MPG on your 3rd Gen?

[shadow247]

A diff drop usually helps, at it has least in my experience.


Diff drop + heavy duty axles have been my saving grace. I would rip through normal axle boots until I put in the Napa 1258 extended cv axles. They have honestly been great and I'd highly recommend them, which is surprising because I favor most everything OEM.

Diff drop did not matter on my 1999. Boots still lasted about 1-2 years with normal driving and no offroad action.

 

[octanejunkie]

Diff drop did not matter on my 1999. Boots still lasted about 1-2 years with normal driving and no offroad action.

Diff drops are a zero sum game/marketing ploy to sell stuff

Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk

 

[Rushthezeppelin]

Worst tank yet, 14mpg. All short city trips. I think I was on the skinny pedal a lot. Amazing how much that pedal affects things.

 

[Pyral]

On the latest long distance trip I got 18 mpg, it's my mothers fault, she likes going 85 mph in her Q5. After that I got a good 23 mpg.

I wish 5th gear was the same ratio as it is on the W58 (.783:1 vs W59 .81:1), highway cruising would be much more silent and fuel efficient.

 

[Sigwally]

Got 20 MPG on a trip with all highway driving. Otherwise 16-17 MPG combined...

 

[MCgrease08]

Fueled up this morning and did the math to find I got 14.5 mpg out of the latest tank. That's almost all in town driving with 285/75/16 tires. Not great, but the tank before was closer to 12 mpg, so it's an improvement.

 

[rayjay]

My average is 20.67mpg across 102 fill ups as of today.
99' 5 speed, stock everything, not bad if I do say so.

 

[JustTroItIn]

I don't know how some of you are getting these insane MPG. The best I have ever achieved on either of my 4Runners is 18 MPG. Both trucks average about 15 MPG with 2 different primary drivers.

 

[SpiderT4R]

I’ve been getting 19-20 MPG. Stock 2000 SR5 automatic. Very little city driving and I drive like a grandma lol

 

[Rushthezeppelin]

I don't know how some of you are getting these insane MPG. The best I have ever achieved on either of my 4Runners is 18 MPG. Both trucks average about 15 MPG with 2 different primary drivers.

I wonder if compression had anything to do with it. Mine recently seems to be dropping. I suspect it's because I've been a little happy on the skinny pedal and maybe winter gas but I threw in some fuel injector cleaner just for good measure anyway

 

[rayjay]

I don't know how some of you are getting these insane MPG. The best I have ever achieved on either of my 4Runners is 18 MPG. Both trucks average about 15 MPG with 2 different primary drivers.

What octane are you running? Mine runs better and I get way better mileage running 91.

When my wife was driving it, she always threw in the "cheap shit" 85...and it was only getting 17 or so on a good day.

 

[Rushthezeppelin]

What octane are you running? Mine runs better and I get way better mileage running 91.

When my wife was driving it, she always threw in the "cheap shit" 85...and it was only getting 17 or so on a good day.

How odd I never noticed better mileage using 87 E free when I tried that. I get 20-21 highway just running 85. Do you think the mileage difference you get is worth the increased cost?

 

[socalkid]

my 2wd 98' has consistently averaged 15-16mpg with a typical mix of highway/city, i run the cheapo 87 octane and have 235/75 radial tires on the stock 15's.

 

[kurtzoellner61]

Better MPG?

Alright. All I'm asking is your ideas to get better mpg. Cold air (meaning snorkel) or pulling power from fan? exhaust? headers? etc. What do you think?

99 4R

 

[phattyduck]

Alright. All I'm asking is your ideas to get better mpg. Cold air (meaning snorkel) or pulling power from fan? exhaust? headers? etc. What do you think?

99 4R

Slow down. Set the cruise control at 65-67 mpg and enjoy the ride. My V6 auto 4WD on 32's with a bunch of armor still gets ~20mpg on road trips - but you can't go fast to do it.

I've never tested high octane on the 5VZ. My understanding is that it ignores the knock sensor below about 3k rpm anyway - so higher octane won't be adjusted for in most circumstances (on a non-supercharged engine, at least).

-Charlie

 

[Bad Luck]

Alright. All I'm asking is your ideas to get better mpg. Cold air (meaning snorkel) or pulling power from fan? exhaust? headers? etc. What do you think?

99 4R

Stock size tires, remove excess weight, coast when possible instead of braking, and drive slower. As for mechanical changes/modifications make sure your engine air filter is clean, clean your MAF and throttle body, change your spark plugs every 30K miles with dual electrode (if 5VZ), and change your upstream oxygen (air/fuel ratio) sensor. A lot of people claim changing the intake tube and doing the deck plate mod gained them mpg, but it's about 50/50 between people claiming gains and people not noticing a change at all.

 

[JustTroItIn]

What octane are you running? Mine runs better and I get way better mileage running 91.

When my wife was driving it, she always threw in the "cheap shit" 85...and it was only getting 17 or so on a good day.

87 octane. Stock tires. I'm sure a lot has to do with too much skinny pedal but I'll be damned if I'm driving 65 in Detroit when the rest of traffic is doing 75+.

 

[tjcl0201]

I barely get 225 miles on one tank in my 3.4L 1998. My dad had the 4runner before I bought it from him, he put BF Goodrich All Terrain tires on it too...which is dumb because it's not 4WD. I'm not going to change the tires until they are done though...too darn expensive to just up and replace right now. That is both highway and city mileage. More city than highway with 251k miles on the original motor.

 

[rayjay]

How odd I never noticed better mileage using 87 E free when I tried that. I get 20-21 highway just running 85. Do you think the mileage difference you get is worth the increased cost?

At some point I did crunch the numbers...and it was slightly cheaper. I cant remember what the difference had to be and my brain is not going to do the math again today. haha!

 

[hugho]

With a maintained 3rd gen you should be able to count on 20 mpg or better. On highway trips my '00 gives me 24 mpg consistently. It was tuned about a year ago and changed the fuel filter a couple of months ago. I use cruise control whenever possible and usually don't have to travel in much traffic. I use cheap gas, don't have a roof rack and have Michelin LT tires.

In all these posts I never see anyone telling us what engine they have. The 4 or the 6, what tire size they have etc. If you want economy you don't drive a toyota heavy suv, you drive a corolla or a camry. I have both. The Camry gets 28-37(hwy) and the corolla MT 40-47).That said I can't carry heavy weight and traverse mountain passes in winter with those cars.