Crappy gas mileage on 4x4 V8

[Falls]

I am awarding this this thread "honest post of the month".

I have the v6, and while I can get decent mpgs in the summer with an extremely light foot, since the cold has set in the mpgs have really degraded. Last highway trip I could barely crack 20mpg. Never mind what I am getting around town.

I'm testing out a few tanks of premium to see if it helps (not so far).


J

Just did a road trip yesterday and was at about 20.x on the hiway. 15-16 is my city milage too. (V8 4x4) and thats also been since day 1. Just like spyne. I love it and didn't buy it for milage anyway so dont really matter to me. I've got exactly what the sticker said .

 

[Light_Mania]

Even highway mileage is hard to extrapolate unless you know a few things:

1. Average speed - huge impact on mpg
2. Average altitude - get up around 5000-7000 fet and highway mileage goes up 10-15% over same conditions sea level.
3. Tailwind/headwind - this can also make big differences, on the order of 10-20% or more depending on average speed.
4. Hilly or flat terrain

There are more factors, but I think these are the biggies (excluding obvious ones like big roof racks and towing).

 

[Falls]

Even highway mileage is hard to extrapolate unless you know a few things:

1. Average speed - huge impact on mpg
2. Average altitude - get up around 5000-7000 fet and highway mileage goes up 10-15% over same conditions sea level.
3. Tailwind/headwind - this can also make big differences, on the order of 10-20% or more depending on average speed.
4. Hilly or flat terrain

There are more factors, but I think these are the biggies (excluding obvious ones like big roof racks and towing).

I agree totally. And I really only check my milage for the hell of it. I don't care about the above thing because you will always have that no matter where you go. I only care what the odo. & the gas pump say to determine my milage. I don't check it very often because I don't care , but I do once in a while just to make sure things are in check. We also run summer blend & winter blended fuels here that are reformulated fuel. I do notice a drop in winter blended fuels too.

I am also running bigger tires so I actually travel further than what the odo. actually says.

 

[boston_kevin]

I have the v6, and while I can get decent mpgs in the summer with an extremely light foot, since the cold has set in the mpgs have really degraded. Last highway trip I could barely crack 20mpg. Never mind what I am getting around town.

I'm testing out a few tanks of premium to see if it helps (not so far).


J

Don't forget - you added the lift which increases resistance.

 

[gonzo]

i get crappy mileage, even without the roof-top carrier.

14.5 city
16.8 highway

i would love to know just how much vairiance there is in fuel economy for a set of vehicles. is it possible that one 2004 v8 4wd runner gets significantly lower mpg than another 2004 v8 4wd runner when all other factors are held constant?

 

[spyne]

i get crappy mileage, even without the roof-top carrier.

14.5 city
16.8 highway

i would love to know just how much vairiance there is in fuel economy for a set of vehicles. is it possible that one 2004 v8 4wd runner gets significantly lower mpg than another 2004 v8 4wd runner when all other factors are held constant?

I'm sure there's some variance, but without putting the vehicles through the same course under the same wind and temperature conditions being driven by the same drivers in exactly the same manner, you'll never be able to quantify it.

My guess is that terrain, temp, traffic conditions and how heavy the drivers foot is have a much bigger effect on mileage than manufacturing differences in the engines. Assuming, of course, that the engines are not abused and are maintained to factory recommendations.

 

[pipspeak]

Even highway mileage is hard to extrapolate unless you know a few things:

1. Average speed - huge impact on mpg
2. Average altitude - get up around 5000-7000 fet and highway mileage goes up 10-15% over same conditions sea level.
3. Tailwind/headwind - this can also make big differences, on the order of 10-20% or more depending on average speed.
4. Hilly or flat terrain

There are more factors, but I think these are the biggies (excluding obvious ones like big roof racks and towing).

Agreed... those factors make more of a difference in such a heavy vehicle than people realize.

Here are my observations:

1/ I consistently get about 1mpg better mileage driving at 65mph on the freeway than at 75mph.
2/ I get about 1mpg worse mileage on the freeway if there is a headwind.
3/ I live in SF and am used to sucky mileage around town due to the number of hills. My trip computer shows my gas mileage dropping sharply if I drive a route than entails going up a couple of hills, as would be expected with such a heavy vehicle.
4/ when I recently moved within SF and drove a multiple-hill route with a fully-loaded car many times I noticed I was averaging only single digit mileage. I was amazed at how much the extra weight combined with the hills demolished my gas mileage (not to mention the amount of brake dust I had to wash off the wheels)

Overall, with pure freeway trips I average about 20mpg... and with mixed city (hilly) and freeway driving I average 15-16mpg.

 

[sbbamafan]

I would have gotten a V8 if I thought that would be the mileage. I have an '06 SR5 V6 2WD and have been disappointed in mileage. Fortuneately that is the only thing that has disappointed me. I have meticulously performed all maintenance and run Mobil1 only. I have also maintained a log of all fuel use. As of yesterday I have gone 19696 miles and used 1143.484 gallons. That is 17.225 MPG. I only have had 1 tank break into the 20MPG range even though I take lots of road trips and typically set cruise at +/-78 MPH. I live in metro Atlanta and mileage doesn't seem to matter whether road trips or in town. Low is about 15.25. High is about 18.5. Kind of sucks; makes me wish I had 4WD for the once or twice ayear i might need/want it.

 

[JP4RNR]

I have a V8 2WD and the best I ever got was 23 MPG when it was new. Now I get almost 21 MPG about 20.78 MPG. with 25000 miles. I don't pay any attention to the computer. The computer constantly says I am getting 23.5 -24.1 MPG which is way off. One time the computer read as high as 28MPG which we know is not possible

 

[Casper]

2005 V8 SE 4WD

Curently im seeing about 18.4 mostly in stop and go city driving here in vegas. On extended highway runs, im seeing as much as 26mpg at slower (65-70mph) speed but as speeds increase to my normal (80-85) mileage drops down to about 22-23.

Currently im running

87 octane Chevron or Shell gas
Royal Purple 10W-30 (saw a 2mpg increase by switching)
RP 75-90 and Synchromax fluids for diff and transfer case
NGK Iridium IX plugs
Volant CAI
Magnaflow CAI
275/60/17 Toyo Proxes S/T

 

[pipspeak]

I only have had 1 tank break into the 20MPG range even though I take lots of road trips and typically set cruise at +/-78 MPH.

Have you tried setting cruise at 65mph rather than mid-70s? It might make you feel 20 years older but you might also easily break the 20mpg barrier.

 

[pipspeak]

Currently im running
87 octane Chevron or Shell gas
Royal Purple 10W-30 (saw a 2mpg increase by switching)

Dang... you sure about that?! Royal Purple isn't even 100% synthetic, is it? I gotta get me some!

 

[Fro-Runner]

Believe it or not, your mileage sounds right in line with your year model of V8 vehicle. You have the 2003 model which does NOT have the variable valve timing. Toyota did not put variable valve timing (VVT-i) on the V8 until the 2005 model. You do have the 5 speed tranny though. My '04 V6 model had the 4 speed tranny. I get 18/21 on vehicle's computer but only 16/19 in the real world.

Yeah, you could feather the h*ll out of the gas pedal but why would you buy such a big engine just to do that. Buy a Tacoma or Dodge Dakota with the 4 cylinder and a 5 or 6 speed manual tranny. You have a big ole engine and let's not forget that. It's Toyota's flagship "LARGE" engine for its large vehicle line. It's the big BOSS of its engines as it is used in the Tundra, Sequoia, Land Cruiser, Lexus LX models. Add this to the fact that you bought an all-wheel/4 wheel drive vehicle with "PROVEN" off road capability. The gear ratio is NOT set to give good fuel economy. The ratio is set to balance power, towing, low speed torque, and fuel economy all in one package. You're asking your V8 4Runner to forget about everything else it does pretty well and now concentrate on 25+ mpg fuel economy. It's not gonna happen my friend. Toyota NEVER promise us this with these SUV trucks. What they did promise was a well rounded vehicle with reliability, toughness, customer satisfaction, Toyota's excellent reputation etc...etc.

For example, the 5 spd tranny only gives one mpg more than the 4 spd used in the 1998-2002 4Runners. (18/22 for V6 2wd and 17/21 V6 4wd while the V8 get 16/19 as it is an all-wheel drive model only!

In short, with the 2003 V8 Toyota 4Runner non-variable timed engine, you will only get anywhere from 14-16 mpg in the city and 16-19 mpg at best on the highway. People with ratings higher that this either live on really flat land, a place where they do no stop-n-go traffic or a place where they can do a lot of coasting.

For example, I travel a 40 mile trip twice a month to an entertainment entity where I only get 18.5 hwy computer mpg (about 17 actual) going there (an slight uphill slope.....900 ft level to 1500 ft level). Now on the way back I get 22.5 hwy computer mpg (21 actual). I get these numbers in both 4wd and 2wd. These are the best and average for my vehicle. It's almost exactly what the window sticker stated.

I think some people are trying to expect too much from Toyota just because they do so well with mileage on their other vehicles. You have to realize that Toyota did their best to combine a good towing engine with fuel economy. If you need a people cruiser that gets excellent fuel mileage then Toyota and I would suggest you purchase the highly rated Sienna minivan. I apologize for the lengthy message but I am just telling the truth and most here know that. Your not going to get better than 19-23 hwy mpg from the V6 and/or V8. Toyota knows what the h*ll they are doing and they are doing it very WELL just ask Chrysler, Ford and GM.

 

[Casper]

Dang... you sure about that?! Royal Purple isn't even 100% synthetic, is it? I gotta get me some!

Mobil1, Castrol Syntec and all the others arent either.

The thing with RP is that its generally more expensive than the Mobil1 and it doesnt do as well on extended oil intervals and generally doesnt have "the best" oil analysis. I thought I would give it a try since the 2uz is seen as the best engine for its size when compared to its ease on oil.

Im going to try Penzoil Platinum next since I just got 12/qts for $.99 per quart. Sure PP has a lower initial base number and as such really isnt designed for extended oil changes either but Ill keep try'n stuff out till i find something that works really well.

Hell for those that are using the Toyota recommended oil change interval, its more the filter thats important versus the oil.

 

[Light_Mania]

The T4R with 5 speed tranny and VVT-i engine is extremely efficient at what it is being asked to do. There are negligible gains to be had with improvements in that department. I don't believe the T4R is drivetrain is geared for towing at the expense of fuel economy. My V6 ticks over at 2000 rpm at 65 mph (if I remember correctly). Thats pretty tall and fuel efficient gearing.

By far the major determinants of fuel economy (apart from driving style and conditions) will be weight (most important for city driving), frontal area, drag coefficient, and rolling resistance. All of these factors have been considered and trade-offs made in the design of the vehicle. You can get better mileage with an SUV which is not so tall, has skinnier tires, a unibody construction for less weight, and a 4 banger engine, but you will give up lots of capability for those extra mpg. You can spend more bucks to lighten the vehicle with more aluminum and composite body parts, but pay through the nose (initially and for repairs after a collision) for that extra mileage.

Sermon mode off.:biggrin2: For another datapoint, I regularly get 20 mpg (by calculation at fill up) with 75% expressway (55-60 mph) and 25% city driving. In town its a game for me to use brakes as little as is safely possible, so my city mileage isn't too bad. Also, in city driving, cold starts really kill your mileage for the first 3-4 miles. If your trips are short in the city, mileage will be terrible. Especially with those big, slow to warm up V8 engines.:runaway:

 

[Light_Mania]

Toyota now recommends 5W-20 oil for the newer engines. This will give some incremental increase in fuel mileage over 5W-30.

Over on BITOG, the 5W-20 is showing great wear numbers on oil analysis too, so not to worry there.

 

[crazeazn]

I get around 16-18 or so in mixed driving

 

[blademan]

I didnt read all the posts, someone else may have touched on this - but - I have been getting 18.2 mpg on mixed driving average consistently (GPS and hand calculated) I have tried several gases, 89 octane made less than 1 mpg improvement however - low or no ethonol gas improves it by as much as 2 mpg (16.5 on high ethonol - 10%). The cheapest gas around here - Jet-Pep - runs the worst, I try to stick to Exxon or Texaco....whatever that is worth to you.

On the ethanol issue - that's the most stupid idea mankind has ever had. It has effectively 25% fewer btu's per unit than gasoline. That equals less potential energy from burning it. Plus it takes more energy to make it that you can get from it....idiotic!:bash: