How do you get your best mpg? Cruise control or using the pedal??

[Jeff T]

For me it using my foot!! The cruise control always lowers the mileage.

The 4R is the first vehicle I've had where using the cruise didn't increase the mileage.

 

[Trevloc]

for me it depends on the roads....

if i am going under 60 i use my foot. (usually cause 60 wont last long)

highways i use it til i approach an upgrade and i use my foot til it smooths back out.

 

[rockwall]

If you are driving at a resonable highway speed the cruise should deliver the best mpg.

I get around 21.5 on the highway in cruise and about one mpg less with my foot in it.

 

[Jeff T]

21.5 with an 8, dang. With 153k on my 6 I can count on both hands the times I've reached that.

 

[Uneek]

Pedal.

If it's completely flat, cruise control would probably help. However, on the slightest incline and the CC's attempt to maintain speed, it will have the transmission downshift and kick up the revs. I can lightly touch the gas and bring the vehicle speed about a mile or two above the set CC speed on the incline, the 4Runner won't lose any speed and without any downshifting wasting gas. For all the needless downshifting with cruise control, I can do better without using it.

The CC tries too hard to maintain speed when on any sort of incline downshifting unnecessarily.

 

[JB.]

Agree, foot works best. Cruise can match it on flat, consistent stretches but it's not tuned for mpg, it's tuned for a tight mph range and it can only maintain it reactively. The cruise doesn't seem to have inherited any of the IQ boost many of the other vehicle systems benefitted from.

 

[Zuke]

21.5 with an 8, dang. With 153k on my 6 I can count on both hands the times I've reached that.

I can get up to 23-24 on the wish o meter. In real MPG its about 20-22.

Use the foot and keep rpms low.

 

[Jeff T]

wish o meter.
QUOTE]


:cheers:

 

[zstampe]

I get 17-19 highway on average with cruise control. It hunts for gears quite a bit too. Foot would be better for over 60 I'd say.

 

[Kmvreter]

For me it using my foot!! The cruise control always lowers the mileage.

The 4R is the first vehicle I've had where using the cruise didn't increase the mileage.

I've experimented with this with good results and have changed my driving style to suit over the years.
Combination of mostly cruise, bumping it up and down depending on the grade, and the foot depending on traffic.
By "bumping" I mean tapping the cruise lever down a couple of times to slightly reduce speed on the upgrade and then tap a couple of times to return to your original set speed when back on the flat. I use the foot to slightly increase my speed on the downgrade and let off when back on the flat. The whole purpose is to take advantage of gravity on the down and don't fight gravity on the up. The net travel speed and time will be the same. I'm effectively opening up the cruise speed set point window. The biggest thing is to anticipate in order to avoid accelerating on an upgrade. This of course is all dependant on traffic (I don't commute on overly crowded highways.)
I know there are many factors (actual grade, speed, head winds) but my V6 isn't prone to downshifting. There is also a learn feature to the tranny ECU so maybe my driving style "helps" avoid the downshift. My previous ride was under powered for the torque sweet spot on the highway so it would always want to downshift. I adapted my driving as Uneek pointed out. No need to do this as drastically with the T4R.

My pet peeve with the '04 cruise is that it won't hold the speed set point if you drop below a certain speed so you lose the ability to hit resume. A PITA on country roads. I actually looked into modding the electronics but it's beyond me so I've learned to live with it.

 

[JPWendtinc]

Cruise control set anywhere below 60mph

Remove Yakima roof rack

Tires inflated to 36lbs

I can break the 20mpg barrier.


Everyday driving I average around 14.....:lookout:

 

[DexTech]

I use my cruise control as an anti-speeding ticket device. I figure that saves me more than any mpg improvement.

 

[JohnsD90]

Cruise control lowers the mpg in theory, but generally i get bored when i have my foot on the pedal and tend to floor it alot, so i see better MPG with CC, but maximum fuel economy is seen without cruise control as your foot is a better judge of speed and upcoming hills than the blind computers.

 

[M1911]

Cruise control for me.

 

[Casper421]

Foot all the way.

 

[imdav2u]

I just put in a K&N air filter,ran 2 tanks of gas after the switch.1st tank I drove the same as I did before the switch.Same gas mileage as before,19 to 20,mixed town and highway.2nd tank,babied everywhere,65 on the highway,no jack rabbit starts and cruise on level roads.I got 22.3 mixed driving,and I hand calculated both mpg averages.I felt like an old man on the 2nd tankful,everybody was passing me,that was tough to do.