the CPO Toyota warranty.)

The thread is about gas milage though and here are a few observations regarding that:

-The new truck continues to get better fuel efficiency.
-On both trucks I only use tier 2 gasoline (Texaco and Chevron are the same gas but in our area Texaco is always about $.10-15 cheaper.)
-I broke in both engines with no full throttle acceleration and varying the speed
-Both trucks were delivered with under 10 miles on them so I was not a victim of test drive jockeys
-What makes me feel that there was something wrong other than milage is the fact that the new truck cruises more effortlessly and does not bog down big time on hills.

In regards to the other questions:

- even with a cruising speed of 75 mph I am seeing 20 mpg on the flats (Like the areas around Chicago)
-The Xreas suspension is a big step in the right direction. I have not gone off road but have hit speed humps 5 feet apart at 30 mph... it is firmer than the SR5 but still sucks up the big hits. Much less nose dive under braking and cornering feels like Toyota gave an SR5 to BMW M department for a day to work out the kinks. I am a retired indycar driver and know how to make cars handle... and I am sure that with a few hours at an alignment shop I could improve this truck for on road use.. but with the longer suspension travel I am far from an expert on set up on a 4runner but with my background I can offer a professional opinion about the handling.
-Flatter through the corners so it allows the tires to set quicker in a corner.
-Once set it will follow a line without falling over the outside sidewall of the tires.
-Understeer is acceptable, (For safety all passenger vehicles are set up with understeer.) You can lift off the throttle mid corner and tighten up the line.. in a SR5 you can do this as well but the transition is less predictable and passengers will feel like the truck is going to flip. In the Limited they feel like you are driving swiftly.. in the sr5 they feel that you are being reckless. (This is all based on cloverleaf on ramps and off ramps.)
-You can even trail brake a limited in a corner to tighten up the line... in the SR5 at the limit this tends to cause a push at the front end.
-For the general consumer the limited has more headroom for driver error, it will stop faster because it takes less time for the suspension to firm up on the front end, (less nose dive) and because it is not diving as much... the suspension angles are more consistant under braking making the ability to steer under braking more predictable... also straighter stops.
-This is comparing a YOKO geolander vs Mich MS2. If the MS2 came in the 20X7 inch wheel size I would predict that the handleing gap would even be larger.

The interior.. just go to a toyota dealer. This is subjective. I like the seats and the white stitching on the black leather. I do have to admit that the new navigation system is either a step back or I need to spend a few hours learning all the features. (There must be a mute button that I have missed... I truly hope!) It still is more intuitive than the Idrive in my other car but right now it is rather annoying.

Overall I am a happy camper, and I feel that I just got a monday morning truck in my old SR5. I have written a lot about how the LTD is better than the SR5... the SR5 is still a great truck... better in my opinion if you were driving logging roads all day long... but for the street the Limited is superior. The right tool for the job... that is why hammers come in so many sizes.:lookout:

 

[Loseit]

Thank you, sir!
I am gonna try and get out this week to check one out!

Mr Al Bundy, I am jumping up and down for good reason. The dealer really worked hard to get me out of this situation. (I note that the truck that I traded in in on his lot for only $1000 over what I was given for trade in... when you figure in that I got the new truck for a hair over invoice and that anyone is going to want a discount on the used truck the dealer will be lucky to break even in this deal.... not to mention the cost of certifying it for the CPO Toyota warranty.)

The thread is about gas milage though and here are a few observations regarding that:

-The new truck continues to get better fuel efficiency.
-On both trucks I only use tier 2 gasoline (Texaco and Chevron are the same gas but in our area Texaco is always about $.10-15 cheaper.)
-I broke in both engines with no full throttle acceleration and varying the speed
-Both trucks were delivered with under 10 miles on them so I was not a victim of test drive jockeys
-What makes me feel that there was something wrong other than milage is the fact that the new truck cruises more effortlessly and does not bog down big time on hills.

In regards to the other questions:

- even with a cruising speed of 75 mph I am seeing 20 mpg on the flats (Like the areas around Chicago)
-The Xreas suspension is a big step in the right direction. I have not gone off road but have hit speed humps 5 feet apart at 30 mph... it is firmer than the SR5 but still sucks up the big hits. Much less nose dive under braking and cornering feels like Toyota gave an SR5 to BMW M department for a day to work out the kinks. I am a retired indycar driver and know how to make cars handle... and I am sure that with a few hours at an alignment shop I could improve this truck for on road use.. but with the longer suspension travel I am far from an expert on set up on a 4runner but with my background I can offer a professional opinion about the handling.
-Flatter through the corners so it allows the tires to set quicker in a corner.
-Once set it will follow a line without falling over the outside sidewall of the tires.
-Understeer is acceptable, (For safety all passenger vehicles are set up with understeer.) You can lift off the throttle mid corner and tighten up the line.. in a SR5 you can do this as well but the transition is less predictable and passengers will feel like the truck is going to flip. In the Limited they feel like you are driving swiftly.. in the sr5 they feel that you are being reckless. (This is all based on cloverleaf on ramps and off ramps.)
-You can even trail brake a limited in a corner to tighten up the line... in the SR5 at the limit this tends to cause a push at the front end.
-For the general consumer the limited has more headroom for driver error, it will stop faster because it takes less time for the suspension to firm up on the front end, (less nose dive) and because it is not diving as much... the suspension angles are more consistant under braking making the ability to steer under braking more predictable... also straighter stops.
-This is comparing a YOKO geolander vs Mich MS2. If the MS2 came in the 20X7 inch wheel size I would predict that the handleing gap would even be larger.

The interior.. just go to a toyota dealer. This is subjective. I like the seats and the white stitching on the black leather. I do have to admit that the new navigation system is either a step back or I need to spend a few hours learning all the features. (There must be a mute button that I have missed... I truly hope!) It still is more intuitive than the Idrive in my other car but right now it is rather annoying.

Overall I am a happy camper, and I feel that I just got a monday morning truck in my old SR5. I have written a lot about how the LTD is better than the SR5... the SR5 is still a great truck... better in my opinion if you were driving logging roads all day long... but for the street the Limited is superior. The right tool for the job... that is why hammers come in so many sizes.:lookout:

 

[conradh]

I'm not sure if this thread will be active a couple years later, but I just traded my 04 Highlander for a 13 SR5 4Runner Premium (3rd row was the main consideration, but other extras were nice). When I bought it, the dash said 18.5 avg mpg, which was right in line with 18-19 mpg I was expecting (I knew I wouldn't be seeing the 20-22 mpg I had averaged in the Highlander, but I traded up to a 4Runner for obvious reasons). I've had it for 2 weeks and filled up before and after Thanksgiving highway travel. My mpg calculation for an almost exclusively highway trip was around 16.5. I reset the dash, and it's currently reading 15.5 avg mpg with a combination of local city and highway commuting. These low mpg numbers have me worried. I'm still within the limited warranty window; is there anything I should have checked out? Oil was changed with 0W-20 at the dealer. It's running Bridgestones, although I'm not sure what model or pressure. I'll be checking that out. Does winter gas typically become an issue in November (I'm in Missouri)?

My Highlander and Corolla have always been near sticker numbers within a couple mpg, and discrepancies have been easy to identify based on a low tire, oil change, driving conditions. It seems like something more significant should be making the 3 mpg difference than tire pressure, or at least I'm concerned that it could be an engine or transmission issue. I'd be comfortable with getting 15 city / 20 hwy, but it's looking more like 13/16. This seems like a drastic difference that's leading to a little buyer's remorse on a vehicle I've been looking forward to loving!

 

[(none)]

I'm not sure if this thread will be active a couple years later, but I just traded my 04 Highlander for a 13 SR5 4Runner Premium (3rd row was the main consideration, but other extras were nice). When I bought it, the dash said 18.5 avg mpg, which was right in line with 18-19 mpg I was expecting (I knew I wouldn't be seeing the 20-22 mpg I had averaged in the Highlander, but I traded up to a 4Runner for obvious reasons). I've had it for 2 weeks and filled up before and after Thanksgiving highway travel. My mpg calculation for an almost exclusively highway trip was around 16.5. I reset the dash, and it's currently reading 15.5 avg mpg with a combination of local city and highway commuting. These low mpg numbers have me worried. I'm still within the limited warranty window; is there anything I should have checked out? Oil was changed with 0W-20 at the dealer. It's running Bridgestones, although I'm not sure what model or pressure. I'll be checking that out. Does winter gas typically become an issue in November (I'm in Missouri)?

My Highlander and Corolla have always been near sticker numbers within a couple mpg, and discrepancies have been easy to identify based on a low tire, oil change, driving conditions. It seems like something more significant should be making the 3 mpg difference than tire pressure, or at least I'm concerned that it could be an engine or transmission issue. I'd be comfortable with getting 15 city / 20 hwy, but it's looking more like 13/16. This seems like a drastic difference that's leading to a little buyer's remorse on a vehicle I've been looking forward to loving!

First, don't trust that on board computer. You'll have to do the tried and true method of miles traveled divided by gallons of fuel used. This will give you a true depiction of your MPG.

That being said, it's all about how you drive. It's hard to get good mpg readings and super easy to get low readings.

Are you the only one who drives it? you may baby it, but someone else probably drives it without the fuel economy in mind.

Do you start it up and let it warm up/defrost windows? That's not going to help your fuel econ at all.

When you do get going are you in the city or straight to a and b roads? What speeds do you maintain? These things take a while to warm up when just idled around, mine ran for nearly 20 minutes as i traveled a few miles, and the coolant temp never went above 170F. Not being up to temps reduces efficiency, once i was moving at a steady pace with the motor under load, then the temp rose to the 186-188F.

Check those tires for the stock size. Larger tires reduce fuel econ, but they also change rate at which your speedometer/odometer are working. It will show less miles traveled, thus reducing that fuel economy. Also make sure they are properly inflated. You can also have your alignment checked, tires scrubbing will reduce fuel economy.

How many miles are on it? Have you checked the engine air filter?

So many things can effect fuel economy. I will say I've managed an honest 21mpg on mine (all highway, warm car which never cooled down/never turned off, cruise at 70-74mph), but usually average around 17-18 with mixed b-road and city driving.

 

[NorthwoodsRunner]

I am currently running Nokian Hakka R2 SUV 265-70-17 (stock size) and noticed 2-3 mpg drop. Winter blend fuel, colder temperatures and winter tires are contributing to lower MPG in my case.

I am not seeing much drop in the MPG with Michelin xi3 on our other cars. I should have gotten xi2 for my T4R instead of Hakka.

 

[conradh]

First, don't trust that on board computer. You'll have to do the tried and true method of miles traveled divided by gallons of fuel used. This will give you a true depiction of your MPG.

That being said, it's all about how you drive. It's hard to get good mpg readings and super easy to get low readings.

Are you the only one who drives it? you may baby it, but someone else probably drives it without the fuel economy in mind.

Do you start it up and let it warm up/defrost windows? That's not going to help your fuel econ at all.

When you do get going are you in the city or straight to a and b roads? What speeds do you maintain? These things take a while to warm up when just idled around, mine ran for nearly 20 minutes as i traveled a few miles, and the coolant temp never went above 170F. Not being up to temps reduces efficiency, once i was moving at a steady pace with the motor under load, then the temp rose to the 186-188F.

Check those tires for the stock size. Larger tires reduce fuel econ, but they also change rate at which your speedometer/odometer are working. It will show less miles traveled, thus reducing that fuel economy. Also make sure they are properly inflated. You can also have your alignment checked, tires scrubbing will reduce fuel economy.

How many miles are on it? Have you checked the engine air filter?

So many things can effect fuel economy. I will say I've managed an honest 21mpg on mine (all highway, warm car which never cooled down/never turned off, cruise at 70-74mph), but usually average around 17-18 with mixed b-road and city driving.

Thanks for the advice!

I use the Gas Cubby app to track mpg, fuel costs, maintenance, repairs etc on all my vehicles, and it gave me the initial read out of 16.5 mpg for my highway trip. I let it do the math for me, but I double-checked the entries. On the highway trip in question, I was the only driver, although we bought it as a family vehicle and my wife's daily driver. I did end up idling some on that trip and dealt with some highway speed up and slow down Thanksgiving traffic, but nothing excessive or stop and go. On a regular basis it will mostly come out of garage and onto city side streets at 30-40 mph, no idling to warm up.

I'll check the tires, pressure, and air filter tonight. It's got 70k miles on it.

 

[Sauce839]

Here is what I have found with mine

Stock vehicle. average milage was 11.2L/100km

Bilstein 5100 level + BFG KO2 275/70/17: 13.2

I was fine with the increase, and assuming that the lift and extra wheel weight caused the decrease in fuel economy, It was a small price to pay for a bit of vanity.

I then changed the spark plugs during my last service, and the mileage dropped to 11.8L/100km. A noticeable improvement.

Also, on my last big road trip down through the states, I noticed my fuel economy in California was significantly worse than anywhere else. 14L/100km compared to 13L/100km in Arizona. Then back to 12-13L/100km in Oregon/Washington.

 

[grumpy514]

I've always averaged around 13-15mpg and this is mostly cityish driving. The gas mileage and no longer a V8 option have been my only gripes with the 2014 4Runner.

 

[pipo6007]

I've owned my 2006 gen4 for almost 11 years and bought it new. For the first 90K miles or so I would easily achieve 400 miles on a full tank of gas. Sometimes up to 420 miles. Then I noticed a small decrease in the total miles on a full tank so I changed the plugs. The plugs did help the mileage for whatever reason. Then I added the daystar lift and slightly larger Cooper tires and the mileage dropped down to 360-380 on a full tank. It's been around that mark for 3 years now. So expect some changes if you have a lift or plan on putting larger tires.

 

[Cozen89]

My 4Runner has always gotten terrible gas mileage. Even when bone stock and babied with 4 miles off the lot.

I did recently up my psi from 32 to 40 and saw an increase of about 1-1.5mpg.

I run BFG ko2's

 

[Coulter]

I've got a '16 t4r tp. It's only got 200 miles on it but I'm only getting in the 15's for my mpg. Is this normal? Everything else I've read about new t4r it should be several higher. Any ideas?!

 

[Yoderguy]

The lay of the land really has a huge impact on the 4Runner. My commute to work is 6 miles of perfectly flat road and I can get 19mpg regularly. If I hit highway I'll average about 21.5mpg. As soon as I throw stop and go traffic or hilly areas (or both in Pittsburgh lol) I'll drop down in the 15-16 range.

 

[eddyrunner]

Getting 11mpg on 5th gen runner.

hello everyone, im new to the forum. Im having an issue with the MPG on my 5th gen 2014 4runner limited brand new with only 14,000 miles on it. when my parents first purchased it it was giving us the average Mpg stated, but now if i do use the dash MPG display it has gone significantly down. it went from 19 mpg down to 11, as it states, and its been going down since, and i have noticed that my gas doesnt last as log as it used to. i live in chicago, i use BP midgrade to the best grade gas. im upset that its giving me really bad gas mileage. if anyone can help me with this issue i would greatly appreciate it, i feel this forum is the best place for me to ask this question. Can anyone help me with this issue? i would very much appreciate it. Its also completely stock btw