Is this the cause of bad MPG for 5th Gen?

[a47chuck]

“‘Bout as aerodynamic as a flow through tea bag with both ends plugged up.” Heard someone at the 1960 Oakland Roadster Show describe the XR6 roadster that way. HMMM, sounds like a ‘Runner. “Bugs don’t die on aerodynamic surfaces.” From a motorcycle mag in the ‘70’s.

 

[thennen]

Attached is a photo of my dash showing my MPG so far. I did reset the MPG at last fill up. I am waiting till the fuel light is on to fill up so I know exactly how much fuel I have left when the fuel light is on. This MPG is driving 80% highway and 20% local road. My 08 FJ with 191k miles on it also got close to the same mileage during the warmer weather.

Nice! I haven't reset mine in a while, so 21 is average over a couple months or so. Again, I think a light foot is a key contributor.

 

[Hexxler]

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[plefasu]

I've heard its the aerodynamics and the angle of the front windshield that sucks things towards the windshield. This is also the reason I replace my windshield twice a year on average. I usually wait until I have at least 5 chips and a crack that is 7 inches long. Its brutal.

 

[mteolus]

Buy a new house with a 3 car garage. Leave the 4Runner garaged except on trips and buy a Prius for around town and non-4x4 trips.

My father-in-law just got back from Kalifornia. Gas was over $4.50 a gallon. That's twice what it is in Texas. Maybe you should just trade in your 4-Runner if you live there.

 

[Nuke]

I might be older but I drive my 4runner 50 miles round trip everyday, 80% at highway speed (at the posted speed limit!) and so far two weeks owning it I am averaging over 22 mpg which is just a little better than my FJ.

Are you going solely by the on-board or are you hand calculating? Of the 6 vehicles my wife and I have owned with on-board fuel economy readouts, only 2 were typically within 5% of the on-board. The others were/are typically reading 1.5 to 2.5 mpg over hand calc.

Also, are you resetting the on- board at each fill up?

 

[rdruss]

Could the Aerodynamics of the 4Runner be a big part of the poor mileage? So, I just happened to wash my 4Runner and Chevy Express Van one morning before heading out on a 60 mile trip down the Freeway at 75 MPH with the Wife following in the 4Runner. When I got to the destination We backed in to park side by side and My van was still clean as a whistle and the 4Runner was wiped out with BUGS! We were doing the same speed and side by side or with Her behind Me yet the shape of the Toyota just splattered every bug on the road! Also, the van gets 18 mpg loaded with 800 lbs of tools and is 3/4 ton V-8. 4Runner gets 18 mpg as well. It seems the Runner has the qualities of a flying BRICK!:frusty:

Aerodynamic drag causes a huge demand for HP, which means fuel consumption will go up. The gearing will also play a part. We would hope that Toyota is able to produce a power curve that results in the best BSFC ( brake specific fuel consumption) being available where the majority of the engine rpm range will be required. If we do things to our 4Runners that require a gearing change we could move our cruising rpm to a more inefficient point on the BSFC curve. But in reality, the 4Runner is not your most aerodynamic vehicle, especially when lifted.

 

[mteolus]

Toyota improved the gas mileage on the 3rd gen Taco, but then people complained about the tranny searching for gears and it being underpowered....

 

[6172crew]

My 4runner trys to get to 5th gear as soon as possible and I find myself planting my foot into it to get up the hills around here. I started manually shifting it and it helps. We dont have many flat roads around these parts.

 

[83Mule]

I advise every owner to get a Pedal Commander......it is worth it and makes it drive like it should!

 

[Mass 4runner]

It's not just aerodynamics. GM happens to be really good at extracting decent mileage figures from their V8's.

 

[kenwilliams0803]

All depends on the season for us up here in the NE. I couldn't go 1-200 miles 2 months ago without them annoying me. But I just did 1200 miles the last week and seriously not like a single bug on the windshield that was significant. There is a big benefit to having it get cold sometimes. Better than getting insects the size of birds which never die like down south

Then again, the other vehicle is a JK, so almost anything is more aerodynamic than that. That thing is a bug magnet.

 

[vadertrail]

My 2010 TE has about 125K miles now. When I drive 80% city, 18 mpg. When I drive 80% highway, 21-22 mpg.

 

[71gs3504sp]

Are you going solely by the on-board or are you hand calculating? Of the 6 vehicles my wife and I have owned with on-board fuel economy readouts, only 2 were typically within 5% of the on-board. The others were/are typically reading 1.5 to 2.5 mpg over hand calc.

Also, are you resetting the on- board at each fill up?

- Rest at every fill up.
- Averaging about 400 to 425 mile per low fill light comes on.
- Check mpg with on-board and hand calculate.
- On-board and hand calculate are 1.0 to 0.5 mpg difference.